Villa Julie College
Encyclopedia
Stevenson University is a private
, independent, coeducational, liberal arts college
is located in the Greenspring Valley area of Baltimore County, Maryland
, United States. The University has two campuses, one in Stevenson
and one in Owings Mills
, with approximately 3,400 undergraduate and graduate students between the campuses. Stevenson was formerly known as Villa Julie College; the name was changed in 2008.
as a one-year school training women to become medical secretaries. The College was named for Saint Julie Billiart
, foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Stevenson's Greenspring campus is located on the 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) former estate of the George Carroll Jenkins family. The estate's name was "Seven Oaks," a reference to oak trees planted on the property that were thought to be part of a traditional Native American
burial ground. One of the original seven oaks stood on campus until it was deemed potentially hazardous and cut down in August 2007.
Villa Julie was approved as a two-year college by the Maryland State Department of Education
in 1954 and received its first Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
accreditation in 1962. In 1967 the College established a Board of Trustees and became independent of the Roman Catholic Church
. The first male student was admitted to Villa Julie in 1972, making it coeducational.
Bachelor's degree programs were added in 1984 starting with a degrees in Computer Information Systems and Paralegal Studies. Traditionally a commuter college for local residents, the College started attracting students interested in college housing in the early 1990s. Without the proper zoning for such an addition to the Stevenson campus, the College leased off-campus apartments in Pikesville
and later in Towson
where resident students began living in 1993. Villa Julie was granted admission to the NCAA Division III in 1994 and started offering master's degrees in 1995. A major campus expansion in 1997 more than doubled the amount of instructional space on the Stevenson, MD campus.
On October 28, 2000, Villa Julie College inaugurated its fourth president Kevin J. Manning
Ph.D., succeeding Carolyn Manuszak. Manning brought new momentum to the development and expansion of the College and its facilities. As enrollment continued to increase and the demand for college-owned student housing intensified, the College made plans to open a second campus in Owings Mills. The College broke ground on a new campus in August 2003 and the Owings Mills campus opened in August, 2004.
Stevenson University enrolls approximately 3,400 students in more than 30 bachelor's and master's degree programs. (higher as of 2010.) Current enrollment makes the school the third-largest private university in the state of Maryland. Approximately 1,300 students lived in eleven residence halls on the Owings Mills campus. The campus expanded once again with the 2006 opening of Rockland Center, a new student union and dining hall. The University's athletic facilities include the Caves Sports and Wellness Center, former training facility of the Baltimore Ravens. The Howard S. Brown School of Business and Leadership opened for the fall 2008 semester and houses the Departments of Business & Legal Studies and Information Technology. The school expanded once again in 2010 with the opening of a school gymnasium on the Owings Mills Campus and a football team. The team is scheduled to play as a division team in the season of 2011. The freshman enrollment and housing enrollments had risen dramatically between 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, As of the fall semester 2010, there are over 900 freshman students, around 700 of which are residents. The student population has increased to well over 1,300 in 2010. Stevenson University also is in the process of surveying the property of a former institution, the Rosewood Center, in 2010. Environmental and surveyor issues are still in progress to determine whether the university can purchase the property to expand the Owings Mills campus to the east. There has also been discussion with Shire US Medical, where Stevenson University is considering purchasing this property adjacent to the Owings Mills Campus, on Crondall Lane.
In late 2007, the school's leaders decided to push Villa Julie forward and attain university status. Many meetings were held to help determine whether the name should be changed to Villa Julie University, or have a more drastic change. Some of the other names considered were Great Oaks University, Tufton University, Greenspring University, Rockland University, Sagamore University, and Billiart University. On June 11, 2008, the university's Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the school to Stevenson University.
On May 21, 2010, Wikipedia's co-founder Jimmy Wales
delivered his first college commencement address to Stevenson's graduating seniors and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University.
Some of the university's long-running annual events include: MustangFest, Mr/Ms SU Pageant, and the Alumni Bull and Oyster Roast with Auction.
and a unique career emphasis. The College runs a program called "Career Architecture", which is interwoven throughout the curriculum and allows students to plan strategically for their futures by developing resumes, practicing interviewing techniques, meeting with potential employers on-campus, and participating in internships and co-op
s. Over the past five years, on average, 97% of graduates have been employed or have started graduate school within six months of graduation.
Stevenson offers bachelor's degrees in the following areas of study:
Students interested in one of these programs who start at the University as freshmen are able to apply to the graduate programs as juniors, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's and a master's degree in five years.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
, independent, coeducational, liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
is located in the Greenspring Valley area of Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
, United States. The University has two campuses, one in Stevenson
Stevenson, Maryland
Stevenson is an unincorporated community located in the northern section of Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It serves as the location of the central campus of Stevenson University . It is also home to St. Timothy's School, an all-girls boarding and day high school...
and one in Owings Mills
Owings Mills, Maryland
Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. The population was 20,193 at the 2000 census. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus for the Baltimore Metro Subway and to Owings Mills Mall....
, with approximately 3,400 undergraduate and graduate students between the campuses. Stevenson was formerly known as Villa Julie College; the name was changed in 2008.
History
Stevenson University was founded in Maryland as Villa Julie College in 1947 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de NamurSisters of Notre Dame de Namur
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is the name of a Roman Catholic order of religious sisters, dedicated to providing education to the poor.The order was founded in Amiens in 1803, but the opposition of the local bishop to missions outside his diocese led to the moving of headquarters to then...
as a one-year school training women to become medical secretaries. The College was named for Saint Julie Billiart
Julie Billiart
Saint Julie Billiart was a French religious leader who founded, and was the first Superior General of, the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.-Childhood:...
, foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Stevenson's Greenspring campus is located on the 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) former estate of the George Carroll Jenkins family. The estate's name was "Seven Oaks," a reference to oak trees planted on the property that were thought to be part of a traditional Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
burial ground. One of the original seven oaks stood on campus until it was deemed potentially hazardous and cut down in August 2007.
Maryland State Department of Education
Maryland State Department of Education is a division of the state government of Maryland in the United States. The agency oversees public school districts. The agency is headquartered at 200 West Baltimore Street in Baltimore...
in 1954 and received its first Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
accreditation in 1962. In 1967 the College established a Board of Trustees and became independent of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. The first male student was admitted to Villa Julie in 1972, making it coeducational.
Bachelor's degree programs were added in 1984 starting with a degrees in Computer Information Systems and Paralegal Studies. Traditionally a commuter college for local residents, the College started attracting students interested in college housing in the early 1990s. Without the proper zoning for such an addition to the Stevenson campus, the College leased off-campus apartments in Pikesville
Pikesville, Maryland
Pikesville is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore.The population was 29,123 at the 2000 census...
and later in Towson
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
where resident students began living in 1993. Villa Julie was granted admission to the NCAA Division III in 1994 and started offering master's degrees in 1995. A major campus expansion in 1997 more than doubled the amount of instructional space on the Stevenson, MD campus.
On October 28, 2000, Villa Julie College inaugurated its fourth president Kevin J. Manning
Kevin J. Manning
Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D. is currently the president of Stevenson University, the former Villa Julie College and the third largest independent university in Maryland. He was inaugurated as the fourth president of Villa Julie College on October 28, 2000, succeeding Carolyn Manuszak...
Ph.D., succeeding Carolyn Manuszak. Manning brought new momentum to the development and expansion of the College and its facilities. As enrollment continued to increase and the demand for college-owned student housing intensified, the College made plans to open a second campus in Owings Mills. The College broke ground on a new campus in August 2003 and the Owings Mills campus opened in August, 2004.
Stevenson University enrolls approximately 3,400 students in more than 30 bachelor's and master's degree programs. (higher as of 2010.) Current enrollment makes the school the third-largest private university in the state of Maryland. Approximately 1,300 students lived in eleven residence halls on the Owings Mills campus. The campus expanded once again with the 2006 opening of Rockland Center, a new student union and dining hall. The University's athletic facilities include the Caves Sports and Wellness Center, former training facility of the Baltimore Ravens. The Howard S. Brown School of Business and Leadership opened for the fall 2008 semester and houses the Departments of Business & Legal Studies and Information Technology. The school expanded once again in 2010 with the opening of a school gymnasium on the Owings Mills Campus and a football team. The team is scheduled to play as a division team in the season of 2011. The freshman enrollment and housing enrollments had risen dramatically between 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, As of the fall semester 2010, there are over 900 freshman students, around 700 of which are residents. The student population has increased to well over 1,300 in 2010. Stevenson University also is in the process of surveying the property of a former institution, the Rosewood Center, in 2010. Environmental and surveyor issues are still in progress to determine whether the university can purchase the property to expand the Owings Mills campus to the east. There has also been discussion with Shire US Medical, where Stevenson University is considering purchasing this property adjacent to the Owings Mills Campus, on Crondall Lane.
In late 2007, the school's leaders decided to push Villa Julie forward and attain university status. Many meetings were held to help determine whether the name should be changed to Villa Julie University, or have a more drastic change. Some of the other names considered were Great Oaks University, Tufton University, Greenspring University, Rockland University, Sagamore University, and Billiart University. On June 11, 2008, the university's Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the school to Stevenson University.
On May 21, 2010, Wikipedia's co-founder Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales is an American Internet entrepreneur best known as a co-founder and promoter of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia and the Wikia company....
delivered his first college commencement address to Stevenson's graduating seniors and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University.
Some of the university's long-running annual events include: MustangFest, Mr/Ms SU Pageant, and the Alumni Bull and Oyster Roast with Auction.
Undergraduate programs
Degree programs have a core curriculum in the liberal artsLiberal 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...
and a unique career emphasis. The College runs a program called "Career Architecture", which is interwoven throughout the curriculum and allows students to plan strategically for their futures by developing resumes, practicing interviewing techniques, meeting with potential employers on-campus, and participating in internships and co-op
Cooperative education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for structured job experience...
s. Over the past five years, on average, 97% of graduates have been employed or have started graduate school within six months of graduation.
Stevenson offers bachelor's degrees in the following areas of study:
- Accounting
- Applied Mathematics
- Biology
- Biotechnology
- Business Administration
- Business Communication
- Business Information Systems
- Chemistry
- Computer Information Systems
- Criminal Justice
- Early Childhood Education
- Elementary Education
- English Language and Literature
- Fashion Design
- Fashion Merchandising
- Film, Video & Theatre
- Human Services
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Medical Technology
- Middle School Education
- Nursing
- Nursing R.N. to B.S.
- Paralegal Studies
- Psychology
- Public History
- Visual Communication Design
Accelerated Bachelor's programs
Through its School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Stevenson offers accelerated onsite and online bachelor's degree programs for working adults in:- Business Administration
- Computer Information Systems
- Criminal Justice (online)
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Nursing: RN to BS (onsite and online)
- Paralegal Studies
Graduate programs
Stevenson offers five master's degrees in:- Advanced Information Technologies
- Business and Technology Management (onsite and online)
- Forensic Science
- Forensic Studies (offering five tracks and an online option
- Nursing: Nursing Education of Nursing Leadership/Management
Students interested in one of these programs who start at the University as freshmen are able to apply to the graduate programs as juniors, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's and a master's degree in five years.
Notable alumni
- Dustin Harlowe, Entrepreneur, Actor, Model, Producer, currently residing in Beverly Hills, CA
- Kimberly BrooksKimberly BrooksKimberly Brooks is an American voice actress in the anime, feature films, video games, and theatre industry. She started her acting career when she was nine....
, actress - Martha Scanlan KlimaMartha Scanlan KlimaMartha S. Klima was first elected in 1982 to represent District 9, which covers a portion of Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. She unsuccessfully ran for the State Senate in 2002. She was defeated by Jim Brochin.-Background:...
, former member of Maryland House of DelegatesMaryland House of DelegatesThe Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis... - Gesina Gann actress, model, Montgomery County's "Prettiest Girl" award winner