SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY

'Shepherd University'

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Established:	September 1871, in Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Chartered:	February 27, 1872, by the Legislature of West Virginia
Type:	Public coeducational
President:	Suzanne Shipley, PhD
City:	Shepherdstown
State:	W. Va.
Country:	USA
Undergrad:	4,000
Campus:	323 acres
Mascot:	Rams
Colors:	blue and gold
Website:	http://www.shepherd.edu

'Shepherd University', formerly 'Shepherd College', is an American university in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. It is not to be confused with a Christian private college with the same name located in Los Angeles or with another Christian institution located in San Francisco that bears the same name as well. The University currently serves 4,000 students and offers the following degrees: bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of arts in elementary education, bachelor of arts in secondary education, bachelor of music education, Regents bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of science in nursing, bachelor of social work, master of arts in curriculum and instruction, master of arts in business administration, master of arts in teaching, master of arts in college student development and administration, and master of music, music education.

Contents

History

Location

Athletics

External links

History

When the county seat of Jefferson County left Shepherdstown and returned to Charles Town in July 1871, the people in the area decided to use the vacant courthouse for educational purposes. An article of incorporation for a school to be known as 'Shepherd College', designed to instruct students "in languages, arts, and sciences," was drawn up by the Board of Trustees. Joseph McMurran, principal, and two assistant professors were hired to teach the 42 students who began classes in September 1871. In honor of its first principal, each year an award (Joseph McMurran Scholar Award) is given out to the top academic students of the graduating class.
On February 27, 1872, the West Virginia Legislature passed an act which made the private institution a part of the state college system. In 1930, Shepherd became a four-year college dedicated to the training of teachers and was accredited to grant the bachelor of arts degree. A liberal arts program was approved in 1943, and in 1950 the bachelor of science degree was added.
On April 7, 2004, Governor Bob Wise signed legislation allowing Shepherd College to change its name to 'Shepherd University'.
On September 3, 2006, Douglas W. Pennington, 49, killed his sons Logan P. Pennington, 26, and Benjamin M. Pennington, 24, during a visit to the campus at Shepherd University before shooting and killing himself. The shootings occurred at about 2 p.m.[1].
Dr. Suzanne Shipley was named the fifteenth president of Shepherd University on February 19, 2007, and began serving on June 29, 2007.

Location

Shepherd University is situated in the Shenandoah Valley, on the banks of the Potomac River, in historic Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The oldest town in the state, Shepherdstown is a quaint university community, with the town and campus combining to offer a unique learning-living environment. Located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Shepherdstown is within 20 miles of nearby Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. It is only 65 miles from the metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland.
Within a short hike or drive of the campus are such well-known historic landmarks as Harpers Ferry and the Antietam Battlefield. Across the Potomac River from the campus is the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The C & O Canal National Historical Park, developed along the towpath of the old canal, is a beautiful recreational sanctuary, extending 184.5 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Georgetown, in the nation's capital. Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia, as well as New York and Philadelphia, are all within a few hours drive of Shepherdstown.
Guest lecturers and performers, field trips, internships, and career opportunities are advantages directly related to the location. Shepherd University is also the home of the Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence Program, Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF), George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War, and the Performing Arts Series at Shepherd (PASS).

Athletics

Shepherd offers 11 NCAA Division II sports including football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, women's volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis, and golf. The Ram marching band, cheerleading squad, and dance team promote spirit at university home games.
Shepherd's football team is the 2004, 2005, and 2006 WVAIC Conference Champions and have been undefeated for the past two seasons. They made a national playoff appearance in 2005 and reached the third round of playoffs in 2006 while being ranked fifth in the nation. Senior Dan Peters (Safety) was named a first-team All-American and senior Ricky Schmitt (Kicker) was a second-team All-American in 2006. Schmitt is currently on the Arizona Cardinals' roster.

External links

★ Shepherd University website

★ Official Shepherd athletics website

★ Contemporary American Theater Festival