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Former names | Barboursville Seminary of the Southern Methodist Church (1888–1901) Morris Harvey College (1901–1978) |
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| Type | Private university |
| Established | September 12, 1888; 137 years ago (1888-09-12)[1] |
| Accreditation | HLC[2] |
| Endowment | $56.9 million (2023)[3] |
| President | Martin S. Roth |
| Provost | Daniel K. Silber |
| Students | 3,051 (fall 2024)[4] |
| Undergraduates | 2,338 (fall 2024)[4] |
| Postgraduates | 713 (fall 2024)[4] |
| Location | , United States |
| Campus | Urban |
| Other campuses | Beckley[5] |
| Newspaper | The Eagle[6] |
| Colors | Maroon & gold[7] |
| Nickname | Golden Eagles |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II •MEC •EIVA |
| Website | www |
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TheUniversity of Charleston (UC) is aprivate university inCharleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1888, it also has a satellite campus inBeckley, West Virginia. The university enrolled approximately 3,000 students as of fall 2024.[4]
The school was founded in 1888 as theBarboursville Seminary of the Southern Methodist Church. In 1901, it was renamedMorris Harvey College, in honor of a devoted supporter.[8]
In 1935 the school moved to downtown Charleston and affiliated with the Mason College of Fine Arts and Music. In 1940, it became independent of theMethodist Church. In 1947, the school moved to its present campus in the Kanawha City section of Charleston across the river from the State Capitol.[9] In 1951, it purchased theYoung-Noyes House as the home of the college president.[10] It was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1978.[11]
The college fell on hard times after the end of the military draft and college deferment during theVietnam War and offered itself to the state in 1975, which refused the gift. In December 1978, the school changed its name to theUniversity of Charleston. Beginning with the inauguration of President Dr. Edwin H. Welch in 1989, the school has undergone a physical and academic transformation. Four new residence halls, a parking garage, a fitness center, an academic building housing the library, computer and science labs, and a new school of pharmacy have been built since 1998.
UC established campuses onMountain State University's former Beckley andMartinsburg, West Virginia, locations on January 1, 2013. UC later vacated the former MSU Martinsburg campus (the property was sold to a third-party buyer, and established a new location in Martinsburg, known as UC-Martinsburg.[12] UC vacated the former MSU Beckley campus after the 2014–15 academic year and established a new campus in Beckley.[13]
On December 15, 2017, the board of trustees named Martin S. Roth to succeed Dr. Edwin Welch as the president of the university. He began on June 30, 2018. Roth left his position as the dean of the business school at theUniversity of Hartford.[14]
The University of Charleston is accredited by theHigher Learning Commission.
There are over twenty undergraduate major programs at UC, including fields such as business, communications, education, nursing, exercise science, organizational leadership, sport administration, radiologic science, and digital media design.
In 2006, UC opened its first doctoral program, the UC School of Pharmacy. UC now also offers an online doctoral program through its School of Leadership, the Doctor of Executive Leadership (DEL). In 2008, the university opened a graduate business school which grants four business master's degrees: Master of Business Administration and Leadership (MBAL), Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA), Executive Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Management (EMBA- PHM), and Executive Master of Forensic Accounting (EMFA).[15]
In 2012, the school announced a new Physician Assistant program.[16]
UC's athletic teams, known as the Golden Eagles, mostly compete in theMountain East Conference (MEC) inNCAA Division II. In June 2012, UC was one of nine members of theWest Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) that announced their plans to leave to form a new Division II conference. Two months later, the new conference was unveiled as the MEC, with UC as one of 12 charter members. The men's volleyball team, which was elevated from a club team to full varsity status for the 2015 season (2014–15 school year), plays at theNational Collegiate (Division I/II) level; after playing in 2015 as an independent, it joined theEastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The University of Charleston achieved its first Division II national championship in men's soccer in 2017, defeatingLynn University in the finals,[17] and won the national championship again in 2019, defeatingCal State LA 3–1 in the final.[18]
In 2005, UC entered into a partnership with the local school board to refurbish the school board–ownedLaidley Field, which was renamedUniversity of Charleston Stadium. The campus also boasts new or renovated softball, football, baseball, and soccer fields, and competes in 18 Division II sports.
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38°19′59″N81°36′59″W / 38.332917°N 81.616524°W /38.332917; -81.616524
