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Asbury University

Coordinates: 37°51′49″N 84°39′54″W / 37.8636°N 84.6649°W / 37.8636; -84.6649
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Not to be confused with other institutions named or formerly named Asbury College.

Asbury University
Former names
Kentucky Holiness College (1890–1891)[1]
Asbury College
(1891–2010)
MottoEruditio et Religio (Latin)
Motto in English
Learning and Religion
TypePrivate university
EstablishedSeptember 2, 1890; 134 years ago (1890-09-02)
Religious affiliation
Christian
Academic affiliations
Christian College Consortium
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Space-grant
Endowment$53.1 million (2020)[2]
PresidentKevin J. Brown
ProvostSherry Powers
Academic staff
150
Administrative staff
400
Students1,854[3]
Undergraduates1,640
Postgraduates214[3]
Location
Wilmore
,
Kentucky
,
United States

37°51′49″N 84°39′54″W / 37.8636°N 84.6649°W / 37.8636; -84.6649
CampusSuburban
Colors   Purple & white
Sporting affiliations
NCAA DIII, NCCAA
MascotEagle
Websitewww.asbury.edu

Asbury University is a private Christian university in Wilmore, Kentucky.[4] Although it is a non-denominational school, the college is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement[5] and is a member of the Wesleyan Holiness Connection.[6] The school offers 50-plus majors across 17 departments. In the fall of 2016, Asbury University had a total enrollment of 1,854: 1,640 traditional undergraduate students and 214 graduate students.[3] The campus of Asbury Theological Seminary, which became a separate institution in 1922, is located across the street from Asbury University.

History

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The Old Asbury Building (in white) was the first building, serving as the single schoolhouse for education. It is now used for prayer and meditation.
The administration building.
The Kinlaw Library
Miller Center for Media Communications.
The Student Center.

Asbury College was established on September 2, 1890, by John Wesley Hughes in Wilmore, Kentucky.[7] It was originally called Kentucky Holiness College, but the following year was renamed after Bishop Francis Asbury, a circuit-riding evangelist known as the "Father of American Methodism". Bishop Asbury had established the first Methodist school in the United States west of the Appalachians, Bethel Academy, in 1790; its site lies near High Bridge, only about four miles (6 km) south of Wilmore.[8]

After being pushed out as President of Asbury College in 1905, Hughes went on to found another college, Kingswood College, in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. Kingswood College no longer exists. Despite his disappointment over being removed at Asbury, Hughes wrote in his 1923 autobiography: "Being sure I was led of God to establish (Asbury College), it being my college child born in poverty, mental perplexity, and soul agony, I loved it from its birth better than my own life. As the days have come and gone, with many sad and broken-hearted experiences, my love has increased. My appreciation of what it has done, what it is doing, and what it promises to do in the future, is such that I am willing to lay down my life for its perpetuation." In 1928, Hughes was invited to break ground for Asbury College's new chapel, Hughes Auditorium, which is still in use today.[9]

In 2001 The Kinlaw Library was completed. It was named in honor of Dennis F. Kinlaw and his wife Elsie. It contains over 150,000 items in several collections. There are three floors and most of the collections are on the main and top floors.[10]

The college's immediate past president, Sandra C. Gray, was inaugurated as the seventeenth president of Asbury on October 5, 2007.[11] She was the institution's first female president.

On March 5, 2010, Asbury College became Asbury University. The current president is Kevin Brown, a former faculty member of the university's Dayton School of Business.[12] He was inaugurated as the eighteenth president on March 6, 2020.[13]

Presidents

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Presidents of the institution include:[14]

Academics

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Undergraduate admissions

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Asbury students come from 44 states and 43 countries. A required essay or personal statement and letters of recommendation are considered for admission.[15] In 2024, Asbury University accepted 78.7% of undergraduate applicants, with admission standards considered "challenging" and those admitted having an average 3.65 high school GPA. The university does not require submission of standardized test scores, Asbury being a test optional and test blind school such that standardized scores are "not considered for admission, even if submitted." Those accepted that submitted test scores had an average 1080–1320 SAT score or average 21–28 ACT score.[16]

Faculty and curriculum

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Eighty-two percent of the school's faculty hold terminal degrees in their field of study. The university has 59 undergraduate majors and multiple minors and emphases.[17] Internships, exchange programs, study abroad, cross-culture opportunities, missions, and community service opportunities are available and are part of the curriculum in nearly every major.[18] Asbury has a large general education liberal arts requirement ranging from 39 to 57 semester hours.[19] The university also has an Honors Program[20] and online programs.[21] The university has a 12:1 student to faculty ratio and a retention rate of 82 percent on average.[22] Nearly 90 percent of the university's students live on campus.[15]

Programs are divided into five units:

  • College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Dayton School of Business
  • School of Communication Arts
  • School of Education
  • Shaw School of Sciences[23]

Graduate degrees

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Graduate degrees include: Master's in Business Administration, Graduate Education degrees, Master of Arts in Communication, Master of Arts in Digital Storytelling, Master of Arts in Instructional Design, Innovation & Leadership, Master of Fine Arts in Film/TV Production, and Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting.[24]

Academic rankings
Master's
Washington Monthly[25]221
Regional
U.S. News & World Report[26]24
National
Forbes[27]565
WSJ/College Pulse[28]601–800

Rankings

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Out of 136 universities, Asbury University was ranked #24 (tie) in the Regional Universities South category by U.S. News & World Report in their annual Best Colleges rankings in 2024. The institution was also ranked #11 for Best Value Schools and #31 in Best Colleges for Veterans also out of 136 universities.[29]

Athletics

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The Asbury athletic teams are called the Eagles. The university is a member of NCAA Division III, primarily competing as a member of the Collegiate Conference of the South after having completed a transition from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) at the end of the 2023–24 academic year.[30] It is also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level.[31]

Asbury competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports:[32] Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. Club sports include roundnet, disc golf, and pickleball.

Track & field is the university's most recent varsity program, having begun competition in the 2023–24 academic year.[33]

Move to NCAA Division III

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On March 25, 2021, Asbury was approved to begin an expedited three-year transition into NCAA Division III from the NAIA. During the transition it was allowed to compete in Division III, but would not be eligible for any NCAA post-season play until 2024. The school announced it would compete in post-season competitions of the NCCAA during the transition.[34][35]

Notable alumni

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There are more than 20,000 living alumni who live in all 50 US states and at least 80 countries.[36] Notable alumni include:

See also

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  • Holiness movement – Set of beliefs and practices which emerged from 19th-century Methodism
  • Ichthus Festival – Christian music festival in Kentucky
  • 2023 Asbury Revival – Revival in Asbury, Kentucky

References

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  1. ^ "History: 1890–1899". asbury.edu. Ashbury University. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  2. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c As of fall 2016. "Student headcount by level: All independent institutions (2006–16)" (PDF). Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. Commonwealth of Kentucky. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  4. ^ "Asbury University – AIKCU.org". Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  5. ^ Winn, Christian T. Collins (2007). From the Margins: A Celebration of the Theological Work of Donald W. Dayton. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 115. ISBN 9781630878320. In addition to these separate denominational groupings, one needs to give attention to the large pockets of the Holiness movement that have remained within the United Methodist Church. The most influential of these would be the circles dominated by Asbury College and Asbury Theological Seminary (both in Wilmore, KY), but one could speak of other colleges, innumerable local campmeetings, the vestiges of various local Holiness associations, independent Holiness oriented missionary societies and the like that have had great impact within United Methodism. A similar pattern would exist in England with the role of Cliff College within Methodism in that context.
  6. ^ "Wesleyan Holiness Connection – About Us".
  7. ^ "History: 1890–1899". Asbury University. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  8. ^ Thacker, Joseph A., Jr. Asbury College: Vision and Miracle. Nappanee: Evangel, 1900, 19.
  9. ^ "John Wesley Hughes". Asbury University. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  10. ^ "About the Library". Asbury University. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  11. ^ "Asbury University". www.ccconsortium.org. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  12. ^ "Asbury University Announces Brown as New President". Asbury University. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  13. ^ "Presidential Inauguration". Asbury University. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  14. ^ "Past Presidents". Asbury University.
  15. ^ a b "Asbury University Requirements for Admission". prepscholar.com. PrepScholar. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  16. ^ "Asbury University Admission Requirements". collegesimply.com. CollegeSimply | U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  17. ^ "Undergraduate Majors, Minors & Emphases". asbury.edu. Asbury University. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  18. ^ "Global Initiatives & Programs". asbury.edu. Asbury University. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  19. ^ "Foundations: Liberal Arts Learning at Asbury University". asbury.edu. Asbury University. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  20. ^ "Asbury University Honors Program". asbury.edu. Asbury University. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  21. ^ "Online Undergraduate Degrees". asbury.edu. Asbury University. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  22. ^ "Asbury University". us news. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  23. ^ "Schools". asbury.edu. Asbury University. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  24. ^ "Graduate degrees". Asbury University. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  25. ^ "2024 Master's Universities Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  26. ^ "2023-2024 Best Regional Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 18, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  27. ^ "America's Top Colleges 2024". Forbes. September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  28. ^ "2025 Best Colleges in the U.S." The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  29. ^ "Asbury University". U.S. News & World Report. August 11, 2024.
  30. ^ "NCAA Directory – Asbury University". web3.ncaa.org. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  31. ^ "Asbury University". thenccaa.org. National Christian College Athletic Association. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  32. ^ Asbury University – Official Athletics Website
  33. ^ Asbury University to Launch Track & Field in 2023–24 Academic Year
  34. ^ Farmer, Keith (March 25, 2021). "Asbury approved for provisional membership to NCAA Division III – Won't be full-time Division III member until 2024". WLEX-TV. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  35. ^ "NCAA Approves Division III Provisional Membership for Asbury University". Asbury University. March 25, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  36. ^ "Asbury University profile". Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  37. ^ Cook, James F. "Georgia Government Documentation Project – Interview with Joe Frank Harris June 6 and August 5, 1987". digitalcollections.library.gsu.edu. Georgia State University. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  38. ^ "Palau National Congress Wikipedia"
  39. ^ "National Library of Australia"

Further reading

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