James Madison University

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James Madison University
Motto:	Knowledge is Liberty
Established:	1908
Type:	Public university
Endowment:	$50.7[1] million
President:	Dr. Linwood H. Rose
Faculty:	2,659
Students:	17,918
Undergraduates:	16,414
Postgraduates:	1,504
Location:	Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S.
Campus:	Small city, 655 acres (2.65 km²)
Colors:	Purple and Gold
Nickname:	James Madison Dukes
Mascot:	Duke Dog
Athletics:	NCAA Division I, CAA
Website:	www.jmu.edu

James Madison University (also known as JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes until settling with James Madison University.^[2] The university is situated in the Shenandoah Valley, with the campus quadrangle located on South Main Street in Harrisonburg.

The university is also home to the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, the only active publicly-oriented arboretum on a Virginia state-supported university campus, and the student run radio station WXJM, as well as National Public Radio station WMRA. JMU made national sports headlines in 2004 with its first NCAA Division I-AA national football championship.^[3]

[edit] History

Wilson Hall, centerpiece of the JMU quad.

The university was established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg. In 1914, the name of the university was changed to the State Normal School for Women at Harrisonburg. At first, academic offerings included only today's equivalent of technical training or junior college courses, however authorization to award bachelor's degrees was granted in 1916. During this initial period of development, the campus plan was established and six buildings were constructed.^[4]

The university became the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg in 1924 and continued under that name until 1938, when it was named Madison College in honor of the fourth president of the United States. In 1976 the university's name was changed to James Madison University.^[4]

The first president of the university was Julian Ashby Burruss. The university opened its doors to its first student body in 1909 with an enrollment of 209 students and a faculty of 15. Its first 20 graduates received diplomas in 1911.^[4]

In 1919, Dr. Burruss resigned the presidency to become president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Samuel Page Duke was then chosen as the second president of the university. During Duke's administration, nine major buildings were constructed. ^[4]

Aerial view of campus from 1937, showing the original campus plan, prior to major expansions of the campus.

In 1946 men were first enrolled as regular day students. Dr. G. Tyler Miller became the third president of the university in 1949, following the retirement of Duke. During Miller's administration, from 1949 to 1970, the campus was enlarged by 240 acres (1 km²) and 19 buildings were constructed. Major curriculum changes were made and the university was authorized to grant master's degrees in 1954. ^[4]

In 1966, by action of the Virginia General Assembly, the university became a coeducational institution. Dr. Ronald E. Carrier, JMU's fourth president, headed the institution from 1971 to 1998. During Carrier's administration, student enrollment and the number of faculty and staff tripled, doctoral programs were authorized, more than twenty major campus buildings were constructed and the university was recognized repeatedly by national publications as one of the finest institutions of its type in America. Carrier Library is named for him.^[4]

In the 2000's, the university continued to expand, not only through new construction east of Interstate 81, but also on the west side of campus. In early 2005, JMU purchased the Rockingham Memorial Hospital building north of the main campus. JMU is expected to occupy the building following the hospital's move to its new location.^[5] Additionally, the university has expanded across South High Street with the finalizing of the purchase of the former Harrisonburg High School building after initially leasing it for a year, operating it as Memorial Hall.^[6] The university also received state and private funding to begin construction of a state of the art Performing Arts Complex near the quad in 2007. A second, $30 million library located on the east side of campus, has completed construction. East Campus Library (ECL), is scheduled to open on August 11th 2008, just before the students return for the fall semester.

[edit] Academics

James Madison University is considered "More Selective" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For the Class of 2012, the university received more than 19,350 applications, with there currently being 3,960 freshman spots available for the 2008-2009 academic year.^[7]

Currently, James Madison University offers more than 100 degree programs on the bachelor's, master's, educational specialist and doctoral levels. The university comprises seven colleges and 78 academic programs.

[edit] Colleges

• College of Arts and Letters
• College of Business[1]
• College of Education
• College of Graduate and Outreach Programs
• College of Integrated Science and Technology [2]
• College of Science and Mathematics [3]
• College of Visual and Performing Arts [4]

On June 24, 2005, the Board of Visitors approved the Madison College Proposal, which created the College of Visual and Performing Arts out of the College of Arts and Letters. The new College of Visual and Performing Arts includes the School of Art and Art History, the School of Music, the School of Theatre and Dance, and the Madison Art Collection.

On January 9, 2007, a new School of Engineering was approved by the Virginia higher education governing body.^[8] The school will begin accepting undergraduates in Fall 2008. The theme of the program is sustainability with a large focus on the environmental sciences, and will only offer general engineering degrees with no specializations.

[edit] School of Music

Keezell Hall, home of the university's English and Foreign Language departments

Main article: College of Visual and Performing Arts (James Madison University)

The School of Music is nationally renowned and features degrees in music composition, performance, education, theater, and music industry. Currently, the University is home to over ten ensembles. Among them is The Wind Ensemble, The JMU Brass Band, a Pep Band, several choirs, and The Marching Royal Dukes, a 350 plus member marching band who were the recipients of the Sudler Trophy, the highest honor available for a college marching band. In 2005, the School of Music received an anonymous gift of 65 Steinway Pianos worth $1 million.^[9]

[edit] Rankings

The school is nationally recognized for its academics. U.S. News & World Report has ranked JMU as the top public (4th overall), masters-level university in the South for 14 consecutive years.^[10] The University is also ranked 22st overall in value for money in the nation amongst public colleges and universities, according to Kiplinger Magazine's 100 Best Values in Public Colleges.^[11] According to BusinessWeek magazine in its 2008 ranking of undergraduate colleges of business, JMU's undergraduate business school is ranked 54th in the nation, and 4th in Virginia.^[12]

Money Magazine, in 1996 ranked JMU 5th in the nation for best value among in-state students.^[13] Princeton Review, in its 2007 rankings, called JMU one of "America's Best Value Colleges".^[14]

[edit] Campus

Newman Lake

The campus of JMU originally consisted of two buildings, known today as Jackson and Maury Halls. The early campus design was modeled after that of Union College, thus resembling the ideal city of Renaissance. Today, the campus of James Madison University has 102 major buildings on 655 acres.^[15] The campus is divided into six parts: Bluestone, Hillside, Lakeside, Ridge, Skyline, and the Village.^[16] The Ridge and Skyline areas are located on the east side of Interstate 81, while the rest of the campus is located on the west side. The two sections are connected both by a bridge and a tunnel underneath the highway (Duke Dog Alley).^[17] Other unique features on the campus include Newman Lake, a 9.7 acre pond located in the Lake Area next to Greek Row and Sonner Hall^[18], the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, and one set of railroad tracks passing directly through the campus.

The campus was originally situated between South Main Street and Interstate 81, but has since expanded across the Interstate with the addition of The College of Integrated Science and Technology (CISAT), the University Recreation Center (UREC), the Festival Conference and Student Center, the Leeolou Alumni Center, several residence halls, and athletic fields since the late-1990's. The Chemistry and Physics Building, which houses the chemistry department as well as the department of Physics and Astronomy, is one of the most recently added building to the east side of JMU's campus.

In addition, a new $30 million library located on the east side of campus, has just completed construction. The 5-story, 106,000 sq. ft. facility will house primarily science, technology, and health sciences collections. East Campus Library (ECL) is scheduled to open on August 11th, 2008.^[19]

Several new construction projects on the campus of James Madison University have been included in Governor Tim Kaine's $1.65 billion higher education bond package. Governor Kaine's proposal designates more than $96 million for JMU projects. Among the projects included in the proposal are the construction of a new biotechnology building, Centennial Hall, ($44.8 million) and the renovation and expansion of Duke Hall ($43.4 million). The proposal also includes $8.6 million as the final installment payment for Rockingham Memorial Hospital. ^[20]

[edit] Student life

Students on the James Madison University quad

The Princeton Review also recognized James Madison as one of 81 schools in America "with a conscience", and in the latest year ranked behind only the University of Virginia in the number of Peace Corps volunteers it sent from its student body among "medium-sized" universities.^[21] Alcohol use on and around campus is prevalent, as with most universities, and The Princeton Review ranked JMU sixteenth for the most beer usage on campus.^[14]

The school has 35 residence halls, eight of which serve as sorority houses.^[22] While most residence halls are only for housing, several halls are used for multiple purposes. For example, Chandler Hall, located in the Lake area, has a basement dining facility and a computer lab, in addition to upperclass housing.^[23] As freshmen must live on campus, a large portion of JMU's housing availability is set aside for incoming students. Consequently, most upperclassmen and graduate students live off campus; those who wish to live on campus must apply for housing each year. While occasional exceptions are granted, generally freshmen are not granted parking permits. ^[24] JMU's Greek life is less popular than most other public universities, with roughly 12%^{[citation needed]} of the student body participating in related activities.

[edit] Administration

CISAT side of campus with Potomac Hall (left) and Chesapeake Hall (right).

[edit] Board of Visitors

Like all public universities in Virginia, James Madison is governed by a Board of Visitors, mostly appointed by the Governor of Virginia.^[25] In addition to the 15 members appointed by the governor, the speaker of the Faculty Senate and an elected student representative serve as representatives for the faculty and the student body respectively. The appointed members serve for a maximum of two consecutive 4 year terms, while the student representative is limited to two one-year terms. The faculty representative serves for as long as he or she remains the speaker of the JMU Faculty Senate. ^[25]

[edit] President

Main article: Linwood H. Rose

Dr. Linwood H. Rose has served as the university's fifth president since September 1998. Before being named president, Rose served as a member of the institution's administration for 23 years, including service as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

[edit] Past presidents

• Julian Ashby Burruss (1908-1919)
• Dr. Samuel Page Duke (1919-1949)
• Dr. G. Tyler Miller (1949-1971)
• Dr. Ronald E. Carrier (1971-1998)

[edit] Community relations

The University’s rapid expansion has created tension in the city-university relationship with issues such as growth planning. ^[26] The Board of Visitors recently approved the invocation of eminent domain against a neighboring business, a funeral parlor, to make way for the school's new Performing Arts Center, which is already under construction. Before eminent domain was exercised, the property owner chose to accept a purchase offer from the University.^[27] In the May 2006 city election, incumbent mayor Larry Rogers, who also serves on JMU’s Board of Visitors, lost his bid for reelection. ^[28] JMU has nearly doubled in size in the last 20 years.^[29] JMU purchased the former Harrisonburg High School building, now known as Memorial Hall, and promised to keep some of the important features intact for the benefit of the community. ^[30]

[edit] Athletics

Main article: James Madison Dukes

Duke Dog Athletics Identity.

James Madison University's athletic teams use the name "Dukes" in competition, with the Duke Dog, a gray bulldog dressed in a purple cape and crown, as the school's mascot. "Dukes" is in honor of Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. Madison competes in the NCAA's Division I (Football Championship Subdivision for football), the Colonial Athletic Association, and the Eastern College Athletic Conference. The Dukes played football in the Atlantic 10 Football Conference until it disbanded after the 2006 season and currently play in the Colonial Athletic Association, which picked up the Atlantic 10's football operations beginning fall 2007^[31] Students compete in football, basketball, soccer, swimming, diving, women's volleyball, baseball, women's lacrosse, field hockey, golf, track and field, and softball. James Madison's two national championships ranks them tied for third most national titles in Virginia. James Madison's baseball team advanced to the 1983 College World Series, the only Division I institution in Virginia to do so. The JMU women's field hockey gave the university their first national title in 1994. JMU football also won the NCAA Division I-AA National title in 2004 and appeared in the playoffs in 2006 and 2007. ^[32] In 2006, considerable controversy arose after the decision to cut 10 varsity teams (including both mens' and women's teams) was deemed necessary to comply with Title IX restrictions.

[edit] Notable alumni

• Jim Acosta, Class of 1993 - CNN Correspondent, former CBS News reporter.^[33]
• Marcia Angell, M.D., Class of 1960 (B.S.) - Member of the Harvard University Medical School faculty and former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. She received her M.D. from Boston University in 1967.^[34]
• Margaret Becker, an award-winning composer, contemporary Christian singer, speaker and writer.
• Melanie Anderson Blunt, Missouri's current First Lady.
• Steve Buckhantz, Class of 1977 - Television play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards.
• Gary Clark, Class of 1982 - Former NFL wide receiver with Washington Redskins and two-time Super Bowl champion.^[35]
• Ross Copperman, Class of 2004 - RCA Records recording artist, famous in United Kingdom.
• Lindsay Czarniak - Current sports anchor for WRC-TV NBC4 in Washington, DC^[36]
• Charles Haley, Class of 1986 - Former NFL linebacker/defensive end. Won five Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.^[37]
• Barbara Hall, Class of 1982 - TV producer and writer. Wrote for television shows such as Northern Exposure, and Judging Amy. She is also the creator of Joan of Arcadia. She was a noted speaker at JMU's 2004 graduation.
• Keith Howland, Class of 1986 - lead guitarist for pop-rock band Chicago
• Steve James, Class of 1977 - Director, producer and co-editor of the award-winning documentary Hoop Dreams.
• Akeem Jordan, Linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Mark Jordan Legan, Class of 1982 - TV and film writer, regular contributor to Slate.com and NPR's Day To Day where he hosts the popular segment, Summary Judgement.
• Kellen Kulbacki, Professional baseball player, 2007 1st round draft pick by San Diego Padres
• Karen McCullah Lutz, Class of 1988 - Author and screenwriter of such movies as Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate about You.
• Leroi Moore, saxophonist for the Dave Matthews Band
• Scott Norwood, Class of 1981 - Former NFL kicker who played his entire career for the Buffalo Bills.
• Tracey Neale, WUSA anchorwoman for the Washington, DC area.
• Ed Perry, Class of 1996 - NFL tight end and deep-snapper who played with the Miami Dolphins from 1997-2004, and with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005.^[38]
• Colin Pine, interpreter for NBA-star Yao Ming
• John Roberts, SPEED TV host, formerly of WBTV (Charlotte, NC) and WHSV (Harrisonburg, VA).^[39]
• Elliott Sadler, Professional racecar driver for the NASCAR circuit who did not graduate.
• Billy Sample, Class of 1976 - Major League baseball player, Broadcaster.^[40]
• Chris Sprouse, Professional comic book artist
• Steven Smith, Class of 1994 - VJ (Video Jockey) and host of "Steven's Untitled Rock Show" on the Fuse TV Music Channel.
• Phoef Sutton, Emmy Award-winning television producer, writer, and feature film screenwriter. Producing and writing credits include work on Cheers, The Naked Truth, Boston Legal, The Fan and Mrs. Winterbourne.
• Butch Taylor, keyboardist for the Dave Matthews Band
• Mike Venafro, Major League Baseball player.
• Phil Vassar, Country music singer, did not graduate.
• Andrew York, Class of 1980 - classical guitarist-composer
• Tamera Young, class of 2008 - no. 8 draft pick by WNBA's Atlanta Dream

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

James Madison University

• James Madison University
• The Edith Carrier Arboretum
• 90.7 WMRA
• The Breeze
• JMU Institutional Research

• James Madison University is at coordinates 38°26′14″N 78°52′12″W / 38.43725, -78.86991 (James Madison University)Coordinates: 38°26′14″N 78°52′12″W / 38.43725, -78.86991 (James Madison University)