Delaware Valley College
Encyclopedia
Delaware Valley College is an independent, comprehensive, four-year residential institution in Doylestown, Pa. It enrolls 1,700 full-time undergraduates studying 25 majors. The campus sits on 574 lush acres of rolling green hills. Because of its landscaping and wide variety of plant types, the entire campus has been designated an arboretum.
In 2011, the college dedicated its new 398-acre Gemmill Campus in Jamison, Pa.
Delaware Valley College provides students with an intimate setting for learning. Proud of its small-school status, the college has a 15-to-1 faculty-student ratio, with caring and dedicated professors well-known for giving personalized attention.
Located in Bucks County between New York and Philadelphia, DelVal has been consistently ranked among the top colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report. It also has been rated one of the best by the Princeton Review. In addition, U.S. News recently recognized DelVal for its educational value and placed it on a list of “Great Schools, Great Prices.”
Roughly 98 percent of full time undergraduates receive financial aid from an annual pool of $20 million.
DelVal has a for-credit employment program that requires students to work 500 hours in an area of their major. The program is part of the college’s legacy of linking theoretical learning with practical training. At DelVal, students learn by doing.
Many graduates of Delaware Valley College take positions with the pharmaceutical and food industries, work in government or business, go on to become veterinarians or start their own companies.
Delaware Valley College was founded in 1896 by Joseph Krauskopf, an activist rabbi who was a tireless advocate for social justice. He was a man of many causes, a humanist with a national and international reputation who was dedicated to improving the opportunities of the less fortunate.
His idea for a new school had its roots in that mission.
Born in Prussia, Rabbi Krauskopf came to America at age 14, was educated and ordained here and at age 29 settled in Philadelphia to head the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel. Around this time he came to believe that one solution to urban squalor was to get people out of the cities and back to the land. Krauskopf was particularly interested in the Jews of Russia and intended to start a school of agriculture there.
In the summer of 1894 he went abroad to speak with the czar but was denied an audience. Instead, he met with famed author Leo Tolstoy, who told him his idea would not succeed amidst the deep-seated anti-Semitism of Russia. Tolstoy advised him to return to America and “lead the tens of thousands from your congested cities to your idle, fertile lands …”
Kraukopf’s intention was to do just that. Using money he earned from lectures, along with donations, he purchased a 118-acre farm in Bucks County and constructed a single building to house classrooms, dormitories and other school functions. With this modest start the National Farm School came into being. It was the precursor to Delaware Valley College. Enrollment was open to all and students attended for free.
There were two teachers and 10 students the first year. Academics were combined with work experience, and the students helped run the farm and grow their own food. This marriage of the theoretical and the practical survives today at DelVal in the form of internships and other experiential learning.
In 1945, the school was reorganized to strengthen its academic programs. It went through a series of name changes as it grew in stature and sophistication. Beginning in the post-war years, Dr. James Work, a graduate of the class of 1913, guided the school. Under his leadership as president new programs were added, including those in Food Industry, Biology, Chemistry and Business Administration.
In 1969 the college became co-ed.
Today, Delaware Valley College sits on 570 acres and is a four-year, multi-disciplinary college with 1,700 full-time under graduate students. It offers 25 majors and specializes in Life Sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Environmental Science and Conservation and Wildlife Management. It has an Equine Program, Zoo Science and Small Animal Science.
Its many non-science offerings include Business Administration, Counseling Psychology, Media and Communications, English Literature, Secondary Education and Criminal Justice Administration.
On the graduate level, it offers an MBA and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership. For the non-traditional student, there is a wide-range of Continuing Education courses at night and on the weekends. Classes can be taken at a number of locations as well as online.
Classes are small, averaging 15 students, and the college offers $20 million in scholarships and financial aid each year.
Under the leadership of Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, who became president in 2007, the college is involved in the implementation of an ambitious strategic plan. The plan is expected to transform the institution and prepare it for the future. As part of that plan, DelVal will increase its academic offerings and seek university status.
Dr. Brosnan has taken an active role in fundraising and in 2010 secured a $30 million gift from the Warwick Foundation. The gift was the largest in college history and included cash and 398 acres of land in Jamison, Pa. That land, about 15 minutes from the main campus, has been dedicated as the Gemmill Campus, honoring the family that started and administered the Warwick Foundation.
A very active club of animal lovers is Rescue University, a group that helps homeless animals and the shelters that serve them. The club goes on outreach trips to repair struggling shelters. There also is Project EARTH, an environmental awareness club; and Students for Diversity, a club that promotes acceptance, understanding and acknowledgement of diversity.
The most popular of all campus activities is a three-day spring event called A-Day, short for Activities Day. It’s a sanctioned state fair that includes booths, exhibits, food, rides, music and educational displays. Thousands come from the surrounding communities to attend this family friendly event. A-Day is planned and run entirely by students.
On weekends, college events – often starting Thursday nights – are big attractions at DelVal. Students can catch a concert performed by a live band, enjoy a good laugh with comedians or stimulate their minds by hearing engaging speakers, all right on campus.
Even doing nothing is doing something. The entire campus has been designated as an arboretum, with beautiful landscaping and a wide variety of plant life.
Off campus, just up the road, is the historic borough of Doylestown, where students take in music, shops, restaurants, museums and an independent movie theater. For more adventure, there’s a bus to New York and a train to Philadelphia.
The College fields a total of 17 men and women’s teams in Division III of the NCAA. DelVal is affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference and competes in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC). Our coaches are dedicated and committed to their sports and to their athletes, providing special attention that extends beyond athletics and into the classroom.
As a Division III school, DelVal caters to a special kind of athlete, one who is serious about both sports and academics. Student-athletes excel both on and off the field. Being in Division III, athletes have the option of competing in more than one sport. A standout quarterback in the fall, for example, has gone on to set records for home runs and RBIs in the spring.
All teams regularly exhibit top-notch talent, but programs in football and wrestling are particularly strong, with frequent appearances in post-season play.
For the more casual competitor, DelVal has a year-round program of intramural sports that allows students to stay in shape, test their abilities and get together with friends. In addition to the conventional offerings of flag football, basketball and softball, DelVal has one-day tournaments, a 100-miles run club, horseshoes, dodge ball and more.
Equestrian sports are big at DelVal. The school is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), where members can compete in both Hunt Seat and Western shows. In addition, dressage riders can compete in Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) shows. The school is also home to a vaulting team.
In 2011, the college dedicated its new 398-acre Gemmill Campus in Jamison, Pa.
Delaware Valley College provides students with an intimate setting for learning. Proud of its small-school status, the college has a 15-to-1 faculty-student ratio, with caring and dedicated professors well-known for giving personalized attention.
Located in Bucks County between New York and Philadelphia, DelVal has been consistently ranked among the top colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report. It also has been rated one of the best by the Princeton Review. In addition, U.S. News recently recognized DelVal for its educational value and placed it on a list of “Great Schools, Great Prices.”
Roughly 98 percent of full time undergraduates receive financial aid from an annual pool of $20 million.
DelVal has a for-credit employment program that requires students to work 500 hours in an area of their major. The program is part of the college’s legacy of linking theoretical learning with practical training. At DelVal, students learn by doing.
Many graduates of Delaware Valley College take positions with the pharmaceutical and food industries, work in government or business, go on to become veterinarians or start their own companies.
History
His idea for a new school had its roots in that mission.
Born in Prussia, Rabbi Krauskopf came to America at age 14, was educated and ordained here and at age 29 settled in Philadelphia to head the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel. Around this time he came to believe that one solution to urban squalor was to get people out of the cities and back to the land. Krauskopf was particularly interested in the Jews of Russia and intended to start a school of agriculture there.
In the summer of 1894 he went abroad to speak with the czar but was denied an audience. Instead, he met with famed author Leo Tolstoy, who told him his idea would not succeed amidst the deep-seated anti-Semitism of Russia. Tolstoy advised him to return to America and “lead the tens of thousands from your congested cities to your idle, fertile lands …”
Kraukopf’s intention was to do just that. Using money he earned from lectures, along with donations, he purchased a 118-acre farm in Bucks County and constructed a single building to house classrooms, dormitories and other school functions. With this modest start the National Farm School came into being. It was the precursor to Delaware Valley College. Enrollment was open to all and students attended for free.
There were two teachers and 10 students the first year. Academics were combined with work experience, and the students helped run the farm and grow their own food. This marriage of the theoretical and the practical survives today at DelVal in the form of internships and other experiential learning.
In 1945, the school was reorganized to strengthen its academic programs. It went through a series of name changes as it grew in stature and sophistication. Beginning in the post-war years, Dr. James Work, a graduate of the class of 1913, guided the school. Under his leadership as president new programs were added, including those in Food Industry, Biology, Chemistry and Business Administration.
In 1969 the college became co-ed.
Today, Delaware Valley College sits on 570 acres and is a four-year, multi-disciplinary college with 1,700 full-time under graduate students. It offers 25 majors and specializes in Life Sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Environmental Science and Conservation and Wildlife Management. It has an Equine Program, Zoo Science and Small Animal Science.
Its many non-science offerings include Business Administration, Counseling Psychology, Media and Communications, English Literature, Secondary Education and Criminal Justice Administration.
On the graduate level, it offers an MBA and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership. For the non-traditional student, there is a wide-range of Continuing Education courses at night and on the weekends. Classes can be taken at a number of locations as well as online.
Classes are small, averaging 15 students, and the college offers $20 million in scholarships and financial aid each year.
Under the leadership of Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, who became president in 2007, the college is involved in the implementation of an ambitious strategic plan. The plan is expected to transform the institution and prepare it for the future. As part of that plan, DelVal will increase its academic offerings and seek university status.
Dr. Brosnan has taken an active role in fundraising and in 2010 secured a $30 million gift from the Warwick Foundation. The gift was the largest in college history and included cash and 398 acres of land in Jamison, Pa. That land, about 15 minutes from the main campus, has been dedicated as the Gemmill Campus, honoring the family that started and administered the Warwick Foundation.
Enrollment
The school currently enrolls about 1700 full-time undergraduates and more than 300 part-time students in the college's evening college, weekend college, and graduate programs.Student life
Delaware Valley College students are active students who know that much of college life exists outside the classroom. There are over 60 clubs and organizations to occupy them, and over half of the campus participates in at least one. Among the choices are a literary magazine, the campus newspaper, a jazz band, student government, an equestrian team and fraternities or sororities. Many clubs are related to academic majors and allow for the expansion of a strong interest. There’s the Food Industry Club, the Future Environmental Designers Club and the Horticulture Society, among others. A great opportunity for business majors is our chapter of SIFE – Students In Free Enterprise, a global, non-profit organization that develops leadership, teamwork and communication skills through inter-collegiate competition.A very active club of animal lovers is Rescue University, a group that helps homeless animals and the shelters that serve them. The club goes on outreach trips to repair struggling shelters. There also is Project EARTH, an environmental awareness club; and Students for Diversity, a club that promotes acceptance, understanding and acknowledgement of diversity.
The most popular of all campus activities is a three-day spring event called A-Day, short for Activities Day. It’s a sanctioned state fair that includes booths, exhibits, food, rides, music and educational displays. Thousands come from the surrounding communities to attend this family friendly event. A-Day is planned and run entirely by students.
On weekends, college events – often starting Thursday nights – are big attractions at DelVal. Students can catch a concert performed by a live band, enjoy a good laugh with comedians or stimulate their minds by hearing engaging speakers, all right on campus.
Even doing nothing is doing something. The entire campus has been designated as an arboretum, with beautiful landscaping and a wide variety of plant life.
Off campus, just up the road, is the historic borough of Doylestown, where students take in music, shops, restaurants, museums and an independent movie theater. For more adventure, there’s a bus to New York and a train to Philadelphia.
Athletics
DelVal is a small school with a big heart for athletics. Over 40 percent of our undergraduates participate in sports and bring a lively, competitive spirit to campus.The College fields a total of 17 men and women’s teams in Division III of the NCAA. DelVal is affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference and competes in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC). Our coaches are dedicated and committed to their sports and to their athletes, providing special attention that extends beyond athletics and into the classroom.
As a Division III school, DelVal caters to a special kind of athlete, one who is serious about both sports and academics. Student-athletes excel both on and off the field. Being in Division III, athletes have the option of competing in more than one sport. A standout quarterback in the fall, for example, has gone on to set records for home runs and RBIs in the spring.
All teams regularly exhibit top-notch talent, but programs in football and wrestling are particularly strong, with frequent appearances in post-season play.
For the more casual competitor, DelVal has a year-round program of intramural sports that allows students to stay in shape, test their abilities and get together with friends. In addition to the conventional offerings of flag football, basketball and softball, DelVal has one-day tournaments, a 100-miles run club, horseshoes, dodge ball and more.
Equestrian sports are big at DelVal. The school is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), where members can compete in both Hunt Seat and Western shows. In addition, dressage riders can compete in Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) shows. The school is also home to a vaulting team.
Points of interest
- Henry Schmieder ArboretumHenry Schmieder ArboretumThe Henry Schmieder Arboretum is an arboretum and collection of gardens located across the campus of Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, Pennsylvania...
- Farm Market - located on Lower State Road
- M. Night Shyamalan's Signs was filmed on the college's campus. Stars Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Cherry Jones, Abigail Breslin, and Rory Culkin along with producer Frank Marshall and Sam Mercer spent six months in the summer and fall of 2001 shooting the film.
- Delaware Valley College has named Russell Redding, secretary of agriculture in the Rendell Administration, as Interim Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.
- DelVal was the subject of an Associated Press story that appeared in The New York Times. The college caught national attention in 2010 when the Warwick Foundation donated a gift valued at $29.8 million.
- The college has plans to construct a life science center which will be a signature building on campus.