Shenandoah University

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shenandoah University is a comprehensive Level VI private university with an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students in over 80 programs in six schools: College of Arts and Sciences, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah Conservatory, School of Health Professions, Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, and School of Continuing Education. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Winchester, Virginia. According to US News and World Report's 2008 Best Colleges and Universities rankings, Shenandoah University now ranks 41st in the South (Master's Category).

[edit] History

The university was founded as Shenandoah Seminary in 1875 in Dayton, Virginia by Dr. Abraham Paul Funkhouser and Professor Jay Newton Fries. Shenandoah Seminary became a junior college in 1924, changing its name to Shenandoah College the following year. Shenandoah Conservatory became a separate corporation in 1937 and began granting four-year degrees. Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music moved to its current 75 acre (305,000 m²) Winchester campus in 1960 and began offering four-year degrees in 1974 (at which time the college and conservatory corporations were merged). Having obtained university status on January 1, 1991, today the Shenandoah student body represents 46 U.S. states and 42 countries.

[edit] Location

The university operates on three primary campuses: two Winchester campuses, including the main campus located near Interstate 81 and the Health Professions campus located near the Winchester Medical Center, and the Northern Virginia Campus located in Leesburg, Virginia. As well, there a number of satellite offices and facilities located throughout Winchester.

[edit] Currently

Shenandoah is currently undergoing significant expansion, as evidenced by new construction projects such as the Harry F. Byrd School of Business, the Brandt Student Center, the History and Tourism Center, and the forthcoming construction of new administrative offices on the site now housing the Virginia National Guard. More construction, as well, is expected to take place in the coming years around the east campus near Shentel Stadium. This growth parallels increasing recognition on the academic front, notably in the aforementioned US News & World Report Best Colleges and Universities edition.

[edit] Schools & Programs

The university offers over 80 programs at associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral level in six schools:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business
• Shenandoah Conservatory
• School of Health Professions
• Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy
• School of Continuing Education

[edit] Trivia

• A 2005 survey conducted by Intel ranked Shenandoah University 56th in its top 100 "Most Unwired Colleges" list, just behind Bucknell University and ahead of such prestigious universities as Cornell and Harvard. The ranking measures accessibility for broadband and wireless Internet.[1]
• In 1999, Shenandoah University was listed as a finalist for potential debate locations between then-Vice President Al Gore and then-Texas Governor George W. Bush by the Commission on Presidential Debates.[2]
• According to the university's official history page, the name Shenandoah is derived from the Native American legend of Zynodoa, a brave whose life of strength and courage and his appreciation of beauty resulted in having a river and a valley named for him.

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• Shenandoah Conservatory
• Institute for Government & Public Service
• The Knowledge Point - Shenandoah University History and Tourism Center
• Virtual Campus Tour
• US News Profile