Longwood University 

LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY MISSION

Longwood University is an institution of higher learning dedicated to the development of citizen leaders who are prepared to make positive contributions to the common good of society. Building upon its strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, Longwood provides an environment in which exceptional teaching fosters student learning, scholarship, and achievement. As the only four-year public institution in south central Virginia, Longwood serves as a catalyst for regional prosperity and advancement. 

VISION 

Longwood University will be recognized as the top comprehensive public institution in the South through its focus on attracting and retaining a diverse faculty recognized for excellence in teaching, attracting outstanding students, providing challenging instruction of the highest quality and providing an academic and residential life environment that develops citizen leadership skills. To achieve this vision, all members of the Longwood community will be dedicated to the highest standards of academic distinction and quality of life, and will examine, reaffirm, and refine those aspects of the college experience that collectively make Longwood an exceptional learning community.  

To ensure the vitality of the learning community, Longwood University will increase enrollments while maintaining its inherent character and enhancing its academic quality.  The learning community will provide high levels of faculty directed research; student-faculty interaction; active and collaborative learning experiences; enriched educational offerings, including internships and cross-cultural opportunities; and engagement with technology.    

Dynamic teaching and superior scholarship that directly influence student learning and increase academic achievement will characterize the Longwood learning community.  Student accomplishments will be defined by established competencies that demonstrate a sound grasp of the liberal arts and sciences as well as the ability to think critically, respond creatively, and apply knowledge to the resolution of practical issues. Assessment of these competencies will be used to ensure continuous improvement of the educational experience.  

The curriculum, incorporating the appropriate use of instructional technology, will be refined to ensure its relevance to the mission of developing citizen leaders.  It will continue to provide a rigorous foundation in the liberal arts and sciences and elevate Longwood’s exceptional professional programs, such as teacher education and business, to the highest regional and national standards. 

The institution embraces all members of the diverse campus community, leading to a collegial climate where divergent ideas are respected.  Longwood will be committed to community service and outreach devoted to local, regional, national and global advancement. 

The improvement of learning and quality of life will permeate all institutional practices including the design of co-curricular programs, which fosters integration and coordination of academics and student life; supportive student services; and, the creation of physical facilities that contribute to the overall development of students.  

Longwood’s careful and responsible stewardship of human, fiscal, and environmental resources will be continuously improved to incorporate the most effective methods and practices in supporting the institution’s vision. 

Approved by the Longwood Board of Visitors
December 1, 2001 

Location 

Longwood University is located in historic Farmville, Virginia — 65 miles west of Richmond and Petersburg, 48 miles east of Lynchburg, and 60 miles south of Charlottesville. U.S. Highways 15 and 460 intersect in town. Commercial bus systems provide service to the town.

     Farmville is a pleasant college town with a population of 6,500; it is the business and education center of the area. Located in and near town are churches, hotels, motels, a country club, a municipal airport, and a community hospital. Hampden-Sydney College, a liberal arts college for men, is five miles south of the campus. Many points of interest are within a short distance of Farmville, including Appomattox Courthouse and Sailors Creek Battlefield. 

History 

With a legacy of learning dating back over 160 years, Longwood University has developed a meaningful learning environment that extends far beyond the classroom. The University was a pioneer first in private and later in public education. It was founded on March 5, 1839 when the General Assembly of Virginia incorporated the Farmville Female Seminary Association.
In the succeeding years the increasing prosperity of the Farmville Female Seminary led the stock holders to expand the seminary into a college, and the Farmville Female College was incorporated in 1860. On April 7, 1884, the State of Virginia acquired the property of the Farmville Female College, and in October of the same year the Normal School opened with 110 students enrolled. This was the first state institution of higher learning for women in Virginia.
With the passage of the years, the Normal School expanded its curriculum and progressed through a succession of names. It became the State Normal School for Women in 1914, the State Teachers College at Farmville in 1924, Longwood College in 1949, and Longwood University on July 1, 2002.
The University was first authorized to offer a four-year curriculum leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education in 1916. It was authorized to offer Bachelor of Arts in 1935, the Bachelor of Science in 1938, a curriculum in business education the same year, courses leading to a degree in music education in 1949, and the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1976. In 1978, the College was authorized to offer the Bachelor of Fine Arts, and in 1981, the Bachelor of Music. In 1954, graduate programs were authorized. Longwood became fully coeducational in June 1976.
Today, Longwood students rate their university as one of the most engaging in the country, according to results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Seniors rated Longwood at or above the 80th percentile on 6 of the 9 NSSE benchmarks when compared with Masters institutions; freshmen rated Longwood at or above the 60th percentile on all 9 benchmarks when compared with Masters institutions. "Student Engagement with Technology" continued to lead the way at the 90th percentile or higher. National assessment experts developed the survey as an alternative to the U.S. News & World Report rankings, which are strongly influenced by resources and reputation. NSSE is sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and The Pew Forum for Undergraduate Learning. Longwood, for the fifth year in a row, is ranked among the top regional public schools in the South in the 2003 U.S. News & World Report "Best Colleges" Guide.

Campus 

Longwood University is rapidly recovering from the devastating fire of April 24, 2001 that destroyed several historic buildings on campus including the Ruffners, Grainger Hall, and the signature Rotunda building. A completely rebuilt Grainger Hall is scheduled to open by Fall 2003 and construction is underway on rebuilding the Ruffners and Brock commons, a beautiful pedestrian promenade that will provide a central focal point for the Longwood campus while eliminating traffic congestion and safety hazards. Plans are also underway for a new science building.
The newly remodeled Lancaster Hall, originally constructed in 1939, houses the President's Office and the administrative offices of Academic Affairs, Administration and Finance, Student Affairs, and Institu-tional Advancement.
The newest building on campus is the two-story, 60,000 square foot dining hall located on Pine Street, which opened for the spring semester 2000. This multi-purpose facility, with its curved, colonnaded portico overlooking Iler Field, is the first on campus to utilize geothermal heating and cooling. The flexible interior design provides space for banquets, meetings, and special events along with a Grand Dining Room seating 500 and an arcade seating an additional 700.
Behind and alongside this area are broad malls, lawns, 11 tennis courts, four athletic fields, an indoor-outdoor swimming pool, and numerous late-20th century buildings, including the library, residence halls, the Lankford Student Union, and various academic facilities. The campus has six auditoriums ranging in size from 150 seats to over 1,200.
Lancer Hall is a 4.5 million-dollar health, physical education, and recreation complex. It has a gymnasium with 3,000 seats; a complete weight-training laboratory; an Olympic-size pool with a three-meter board and underwater sound, lighting, and observation window; a 500-seat natatorium; a modern dance studio with a floating floor and staging capacity; and one of the state's best-equipped laboratories for the study of human performance as it relates to exercise, sports, health, and the arts.
Students also can enjoy the facilities at Longwood Estate, about a mile from the campus. These include "The Cabin," the Dell, and a nine-hole golf course. The President's home is on the Estate.

University Library and Resources 

The Library, occupied in 1991 and conveniently located near the center of the campus, is open for use 84 hours each week during regular sessions. Entry off Brock Commons is through a two-story atrium, which facilitates visual orientation to each of the major service points for the Library. The Library collections offer 245,000 cataloged titles. The Library currently subscribes to 2,505 journals. Some 700,000 microform units, sound and video recordings supplement the book and journal collections. The Library also provides access to the holdings of other libraries through its interlibrary loan service. Access to and control of its collections are through the Library's online catalog and circulation system, which can be consulted from any point on the campus network or the Internet. The Library complements its collections by providing users access to electronic information found throughout the Internet and by making selected information more accessible through the Library's World Wide Web offerings. To aid users in finding information expeditiously and in gaining expertise for information literacy, the Library provides a variety of reference services, including individual reference assistance, group bibliographic instruction, and online searching assistance to commercial and non-commercial information providers.

The University Year 

The university year consists of a regular session, including two semesters of 15 weeks each, and a summer session. The summer session for undergraduate students consists of three four-week terms. The graduate summer session consists of two four-week terms. The summer session makes it possible for an undergraduate student to complete a degree program in three calendar years as compared to the traditional four academic years generally required to complete such a program. Both undergraduate and graduate classes during the summer are scheduled for five days a week as well as several different non-traditional time frames.  

Accreditation and Memberships

Longwood University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, telephone number 404-679-4501) to award bachelors and masters degrees; the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education; the Virginia State Board of Education; the undergraduate Music Program by the National Association of Schools of Music; the undergraduate Social Work Program by the Council on Social Work Education; the undergraduate Therapeutic Recreation Program by the National Recreation and Park Association in cooperation with the American Association for Leisure and Recreation; the undergraduate Business Administration Program by AACSB - The International Association For Management Education; and the undergraduate Theatre Program by the National Association of Schools of Theatre. Accreditation documents may be viewed during normal business hours in the Office of Academic Affairs.

      The University is a member of the Association of American Colleges; the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education; the American Library Association; the Association of Virginia Colleges; and the Virginia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.  

 Graduate Studies at Longwood University

Graduate instruction began at Longwood in the summer of 1952 as a cooperative program with the University of Virginia.  The arrangement allowed the College to offer coursework to be transferred to the University of Virginia for credit toward the Mast of Education degree. 

   The University was authorized to grant master's degrees in 1955.  The first graduate degree was awarded in 1956.

    The legacy that began in 1839 continues today as Longwood offers small classes, personal attention, and a meaningful learning environment to over 3200 undergraduate and 500 graduate students.

Graduate Programs

Longwood University offers graduate programs leading to the degree of Master of Science in three majors – Education, Environmental Studies, and Sociology and the degree of Master of Arts in English. In the education major, areas of concentration include community and college counseling; curriculum and instruction specialist in elementary education, English, modern languages, physical education, and special education; educational leadership; guidance and counseling; literacy and culture; and school library media. In the English major, areas of concentration include literature, and English education and writing. In the sociology major, the area of concentration is criminal justice.  

In addition, the University offers graduate degree initial licensure programs. These programs are in elementary education PreK-6, special education NK-12, English 6-12, and modern languages (French, German, Spanish) PreK-12. Licensure only programs leading to additional endorsements to an existing license in educational leadership or school library media are also available. 

                The graduate program is designed to provide capable students with opportunities for individual inquiry in a variety of fields, to prepare qualified school personnel for leadership roles in professional education, to be the next step in the educational pursuit of a doctoral degree, and to integrate technology throughout the learning process. Longwood University is pledged to a policy of nondiscrimination that applies to all phases of university life.

The Mission of Graduate Studies at Longwood University

• To convey advanced knowledge in specified fields of study.

• To provide enhanced levels of professional competence in specific disciplines.

• To foster an understanding of and competence in scholarly research.

• To bolster a sense of personal and professional accomplishment in graduate studies.

• To inculcate in graduate students a sophisticated appreciation of continued lifelong intellectual growth.

• To enhance the application and utilization of advanced study for the benefit of society. 

   These often-interrelated goals are achieved through coherent well-planned programs of study encompassing scholarly investigation, faculty mentoring and supervised practical experiences.

As part of the mission of a comprehensive institution of higher education supported by public funds, Longwood University is committed to serving the needs of the Commonwealth of Virginia and particularly the Southside and Central Virginia regions.  Graduate programs at Longwood support the continuation and development of diverse, innovative programs by building on existing strengths and emerging opportunities.

   Longwood graduate programs encourage students to develop strengths in critical and creative thinking, communications, and applied skills.  A balanced combination of theoretical and practical studies in each academic program is intended to prepare the successful graduate for advancement in the workplace, future educational opportunities, informed participation in today's increasingly complex society and leadership in community affairs.

The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center

The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHED), an off-campus site of Longwood University located in South Boston, Virginia, offers programs and courses on the graduate and undergraduate level.  Complete degree programs may be offered as well as individual courses for licensure renewal or personal enrichment. Courses and programs are offered on an intensive, weekend and night format to meet the needs of the non-traditional student. All Longwood graduate rules and regulations govern courses at the SVHED. For schedules, registration packets or general information on courses and programs at the SVHED, please call 434.575.5443 or 1.800.283.0098 or e-mail at svhed@longwood.edu or contact the Office of Graduate Studies at 434.395.2707 or e-mail at graduate@longwood.edu. Registration for off-campus courses is processed at the SVHED or in the Office of Graduate Studies. Center hours are 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Monday – Friday and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.

Off-Campus Classes

Graduate classes are regularly offered at other off-campus locations. A variety of non-traditional course formats are used to meet the needs of the non-traditional student. All Longwood graduate rules and regulations govern these courses.

An entire degree program may be provided at an off-campus location if there is sufficient interest.  Individual classes may be delivered upon request. Both of the above require class enrollments to meet the minimum size requirement.

In-State Tuition Rates for all Virginia Teachers

Special arrangements have been made to offer in-state tuition rates to all Virginia public school teachers.  Teachers who live out-of-state or have moved into Virginia within the last year should notify Longwood of that fact at the time of class registration so that a special contract can be made with the school division in which the teacher is employed.