Judson College, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Judson University is an evangelical
Christian
liberal arts
university
located in Elgin, Illinois
, United States
. It was founded in 1963. Judson was formed out of the liberal arts component of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary
. When the seminary moved from Chicago
to Lombard, Illinois
, it was decided to make the college separate from the seminary. Originally as Judson College, it was named after Adoniram Judson
, the first American Baptist
missionary
to foreign shores. The university has campuses in Elgin and Rockford, Illinois
, and a student body of approximately 1,300. Judson College became Judson University on August 28, 2007.
Undergraduate:
Adult Undergraduate:
Masters Degrees:
Judson University is the only private Christian university that has an accredited school of architecture in the United States and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
. The Master of Architecture degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board
(NAAB). The Master of Education program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Judson is ranked in the Top Tier of Midwest comprehensive colleges in U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2010."
The Draewell Gallery, housed in the Harm A. Weber Academic Center, hosts student work as well as exhibits from artists across the country and around the world. The School of Art, Design and Architecture features a Lecture and Exhibition Series each fall and spring semester. Invited artists tend to show 3-5 times a semester along side 1-3 student shows mainly for senior exhibition.
The Judson University Theater Program, directed by faculty members Dr. Brenda Buckley-Hughes, Professor Kimberly Schmidt, and alumnus Dave Hunter, offers a musical, traditional play and a Nowhere Near Broadway production each fall and spring semester. In recent years, the theater program has produced Shakespeare performances, and such plays as Steel Magnolias, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and coming October 2011, Children of Eden."
Off-Stage Improv is a student-led, school-approved group that performs once a month.
The Music Department at Judson University offers degrees in professional music performance, music education, music ministry, and most recently, music business and entrepreneurship. The university has a variety of performing musical groups including symphonic and orchestral bands, choral groups and ensembles.
(NAIA), the National Christian College Athletic Association
(NCCAA). Judson plays in the NAIA Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
(CCAC). Judson University offers the following sports:
Judson also offers a variety of summer sports camps open to the community. The camps are designed to give students (through grade 12) the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills in sports in a non-competitive environment. Summer camps offered at Judson include:
JSO also recognizes other clubs formed on campus:
, about 45 miles (72.4 km) west of Chicago
. The university campus was purchased in 1963, when Dr. Benjamin Browne visited the original 19 acres (7.69 ha) country estate, known as Braeburn-on-the-Fox, and offered the owner $100,000.
The Elgin campus is now host to 17 different buildings, among them the new Harm A. Weber Academic Center, established in 2007. The 88000 square feet (8,175.5 m²) Weber Center, which is home to the campus library and School of Art, Design and Architecture, is a LEED Gold certified building and one of the most energy-efficient buildings of its kind in North America.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Elgin, Illinois
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was founded in 1963. Judson was formed out of the liberal arts component of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary is a seminary located in Lombard, Illinois, USA, near Chicago. It was founded in 1913 by the Second Baptist Church of Chicago to prepare students for church leadership, and it continues to represent a theologically conservative alternative within its...
. When the seminary moved from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Lombard, Illinois
Lombard, Illinois
Lombard, "The Lilac Village", is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 42,322 at the 2000 census. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population in 2004 to be 42,975.-History:...
, it was decided to make the college separate from the seminary. Originally as Judson College, it was named after Adoniram Judson
Adoniram Judson
Adoniram Judson, Jr. was an American Baptist missionary, who served in Burma for almost forty years. At the age of 25, Adoniram Judson became the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma...
, the first American Baptist
American Baptist
American Baptist may refer to:* American Baptist Association* American Baptist Churches USA* Baptist who is an American...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to foreign shores. The university has campuses in Elgin and Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, and a student body of approximately 1,300. Judson College became Judson University on August 28, 2007.
Academics
Judson University has more than 60 undergraduate majors, minors and pre-professional programs and is currently the only evangelical Christian college or university to offer a fully accredited graduate program in architecture. Some of those programs as followed.Undergraduate:
- Architecture
- Art and Design
- Biblical and Theological Studies
- Business
- Christian Ministries
- Communication Arts, Education
- Exercise & Sports Sciences
- History and Intercultural Studies
- Psychology & Sociology
- Music
- Science
- Mathematics
Adult Undergraduate:
- Communication Management
- Criminal Justice Management
- Human Resource Management
- Human Services
- Management and Leadership
- Management Technology Systems
- Liberal Arts Cohort.
Masters Degrees:
- Architecture
- Education in ESL/Bilingual
- Education in Literacy
- Organizational Leadership.
Judson University is the only private Christian university that has an accredited school of architecture in the United States and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
. The Master of Architecture degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board
National Architectural Accrediting Board
The National Architectural Accrediting Board is the sole authority for accredited US professional degree programs for architecture in the United States, developing standards and procedures to verify that each accredited program meets standards for the appropriate education of architects...
(NAAB). The Master of Education program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Judson is ranked in the Top Tier of Midwest comprehensive colleges in U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2010."
Arts
Judson University offers a wide array of programs and extra curricular activities in fine arts, including degrees in art and design, music, and concentrations in theater].The Draewell Gallery, housed in the Harm A. Weber Academic Center, hosts student work as well as exhibits from artists across the country and around the world. The School of Art, Design and Architecture features a Lecture and Exhibition Series each fall and spring semester. Invited artists tend to show 3-5 times a semester along side 1-3 student shows mainly for senior exhibition.
The Judson University Theater Program, directed by faculty members Dr. Brenda Buckley-Hughes, Professor Kimberly Schmidt, and alumnus Dave Hunter, offers a musical, traditional play and a Nowhere Near Broadway production each fall and spring semester. In recent years, the theater program has produced Shakespeare performances, and such plays as Steel Magnolias, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and coming October 2011, Children of Eden."
Off-Stage Improv is a student-led, school-approved group that performs once a month.
The Music Department at Judson University offers degrees in professional music performance, music education, music ministry, and most recently, music business and entrepreneurship. The university has a variety of performing musical groups including symphonic and orchestral bands, choral groups and ensembles.
Sports
Judson is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA), the National Christian College Athletic Association
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association is an association of approximately 100 Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada which see collegiate sports primarily as an opportunity for Christian fellowship and ministry. The national headquarters...
(NCCAA). Judson plays in the NAIA Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Its 14 members are located in the Midwestern United States...
(CCAC). Judson University offers the following sports:
- Women's Badminton
- Baseball
- Men's Basketball
- Women's Basketball
- Men's Soccer
- Women's Soccer
- Softball
- Women's Volleyball
- Men's Cross Country
- Women's Cross Country
- Men's Golf
- Women's Golf
- Men's Tennis
- Women's Tennis
- Cheerleading/Poms
- Men's Lacrosse
- Men's Track and Field
- Women's Track and Field
Judson also offers a variety of summer sports camps open to the community. The camps are designed to give students (through grade 12) the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills in sports in a non-competitive environment. Summer camps offered at Judson include:
- Soccer Day Camps (Grades K-7)
- Soccer School of Excellence (Overnight; Grades 5-12)
- Basketball Day Camps (Grades 1-9)
- Girls' Volleyball Clinics (Grades 5-10)
Student events/activities
Judson Student Organization (JSO) plans and/or sponsors the majority of events and activities at Judson University. These events include:- Homecoming
- Invisible Children
- The Office Party
- Singled Out
- "Rock Out" Competition
- Reel Conversations
- Small Groups
- Concerts
- Mr. Wilson
- Blue Crew
- Brown Bagging
- Missions Service Projects
- Spring Fling
- Senior Banquet
- Lip Sync
- JSO Week (Chapel)
- Call and Response
- Political Forum
- Off Stage Improv
- Variety Show
- Clifford Court Ministry
- Campus Prayer Events
JSO also recognizes other clubs formed on campus:
- International Justice Mission Chapter (IJM)
- Mu Kappa (Missionary Kids Chapter)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Juggernaut (Ultimate Frisbee)
Fox River campus
Judson's 90 acres (36.4 ha) campus is located on the banks of the Fox RiverFox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
, about 45 miles (72.4 km) west of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The university campus was purchased in 1963, when Dr. Benjamin Browne visited the original 19 acres (7.69 ha) country estate, known as Braeburn-on-the-Fox, and offered the owner $100,000.
The Elgin campus is now host to 17 different buildings, among them the new Harm A. Weber Academic Center, established in 2007. The 88000 square feet (8,175.5 m²) Weber Center, which is home to the campus library and School of Art, Design and Architecture, is a LEED Gold certified building and one of the most energy-efficient buildings of its kind in North America.