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Regent University

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Regent University
File:Regent logo.gif
MottoChristian Leadership to Change the World
TypePrivate
Established1978[1]
Endowment$267,636,000[2]
ChancellorPat Robertson
Students4,266 (1,953 full-time, 2,313 part-time)[1]
Undergraduates987 [3]
Postgraduates2,142 [3]
895 [3]
Other students
242 [non-degree seeking][3]
Location
Virginia Beach & Alexandria
,
Virginia
,
U.S.
CampusUrban
ColorsBlue & Green
Websitehttp://www.regent.edu/

Regent University is a private coeducational interdenominational Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. The school was founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson in 1978 as CBN University[1] In addition to its main campus, Regent has a satellite campus located in Alexandria, Virginia and offers extensive distance education program.[3] Through its eight academic schools, Regent offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in over 30 courses of study.[4] Regent University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[5]

History

Plans for the university (originally named CBN University) began in 1978 by Christian Broadcasting Network founder and current Chancellor Pat Robertson. In 1990, the name was changed to Regent University. The university's name is designed to reference a regent, who is someone that exercises the ruling power in a kingdom during the minority, absence, or disability of the sovereign. The university's current motto is "Christian Leadership to Change the World."

The first classes were not conducted until the fall of 1978, when the school began to lease classroom space in Chesapeake, Virginia. The first students were all enrolled in what is now the School of Communication & the Arts. In May 1980, the first graduating class held its commencement, while the School of Education opened the following October. Simultaneously, the university took residence for the first time on its current campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The school proceeded to open its Schools of Business, Divinity, Government, and Law by the mid-1980s. In 1984, Regent University received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; later in the decade; it started a distance education program.

Five years later, Regent began outreach programs geared to teachers in the Washington, D.C. area, which eventually led to the opening of its Alexandria campus. In 2000, Regent began an undergraduate degree-completion curriculum under the auspices of a new program, the Center for Professional Studies, which became Regent School of Undergraduate Studies in the fall of 2004.

Academics

Undergraduate studies

The newest addition to Regent is the School of Undergraduate Studies, designed primarily for non-traditional students who wish to complete undergraduate degrees. Regent's School of Undergraduate Studies offers bachelor's degrees in Communication, Global Business, Interdisciplinary Studies (Elementary Education), Government, Psychology, Organizational Leadership & Management, Religious Studies and English beginning in Fall 2007. Furthermore, four new bachelor's programs began in the fall of 2007 focusing on theater, animation, journalism and cinema-television. These programs are taught through the School of Communications & the Arts.[6]

Graduate studies

Robertson's original vision for Regent University was that of a graduate institution. Although Regent now offers undergraduate programs, the school has mostly remained true to its original focus. The vast majority of Regent's students are enrolled in one of seven graduate schools.[3]

School of Communication & the Arts

The School of Communication & the Arts offers degrees for Master of Arts in Communication, Theater and Journalism, Master of Fine Arts and a Ph.D..[7]

School of Divinity

The School of Divinity provides master programs in the Arts and Divinity along with Ph. D.s in Ministry and Philosophy.[8] The School of Divinity is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).[9]

School of Education

The School of Education offers an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in addition to its Master and Ph.D. degrees in Education along with teaching certificate programs.[10]

School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship

The School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship provides Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Foresight along with an MBA.[11]

Robertson School of Government

The Robertson School of Government offers a Masters of Arts in Government with specializations in Terrorism and Homeland Defense, World Economic and Political Development, Political Leadership, and Law and Public Policy among others.[12]

School of Law

Regent University School of Law is housed in Robertson Hall located on the south side of the campus plaza. The law library is situated on the top floor of the university library building.[13] The school offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. The current Dean is Jeffrey A. Brauch.[14]

The law school was founded in 1986.[15] The law school was approved by the American Bar Association ("ABA") in 1989[16] and received full accreditation in 1996.[17] The Law Library received the bulk of its collection after Oral Roberts University School of Law closed and donated its library to Regent University.

The size of the student body numbers approximately 500 students.[17] Currently, the school offers both a full-time and a part-time track for completion of the J.D. degree.[16] For the 2007 entering class, 153 matriculated out 619 applications, the average LSAT score was 153 (out of 180) and a GPA of 3.29 (out of 4.0).[18]

Admission policies

While academic credentials are important, the admissions process also places emphasis on personal statements and recommendation letters. According to Regent, the school seeks students who are "dedicated to becoming Christian leaders who will change the world for Christ" and want "to receive a legal education integrated with Christian principles."[18]

Publications

Law students publish the Regent Law Review, established in 1991. The journal describes itself as "committed to a jurisprudence based upon a Higher Law; that is, law based upon the Law of God, yet remains open to publishing opposing viewpoints in certain contexts." Previous contributors include United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Attorney General John D. Ashcroft, Judge Edith H. Jones, Attorney General Edwin Meese III, Robert P. George, George Allen, Nancy R. Pearcey, Charles E. Rice, Phillip E. Johnson, Charles W. Colson, and David Barton.[19]

Additionally, the students publish the Regent Journal of International Law, founded in 2000.[20]

School of Psychology & Counseling

Offers four graduate degrees, a Certificate of Advanced Counseling Studies, and an undergraduate degree. The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D) is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. The Community Counseling (M.A.) and School Counseling (M.A.) program areas offered by the School of Psychology & Counseling of Regent University have been accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).[21]

Campus

Main campus (Virginia Beach, VA)

Regent University's Virginia Beach campus is 70 acres with historic Georgian architecture. The University Library Building houses the school's libraries while Robertson Hall is home to the Schools of Divinity, Government, Law and Undergraduate Studies. The Communication & Performing Arts Center, home for the School of Communication & the Arts, is a 135,000-square-foot building with two theaters, a production studio, sound stage, screening theaters, and backlot. The Student Center is a 31,000-square-foot facility includes a bookstore, student organization offices, dining hall, computer lab, and student lounge. The Administration Building, along with administrative offices, includes the School of Education. The Classroom Building accommodates the schools of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship and Psychology & Counseling.[13]

Washington, D.C. campus

The Regent University Washington, D.C. Campus is located in Alexandria, VA and accepts students for their School of Education.[22]

Student life

Student government and councils

The Student Bar Association (SBA) is the student society for the School of Law which is governed and represented by the Student Senate. The SBA Student Senate represents the law school’s student body to the school’s administration and the University. The Council of Graduate Students (COGS) and Undergraduate Student Advisory Council serve a similar function for the balance of the student population. The groups, in addition to their organizational responsibilities, hold social and religious events. The Student Advisory Leadership Team supports the Washington D.C. satellite campus.[23][24]

Student organizations

Student organizations at the school include the student divisions of the American Bar Association and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Association of Black Psychologists, Black Law Student Association, Business Transactions Law Society, Christian Legal Society, College Republicans, Entertainment and Sports Legal Society, Federalist Society, International Law Society, International Student Organization, Law Wives Association, Moot Court Board, National Law Student Association, Newman Club, Public Interest Law Association, Regent Students for Life, Students in Free Enterprise, Student Alumni Ambassadors, and The King's Knights.[24]

Student housing

Regent Village houses graduate students with children consisting of roughly 200 apartments located within a mile of campus. Regent Commons, on the other hand, is for all other students without children.[25]

University reputation

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranks Regent University School of Law as a Tier 4 school.[26] The Princeton Review ranked Regent University seventh in the country for quality of life[27] and the most conservative school.[28]

ABA national competition wins

In 2006 and 2007, Regent Law won several national ABA moot-court and negotiation competitions succeeding teams from Harvard and Yale.[29][15][30][31] Previous wins took place in 1995 and 2002.[31]

Bar passage rates

The 2006 bar passage rate for students taking the Virginia State Bar Exam was 67.5%. The statewide average was 74%. The five year average was 54.7%.[32]

School of Psychology and Counseling controversy

In June 2006, five of the eleven full-time faculty members of the School of Psychology and Counseling's masters degree counseling program resigned. According to The Virginia-Pilot, students and professors expressed frustration with what they described as humiliation and punishment for dissenting on policy questions resulting in decreased morale.

One professor said that there is a "climate of fear and intimidation” within the school. Another said, “The climate is contrary to Christian values rather than embracing them.” While a third said, “I cannot in good conscience continue to participate in this unhealthy and toxic environment.” A petition was circulated which criticized the behavior of the school's dean and the counseling department's program director said to have used the terms "brothas”, “hoes” and “homos”.

In December 2007, the school's dean offered an apology and promised improved communications at a school meeting attended by students. However, attendees expressed disappointment that more wasn't offered. While acknowledging that some students were dispirited, a school administrator said, “You won’t ever have 100 percent satisfaction. It’s not that unusual to have criticisms; a university is like that.” He denied that anyone had been penalized for expressing an opinion freely nor was he willing to accept the characterization of the culture as one of "fear and intimidation".[33]

Freedom of expression controversy

In October 2007, Adam Key, a second-year law student at Regent University, posted a photograph on the social networking website Facebook of the school's chancellor, Pat Robertson, unintentionally making an obscene gesture. School officials asked Key to remove the still, publicly apologize and withhold public comment or, alternatively, defend the posting. While Key did remove the photograph, he refused to apologize and submitted his defense on the grounds it was protected speech. Regent rejected his argument and Key was subsequently suspended.[34][35] In November 2007, Key filed a lawsuit against Regent claiming fraud, violation of his right to free expression as governed by rules tied to Federal funding, and defamation. Robertson said that, in general, freedom of speech doesn't encompass the use of these kinds of images. The university stated that Key violated the school's standards of conduct.[36][37][38] Key later wrote to the American Bar Association claiming that the university suspended him for his political and religious views in violation of its accreditation standards.[39]

Bush administration hires

According to Regent University, more than 150 of its graduates have been hired by the federal government since George W. Bush came to office in 2001. As it was previously rare for alumni to go into government, Boston Globe journalist Charlie Savage suggested that the appointment of Office of Personnel Management director Kay Coles James, the former dean of Regent's government school, caused this recent sharp increase in Regent alumni employed in the government.[15] An article about a recent Regent graduate who interviewed for a government position and Regent's low school rankings has been cited as an example of the Bush administration hiring applicants with strong conservative credentials but weaker academic qualifications and less civil rights law experience than past candidates in the Civil Rights Division.[15] In addition to Savage, similar assertions have been made by several other commentators.[40][41][42][29]

However, Savage also noted that the school had improved since its days of "dismal numbers" and that the school's has had recent wins in national moot-court and negotiation competitions.[15][43] Though a prominent critic of the school, Reverend Barry Lynn of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State advised against "underestimat[ing] the quality of a lot of the people that are there."[15]

Faculty

Regent has 162 full-time and 471 part-time faculty members with graduates from Yale, Harvard, Duke, Johns Hopkins and others, two of which are Fulbright Scholars.[3] Faculty are responsible for lecturing classes, advising both graduate and undergraduate students, and sitting on academic committees.

Several members are drawn from high levels of government. Former U.S. Attorney under the Bush administration, John Ashcroft, was named Distinguished Professor in 2005 teaching a two-week course each semester in the Robertson School of Government and lecturing on national security law.[44] Also named Distinguished Professor was former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark who teaches courses in leadership and government.[45] In 2006, former Prime Minister of Israel was a visiting faculty member for the School of Undergraduate Studies.[46]

The School of Divinity includes both biblical scholars and religious practitioners,[47] notably, the theologian Graham Twelftree who teaches courses in scripture and research methodology as a Distinguished Professor of New Testament.[48]

Noted alumni

Many of Regent University's graduates have had success in public service, entertainment and the legal community. Alumni currently in American politics include the Attorney General of Virginia Bob McDonnell, Assistant U.S. Secretary of Labor Lisa Kruska, and Louisiana State Senator Sharon Weston Broome. Monica Goodling, 1999 graduate of Regent Law and former Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice from 2001 to 2007,[49] is best known for her involvement in the dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy.[50] Jay Sekulow, a Ph.D. graduate, is Chief Counsel for Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice, a non-profit public interest law firm specializing in constitutional issues of religious freedom.

Notable alumni from the School of Communication & the Arts include the actor Tony Hale, best known as Buster Bluth on the TV show Arrested Development, 1999 Miss America Nicole Johnson and screenwriter Cheryl McKay who wrote the screenplay for The Ultimate Gift. Jason Upton, a graduate of the School of Divinity, is a Contemporary Christian musician.

References

  1. ^ a b c "About Regent University". Retrieved 2007-12-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "America's Best Colleges 2008: Regent University: At a Glance". US News and World Report.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Regent University Facts". Retrieved 2007-12-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Regent University - Academics".
  5. ^ Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: Commission on Colleges
  6. ^ "Regent University Bachelor Degrees". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  7. ^ "Regent University: School of Communication & the Arts". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  8. ^ "Regent School of Divinity Academics". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  9. ^ "Member Schools". The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  10. ^ "School of Education Academics". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  11. ^ "School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship Academic Degree Programs". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  12. ^ "Robertson School of Government Academics". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  13. ^ a b "Virginia Beach Campus". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  14. ^ "Message from Dean Jeffrey Brauch". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Savage, Charlie (April 8, 2007). "Scandal puts spotlight on Christian law school". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  16. ^ a b "Official ABA Law School Data Sheet: Regent University" (PDF). American Bar Association. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  17. ^ a b "About Regent Law". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  18. ^ a b "Regent Law Admissions". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  19. ^ "Regent University Law Review". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  20. ^ "Regent Law Student Life Student Organizations". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  21. ^ "School of Psychology & Counseling Academics". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  22. ^ "Washington, D.C. campus". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  23. ^ "Student Bar Association". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  24. ^ a b "Student Organizations". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  25. ^ "Student Housing". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  26. ^ US News & World Report America's Best Graduate Schools 2008: Tier 4 Law Schools
  27. ^ Princeton Review - Quality of Life
  28. ^ Review - Conservative Law Schools
  29. ^ a b Moyers, Bill (May 11, 2007). "Bill Moyers Journal Transcript". PBS. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "ABA Law Student Division 2006-07 Negotiation Competition National Competition Results" (PDF). American Bar Association. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  31. ^ a b "Regent Law News Archives". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  32. ^ Internet Legal Research Group 2008 Law School Profile - Regent University (VA)
  33. ^ Burke, Bill (December 11, 2007). "Students, staff at Regent school torn by turmoil". The Virginia-Pilot. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ "Law Student in Trouble After Posting Pat Robertson Photo on Facebook". Associated Press. October 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ Burke, Bill (October 11, 2007). "Regent student gets flak for Robertson photo on Web site". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ Burke, Bill (November 30, 2007). "Suspended Regent student files suit against Pat Robertson". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ Potter, Dena (November 29, 2007). "Suspended Student Sues Regent University". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ Weiss, Debra Cassens (November 30, 2007). "Regent 2L Sues Over Suspension for Robertson Web Post". ABA Journal. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ Lezon, Dale (January 4, 2007). "Spring man asks ABA to help him". Houston Chronical. Retrieved 2008-01-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ Lithwick, Dahlia (April 8, 2007). "Justice's Holy Hires". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-11-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ Krugman, Paul (April 13, 2007). "For God's Sake". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ Cohen, Andrew (April 9, 2007). "The Gutting Of The Justice Department". CBS News. Retrieved 2007-11-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ ABA Law Student Division, 2006-07 Negotiation Competition Results
  44. ^ Willing, Richard (March 16, 2007). "John Ashcroft to teach class at Va. college". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ "Former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark to join Regent University Faculty". Regent University. February 13, 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. ^ "Leadership in Crisis" (PDF). Regent University. Fall 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ "Faculty & Staff". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  48. ^ "Graham H. Twelftree". Regent University. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  49. ^ "Deputy AG 'not fully candid,' ex-Justice aide testifies". CNN. 2007-05-28. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  50. ^ "Witness for the Prosecutors". The New York Times. 2007-11-04. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
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