University of Mount Olive

Founding

Cragmont Assembly, Black Mountain, North Carolina, location of the college's campus from 1952-53.

From its inception as a junior college, the University of Mount Olive has been sponsored by the Original Free Will Baptist Convention. The institution was chartered in 1951 and opened in 1952 at Cragmont Assembly, the Free Will Baptist summer retreat grounds near Black Mountain, North Carolina, under the direction of the Reverend Lloyd Vernon. The school was originally called Mount Allen Junior College, taking its name from the mountain near Cragmont.

1953–1970

In September 1953, the College moved to Mount Olive, North Carolina, nearer the center of denominational strength in the eastern section of the state. Under the leadership of the Reverend David W. Hansley, Chairman of the Board of Directors, plans were made to develop a junior college offering programs in arts and sciences and in business. The Reverend W. Burkette Raper was elected president in the summer of 1954, and in September the college began its first collegiate year with an enrollment of twenty-two students.

First campus building in Mount Olive, North Carolina.

In 1956, the name "Mount Allen Junior College" was changed to "Mount Olive Junior College". In that same year, plans were launched for an enlarged campus which today consists of 250 acres. In September 1970, the college's name was officially changed to "Mount Olive College."

1971–1990

In 1977, the Original Free Will Baptist Convention requested that the Board of Trustees of Mount Olive College work aggressively toward making the college a four-year institution. The 1979 session of the convention endorsed the projected timetable set by the college's Board of Trustees to add the junior year in 1984 and the senior year in 1985.

In 1975, the college began an educational program in Goldsboro, North Carolina at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

In 1986, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges officially accredited Mount Olive College as a four-year institution to award associate and baccalaureate degrees.

Aerial view comparisons of the main campus (Top to Bottom: circa 1980, 2012)

1991–present

Since its founding, the University of Mount Olive has expanded into the following areas: Goldsboro at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (1975), New Bern (1993), Wilmington (1995), Research Triangle Park (1997), Washington (2005), Jacksonville (2009), in Smithfield at Johnston Community College (2006), and online (2012).

In the fall of 1994, the transfer of all operations to the Mount Olive campus was completed, and the original downtown campus was sold.

In January 1995, the Board of Trustees selected J. William Byrd as the third president. Dr. Byrd assumed the duties of office on January 31 and was inaugurated on September 30.

In April 2009, the Board of Trustees selected Dr. Philip P. Kerstetter as the fourth president. Dr. Kerstetter assumed the duties of office on July 1.

In 2011, Mount Olive College celebrated its 60th anniversary.

In December 2013, Mount Olive College announced an official name change to the University of Mount Olive as of January 1, 2014.

In April 2018, the Board of Trustees selected Dr. David L. Poole as the fifth president. Dr. Poole assumed the duties of office on July 1.

Main Campus

250 acres

Facilities

Fourth of July fireworks over University of Mount Olive Rodgers Chapel.

• Rodgers Chapel, located in the center of the campus, serves as the primary facility for the university's religious and cultural activities.
• Communications Building, completed in 2006, is home to the information technology infrastructure and delivery systems that link all of the university's locations together.
• Alumni Cross Walk, completed in 2000, the cross walk was constructed using bricks from the original campus building in downtown Mount Olive. In the center of the cross walk is the Nido and Mariana Qubein Garden House. The garden house shelters the cornerstone and bell from the original campus.
  

  Nido and Mariana Qubein Garden House.
• Henderson Hall, completed in 1965, is the oldest building on what is now the main campus. It is home to faculty offices and classrooms.
• Laughinghouse Hall, houses the Department of Fine Arts.
• J. William and Marvis E. "Marcy" Byrd Building, formerly Mount Olive High School until 1965. Houses the Department of Music, Hazel Waters Kornegay Historic Assembly Hall, and Byrd Apartments.
• Moye Library, completed in 1968.
• W. Burkette and Rose M. Raper Hall (Raper Hall), completed in 2006, houses the Tillman School of Business, the Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center, and the Department of Science and Mathematics. Included in this building are the Mount Olive Pickle Conference Center and Southern Bank Auditorium.
• Poole Administration Building, houses the offices of the President, Admissions and Financial Aid, and Bookstore.
• Waylin Centre, houses the Registrar's Office, the Evening College, and Business Office.
• Kornegay Arena, contains classrooms for physical education and athletics facilities for the campus and community.
• Holmes and Lois K. Murphy Center, houses the dining hall, meeting facilities, and Student Development.
• Pope Wellness Center, is an expansion to the University's athletics and fitness facilities.
• Criminal Justice and Nursing Faculty Offices
• Greenhouse
• Goodson and Wells Building, houses facilities maintenance and agricultural mechanics shop
• Golf Practice Facility
• Lacrosse Practice Field
• Ray McDonald, Sr. Track and Field/Lacrosse Complex
• Big Rock Tournament Field House
• Dr. H. Don Scott Outdoor Classroom
• Academic Affairs Building
• Campus Safety
• Softball Fieldhouse and Nancy Chapman Cassell Field
• Scarborough Field
• Moore-Williams Fieldhouse
• Fitness by Design Fitness Garden
• Arboretum
• Ray and Chris Amon Field
• John Neal Walker Tennis Center
• The George R. Kornegay, Jr. Student Farm
• Donnie and Linda Lassiter Agricultural Campus

Residence Halls

Juniors and seniors can choose to live off campus or in the residence halls designated for upperclassmen, but all freshman and sophomores in the University's traditional program must live in campus housing. The university's residence facilities can accommodate up to 650 students.

J. William and Marvis E. "Marcy" Byrd Apartment Complex

• Annie Mae Whitfield Hall and Everett Edwin Herring Hall, completed in 2009, the complex provides apartment accommodations for mostly upperclassmen.
• College Apartments, housing provided to upperclassmen who meet specified criteria, accommodates 56 residents.
• King-Hart-Griffin Residence Halls Complex, the women's residence halls complex, houses 130 students.
• Grantham Hall, the men's residence hall, houses 126 students.
• The Inn Residence Hall houses 137 residents and offers housing for males and females.
• J. William and Marvis E. "Marcy" Byrd Apartment Complex, provides accommodations to students in both one- and two-bedroom apartments. Originally built in 1925, the facility is listed under the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Station Street Commons was completed in 2015 and features apartment style housing with full kitchen amenities. The first stage of this project opened with two buildings, A & B, with plans the complete the last three apartment buildings for a fall 2018 opening date.

Renovations and expansions

• The $2 million expansion of Rodgers Chapel on the University of Mount Olive campus is well on its way, and should be completed by the spring of 2018. Once completed, the 6,000 square feet Chapel expansion will form a pivotal campus landmark, enhancing student life while serving as a powerful symbol of the University of Mount Olive’s identity. New construction will add classrooms, faculty and staff offices for the Department of Religion including the Barrow Chair and the Campus Chaplain, and the Office of Church Relations. There will also be two classrooms, a seminar room, a multi-purpose room, and a small kitchen /coffee bar. A prayer garden in the center of the new space will provide a place for mediation and reflection.

• Three additional residence halls in the Station Street Commons complex are set to begin construction as early as the fall of 2017. This will provide occupancy for an additional 100 students at a cost of $3 million. Anticipated completion by August 2018.

• New administrative building to house Admissions, Financial Aid and Registrar. This facility will include a counter for information and ‘one stop’ student service at a cost of $1.1 million and should be completed by early 2019.

Organization and administration

The University of Mount Olive educates over 4,000 students per year, making the University one of the fastest-growing liberal arts institutions in the state of North Carolina. The average classroom size is 15 students.

The University is governed by a 30-member Board of Trustees with five members being elected each year to a six-year term. At least 18 of the Trustees are members in good standing in churches affiliated with the Original Free Will Baptist Convention. The President of the Convention serves as an ex officio member of the Board.

Athletics

The University of Mount Olive is a member of NCAA Division II and the Conference Carolinas. The University has intercollegiate teams in the women’s sports of lacrosse, track and field, volleyball, cross country, soccer, basketball, tennis, golf and softball, as well as in the men’s sports of lacrosse, track and field, volleyball, cross country, soccer, basketball, tennis, golf and baseball. Cheerleading is offered as a co-ed sport. The athletics offices are located in Kornegay Arena. For more information, visit www.umotrojans.com.

Faculty

The University of Mount Olive has a student-faculty ratio of 14:1. Eighty-four percent of full-time faculty members hold terminal degrees.

Student organizations

The University of Mount Olive offers a wide variety of student organizations, including arts and culture organizations, performance groups, sports groups, and religious organizations.

Campus Activity Board (CAB)

The Campus Activity Board is responsible for planning activity events on the campus. This student led group is advised by the Director of Student Activities and works hard to provide weekly programs for the campus. On-campus events have included hypnotist, comedians, concerts, bingo, trivia night, carnivals, and sponsored trips that have visited: Orlando, New York City, Costa Rica, Great Britain, France, and Italy.

Student government

A single governing body represents students at Mount Olive:

• Student Government Association (SGA)

Religious life

While the University of Mount Olive is affiliated with the Original Free Will Baptist Church, it welcomes students of other faiths and denominations. The university was principally founded on providing an education that allowed students to explore their faith through a liberal arts education.

Alma mater

The alma mater, written by Daniel W. Fagg, Jr., former academic dean and professor of social sciences, and set to music by Eugene S. Mauney, professor of music, was first published in the college's annual yearbook Olive Leaves in 1958.^[15]

Daniel W. Fagg, Jr., former academic dean and professor of social sciences, author of the Mount Olive College Alma Mater.

Hail, Mount Olive, Alma Mater,

endless years shall crown thy head;

praise we then our great Creator,

who through all the years shall lead.

May thy torch of truth grow brighter

still supplied with light divine;

strong, and clear, and ever burning;

on the path of wisdom shine.

Alma Mater, Our dear mother,

honored ever, honored now;

courage, faith and love devoted,

be the laurels on thy brow.

O, Mount Olive, how we love thee,

Dowered with thy fost’ring care;

kindest heaven smile upon thee,

God exalt and keep thee fair.^[16]