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| Motto | Pro Christo et Patria |
|---|---|
Motto in English | For Christ and Country |
| Type | Private college |
| Established | 1848; 178 years ago (1848) |
Religious affiliation | Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America |
Academic affiliations | CCCU CIC NAICU |
| Endowment | $44.2 million (2019)[1] |
| President | Calvin L. Troup |
Academic staff | 96[2] |
| Students | 1,418[3] |
| Location | , U.S. |
| Campus | Suburban, 110 acres (45 ha) |
| Colors | Gold, white and charcoal |
| Nickname | Golden Tornadoes |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division III –PAC |
| Mascot | Turbo the Tornado |
| Website | geneva.edu |
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Geneva College is aprivate Christian college inBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848 inNorthwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880. It enrolls about 1,400undergraduates in over 30 majors, as well as graduate students in a handful ofmaster's programs. The undergraduate curriculum emphasizes thehumanities and the formation of aReformed Christian worldview. It is the only undergraduate institution affiliated with theReformed Presbyterian Church of North America.
Geneva College was founded in 1848 inNorthwood, Logan County, Ohio, by John Black Johnston, aminister of theRPCNA. The college was founded as "Geneva Hall", and was named after theSwiss center of theReformed faith movement. After briefly closing during theAmerican Civil War, the college continued operating in Northwood until 1880. By that time, the college leadership had begun a search for alternate locations that were closer to urban areas. After considering several locations in theMidwest, the denomination chose theCollege Hill neighborhood ofBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania. The college constructed its current campus on land donated by theHarmony Society. Old Main, the oldest building on campus, was completed in 1881.
The Rapp Technical Design Center was completed in 2002. A major project to reroutePennsylvania Route 18, which runs through the campus, was completed in November 2007.[4] Improvements to Reeves Stadium and the construction of a campus entrance and pedestrian mall were completed in 2009.[5]
Two bodies oversee the administration of the college, the Board of Corporators and the Board of Trustees; while the Corporators are the legal owners of the college, in practice most authority is delegated to the Trustees, who are elected by the Corporators. Both Boards drafted the philosophical basis on which the college rests, known as the Foundational Concepts of Higher Education.[6] The RPCNA still takes an active sponsorship and oversight role in the college: the college president, chaplain, and chairman of the Department of Biblical Studies must be members of the RPCNA, and all members of the Board of Corporators and the majority of the Board of Trustees must be RPCNA members. All professors and lecturers in the Department of Biblical Studies must subscribe to theWestminster Confession of Faith, and all full-time faculty and staff members must submit a written statement confessing faith inJesus Christ and theChristian religion.
The university was granted an exception toTitle IX in 2014 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students.[7]
Geneva offers undergraduate degree programs in the arts and sciences, such as elementary education, business, engineering, student ministry, biology, and psychology. In 2006, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) rated the Business and Accounting undergraduates in the 95th percentile amongst American colleges.
Historically, Geneva offered a Degree Completion Program (DCP) for degrees in Human Resource Management, Community Ministry or Organizational Development for adult students mainly at off-campus locations. Geneva also established the Center for Urban Theological Studies in Philadelphia and has sister colleges inTaiwan (Christ College) and South Korea (Chong Shin College and Theological Seminary).
Geneva also offers graduates studies in several fields and degrees including a Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Higher Education, Master of Arts in Counseling, and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity.[8]
Geneva established the Center for Technology Development in 1986 for providing research, prototyping and technical support to local industries and entrepreneurs. The center was awarded first prize in the Consolidated Natural Gas Company's Annual Award of Excellence competition in 1990.
Geneva offers online degree programs for adult students. Currently, Geneva offers online Bachelor of Professional Studies degrees in Child and Family Services, Human Resources, Management, and Organization Leadership. The College also offers an online Associate's Degree in general studies.[9]
Geneva partners with Portage Learning to offer online college courses on their platform. These online college courses are offered to visiting students seeking to transfer courses to their home institution where they intend to pursue a degree. Courses completed prior to matriculation may be used by Geneva students to fulfill degree requirements.[10]
Geneva College is a member institution of theCouncil for Christian Colleges and Universities,Council of Independent Colleges,[11] andNational Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.[12] Accreditations include theCommission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools,Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology,Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, and theCouncil for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. The chemistry degree is certified by theAmerican Chemical Society.
Geneva's sports teams are called the Golden Tornadoes. The college is a dual member of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)Division III andNational Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I.[13]
The Golden Tornadoes compete as a member of thePresidents' Athletic Conference. Geneva was a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for many years and competed in the now-defunctAmerican Mideast Conference. Geneva joined the NCAA as a provisional member in 2007 and during the transition process was not eligible for post season play or conference Player of the Week honors until gaining membership in July 2011.[14]
The school offers a range of men's and women's varsity sports, includingfootball,baseball,softball,basketball,volleyball,track and field,cross country,tennis, andsoccer.[15] Geneva has also offeredrugby as a club sport since 1994.
Thefootball program began in 1890 under head coach William McCracken. Over the years, the football team has amassed an all-time record of 496 wins, 437 losses, and 48 ties with five appearances in theVictory Bowl. The current football coach isGeno DeMarco.
Students must attend a designated number of weekly college-sponsored chapels to qualify for graduation.Alcohol is banned from the campus, andtobacco use is restricted from the entire campus.Greek letter fraternities and sororities are not permitted.
One of the earliest college basketball games in the United States occurred at Geneva College on April 8, 1893, when the Geneva College Covenanters defeated theNew BrightonYMCA.[16] Geneva commemorates this event through the athletic slogan of "The Birthplace of College Basketball". Geneva also has one of the oldest basketball courts in collegiate sports in the Johnston Gymnasium.
Geneva was founded byScottish andScots-Irish immigrants. Many names of campus buildings and areas bear Scottish names:
Geneva sports teams were nicknamed theCovenanters until the 1950s. Members of the RPCNA are sometimes referred to as Covenanters because the denomination traces its roots to theCovenanting tradition ofReformation era Scotland. The modern sports nickname ofGolden Tornadoes commemorates the "Golden Tornado" of May 11, 1914, when a majortornado struck the college, most notably taking the gold colored roof from the top of Old Main, which was the origin of the associated color. Although the storm caused significant damage to the campus, there were no serious injuries. College students and faculty rejoiced at what they believed was a sign of God's mercy.
Geneva's traditional sports rivalry is withWestminster College in nearbyNew Wilmington, Pennsylvania.[17]
Homosexual behavior is prohibited in the student handbook; students must confess and change their behavior or be suspended.[18][non-primary source needed]
Full-time undergraduate students between ages 17 and 23 are required to live in college housing,[37] with the exception of commuters and some seniors.[38] Six dormitories — Clarke, Geneva Arms, McKee, Memorial, Pearce, and Young — house resident students.[39] Geneva Arms and Young are apartment-style options divided into women's and men's wings. The college also owns a few smaller houses nearby campus, primarily for upperclassmen, that are available depending on residential need.[40]
On December 15, 2006, the college filed a federal lawsuit against theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania, alleging that a decision by the state to block the college from participating in the state sponsored CareerLink job service amounted to a violation of the college'sFirst Amendment rights. Although the state argued that the college's requirement that faculty and staff members subscribe to the Christian religion amounted to discrimination, the lawsuit was settled. Geneva's right to access to CareerLink was restored and the college retains a statement on its employment applications stating "Compliance with Geneva's Christian views is considered abona fide occupational qualification ... and will have a direct impact on employment consideration."[41]
In 2012, the college suedthe federal government over thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")contraceptive mandate, which requires employers to providehealth insurance coverage for their employees that includescontraception, which Geneva College "considers abortion, abortifacients and embryo-harming pharmaceuticals" and objects to on religious grounds.[42] The college, represented byAlliance Defending Freedom in the litigation, prevailed in its case, obtaining apermanent injunction in 2018.[42][43]
Students who struggle with issues that violate the Student Handbook are encouraged to seek support and help. Examples include, but are not limited to, pregnancy, drugs, alcohol, pornography, sexual relationships, eating disorders and homosexual behavior....When students request Amnesty, according to the above guidelines, they are not suspended for behaviors they have engaged in prior to their confession. The behavior in question will have to eventually change for the student to remain at Geneva College.
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40°46′16″N80°19′16″W / 40.771°N 80.321°W /40.771; -80.321
