Lee University

Lee University is a private Christian university in Cleveland, Tennessee. It was originally the Church of God Bible Training School, a small Bible institute founded in 1918 with twelve students and one teacher, Nora I. Chambers.[7] The school grew and became Lee College, with a Bible college and junior college on its current site, in 1948. Twenty years later, Lee received accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a four-year liberal arts college. In 1997, Lee made the transition from college to comprehensive university.[8] The university is divided into six colleges and schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, the Helen DeVos College of Education, the School of Business, the School of Music, the School of Nursing, and the School of Religion. The university also offers online degrees through the Division of Adult Learning. The university is named for F.J. Lee, its second president.

Not to be confused with Lee College.
Lee University
Former name
Church of God Bible Training School (1918–1948)
Lee College (1948–1997)
Motto"Where Christ is King"[1]
TypePrivate university
Established1918[2]
Religious affiliation
Church of God
EndowmentUS $18.6 million (2015)[3]
PresidentMark L. Walker
Academic staff
236
Students5,370 (fall 2017)[4]
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
,
U.S.[5]

35°09′57″N 84°52′16″W
CampusSuburban, 130 acres (53 ha)
NewspaperLee Clarion
Colors    Burgundy and navy blue
NicknameFlames
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division II – Gulf South
MascotFlames[6]
Websitewww.leeuniversity.edu

In 2009, Voices of Lee, the a cappella vocal ensemble directed by Danny Murray, competed on the first season of The Sing-Off, an a capella competition television show on NBC, hosted by Nick Lachey; they finished in third place. In addition, several alumni have found success in popular television singing competitions. Phil Stacey finished in sixth place on season 6 of American Idol. In May 2015, Clark Beckham was runner-up on season 14 of American Idol, and in that same year, alumnus Jordan Smith won season nine of NBC's The Voice. In December 2017, Brooke Simpson placed third on the thirteenth season of The Voice. In January 2013, the Lee University Festival Choir, a special group composed of singers from each of the choral ensembles, performed at the inauguration of President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C.

History
The birthplace of what is now Lee University was a single room in the Church of God Publishing House.

Lee's enrollment is 5,370 students, up from 960 in 1986[9] (as of fall 2013). This makes Lee the fifth largest undergraduate enrollment among the 103 Christian colleges who are member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Students currently represent all 50 states and more than 50 countries. On average, Lee also accepts more than 200 transfer students each fall.

Lee University prohibits homosexual relationships for students.[10] The University filed an amicus brief in favor of employment discrimination against LGBT people in the court case Bostock v. Clayton County in 2019.[11]

Presidents
  • Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson (1918–1922) [Church of God General Overseer (1909–1923)]
  • Flavius Josephus Lee (1922–1923) [Church of God General Overseer (1923–1928)]
  • J.B. Ellis (1923–1924)
  • T.S. Payne (1924–1930)
  • J. Herbert Walker, Sr. (1930–1935) [Church of God General Overseer (1935–1944)]
  • Zeno C. Tharp (1935–1944) [Church of God General Overseer (1952–1956)]
  • J. Herbert Walker, Sr. (1944–1945)
  • E.L. Simmons (1945–1948)
  • J. Stewart Brinsfield (1948–1951)
  • John C. Jernigan (1951–1952)
  • R. Leonard Carroll, Sr. (1952–1957) [Church of God General Overseer (1970–1972)]
  • R. L. Platt (1957–1960)
  • Ray H. Hughes, Sr. (1960–1966) [Church of God General Overseer (1972–1974; 1978–1982; 1996)]
  • James A. Cross (1966–1970) [Church of God General Overseer (1958–1962)]
  • Charles W. Conn (1970–1982) [Church of God General Overseer (1966–1970)]
  • Ray H. Hughes, Sr. (1982–1984)
  • R. Lamar Vest (1984–1986) [Church of God General Overseer (1990–1994; 2000–2004)]
  • Charles Paul Conn (1986–2020)
  • Mark Walker (2020-current)[12]

Academics

Academic programs

Many co-curricular activities, such as chapel attendance (offered twice per week; students are required to attend 70% of services a month), service requirements (10 hours per semester; 80 total hours to graduate), and the study abroad program, called Global Perspectives, are required as part of degree programs. Exceptions and special cases are approved by the relevant academic dean or the president of the university. All non-local entering freshmen are also required to live on campus, with exceptions made for those who are married, divorced, widowed, parents, over age 21, part-time, or living locally with immediate relatives.[13]

Entering freshmen choose their courses of study with guidance of a faculty adviser. New freshmen and transfer students with under 16 credit hours are required to take a course called Gateway to University Success, a one-semester special topics seminar that stresses methods of inquiry, critical analysis, and writing skills, which helps to transition the student to college life. The course is taught by a full-time faculty member and a student Peer Leader. Included in the general education core of all degrees is an emphasis in biblical and theological study.

Lee offers 50 majors with over 100 individual programs. Communications, psychology, pre-medicine, business, elementary education, and music are considered among its strongest specialties.

Reputation

Lee is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate and master's degrees. Professional and specialized accreditation have been achieved in the following areas: the School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the Helen DeVos College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the School of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), the School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the athletic training program has national accreditation in the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

Athletics
Main article: Lee Flames

The Lee athletic teams are called the Flames. The university is a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) since the 2013–14 academic year. They were also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level. The Flames previously competed in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC; formerly known as Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference (GACC) until after the 2003–04 school year) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2004–05 to 2012–13.

Lee competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis & track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball. Club sports are offered such as boxing, men's and women's rugby, spikeball and ultimate frisbee.

Campus

Lee University is located in the town of Cleveland, Tennessee, which lies between Chattanooga and Knoxville. Cleveland is located near the Ocoee River, the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics whitewater events, the Smoky Mountains, and the popular Gatlinburg area.

This location had long been the site of church-affiliated schools. Centenary College was founded in 1884 to honor the "centenary" of American Methodism. Located on part of the present campus, that school closed in 1929, and in 1933 its property was sold to Bob Jones College, an interdenominational college which had previously been in Florida. When that school moved to South Carolina in 1947, the property was once again sold, and the Church of God became its new owner with Lee College and now, Lee University occupying the original and much expanded area.

The 120-acre (0.49 km2) campus consists of academic buildings, residence halls, athletic and recreational facilities, dining services, administrative offices, parks and green spaces, a pedestrian mall, Campus Safety facilities, music performance spaces, and other facilities. Many building projects have been undertaken in recent years, including a new humanities center (2004), a new religion building (2008), a new state of the art science building (2009), a new chapel (2011), a new communications building (2014), a new School of Nursing building (2016), and a new School of Business (2017). The campus also features articulate landscaping and many benches and areas for students. The sidewalks are handicap accessible.

Campus buildings

Note: Dates of construction given when known

  • Forum (2017)
    Forum (2017)
  • School of Nursing (2016)
    School of Nursing (2016)
  • Communications Building (2014)
    Communications Building (2014)
  • Chapel (2011)
    Chapel (2011)
  • Science and Math Complex (2010)
    Science and Math Complex (2010)
  • School of Religion (2008)
    School of Religion (2008)
  • Leonard Center (2007)
    Leonard Center (2007)
  • Center for the Humanities (2004)
    Center for the Humanities (2004)
  • McKenzie Athletic Building (2002)
    McKenzie Athletic Building (2002)
  • Paul Conn Student Union (2000)
    Paul Conn Student Union (2000)
  • Helen DeVos College of Education (1998)
    Helen DeVos College of Education (1998)
  • Deacon Jones Dining Hall (1996)
    Deacon Jones Dining Hall (1996)
  • Curtsinger Music Building (1995)
    Curtsinger Music Building (1995)
  • DeVos Recreation Center (1993)
    DeVos Recreation Center (1993)
  • Dixon Center (1992)
    Dixon Center (1992)
  • Watkins Building (1992)
    Watkins Building (1992)
  • DeVos Tennis Center (1988)
    DeVos Tennis Center (1988)
  • Squires Library (1984)
    Squires Library (1984)
  • Paul Dana Walker Arena (1983)
    Paul Dana Walker Arena (1983)
  • Conn Center (1977)
    Conn Center (1977)
  • Pangle Hall (1967)
    Pangle Hall (1967)
  • Higginbotham Administration Building (1964)
    Higginbotham Administration Building (1964)
  • Walker Memorial Building (1945)
    Walker Memorial Building (1945)
  • Vest Building (1939)
    Vest Building (1939)
  • Mayfield Annex (1928)
    Mayfield Annex (1928)

Residence halls
  • Atkins-Ellis Hall (1994) – female residence hall built after Ellis Hall fire
  • B.L. Hicks Hall (1996) – male apartment residence hall
  • Bowdle-O'Bannon Hall (2002) – male residence hall connected by an atrium
  • Brinsfield Row East (2003) – female apartments named after former president J. Stewart Brinsfield; expanded in 2004 and 2008
  • Brinsfield Row West (2003) – male apartments named after former president J. Stewart Brinsfield; expanded in 2004 and 2008
  • Carroll Court (1973) – married apartment residence hall named after former president R. Leonard Carroll
  • Cross Hall (1969) – female residence hall named after former president James A. Cross
  • Dirksen Row (2017) – female apartments named after former professors
  • Keeble Hall (1999) – female apartment residence hall
  • Livingston East (2011) – female townhouse residence hall
  • Livingston Hall (1995) – female apartment residence hall
  • Medlin Hall (1930s) – male residence hall (formerly Walker Hall and Memorial Hall) where Billy Graham lived during his time as a student when Bob Jones University owned the campus.[14]
  • New Hughes Hall (2011) – female residence hall named in memory of former President Ray H. Hughes
  • Nora Chambers Hall (1930s) – female residence hall connected to Simmons and Tharp Halls; renovated in 1994
  • Sharp-Davis Hall (1990) – female residence hall
  • Simmons Hall (1930s) – female residence hall connected to Nora Chambers Hall; renovated in 1981
  • Storms Hall (2000) – female apartment residence hall
  • Tharp Hall (1930s) – female residence hall connected to Nora Chambers; renovated in 1981

Other buildings
  • Admissions House – located in a historic house on Ocoee Street
  • Centenary Building – oldest building on campus, formerly women's dormitory East Wing Hall and Student Center, home to administrative offices in conjunction with the Higginbotham Administration Building
  • Pressley Maintenance Building (1987) – Physical Plant headquarters
  • School of Business (1997) – located on Central Avenue, renovated by Lee in 2018
  • Watkins Building – houses Center for Calling and Career and Counseling Center

Former buildings
  • Beach Science Building (1965) – demolished in 2009 to make way for new science building
  • Ellis Hall (1941) – destroyed by arson in November 1993
  • Hughes Hall (1968) – male residence hall named after former president Ray H. Hughes, demolished in 2010 to make way for the Math & Science Complex
  • Old Main – oldest building on campus before demolition in 1962

Social Activities

Community covenant

All students are asked to sign a "Community Covenant" which lists several restrictions on behaviors and social interaction according to the school's institutional and religious policy. Most notable are a substance policy barring alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs; and its stance on homosexuality, which is banned in all forms. Men's and women's dormitories are kept separate, and premarital sexual intercourse is prohibited regardless of sexual preference. Immodesty and "occult practices" are also forbidden.[15]

Greek organizations

Like many colleges and universities in the U.S., Lee University students can participate in Greek organizations for the purpose of serving the community, bettering the campus and building social and professional relationships. Many of the Greek organizations on Lee University's campus are neither national nor recognized as fraternities or sororities, and are instead colloquially referred to as "Greek clubs."[16] There are currently only two nationally affiliated social fraternities at Lee University, Phi Mu Alpha and Kappa Upsilon Chi. Sigma Alpha Omega is currently the only nationally affiliated sorority on campus.

Campus Events
  • Dorm Wars[17] is a Res Life event that takes place annually in the Walker Arena. This event pits each dorm against the other in a series of mental and physical events. Each dorm is supporting their own charity and the winning residence halls receive a donation to the charity that they represent. The night begins with introduction dances and progresses into three activities. The first activity is a mystery relay race, the second is a shopping cart race, and the final event is the obstacle course.
  • Great Strides[18] is an annual race that brings together students and community members to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). Great Strides is a national fundraiser and the largest fundraiser for the CFF.
  • Culture Fest is another annual event at Lee. This event is a celebration of culture, global connection, and student community. Cultures are celebrated with music and discussion. Different unions and councils are represented such as the Black Student Union, Asian Council, LUUSA, ISF, and the BCC.[19]
  • Ask Your President Chapel normally occurs in the second semester where the university's president takes the stage and answers questions that the students submit weeks prior. President Paul Conn states that “Lee is a place where we listen to students.”[20] During these chapels, Conn tends to make many changes that the students request.
  • Worthy Now[21] is an event started by student leaders at Lee that focuses on women but also encourages men to participate. They strive to tell women they are not worthy when they achieve, but rather they are worthy now, hence the name. The name is derived from an idea by Brené Brown.

"Tunnels of Oppression"

In 2017, Lee University sponsored its annual "Tunnels of Oppression" event, whereby students were subjected to simulated acts of misogyny and racism so they could "recognize their own privilege." Students were led on an interactive tour which "exposes them to a different type of oppression in each room", including sexual, racial, societal and mental oppression.[22]

Publications
Lee University's student newspaper, the Lee Clarion, is published during the academic school year.
  • The Vindagua is Lee University's award-winning yearbook-turned-magazine. In 2017, former editor Cariann Bradley transitioned the publication from yearbook to lifestyle magazine after 75 years. The goal of the publication is to further connect with the student body and Cleveland community. President Paul Conn is a notable former editor.
  • The Torch is the university's quarterly magazine highlighting current events at Lee, as well as faculty members, students and alumni.
  • The Lee Clarion is the campus newspaper.[23]
  • The Lee Review is the campus literary journal.
  • The Burgundy and Blue is an online news publication for alumni.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Lee University". 13 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  2. "About Lee". Lee University. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  3. "Lee University". U.S. News & World Report. n.d. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  4. "Lee University Quick Facts". Lee University. Lee University. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  5. "About". Lee University. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  6. "Quick Facts". Lee University. Archived from the original on 2011-08-24. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  7. Hyatt, Susan Stubbs (2022). In the Spirit We're Equal (2nd ed.). Grapevine, TX, USA: Hyatt Press. p. 328. ISBN 978-1-888435-76-4.
  8. "Lee University Quick Facts". Leeuniversity.edu. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  9. "Lee University- Publications". Leeuniversity.edu. Archived from the original on 2012-05-15. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  10. Redden, Elizabeth (March 26, 2021). "'Harmful to Queer Students'". Inside Higher Ed.
  11. Ludlow, Naomi (October 28, 2021). "These are the 'worst, most unsafe' campuses for LGBTQ students to attend". USA Today.
  12. "Lee University". www.leeuniversity.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  13. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-10-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. "Billy Graham's life and ministry remembered". The Cleveland Daily Banner. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  15. "Community Covenant" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-14. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  16. "Lee University – Cleveland, TN – Temporary Outage". Students.leeuniversity.edu. Archived from the original on 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  17. "Lee University". www.leeuniversity.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  18. "DatatelPortalNews - Melton to Serve as Great Strides' Community..." portico.leeuniversity.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  19. LeeUDiversity (2019-09-10). "Save the date. Culture fest is on Sept. 27th 2019 #LeeUDiversity #CultureFestpic.twitter.com/eFNaVf4J7J". @leeudiversity. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  20. "RECAP: Spring 2019 Ask the President Chapel". Lee Clarion. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  21. "Worthy Now Conference: An evening to remember". Lee Clarion. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  22. Athey, Amber (February 3, 2017). "Tunnels of Oppression Expose 'Privileged' Students to 'Dehumanization'". Campus Reform.
  23. "Lee Clarion". LeeClarion.com. Retrieved 2015-04-14.
  24. "Clark Beckham". Lee University. Retrieved 2015-04-14.
  25. "Tennessee General Assembly Main Page". Legislature.state.tn.us. Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  26. "Lee Alumnus Nathan Chapman Stands Out In The Country Music Business – 12/09/2009". Chattanoogan.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  27. http://www.house.ga.gov/Documents/Biographies/coomerChristian.pdf
  28. Archived March 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  29. "Lee University's Micah Massey wins Grammy in tie for best contemporary Christian music song". 2013-02-11.
  30. "Brooke Simpson - NBC.com". NBC. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  31. Hetter, Katia (December 16, 2015). "Fan favorite Jordan Smith wins 'The Voice'". CNN. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  32. "American Idol Season Six Top 24 Contestant Phil Stacey". Americanidol.com. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  33. Charette, Blaine; Waddell, Robby (2020). Spirit and Story: Pentecostal Readings of Scripture. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Phoenix Press. pp. 1–18. ISBN 9781910928691.
  34. "Zawadzki First Flame to Reach the Majors". 2010-04-30. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
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