Johns Hopkins University

     The Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore,Maryland.Founded in 1876, the university was named after its first benefactor, the American entrepreneur, abolitionist, and philanthropist Johns Hopkins.His $7 million bequest—of which half financed the establishment of The Johns Hopkins Hospital—was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the United States at the time.Daniel Coit Gilman, who was inaugurated as the institution's first president on February 22, 1876,led the university to revolutionize higher education in the U.S. by integrating teaching and research.Adopting the concept of a graduate school from Germany's ancient Heidelberg University, Johns Hopkins University is considered the first research university in the United States.


Johns Hopkins is organized into ten divisions on campuses in Maryland and Washington, D.C. with international centers in Italy, China, and Singapore.The two undergraduate divisions, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering, are located on the Homewood campus in Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood.The medical school, the nursing school, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health are located on the Medical Institutions campus in East Baltimore.The university also consists of the Peabody Institute, the Applied Physics Laboratory, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, the education school, the Carey Business School, and various other facilities.


A founding member of the American Association of Universities, Johns Hopkins has been considered one of the world’s top universities throughout its history.The University stands among the top 10 in US News' Best National Universities Rankings and among the top 20 in a number of international league tables.Over the course of almost 140 years, thirty-six Nobel laureates have been affiliated with Johns Hopkins.Founded in 1883, the Blue Jays men’s lacrosse team has captured 44 national titles and joined the Big Ten Conference as an affiliate member in 2014.


On his death in 1873, Johns Hopkins, a Quaker entrepreneur and childless bachelor, bequeathed $7 million (approximately $140,000,000 today adjusted for consumer price inflation) to fund a hospital and university in Baltimore, Maryland.At that time this fortune, generated primarily from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the United States.


The first name of philanthropist Johns Hopkins is the surname of his great-grandmother, Margaret Johns, who married Gerard Hopkins. They named their son Johns Hopkins, who named his own son Samuel Hopkins. Samuel named one of his sons after his father and that son would be the university's benefactor. Milton Eisenhower, a former university president, once spoke at a convention in Pittsburgh where the Master of Ceremonies introduced him as "President of John Hopkins." Eisenhower retorted that he was "glad to be here in Pittburgh".

Ranked - 

• The undergraduate college is ranked 62nd in the nation by Forbes, 10th by US News, 14th by ARWU, and 48th by Washington Monthly.

• For medical and public health research U.S. News and World Report ranks the School of Medicine #3and has consistently ranked the Bloomberg School of Public Health #1in the nation. The School of Nursing was ranked #2 nationally among peer institutions.The QS Top Universities ranked Johns Hopkins University #4 in the world for medicine.Hopkins ranks #1 nationally in receipt of federal research funds and the School of Medicine is #1 among medical schools in receipt of extramural awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).In 2015, the Johns Hopkins Hospital was ranked the #3 hospital in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report annual ranking of American hospitals.

• The School of Education is ranked #1 nationally by U.S. News and World Report.Although no formal rankings exist for music conservatories, the Peabody Institute is generally considered one of the most prestigious conservatories in the country, along with Juilliard and the Curtis Institute. The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) ranked #1 (2005), #2 (2007), and #2 (2009), by College of William and Mary's surveys conducted once every two years beginning in 2005, for its MA program among the world's top schools of International Affairs for those who want to pursue a policy career. 

• In 2015, SAIS ranked 2nd in the world in Foreign Policy's Top Master's Programs for Policy Career in International Relations ranking.

Lindenwood University

     Lindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1827 by George Champlin Sibley and Mary Easton Sibley as The Lindenwood School for Girls, it is the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the Mississippi River and since 1990, the fastest-growing university in the Midwest.


Lindenwood offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees through nine colleges and schools. Its annual enrollment is more than 12,000 students in all programs, including 5,662 undergraduate day students at its main campus in St. Charles.The 500-acre (202.3 ha) main academic and residential campus is located 24 miles (39 km) northwest of St. Louis, Missouri, in St. Charles, the Daniel Boone historic site in Defiance, Missouri 26 miles (42 km) southwest of the St. Charles campus. In addition to numerous satellite campuses, Lindenwood also has an independently accredited sister college in Belleville, Illinois, known as LU–Belleville.


The university offers a number of extracurricular activities to its students, including athletics, honor societies, clubs, and student organizations, as well as fraternities and sororities. Alumni and former students have gone on to prominent careers in government, business, science, medicine, education, sports, and entertainment.


Lindenwood University traces its roots back to George Champlin Sibley, an early 19th-century American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and politician, and his wife Mary Easton Sibley, an educator. In 1808, Acting Governor and friend Frederick Bates promoted Sibley to the position of chief factor at Fort Osage in western Missouri, near present-day Kansas City, Missouri.While at Fort Osage, Sibley immediately set to work creating relationships with the neighboring Osage tribes.He also courted Mary Easton, the daughter of Rufus Easton, a prominent St. Louis attorney and Missouri's second Attorney General. The couple were married in 1815.During the Sibleys' time at Fort Osage, Mary began teaching the children at the fort.


In 1813, Sibley opened a temporary trading post at Fort Sibley, now known as the town of Arrow Rock, Missouri, which remained in operation until 1822. After the trading post shut down, George and Mary remained at Fort Osage, with George serving as postmaster until the fort closed in 1825.The couple then settled in St. Charles, where Mary began teaching family members and later, in 1827, other young women from the community .Lindenwood University is now considered the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the Mississippi River, after Saint Louis University, as well as the first.


The college became a co-educational institution in 1969 and changed its name from Lindenwood College for Women to Lindenwood Colleges, with a separate college for men and women.In 1970, the college started offering evening classes and in 1976 began awarding master's degrees.That same year, the St. Louis Football Cardinals of the NFL constructed a football field for practices. In 1980, the college became a member of the NAIA for athletics.Lindenwood Colleges, Lindenwood College for Men and Lindenwood College for Women were merged into Lindenwood College in 1983. It was known as Lindenwood College until 1997, at which time the school changed its name to the current name of Lindenwood University.


The eastern part of the LU campus is the oldest part and contains many historic buildings characterized by their early 20th-century architecture and vast numbers of linden trees. This area is located near the site of the original log cabin where Mary Sibley began the Linden Wood School for Girls.The eastern part of campus is the location of many of the academic buildings and contains the Margaret Leggat Butler Library, the university's main academic library.Roemer Hall, constructed in 1921, is the main administration building on the campus and home to the president's office, financial aid office, the registrar, and the business office, as well as the School of Education.

Rankings -

In the 2015 U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings (released in September 2014), Lindenwood was unranked among regional universities in the Midwest region.Lindenwood ranked 613 out of 682 in the Masters category of The Washington Monthly's 2012 University Rankings.

Maharishi University of Management

     Maharishi University of Management (MUM), formerly Maharishi International University, is an American non-profit university located in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded in 1973 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features a "consciousness-based education" system that includes the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.Its founding principles include the development of the full potential of the individual, fulfilling economic aspirations while maximizing proper use of the environment and bringing spiritual fulfillment and happiness to humanity.

The university is accredited through the PhD level by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and offers degree programs in art, business, education, communications, mathematical science, literature, physiology & health, Vedic Science and sustainable living.

The concept for a university came out of a "series of international symposia on Science of Creative Intelligence" (SCI) attended by notable academics.It was established in 1971 by Nat Goldhaber.It was created with the belief that a school that incorporated the "philosophy and techniques of Transcendental Meditation" would create an "unusual contribution to higher education".Its founding principles were to develop the full potential of the individual, realize the highest ideal of education, improve governmental achievements, solve the age-old problem of crime and all behavior that brings unhappiness to the world family, bring fulfillment to the economic aspirations of individuals and society, maximize the intelligent use of the environment, and achieve the spiritual goals of humanity in this generation.

It was inaugurated by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and Robert Keith Wallace assumed his position as the first university president in 1973. Its first location was an apartment complex in Goleta, California.The university enrolled 700 students during its first year of operation.In August 1974, the university purchased the campus of the bankrupt Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, for $2.5 million and relocated there.

The board of trustees consists of 37 members and is chaired by Jeffrey Abramson, a partner in The Tower Companies. Other members include Ramani Ayer, former chairman of The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., Bevan Morris, chairman emeritus of MUM, John Hagelin, honorary chairman, and Ed Malloy, mayor of Fairfield.Former trustees include retired major general and author Franklin M. Davis, Jr., Theodore Dreier, an engineer and educator who was one of the founders of Black Mountain College,and Alfred L. Jenkins, a career diplomat who served as chairman of MIU for three years.Bevan Morris is president of the university.In 2007 the university had 52 faculty members and average salaries for full-time faculty ranged from $6,678 for some instructors and assistant professors to $19,595 for full professors.In 2011, MUM was one of more than 1,000 corporations which requested a waiver to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's requirement to offer maximum payouts of $750,000 per employee.

The university is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the oldest accrediting agency in the USA.MUM is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).The university’s business programs (BA, MBA, and PhD) are accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).The university is also a charter signatory of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

The MUM website cites high rankings on "benchmarks of effective educational practice" from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).The 2002 NSSE survey, which obtained data from 135,000 students at 613 institutions, shows MUM was in the top 10% for: active and collaborative learning, supportive campus environment, enriching educational experiences and student–faculty interaction.MUM participated in the NSSE in 2002, 2005, and 2009.

The "Best Colleges 2013" Masters Midwest Category of U.S. News & World Report college and university rankings gave Maharishi University of Management a tier two rating,which places the school in the bottom 25% of colleges.The report listed its application deadline as rolling, its acceptance rate as 41%, its freshman retention rate as 80% and its student–faculty ratio as 12:1.

Maharishi University of Management emphasizes "natural health" and students are encouraged to maintain a regular schedule of academic work, rest, meals, and exercise.The university provides guidance on natural health improvement practices to the students, including guidelines for daily and seasonal routines, diet and digestion, simple breathing techniques, basic yoga postures called asanas, personalized fitness programs, and self-pulse health assessment techniques.Students are required to participate in physical activity every day. A variety of recreation, exercise classes and sports are offered to meet most schedules. A recreation center and an outdoor swimming pool are open to students at no charge.MUM prohibits the use of non-prescribed drugs, alcoholic beverages, and smoking on its campus.

MUM students compete in numerous team and individual sports. Men's and women's golf is an intercollegiate sport; men's and women's soccer is a club sport. Intramural sports include soccer, archery, badminton, baseball, basketball, fencing, field hockey, football, rock climbing, sailing, swimming, tennis, ultimate Frisbee and weight lifting.Players on the soccer team represent as many as 16 countries, and the team has been undefeated champion of its league three times.

Sam Houston State University

      Sam Houston State University (known as SHSU or Sam) was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located approximately one hour north of downtown Houston in the hills, lakes, and forests region of East Texas in Huntsville. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution of its type in Texas. The school is named for Sam Houston, who made his home in the city and is buried there.

SHSU is a member of the Texas State University System and has an enrollment of more than 18,400 students across over 80 undergraduate, 54 masters', and 6 doctoral degree programs. The university also offers more than 20 online bachelor's and graduate degrees, and its online programs are ranked high by U.S. News & World Report

The Sam Houston State University campus was originally home to Austin College, the Presbyterian institution that relocated to Sherman, Texas in 1876. Austin Hall was constructed in 1851 and is the oldest university building west of the Mississippi still in operation. It was renovated in 2012 and is used today for special meetings and events. Notably, Sam Houston himself attended and participated in the original dedication of the building.The one-room Peabody Memorial Library was the first free-standing campus library in Texas; it was constructed in 1901 with funds provided by the George Peabody Foundation. According to the Normal Institute's catalogue, the library was "a very handsome structure, and especially designed for the purpose for which it is to be used. It is said that no school of this kind in the South has a Building equal to it."Fully restored, it is now used as a venue for special university events.

The oak-studded rural main campus sits on 316 acres in the central area of Huntsville. Two large agricultural complexes feature a 1,600 acre teaching and research farm and a rodeo arena. The campus also features a planetarium, an observatory, a body farm, and an 18-hole golf course named Raven Nest. The mall area of the main campus includes Blatchley Bell Tower and Clock and a fountain.

Programs within the College of Criminal Justice were recently ranked by the Journal of Criminal Justice in the top five nationally. The theater and dance programs were ranked by Dance Spectrum Magazine in the top 25 nationally, and according to the National Dance Association, SHSU is home to quality athletic dance team.The university offers the only Professional Golf Management program in Texas, one of 20 in the country. SHSU also boasts one of the oldest speech and debate programs in the nation.

Sam Houston State's colors are orange and white and their nickname is the Bearkats. Sam Houston State sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Championship Subdivision for football) in the Southland Conference. Most recently, the top-ranked Bearkat football team was defeated by North Dakota State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship.

SHSU's athletic teams have been nicknamed "The Bearkats" since 1923 when the University's name was changed by the Texas State Legislature from Sam Houston Normal Institute to Sam Houston State Teachers College. Prior to 1923, the varsity sports teams were nicknamed "The Normals."

It is doubtful those who coined the "Bearkat" nickname had a particular animal in mind. More likely, the name came from a popular local saying of the time, "tough as a Bearkat!" The late Reed Lindsey, who was a student/athlete in the 1920s and later retired as University registrar, once said that "it was a good fighting name of the time." Since the animal in the saying was thought more mythical than real, the spelling settled upon was "Bearkat."

Club sports are very popular at SHSU. Some available to students include: Ultimate Frisbee, lacrosse, rugby, martial arts, trap and skeet, inline hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and baseball. The Sam Houston Quidditch team won the 2013 IQA World Cup Division 2 championship. The Spirit Programs, cheer, dance, and mascots, of Sam Houston hold the most National titles out of all of the sports and recreational activities at Sam Houston. The coed team is the reigning champions from NCA this past April. The All Girl team made school history by winning their first National Championship in April 2014.

California State University, Fullerton

     California State University, Fullerton (known as CSUF, Cal State Fullerton, or Fullerton State) is a public comprehensive university located in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of almost 39,000 it has the second largest student body out of the 23 campus California State University ("CSU") system, and its approximately 5,900 graduate student body is the second largest in the CSU and one of the largest in all of California. As of Fall 2013, the school had 1,932 faculty, of which 707 (36.6%) were on the tenure track.

The Orange County university offers over 240 degrees including 120 different Bachelor's degrees, 118 types of Master's degrees, 3 Doctoral degrees including a Doctor of Nursing and two Doctor of Education, and 19 teaching credentials.

CSUF is designated both as a Hispanic-serving institution and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISIs).The university is nationally accredited in art, athletic training, business, chemistry, communications, communicative disorders, computer science, dance, engineering, music, nursing, public administration, public health, social work, teacher education and theater. Spending related to CSUF generates an impact of around $1 billion to the California and local economy, and sustains nearly 9,000 jobs statewide.

In 1957, CSUF became the twelfth state college in California to be authorized by the state legislature as a degree-granting institution. The following year, a site was designated for the campus to be established in northeast Fullerton. The property was purchased in 1959. This is the same year that Dr. William B. Langsdorf was appointed as founding president of the school.

The University was originally named Orange County State College. Classes began with 452 students in September 1959. The name of the school was changed to Orange State College in July 1962. In 1964, the name of the school was changed for a second time to California State College at Fullerton. In June 1972, the final name change occurred and the school became California State University, Fullerton.

Academics -

California State University, Fullerton is the only campus in California that offers the Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in school nursing.

CSUF's academic departments and programs are organized into eight colleges: 

• College of the Arts

• Steven G. Mihaylo College of Business and Economics

• College of Communications

• College of Education

• College of Engineering and Computer Science

• College of Health and Human Development

• College of Humanities and Social Sciences

• College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Rankings and distinctions -

• CSUF was ranked the 39th top college in the United States by the Social Mobility Index college rankings.

• Forbes has recognized CSUF as one of the top 100 public universities in the nation.

• The Daily Beast ranked CSUF 94th in the country out of the nearly 2000 schools it evaluated for its 2013 Best Colleges ranking.

• Money Magazine ranked CSUF as 285th in the country out of the nearly 1500 schools it evaluated for its 2014 Best Colleges ranking.

• CSUF was ranked No. 23 among regional universities in the West by U.S. News and World Report in its 2012 rankings.

• CSUF tied at No. 6 for top public regional universities in the West with California State University, Chico and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in the U.S. News and World Report 2012 rankings. This is up from No. 10 the previous year.

•  In 2010, CSUF was ranked among the nation's 16 toughest grading colleges.Princeton Review lists CSUF in the "Best 294 Business Schools" publication.

• The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics is the largest accredited business school in the state of California and the fifth-largest in the United States.

• The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics is one of five undergraduate business schools in California with an accreditation in accounting.

• At the 2009 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, both winners of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship represented CSUF's Department of Theatre and Dance. Also in 2001, a CSUF student was a winning contestant.

• CSUF's graduate program in Nursing-Anesthesia's Program was ranked No. 22 by U.S. News and World Report in the 2012 publication.

• CSUF's graduate program in Information Technology is ranked No. 5 nationally by U.S. News and World Report.

Athletics -

CSUF participates in the NCAA Division I Big West Conference. They have 13 national championships in eight different sports. (1970, Women's Basketball (CIAW); 1971, 1972, 1974 Men's Gymnastics; 1971 Cross country team; 1973 Women's Fencing; 1989, Men's Bowling; 1979, Women's Gymnastics; 1979, 1984, 1995, 2004 Baseball; 1986; Softball). Their baseball team is a perennial national powerhouse with four national titles and dozens of players playing Major League Baseball. The CSUF Dance Team holds the most national titles at the school currently, with 15 national titles from UDA Division 1 Jazz; 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016; as well as one national title from UDAs in Division 1 Hip Hop. The Dance Team also holds multiple titles from United Spirit Association.

Grand Valley State University

    Grand Valley State University (commonly referred to as GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on 1,322 acres (5.35 km2) approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Grand Rapids.Classes are also offered at the university's growing Robert C. Pew Campus in Downtown Grand Rapids, Meijer Campus in Holland, and through centers at Muskegon and Traverse City established in cooperation with local community colleges.

GVSU is a comprehensive coeducational university serving more than 25,094 students as of fall 2014,from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries.It is one of America's 100 largest universities as well as the fifth largest in Michigan in terms of enrollment, and employs more than 3,000 people with about 1,657 academic faculty and 1,623 support staff.The university currently has alumni residing in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and 25 countries around the world.For the 2010–2011 academic year, GVSU was recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars for master's institutions by The Chronicle of Higher Education.GVSU has also been noted for its sustainability efforts, ranking as high as 16th in the world for environment-friendly university management by GreenMetric World University Ranking in 2011.

In 1958 the Michigan Legislature commissioned a study that demonstrated a need for a four-year college in the Grand Rapids area, Michigan's second largest metropolitan region. Local businessman Bill Seidman created a committee to study the report and spearhead the planning and promotion to create such an institution. In the following year the Michigan Legislature established the college. A naming contest was held, and out of 2500 submissions, "Grand Valley State College" was chosen. Private donations, including $350,000 to purchase land and $1,000,000 for construction, were secured from 5,000 individuals, organizations, and business throughout West Michigan. In 1961, the Grand Valley State College Board of Control chose a 876-acre (3.55 km2) site in Ottawa County near the Grand River for the new campus, and construction of academic buildings began the following year.

Academics -

 

Grand Valley State University is a large, primarily residential comprehensive university that has a large undergraduate enrollment and emphasis.GVSU offers over 200 areas of study, including 82 undergraduate majors and 36 graduate programs that include 74 graduate emphases and certificate programs at the certificate, bachelor's, post-bachelor's, master's, post-master's, and doctoral levels.GVSU conferred 4,448 undergraduate degrees and 1,033 graduate degrees in 2012-2013.

Grand Valley's student body consists of 21,636 undergraduates and 3,458 graduate students across all campuses and centers with the majority being on the Allendale campus.The fall 2014 incoming freshman undergraduate class of 4,199 students, represented 80 Michigan counties, 23 states, and 20 countries. 86% of first year students live on campus: 3,591 freshman chose to live on-campus in fall 2014, while 608 chose to live off-campus.As of fall 2014, more than 400 international students were enrolled at the university representing 82 different countries.

GVSU's undergraduate admissions are classified as "more selective" by US News & World Report as Grand Valley admitted 69% of applicants for the 2008–2009 school year.The fall 2014 freshman class entered Grand Valley with an average high school GPA of a 3.54 and an average ACT composite score of a 24.

US News and World Report noted in its "Best Colleges 2011" that 98 percent of Grand Valley graduates either find employment or pursue advanced degrees after graduation.

Rankings -

 

U.S. News and World Report ranked Grand Valley 3rd in the "Top Public Regional Universities in the Midwest" category and 26th in the "Regional Universities (Midwest) tier 1" category for 2014.Grand Valley is also ranked a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review.GVSU is also ranked as one of "America's Best Colleges" by Forbes magazine and the fourth in the state of Michigan, only behind the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Michigan Technological University, in terms of quality of education and student achievement and experience.Grand Valley is ranked 10th among U.S. master's degree-granting institutions for total number of study abroad students, according to the Institute of International Education in New York.According to U.S. News and World Report, Grand Valley is also the number one most up-and-coming masters university in the Midwest, ahead of Xavier University, Butler University, Truman State University and Alverno College.As of fall 2009, GVSU had the third highest freshman to sophomore retention rate among Michigan's 15 public universities at 84 percent.For 14 consecutive years, Grand Valley has been named one of America's 100 Best College Buys by Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc.The university has also been ranked as one of the top 25 "cutting edge" green colleges in the United States for 2009 by the Kaplan College Guide, the only Michigan university to receive this ranking.Upwards of 5,000 students are enrolled in health science related courses and majors, making GVSU the number one largest provider of health care professionals in Michigan.Grand Valley's Seidman College of Business is named one of "The Best 301 Business Schools" by The Princeton Review.US News and World Report has also ranked several of GVSU's graduate programs as being some of the best in the country. These "top" programs include: Physical Therapy, Nursing, Social Work, Physicians Assistant, Occupational Therapy, Public Affairs, and Business.

Athletics -

 

The Grand Valley State Lakers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Grand Valley State University.The GVSU Lakers compete at the NCAA Division II level and offer 20 varsity sports including 11 for women and 9 for men.The university currently participates in and is a founding member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).Grand Valley's varsity athletic teams have won 15 national championships in seven sports and have been national runners-up thirteen times in eight sports. GVSU has also won the prestigious National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors' Cup for NCAA Division II schools in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015 after finishing second in 2002, 2003, 2012 and 2013.The cup is awarded to the top athletic programs based on overall team national finishes. Grand Valley is the first college east of the Mississippi River to win the Director's Cup for NCAA Division II.

Endicott College

     Endicott College was founded in 1939 by Eleanor Tupper and her husband, George O. Bierkoe, as Endicott Junior college, a two-year women’s college with the mission of educating women for greater independence and an enhanced position in the workplace.The college was issued its first charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that same year, and graduated its first class of 20 students in 1941.

The school was named for John Endicott, an early overseer of Harvard University and the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In 1944, the school was approved by the state for the granting of associate's degrees, and in 1952, Endicott was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In 1975, the college dropped the 'Junior' from its name. In 1994, Endicott became co-educational.

George Bierkoe served as Endicott’s first president from its opening until 1971.Eleanor Tupper then served as president until 1980. She subsequently wrote Endicott and I, published in 1985, which details the founding and history of the college.Carol Hawkes became the third president of Endicott College in 1980, and during her tenure the college transitioned from a 2-year to a 4-year institution.Francis Gamelin served as Endicott's fourth president as the college searched for Hawkes successor.In 1988, Richard E. Wylie became the fifth and current president of Endicott.
Endicott's campus includes many historic buildings. On June 6, 1939, Endicott College purchased its first building, an estate known today as Reynolds Hall,which has served as a residence hall since the college opened on September 17, 1939.In 1940, Endicott College purchased two more buildings: Alhambra and College Hall. Both structures were a part of the William Amory Gardner estates. Built in 1750 by Thomas Woodbury, Alhambra is the oldest building on Endicott’s campus, and prior to its purchase, was used as a summer home by Isabella Stewart Gardner (until 1906).Since its purchase by the college, it has been used as student housing. College Hall, built in 1916, was designed as a summer home by Henry Richards and subsequently purchased by Endicott in 1940. The building currently houses multiple administrative offices, including the Office of the President.

Campus -

The college campus is located on 235-acre (0.95 km2) oceanfront property on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay, in an area known as the Gold Coast.This area includes two beaches, Tupper Beach and Brindle Beach, frequented by the campus community.

Endicott's main academic buildings include the Wax Academic Center, Judge Science Center, Gerrish School of Business, Manninen Center for the Arts, Center for Nursing and Health Professions, and Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies.The Halle Library serves as the main library on campus and also houses additional classrooms and student support services.

The Callahan Center is the main student activities building on campus and houses the main dining hall,as well as a number of student services.

The Post Sports Fitness and Science Center was opened in 2009 and is the main center for the School of Sports Science and Fitness Studies. The building includes a gymnasium, a field house with an indoor track, workout facilities, aerobics and dance rooms, and classrooms.

The Manninen Center for the Arts opened in 2009 and houses the School of Visual and Performing Arts.The facility includes a number of spaces for performances and exhibitions, including the 250-seat Rose Performance Hall and a 100-seat black box theater.

In July 2014, Endicott broke ground on the Raymond J. Bourque Ice Arena, which will house the college's NCAA Division III men’s and women’s ice hockey programs, as well as serve as home to Beverly Youth Hockey, Beverly High School Hockey, and other local sports activities.

Endicott currently houses all on-campus students in a variety of residence halls, from large dormitory-style arrangements to smaller apartment-style housing. Some residence halls serve particular populations, including a healthy-living dorm and women-only dorms, or offer themed programming.Many historic buildings are used as residence halls, including Reynolds Hall, Alahambra Hall, Winthrop Hall, Kennedy Hall, and Hamilton Hall. The latter was built in the late 1800s and by the Cotting family, whose members founded the Cotting School in 1893, and later owned by Herbert Sears Tuckerman.The college has also announced plans to build a new 300 bed residence hall in 2015.

Academics -

Endicott offers 23 Bachelor programs, 27 concentrations, and 27 minors.The college is composed of the School of Arts and Sciences, Gerrish School of Business, School of Communication, School of Education, School of Hospitality Management, School of Sport Science and Fitness Studies, School of Nursing, School of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies.Graduate programs are offered in Business, Education, Nursing, Computer Science, and Political Science.The most popular major is Business Management, followed by Fitness and Recreation Studies, Psychology and Visual/Performing Arts.

In 2014 the college initiated its first doctoral program (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership in Higher Education, and currently also offers an Ed.D. in PreK-12 Educational Leadership, a Ph.D. in Applied Behavioral Analysis, and a Ph.D. in Nursing.

Endicott employs 94 full-time faculty members and 298 adjunct faculty members.Endicott's student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1.

All bachelor's degree candidates must complete three distinct internship experiences before graduation, including two 120-hour positions and a semester-long internship during their senior year.Students majoring in Nursing and Athletic Training earn internship credits with clinical educational experiences, while Education majors gain experience in the classroom through student teaching.

Student Life -

Endicott offers over 60 student organizations,numerous academic honor societies, and varsity, club, and intramural sports. Many students also choose to participate in national community service organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, or volunteer in the local community.

In addition to traditional undergraduate and graduate students, Endicott offers a program called Keys to Degrees, which allows single parents to live on campus with their children. The program was launched in 1993 and offers financial assistance, workshops, and a baby-sitting cooperative for this population of students.In 2014, the college was awarded a grant to replicate the program across the U.S.

Athletics -

Endicott College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Gulls are a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC). Endicott was formerly a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and volleyball, while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.Endicott offers 8 men’s and women’s club sports: Cheerleading, Crew, Dance, Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Rugby, and Sailing. Beginning with the 2015 season, Men’s Ice Hockey will become a Division III sport as a member of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC).