General Information

General Information

Purpose Statement
Aims
History
Location and Facilities
Accredation and Affiliations

In accomplishing its purpose, the university pursues the following three aims.

Freed-Hardeman provides higher education with a Christian perspective:

• by recognizing the Bible as the inspired and authoritative Word of God

• by presenting Jesus, the Christ, as the model for personal behavior,

• by viewing each person as a special creation of God, possessing an everlasting soul, with ultimate accountability to God,

• by promoting racial harmony, religious unity, and respect for individual differences through Christian love and biblical teaching, and

• by offering programs, activities, and worship opportunities that strengthen the university community.

Freed-Hardeman provides educational opportunities through excellent undergraduate and graduate programs:

• by employing a qualified, caring Christian faculty,

• by teaching students to be critical thinkers who communicate effectively,

• by offering a balanced education in the liberal arts and sciences as well as specialization in a chosen discipline,

• by offering academic enrichment opportunities to strengthen individual students,

• by equipping students for advanced study and career challenges, and

• by instilling in students a lasting desire for learning.

Freed-Hardeman provides service to the individual, home, church, community, and world:

• by facilitating spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical growth,

• by recognizing the home as the basic unit of society and helping students develop skills for healthy Christian families,

• by encouraging students to love the church and preparing them for active service in a local congregation,

• by offering programs to strengthen and encourage growth of the church, and

• by teaching students to become effective citizens of the local and world communities.

Motto

Freed-Hardeman is primarily an undergraduate, residential institution enrolling full-time students of traditional college age who come to Henderson, Tennessee, from the southeast and from more than two-thirds of the United States and from several other countries. Alumni live in all fifty states and in more than thirty-five other countries. The university also seeks to serve commuting, part-time, and older adult students on-campus and through selected distant learning programs as resources and technology permit. The university offers a limited number of master’s-level graduate programs as resources, needs, and interest permit, offering advanced preparation for service. Most research is focused on institutional or instructional improvement. Arts, science, and professional degrees are conferred.

The goals of the university can best be pursued when a qualified Christian faculty teach and inspire students to learn and when all instruction and activities recognize and honor biblical truth and principles. The university is governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees who are members of churches of Christ and who hold the institution in trust for its founders, alumni, and supporters. Freed-Hardeman, its faculty, and its students receive support from alumni, churches, and other friends and provide a variety of services to businesses, churches, nonprofit organizations, and to the general public.

Freed-Hardeman seeks to provide a liberal arts education for all students primarily through its general education and general degree requirements. Courses are offered by twelve academic departments organized into six schools—Arts and Humanities, Biblical Studies, Business, Education, Sciences and Mathematics, and the Honors College.

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History of Freed-Hardeman University

Freed-Hardeman University traces its origin to the 1869 charter of a private high school and college for Henderson. The first recorded school in Henderson was taught in the latter half of the 1860s in a frame house located on the property where Hall-Roland Hall and the Old Main Administration Building now stand. It was last headed by A. S. Sayle. The Tennessee legislature, on November 30, 1869, incorporated the Henderson Male and Female Institute in an act which authorized the institute to offer high school and college courses of study and to confer degrees. In 1870, the school opened in a two-story frame building on what is now known as the Milan-Sitka property, where it operated for 15 years. In March of 1877, the legislature changed the name to the Henderson Masonic Male and Female Institute, the nominal term Masonic having come into use earlier. Beginning in 1871, Prof. George M. Savage managed the school, and John Bunyan Inman taught and served as principal for ten years. H. G. Savage was chairman of the faculty while his son, George M. Savage, was away during part of this era.

In August of 1885, the charter of the institute was amended to change the name to West Tennessee Christian College and to change somewhat the membership of the board of trustees. On the first Monday in October, the college opened with J. B. Inman as its president. President Inman died in 1889, and G. A. Lewellen was elected president. Lewellen resigned in 1893, and C. H. Duncan was elected to succeed him. In 1895, Arvy Glenn Freed, an alumnus of Valparaiso University in Indiana who had become, in 1889, the first president of Southern Tennessee Normal College at Essary Springs, Tennessee, became president of West Tennessee Christian College. The name of the college was changed to Georgie Robertson Christian College in 1897. In 1902, Ernest C. McDougle became co-president with Freed, and when Freed resigned in 1905, McDougle continued as president until the college closed at the end of the spring term in 1907.

On May 21, 1907, the National Teachers’ Normal and Business College was incorporated. Construction of the Administration Building began that fall, and the college opened in the fall of 1908 with A. G. Freed as president and N. B. Hardeman, who had studied and taught at Georgie Robertson Christian College, as vice president. The college was renamed for them in 1919. In February of 1990, it became Freed-Hardeman University.

W. Claude Hall served as president and C. P. Roland as dean from 1923 to 1925. In 1925, N.B. Hardeman and Hall C. Calhoun were elected associate presidents. Calhoun resigned at the close of the session, and Hardeman served as president until 1950. He was succeeded by H. A. Dixon, who served until his death in 1969.

E. Claude Gardner became president in December of 1969. He became chancellor in June of 1990 and president emeritus in 1992. Milton R. Sewell, an alumnus who had formerly served as vice president for institutional advancement, succeeded Gardner as president in June 1990.

At various times, Freed-Hardeman University and its predecessors have offered associate, bachelor’s, and advanced degrees. Secondary work was offered until the early 1930s and elementary into the 1940s. From 1925 through 1974, the institution operated as a standard junior college awarding diplomas and, beginning in 1956, associate degrees. Some students continued their studies in Bible for a third year, and junior-level courses in Bible were offered beginning in 1953. In 1974-75, the junior year was added in all departments, and senior-level courses were added in 1975-76. Graduate degree programs in education and in ministry were added during the summer of 1989, and graduate programs in counseling and in New Testament were added in 1994.

Supplementing the cultural, entertainment, medical, and shopping facilities of Henderson are those of the regional center of Jackson, 17 miles north. Jackson is served by Northwest Airlink, which connects with other airlines in Memphis.

Chickasaw State Park, Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, and Shiloh National Park and Battlefield are nearby and are the sites of university outings. The 77-acre Mid-South Youth Camp owned by the university is located just north of Henderson and is available for picnics and other activities. Classes and clubs frequently make field trips to Memphis or Nashville.

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Locations and Facilities

The campus consists of about 120 acres with 26 main buildings. The major academic buildings and their functions are described below.

OLD MAIN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

Built in 1907-1908 by A. G. Freed and N. B. Hardeman, the Administration Building houses administrative and faculty offices, an art history media classroom, drawing studio, music studios and practice rooms, a historical exhibit, and old Chapel Hall. The Department of Communication and Literature is located in Old Main.

LIBRARY

The Freed-Hardeman University Library is composed of the Lawhorn Library, built in 1956 and named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Lawhorn of Temple, Texas, and of the Loden-Daniel Library, a modern two-story addition, built in 1973 and named in 1974 in honor of the parents of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Loden III of Batesville, Mississippi. An adjoining library annex which holds the Audiovisual Department is in the Draughon Education Center.

The Freed-Hardeman University Library is the support structure of the university’s academic programs and also provides current general reading, group study rooms, listening and video viewing for students, faculty, and other patrons. The library houses books, periodicals, study areas, an information technology section with computers for searching the Internet, two special collections, a word processing lab, photocopiers, and a wide variety of audiovisual media materials. The catalog of the library’s book collection (LIONET) is automated and may be accessed remotely through the Internet making it accessible in offices, residence halls, campus computer labs, or from home. Library holdings include more than 155,500 volumes, 228,000 microforms, and 26,000 periodicals, plus an extensive collection of audiovisual material. In addition, the library provides access to online databases. The electronic databases offer indexing and full-text articles from scholarly journals, popular magazines, and newspapers. Special collections include a Rare Book Collection and a Restoration Collection which contains letters, notes, and materials pertaining to church and restoration history. Access to the library’s holdings can be found on LIONET, the online catalog, and is available from the library’s home page . The library’s home page also offers information on and access to electronic databases, Internet resources, and other resources, such as the library’s hours and a month-by-month list of new items added to the collection.

The library belongs to the Online Catalog Library Center (OCLC) through the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET). This affiliation enables the library to obtain interlibrary loans for faculty and students. Membership in the West Tennessee Academic Library Consortium (WeTALC) provides access to materials outside the library’s immediate holdings as well as vital input into the area’s academic arena. The library also maintains memberships in the American Library Association (ALA), the Christian College Librarians Consortium (CCL), and TENN-SHARE, a statewide resource sharing consortium.

HALL-ROLAND HALL

Formerly called Oakland Hall, it is the oldest residence hall for women. This three-story dormitory was renamed Hall-Roland Hall at Homecoming, November 27, 1958, in appreciation of the long tenure and service of the late W. Claude Hall and C. P. Roland. It was renovated in 1984. The ground floor, which includes the nurse’s office and faculty offices, was remodeled in the summer of 1994 to house the Personal Counseling Center, Graduate Studies in Counseling, and Behavioral and Consumer Sciences.

THOMAS-LANDON HOUSE

Foods, clothing, and computer-aided design laboratories, offices and a lecture room used by the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Family Studies are located in the converted residence just south of the library. The building is also used for small receptions.

JOY SIMON MCDANIEL HOUSE

On the first floor are the offices of the Dean of the Honors College and of the Director of Theater. On the second floor is the Center for Academic Services and Counseling. The building was renamed in 1983 in honor of the late Mrs. Joy Simon McDaniel, who taught child development and early childhood education courses.

LORA LAYCOOK CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

The Lora Laycook Child Development Center, operated by the university as a daycare center and child development laboratory, is located in a building on the south side of Mill Street. Miss Laycook, a long-time Bible teacher, teacher trainer, and residence hall director, died in 1993.

SPORTS CENTER

The Sports Center was opened in August, 1996. The main arena, which seats almost 2,800, serves as home court for Freed-Hardeman’s intercollegiate men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as the women’s volleyball team. An auxiliary gym provides additional space for intramural activities and team practices. Other facilities in the building include fully-equipped weight and training rooms, three racquetball courts, and a walking/jogging track. The Freed-Hardeman Sports Hall of Fame and all athletic offices are also located in the Sports Center.

BADER MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM

Physical education classes, intramural activities, swimming classes, and recreational swimming are held in Bader Memorial Gymnasium. The Department of Health and Human Performance is located in Bader Gym. There is also an Athletic Training Room for students located in Bader Gym. The building was constructed in 1963 in honor of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Bader.

ASSOCIATES SCIENCE CENTER

A science building first occupied in January 197l provides classrooms, a lecture hall, and laboratories for biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, and pre-engineering courses. Offices are also included. The building was dedicated April 30, 1971, in honor of the Associates, women who befriend the university through fund-raising and other activities.

LOYD AUDITORIUM

An auditorium completed in 1977 seats approximately 2,750. The main fioor is used for daily chapel assembly, and four balcony sections with folding walls are used for lecture halls. Musical and theatrical presentations and special events are also scheduled in the auditorium. Most of the administrative offices are here. The building was named in 1983 in honor of the family of L. W. Loyd of South Pittsburg, Tennessee.

DRAUGHON EDUCATION CENTER

Faculty offices and the UNIX Lab are located in this building. The first floor is a library annex that houses the Audiovisual department and group study rooms for students. The building was named in November 1988 in appreciation of Louis A., Elizabeth, and Betty Lou Draughon.

ART ANNEX BUILDING

Art studios occupy the first floor of this building. A classroom and art education lab, art gallery and photography darkroom are on the second floor.

E. CLAUDE GARDNER CENTER FOR BIBLE, COMMUNICATION, AND WORLD EVANGELISM

Faculty offices and classrooms of the School of Biblical Studies and of the Admissions offices are located in this building occupied first in the fall of 1982. A world missions information center is included. A television studio, the studios of WFHC - the university’s 10,500-watt FM stereo radio station - and the School of Education are also located here. In 1990, the building was named the E. Claude Gardner Center for Bible, Communication, and World Evangelism in honor of Dr. Gardner upon his retirement as president. In 1997, Pruett Banquet Hall was remodeled to house the School of Education offices, classrooms, and the Instructional Resources Center.

PRUETT BOOK CENTER

This building houses the University Store, the Bible Bookstore, and the Mail Room. It is named in honor of Zack H. Pruett and his late wife Lillian Duncan Pruett.

CLAYTON CHAPEL

A red brick chapel with stained glass windows donated by 1939 alumnus Robert Clayton is located on University Street. It will seat approximately 100. The chapel may be reserved for devotionals, weddings, and private meditation through the Office of Student Services.

BROWN-KOPEL BUSINESS CENTER

Completed in the summer of 2003, faculty offices and classrooms of the School of Business are located in this building. Ayers Auditorium seats 280. Computer labs, conference rooms, and small-group study rooms are available to the students as well as the faculty and staff. The ground floor houses the campus Information Technology Department and includes the servers and equipment for the campus-wide network. This new state-of-the-art classroom building is named in honor of Rosemary Kopel Brown and husband John W. Brown who are alumni of Freed-Hardeman University.

CAMPUS-WIDE NETWORKS AND COMPUTING

Freed-Hardeman University has advanced voice, data, and video networks connecting 25 major buildings. Triplex outlets in offices, classrooms, laboratories, and residence hall rooms provide access to these networks. Campus and local telephone service is included in room charges. Community and campus cable TV service is available in the residence halls and is part of the room charge.

Four major student computer laboratories, smaller department laboratories, and library microcomputers are available each day and most evenings during school terms. Personal computers may be purchased from selected vendors at a discount for stand-alone or network use. For a semester fee, a student may access the campus computer network from any residence hall room by using a personal computer (Apple Macintoshes, IBM PCs, and IBM PC-compatibles are being used) provided by the student and an asynchronous interface cable provided by the university. A student may use university-owned laboratory equipment for personal computing when it is available and with some limitations. Faculty in each department have written computer courseware. Every program of study requires the use of computing in one or more courses. Students may use computing resources in the library and in general use laboratories without charge.

Timesharing and microcomputers support courseware, programming, database, accounting, office, and statistical application packages. The most recent additions are computer-aided design (CAD) workstations for use in engineering graphics, interior design, and apparel design and computers to support teaching and research in artificial intelligence (AI) and expert systems.

Accreditation and Affiliations

Freed-Hardeman University and its predecessors have prepared teachers since 1870. The university was approved as a teacher training institution at the two-year level by the Tennessee State Board of Education in 1925. This approval was reaffirmed in 1952. Institutional and program approval to provide teacher certification in elementary education and in selected secondary education subject areas beginning with the 1976 graduating class was granted by the state in February of 1976. This approval was reaffirmed in 1981. National accreditation of the undergraduate elementary and secondary teacher education programs was granted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education in 1982, retroactive to September 1981. This was reaffirmed and extended to the graduate program in 1992. The Ed.S. program was accredited in the fall of 2003. NCATE reaffirmed both the undergraduate and the graduate programs in April, 2005. The Council on Social Work Education accredited the university’s bachelor’s degree social work program in 1981. This was reaffirmed in 1989, in 1997, and in 2004. The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accredited the university’s undergraduate business programs in 1994, with reaffirmation occurring in 2004.

Freed-Hardeman 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 bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Freed-Hardeman University is an institutional member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Tennessee College Association, the Tennessee Independent Colleges Fund, the Tennessee Council of Private Colleges, the Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the North American Association of Summer Sessions, and the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (National and State). Freed-Hardeman University is a charter member of the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs.

Freed-Hardeman University is authorized to provide educational opportunities for veterans and certain dependents or survivors. All programs except for field study and the individualized major are eligible for veteran’s education assistance.

Freed-Hardeman University will seriously consider any written student complaints regarding its accreditation status. Each complaint should be sent to the president and will be reviewed by the president and his cabinet of vice presidents and a written response will be prepared and sent to the student. If this does not satisfactorily resolve the concern, the student will be given an opportunity to meet with the president and his cabinet to explore solutions to the concern. The president may choose to invite the chairman of the board of trustees to attend this meeting if circumstances justify the need for the chairman’s presence. A written record of any complaints and responses will be maintained in the president’s office for review by accreditation association officials or peer reviewers.

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