The King's College (New York City)

The King's College
Arms of The King's College
Type Private
Established 1938
Affiliation Non-denominational Christian[1]
Chairman Tim Dunn
President Tim Gibson
Provost Dr. Mark Hijleh
Academic staff
 26 full-time
Students 599
Address 56 Broadway, New York City, New York, 10004, United States
40°42′24.048″N 74°0′44.423″W / 40.70668000°N 74.01233972°W / 40.70668000; -74.01233972Coordinates: 40°42′24.048″N 74°0′44.423″W / 40.70668000°N 74.01233972°W / 40.70668000; -74.01233972
Campus Urban
Colors Blue and white
Athletics USCAA
HVIAC
Nickname Lions
Mascot Lion
Website tkc.edu

The King's College (also TKC or simply King's) is an accredited, Christian liberal arts college headquartered in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City. The predecessor institution was founded in 1938 in Belmar, New Jersey by Percy Crawford.

The King's College draws more than 500 students from 37 states and 15 countries. In 2012, Young America's Foundation ranked The King's College among its Top 15 Conservative Colleges list.[2]

History

The Briarcliff Lodge, the main facility of the school's former Briarcliff Manor campus, c. 1980s

Percy B. Crawford founded The King's College in 1938 in Belmar, New Jersey.[3] The school re-located in 1941 to New Castle, Delaware,[4] and again in 1955 to the former Briarcliff Lodge site in Briarcliff Manor, New York.[5] At Briarcliff, The King's College sponsored the King's Tournament, a sports tournament in which East Coast Christian college athletes competed each year.[3]

In 1962, after Crawford's death in 1960,[4] Robert A. Cook became the college's second president.[6] The college prospered under his leadership, with enrollment growing to a high of 870 students in 1980.[7] After 23 years as president, Cook retired and became the college's chancellor in 1985, a position which he held until his death in 1991.[6] Friedhelm Radandt succeeded Cook to become the college's third president. Nine years later, in December 1994, the college shut down, as a result of years of declining enrollment, financial troubles, and the deterioration of the Briarcliff campus.[7] The college had purchased property for a new campus at Sterling Forest, but was prevented from selling the Briarcliff campus in a timely fashion. The college declared bankruptcy, owing more than $25 million to its creditors, mostly from the mortgage on the new campus.[8]

Reestablishment in New York City

The college charter first granted by the New York Board of Regents in 1955 remained in force.[9] In 1997, the College's charter was amended to make Campus Crusade for Christ the sole member of the corporation.[9] Together with Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright, J. Stanley "Stan" Oakes, then the director of Faculty Commons,[10] a Campus Crusade ministry, began work to pay off the institution's debts and re-establish it in New York City. Instrumental in this process was the acquisition of Northeastern Bible College, which was founded by a friend of Percy Crawford but had experienced a similar decline and closure to that of King's.[11] In 1999 King's leased 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2) of space on three floors of the Empire State Building in New York City for classrooms, a student recreation center, and administrative offices.[5] Radandt remained president, with Oakes as chairman.[9] In January 2003, Oakes became the fourth president; five years later, Oakes became chancellor and board member Andy Mills served as interim president. Following treatment for brain cancer, Oakes reassumed the presidency on January 1, 2009. In December 2009, the College announced that Oakes would take a year-long sabbatical while Andy Mills again served in an interim role.

On August 23, 2010, the college announced the appointment of conservative writer Dinesh D'Souza as its new president. On October 18, 2012, D'Souza resigned his post at the school shortly after it became known that he was claiming to be engaged,[12] despite the fact that he was still married to his wife.[13] While a search committee was formed to select a permanent president, Andy Mills filled in for a third time.[14]

In 2012, the college relocated from the Empire State Building to a new location one block south of Wall Street on Broadway (Manhattan). The college also became independent of Campus Crusade in 2012.[1]

On July 11, 2013, the college announced the appointment of Gregory Alan Thornbury, former dean of the School of Theology and Missions at Union University, as the sixth president of the institution.[15][16][17][18][19][20]

On November 21, 2017, the college announced that Thornbury would become its Chancellor and retired Air Force Brigadier General Tim Gibson would serve as Acting President. Dr. Mark Hijleh, formerly Vice President for Academic Affairs, was concurrently appointed Provost, and Brian Brenberg, Associate Professor of Business and Economics and chair of the programs in business and finance, was appointed an Executive Vice President.[21] Thornbury served as Chancellor during the transition period, then stepped down to give greater place to scholarly and artistic pursuits, including post-publication opportunities related to his book on the Christian rock-and-roll artist Larry Norman. In June 2018, the college purchased a former hotel in the Financial District to become a student residence. Gibson was formally appointed the seventh president of King's on August 21, 2018.[22]

Academics

The college is authorized by the Board of Regents to grant Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Business degrees in a total of nine majors. The college currently offers degrees in:

  • Humanities
  • Politics, Philosophy, and Economics
  • Business Management
  • Finance
  • Religious and Theological Studies
  • English
  • Philosophy
  • Journalism, Culture and Society
  • Media, Culture, and the Arts.[23]

Students are able to pursue 15 different minors: Business Management; Economics; Finance; Culture and the Arts; History; International Affairs; Journalism; Literature; Media Studies; Philosophy; Politics; Pre-Law; International Business; Technology, Innovation, and Design; and Theology.[24]

Accreditation

The King's College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.[25] Its accreditation was most recently reaffirmed on June 25, 2015. The King's College will complete its next self-study Periodic Review Report with Middle States for accreditation renewal in 2020 and its next full Self-Study Review in 2024-25.

Student life

During the 2016–2017 academic year, the College enrolled over 220 new students from 10 countries and 43 states, for a total enrollment of over 600 students.[26] The average ACT score of the 2015 incoming class was 26, and the average SAT score was 1730. The King's College adopted the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as a third admissions option for students in the summer of 2016.[27]

Residence life

King's does not require attendance at chapel services, and students are not required to sign a statement of faith, although faculty and staff are.[28] Instead, students sign an honor code pledging not to "lie, steal, cheat, or turn a blind eye to those who do. Every student is honor bound to confront any other student who breaches the code."[29] This is described by the school as "the minimum standard of ethical behavior that all students have contracted to live by."[29] Students live in groups of three or four[30] in apartments in high-rise apartment buildings in the Financial District.[31] During the summer, King's leases these apartments to students in the city for summer internships.[32]

King's has a house system.[33] All incoming students are assigned to one of ten established houses, which are named for historic leaders: C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Corrie ten Boom, Queen Elizabeth I, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Winston Churchill, and Clara Barton.[33] Students are encouraged to develop strong ties within their houses. During the year, they participate in inter-house competitions such as "The Great Race," a scavenger hunt throughout the City,[33] the house GPA contest, where each house attempts to achieve the highest average GPA.,[5][33] and the House Basketball Competition, wherein the male and female houses compete against one another in various brackets of basketball. Houses also host events including dinners, dances, and annual events like the Super Bowl Party traditionally hosted by the House of Bonhoeffer, and the annual Red & Green Affair dance, hosted by the houses of Lewis and Thatcher.

As upperclassmen, students are eligible for election by their peers to one of four house leadership positions: President, Scholar, Helmsman, and Chamberlain. Each position has certain spiritual, academic, or residence life responsibilities within the house.[33]

Extracurricular activities

King’s has many student groups, including The King's Debate Society, which was ranked 53rd in the world in a 2013 worldwide ranking by the International Debate Education Association (IDEA), and Mock Trial, which puts students in the shoes of courtroom lawyers and witnesses, competing against other colleges at a regional and national level.

REFUGE is a bi-weekly worship service held on campus to meet the ever-present need for community and worship in the Christian journey. During lunch on Mondays, the community participates in the public reading of Scripture. Other clubs include The King's Players, resident theater company, which puts on plays once a semester, and The King's Dancers, which schedules dance practices, performances, and outings.

Other organizations include The King's Council, the King's student government group; the Empire State Tribune, the King's student newspaper; and The King's Players. King's students are encouraged to start groups they see a need for at the college.[34]

Athletics

The King's Baseball team, Fall 2011

The King's College has a number of athletic teams, competing at various levels. Men's sports include basketball, rugby, cross country, track and field, and soccer. Women's sports include basketball, volleyball, cross country, track and field, and soccer. King's is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC). Continuing the College's policy of encouraging students to start their own programs and take ownership in student life, most teams at King's were student-started and run as club teams before transitioning to varsity status. The athletic program at The King's College is designed to serve students' interests in sports and recreational activities, whether they are competitive, recreational, or instructional. Emphasis is placed on student leadership and involvement, as well as on the dedication and commitment of club members.[35]

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 "King's to become independent of Campus Crusade". The Empire State Tribune - The Award-Winning Student Newspaper of the King's College. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Top 15 conservative colleges in the US". March 21, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "About King's - The King's College". Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  4. 1 2 The Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. "'As This Is Our First Broadcast...': Biography of Percy B. Crawford". Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 Segal, David (2008-02-20). "God And The City". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  6. 1 2 Narvaez, Alfonso A. (1991-03-16). "Rev. Robert Cook, Author, Dies at 78; Led King's College". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  7. 1 2 Yasinac, Rob. "Briarcliff Lodge and The King's College." Hudson Valley Ruins. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  8. ↑ Carnes, Tony (February 9, 1998). "King's College Resurrection Signals Big Apple's Renewal", Christianity Today, p. 60. Retrieved November 10, 2009
  9. 1 2 3 "Regents Item". www.regents.nysed.gov. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  10. ↑ "Our History | Faculty Commons". www.facultycommons.com. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  11. ↑ Aviv, Rachel (April 4, 2006). "On High." The Village Voice. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Dinesh D'Souza Resigns as President of The King's College". Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  13. ↑ Peretz, Evgenia (May 2015). "Get a Rare Glimpse of Dinesh D'Souza's Life After Conviction". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Staying the Course - The King's College". Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  15. ↑ "Gregory Alan Thornbury Named as Sixth President - The King's College". Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  16. ↑ "The King's College Announces New President, Eight Months After Dinesh D'Souza's Resignation". Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  17. ↑ "Press Releases : Carter Baldwin". www.carterbaldwin.com. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  18. ↑ "Greg Thornbury named president of The King's College in NYC - News Release". Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  19. ↑ Service, Adelle M. Banks Religion News (2013-07-13). "Meet The New Leader Of King's College". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  20. ↑ "King's College Announces New President, Gregory Thornbury, to Succeed D'Souza". Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  21. ↑ "The King's College Board of Trustees Announces Leadership Restructuring - The King's College". The King's College. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
  22. ↑ "Tim Gibson Named Seventh President of The King's College - The King's College". The King's College. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  23. ↑ The King's College Programs of Study. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  24. ↑ The King's College Minors. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  25. ↑ Ltd., Info724. "Middle States Commission on Higher Education". www.msche.org. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  26. ↑ "King's Welcomes New Students on Campus - The King's College". Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  27. ↑ "King's Welcomes New Students to Campus - The King's College". Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  28. ↑ "God Is in the Basement of the Empire State Building". NYMag.com. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  29. 1 2 "Student Handbook" (PDF). The King's College. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  30. ↑ Paumgarten, Nick (August 1, 2005). "The Good News." The New Yorker. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  31. ↑ "Apartment Life - The King's College". Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  32. ↑ NYC Intern About Us. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 "House System - The King's College". Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  34. ↑ The King's College Student Organizations "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010. . Retrieved March 5, 2010
  35. ↑ Archived November 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.

Further reading

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