Olivet College
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| Olivet College | |
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| Established: | 1844 |
| Type: | Private |
| President: | Don Tuski |
| Faculty: | 92 |
| Undergraduates: | 1,086 |
| Location: | Olivet, MI, USA |
| Sports: | NCAA Division III, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| Mascot: | Comets |
| Website: | www.olivetcollege.edu |
Olivet College is a coeducational, Christian, liberal arts college located in Olivet, Michigan, 30 miles south of Lansing and 125 miles west of Detroit. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, and accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[1]
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[edit] History
In 1844, after founding Oberlin College, Rev. John J. Shipherd and 39 missionaries, including Oberlin faculty, students, and aslumni, came to Michigan to create a college, which Shipherd deemed "New Oberlin."
The original land for the college was to be in present-day Ingham County, approximately twenty-five miles from where the college stands. Olivetian lore says that while Shipherd was on a trip to the site in Ingham County, his horse continued to get lost, and would always wander back to a hill above a swamp, which is where Olivet's Campus Square exists today. Shipherd decided that powers from above must be drawing the horse back to this site, and Shipherd deemed that this would become the site for "New Oberlin." He then chose to name it Olivet, however, after the biblical Mount of Olives. Shortly after the founding of the college, John Shipherd succumbed to malaria, as many other early Olivetians would.
It is said that the founders of Olivet College believed in three essential components: first was a coeducational experience; service was another integral part of the founders' visions, as the founders helped to build the surrounding community as well as the broader community; they also believed that an education could be had by anyone, not just those "rich in the world's goods." Abolitionist beliefs, along with a coeducational experience, led the state legislature to deny a charter for the college until thirteen years after the first courses were offered. Some Olivetians believe that the charter was denied because of possible competition with Michigan College.
The first courses began in December 1844. Because President Reuben Hatch's petition for a charter was denied, Olivet became the Olivet Institute, and remained a two year school until chartered in 1859.
The 20th century saw Olivet College become a liberal arts school, with a short-lived attempt at an Oxford-style curriculum from 1934 to 1944.
In recent years, the college's enrollment has decreased to approximately 980, citing poor retention. Olivet also laid off employees in order to balance their budget. The college's present graduation rate is 34.8% for students who graduated in 4 years. The college is also investing into new facilities such as a new student dorm as well as a new events center, in hopes to raise enrollment levels. The college has also begun a new television advertisement campaign targeting the greater Lansing area. In March 2008, the college decided to discontinue its theatre major. For the 2008-2009 academic year, Olivet hopes to recruit 400-500 new students.
[edit] Academics
Olivet offers 28 programs that lead to a bachelor's degree, a master's degree in Education, and dual degree programs with two higher education institutions in Michigan. Student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1.
[edit] Athletics
Along with Albion College and Michigan State University, Olivet founded the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) in 1888. The MIAA is the nation's oldest collegiate conference. Olivet College athletic teams, nicknamed the Comets, participate in the following intercollegiate sports as a member of the MIAA:
Men baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, track & field, wrestling (Division III Independent)
Women basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball
[edit] Notes and references
[edit] External links
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