John Brown University: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Private liberal artsChristian college in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, United StatesU.S.}}

| motto = ''"Christ Over All''"

'''John Brown University''' ('''JBU''') is a [[Private university|private]], [[interdenominational]], [[Christianity|Christian]] university in [[Siloam Springs, Arkansas]]. Founded in 1919, JBU enrolls 2,343 students from 33 states and 45 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online, and concurrent education programs.<ref name=FACTS>{{Cite web|author=John Brown University|title=JBU Facts 2021-22 - About - John Brown University|url=https://www.jbu.edu/about/facts/|url-status=live|access-date=20112023-1001-1121|website=John Brown University|language=en}}</ref>

The Graduate School at John Brown University has 483 students and offers 16 graduate degrees in business, education, counseling, and cybersecurity.<ref>[https://www.jbu.edu/about/facts/ "JBU Facts: 2017-2018." Retrieved on 07-05-18]<name=FACTS/ref>

JBU is accredited by the [[Higher Learning Commission]]<ref>[http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_directory&Itemid=192&Action=ShowBasic&instid=1024 Higher Learning Commission "John Brown University"]</ref> and competes athletically in the [[Sooner Athletic Conference]]. Programs within the university have specialized accreditation from Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology ([[ABET]]), Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), American Council for Construction Education (ACCE), [[Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs]] (ACBSP), and [[Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education]] (CCNE).<ref>[https://www.jbu.edu/about/facts/ "JBU Facts: 2017-2018." Retrieved on 07-05-18]<name=FACTS/ref>

[[John E. Brown (evangelist)|John E. Brown]] (1879–1957) was not afforded the opportunity to pursue much education, as his family's financial difficulties forced him to begin working at the age of 11.<ref>[httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20100114163107/https://www.jbu.edu/library/archives/historical_resources/founding_family/jb1.asp John Brown University Archives, "JBU's Founding Family: John Brown Sr"]</ref> As a teenaged laborer in [[Arkansas]], Brown encountered the [[Salvation Army]] and underwent a conversion experience. After his conversion, he became an itinerant [[Methodist]] evangelist, with his travels taking him across [[Arkansas]], [[Missouri]], [[Kansas]] and the [[Indian Territory]].

Subsequent to becoming an evangelist, Brown accepted a position as president of [[Scarritt Collegiate Institute|Scarritt College]] in [[Neosho, Missouri|Neosho]]. His two years as president were instrumental in developing his plan to establish his own college. However, Brown felt that the strong emphasis of that school on education without the benefit of life training was harmful to the students. As he said in 1903, "It might be my privilege to have a part in the building of school that would turn the minds of youth back from this exaggerated concept of the value of book knowledge, to the realization that all this is valuable only as it becomes a background for, or the foundation under, the real things of life."<ref name=KENNEDY>[Kennedy,{{cite book |first1=Ralph C.,|last1=Kennedy |first2=Thomas |last2=Rothrock. ''|title=John Brown of Arkansas'' |publisher= John Brown University Press, 1999|date=January 1, p.25]1966 |asin=B000OKBCS0}}</ref>{{rp|25}}

Maintaining this goal of establishing a college that would provide an [[interdenominational]], [[Christianity|Christian]] education for needy students, who like himself, might not have had a chance of receiving an education, Brown laid the foundation in 1919 for the institution that would later be called John Brown University, John E. Brown College. To pay for the institution's free tuition, Brown developed his school as a Christian [[vocational college]]. Students worked jobs such as carpentry and helped in constructing the buildings on campus. The typical work-day was four hours in addition to class time.<ref>[httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20090320110343/https://www.jbu.edu/library/archives/lantern/pdf/lanternv7oct07.pdf JBU Archives October 2007 Newsletter]</ref>

Apparently seeking to expand the reach of the growing college, John Brown announced in 1934 that the school was to be changed into a [[four-year university]]. The new university was divided into three colleges: the academic, vocational, and Bible colleges, fitting John Brown's stated vision of educating "head, heart, and hand".<ref name=KENNEDY/>[Kennedy, Ralph C., Thomas Rothrock. ''John Brown of Arkansas'' John Brown University Press, 1999, p.{{rp|54]</ref>}} Spreading the new university's fields of study into new technology, Brown soon purchased a local radio station ([[KUOA]]) from which to broadcast Christian programming and his own sermons. Brown had used radio extensively before but was eager to get the resources of [[radio]] into the hands of the university.<ref>[Kennedy, Ralph C., Thomas Rothrock. ''John Brown of Arkansas'' John Brown University Press, 1999, p.55]<name=KENNEDY/ref>{{rp|55}} The expanded facilities, such as the distinctive Cathedral Group, which took root in the 1930s and 1940s, caused expenses for which the university had to pay. JBU began charging tuition in 1939, albeit a very small amount, and John Brown began to realize that financially, the [[vocational]] aspect of the school was more costly than anticipated. The university relied heavily on outside donations to break even financially.<ref name=Ostrander>{{Cite book |last=Ostrander, |first=Rick. ''|title=Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education''. |publisher=University of Arkansas Press |date=August 1, 2003,101) |isbn=978-1557287618}}</ref>{{rp|101}}

As the university grew, Brown continued to preach throughout the country and on the radio. He was well known for his attacks on [[liquor]], [[gambling]], [[dancing]], and other [[Christian fundamentalist]] issues of the time.<ref>[ name=Ostrander, Rick. ''Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education''. University of Arkansas Press, 2003, p. 20]</ref>{{rp|20}} This brought him into close proximity with [[Bob Jones, Sr.]] founder of [[Bob Jones University]], who presented Brown with an [[honorary doctorate]] in 1937.

In the 1940s, the close ties between JBU and the [[Christian fundamentalist]] movement began to wane, as the university took an unexpected turn away from [[fundamentalism]]. John Brown himself was always a proponent of [[interdenominationalism]], and by aligning himself with [[Youth for Christ]] and other [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] organizations after [[World War II]], JBU was making a statement. John Brown's description of the school in 1948 as "[[interdenominational]] and definitely [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]]"<ref name=Ostrander/>[Ostrander,{{rp Rick. ''Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education''. University of Arkansas Press, 2003,|117]</ref>}} is very telling in this regard.

When John Brown Sr. relinquished control of the university (at least in name, since he remained as chairman of the board) in 1948, he began a period of much-needed consolidation. During [[World War II]] the student body had dropped to barely over a hundred, and the high echelons of the school's leadership were being run almost exclusively by the Brown family.<ref> name=Ostrander, Rick. ''Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education''. University of Arkansas Press, 2003,99</ref>{{rp|99}} Under the second Brown, [[professors]] and administrators were hired who had more [[Academic degree|advanced degrees]], the Board of Trustees began to develop as a more independent body, and the students elected representatives to an independent council. All of this was beginning to occur by the end of the 1940s.<ref> name=Ostrander, Rick. ''Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education''. University of Arkansas Press, 2003, 109</ref>{{rp|109}} Also, the university began construction on its Cathedral Group, composed of the chapel sanctuary, known as the Cathedral of the Ozarks, the Science building, and the Library, supposedly symbolizing in building form the idea of educating "head, heart, and hand". As much as JBU grew during this period, it still lacked [[accreditation]] and its student body continued to hover at around 300 during the 1950s. After the founder's death in 1957, John Brown Jr. worked to improve the quality of the education JBU provided. One crucial step was the abolition of the university's [[vocational college]]. Citing the shifting makeup of the workforce in the 1960s, the president did away with the vocational requirement, with the understanding that each department would provide practical career training as part of its curriculum.<ref> name=Ostrander, Rick. ''Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education''. University of Arkansas Press, 2003, 141</ref>{{rp|141}} As a result of these reforms and others, JBU was finally nationally accredited by [[North Central Association]].

When John Brown Jr. stepped down as president, the job fell to his son, John Brown III, who immediately sought to improve the academic quality of the university. He visited [[Wheaton College (Illinois)]] and heralded its commitment to an integration of academic quality and Christian faith. To accompany his praise of Wheaton, he announced that the first consideration of JBU in selecting prospective students would be academic quality, and raising the entrance requirements. As expected, this began to attract more academically gifted students.<ref> name=Ostrander, Rick. ''Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education''. University of Arkansas Press, 2003, 196-197</ref>{{rp|196–197}} Also, in the 1980s, an [[Honors course|Honors Program]] was established. However, the third Brown made sure to maintain JBU's historic emphasis on career training, through its non-liberal arts programs such as [[Engineering]], Construction Management, and [[Graphic Design]]. As well as academic programs, John Brown III instituted new building programs and a scholarship for [[Latin American]] students paid for by [[Sam Walton]].

The former president of [[Tabor College (Kansas)|Tabor College]] in [[Kansas]], Lee Balzer, took office after the Ford controversy with a plan to expand the university's reach. He extended the Advance Program for non-traditional students in other cities by establishing branch centers in [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]] and [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]. During his presidency, JBU offered its first graduate degrees, initially in [[school counseling]], and later including [[master's degree]]s in [[marriage and family therapy]], leadership and ethics, business ([[MBA]]) and Christian ministry. The Center for Marriage and Family Studies<ref>[http://liferelationships.com/ Center for Marriage and Family Studies]</ref> was established during the Balzer presidency. Under President Balzer, JBU also founded the Soderquist Center for Business Leadership and Ethics<ref>[http://www.soderquist.org/ Soderquist Center for Business Leadership and Ethics]</ref> to promote ethical principles in the business world. In addition, JBU's financial campaign at the end of the 1990s raised more than 39 million dollars to build Walker Student Center, Bell Science Hall, North Hall, and the Soderquist Business Center, all in the span of barely more than five years.<ref> name=Ostrander, Rick. ''Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education''. University of Arkansas Press, 2003, 222</ref>{{rp|222}}

In the tradition of some other private Christian universities, John Brown University maintains a conservative set of lifestyle choices. Students sign a community covenant stating they will abstain from profanity, pornography, extramarital sexual activity, harassment, tobacco use, alcohol use, and gambling. The covenant also strictly prohibits LGBTQIA+ relationships on campus.<ref>[http://www.jbu.edu/assets/student_development/resource/file/JBU_Student_Handbook_2014-2015.pdf "JBU Student Handbook, 2014-2015" Retrieved on 09-24-14]</ref> Staff and faculty are not required to sign this covenant but must sign a statement of employee expectations. However, the statement they sign includes that they do not believe in LGBTQIA+ relationships.

Between the Cathedral group and Walker Student Center is the campus's main [[Quadrangle (architecture)|quad]], which is used for recreation and relaxation by students. The student center itself houses a cafe, an open area for studying, bookstore, post office, and classrooms on the second floor. Attached to the student center is the Walker co-ed residence hall with male and female residents living on separate floors. There are three other residence halls on campus as well: J. Alvin Brown, an all-male dormitory and the oldest building on campus which was given a $6 million renovation in 2014; Mayfield, an all-female hall completing a $6 million renovation in 2018, and Hutcheson, a co-ed residence hall. Upperclassman and non-traditional student housing options include campus townhouses and the Northslope Apartments.

John Brown University currently offers 41 undergraduate majors, with the most popular as of 2022-23 being Nursing, EngineeringPsychology, Family and Human ServicesService, Kinesiology and Graphic Design and- Biology65.<ref name=FACTS/> As a [[liberal arts college]],<ref name=Ostrander/>{{rp|140}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Undergraduate Catalog, 2022-2023 |url=https://wwwcatalog.jbu.edu/about/facts/][http://wwwcontent.jbu.edu/news/facts.aspphp?catoid=22&navoid=2564 |access-date=2023-01-19 |quote=While "JBU Facts,has 2009-2010"traditionally Retrievedemphasized onpreparation 03-29for well-10]</ref>defined Ascareers, it has done so within the context of a [[liberal arts college]],.}}</ref> JBU requires all students to take a core curriculum of classes, which include several [[Bible]] classes, [[English studies|English]], a [[foreign language]] requirement, [[science]] credit, the [[history of Western civilization]], a [[math]] requirement, wellness, [[psychology]], [[government]], and [[philosophy]]. In the period from 2003 to 2012, JBU rose from eighth to first in ''U.S. News & World Report'' rankings for the Baccalaureate Colleges in the Southern region. In 2016, due to growth in graduate programs, the university was moved to the Regional Universities in the Souther region category of U.S. News. In 2022, JBU ranked number ten in this list.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. News College Rankings|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-south|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-11}}</ref> JBU's Business department won first and second place at the Arkansas Governor's Cup Business Plan competition in 2007 and then in 2011 swept the Governor's Cup, receiving first, second, and third. In 2017, the JBU Enactus team won the U.S. National Championships and represented the U.S. at the Enactus World Cup in London. Its student newspaper, the Threefold Advocate, was named the best student newspaper in Arkansas in 2008 and 2010.<ref>JBU Degree Info Sheet [email protected]</ref> The University Honors Program has 200 student members, and is designed to allow students to take Honors versions of the necessary core classes, which are supposed to be more challenging and more encouraging of independent student research. JBU is one of the few small Christian colleges to offer comprehensive degrees in Graphic Design, Photography, and Digital Media. The libraries on campus house 120,000 volumes, and offer [[Interlibrary loan]] and tutoring assistance.

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* [[John Osteen]] - founder of [[Lakewood Church]] in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]]<ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.daystarchristian.com/a_tribute_to_pastor_john_osteen.htm |title=John Osteen] |access-date=2007-10-20 |archive-date=2012-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623182039/http://www.daystarchristian.com/a_tribute_to_pastor_john_osteen.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

* [{{official|http://www.jbu.edu Official website]}}

[[Category:EducationalUniversities institutionsand colleges established in 1919]]