Eastern University (United States)

Eastern University (EU) is a private Christian university in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, with additional locations in Philadelphia and Harrisburg. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs. Eastern University is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and has an interdenominational student body, faculty and administration.

Eastern University
Former names
Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
(1925–1952)
Eastern Baptist College
(1952–1972)
Eastern College
(1972–2001)
MottoFaith, Reason and Justice
TypePrivate university
Established1925
AccreditationMSCHE
Religious affiliation
ABCUSA
Academic affiliation
CCCU
PresidentRonald A. Matthews
Students4,429[1]
Location
St. Davids, Pennsylvania
,
United States
CampusSuburban, 114 acres
ColorsMaroon and white
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division III , MAC Commonwealth Conference
MascotEagle
Websitewww.eastern.edu

History

The university has its origins in the foundation of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1925 in Philadelphia by six Conservative Baptist pastors from the American Baptist Publication Society. [2] In 1932, a collegiate department was founded.[3] The school became a separate institution in 1952 and moved to its present St. Davids location, taking the name Eastern Baptist College.[4] In 1972, it was renamed Eastern College.[5] In 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Education granted the institution university status and it was renamed Eastern University. In 2004, the institution's Board voted to acquire its previous parent institution and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary became a subsidiary of Eastern University. The following year, the seminary changed its name to Palmer Theological Seminary in honor of its longest serving president, Gordon Palmer (1936–48).[6]

Campus

The main campus is on 114 acres just west of Philadelphia, in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. It was originally a private estate, named Walmarthon, which was owned by the Walton family. The size of the campus has expanded through purchases of surrounding buildings and land.

Warner Memorial Library is housed in the Harold Howard Center. The Mazie Hall African American History Room contains books and memorabilia from a local educator. The Edison Room houses several drawings and artifacts which belonged to Thomas Edison.

The Bradstreet Observatory consists of twin 14.5-foot diameter domes that house 16” diameter Meade LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. This addition to Eastern’s facilities created opportunities for astronomical work and research done on campus.

In addition to the main campus in St. Davids, Eastern has additional sites in Center City, Philadelphia; City Avenue, Philadelphia; and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[7]

Academics

Eastern University offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in more than 100 areas of study. The university also offers undergraduate, graduate and noncredit certificates. Academic programs at the institution are housed in seven schools:

  • College of Arts and Humanities
  • College of Business and Leadership
  • College of Education
  • College of Health and Sciences
  • Palmer Theological Seminary
  • Templeton Honors College
  • Esperanza College

Accreditation

Eastern University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.[5] Several programs are also accredited:

  • Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
  • Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada
  • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
  • Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
  • Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for the Baccalaureate Major in Social Work
  • Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC)
  • Association for Behavior Analysis International (Verified Course Sequence for Board Certified Behavior Analysts)
  • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Student media

The Waltonian is Eastern University’s student-run newspaper. It is published bi-weekly, and covers university, national, and international news.

Eastern is the magazine of Eastern University. It serves as a connection between the campus community of students, faculty, staff and administration and its alumni, trustees, friends, donors, parents and neighbors.

Athletics

The school's sports teams are called the Eagles. They are Division III members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).[8] Eastern University joined the Middle Atlantic Conferences (commonly referred to as the MAC) in 2008.[9]

Sports include men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's lacrosse, men's baseball, women's field hockey, women's softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, and cross country.[10] Eastern began fielding a football team in 2022 as an NCAA Division III independent and will begin playing in the MAC in 2023.[11]

In 2002, senior Andrea Collesidis broke an NCAA scoring record for women's lacrosse.[12][13][14][15]

Notable people

Alumni

Faculty

References
  1. Univstats, Eastern Student Population, univstats.com, USA, retrieved February 17, 2023
  2. William H. Brackney, Congregation and Campus: Baptists in Higher Education, Mercer University Press, USA, 2008, p. 295
  3. Randall Herbert Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition, Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 223
  4. Praeger, American Universities and Colleges, 19th Edition [2 Volumes]: Nineteenth Edition, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 1121
  5. "Eastern University". Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  6. "Palmer Theological Seminary - About - Doctrinal Statement - Chrisitan Community". palmerseminary.edu. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  7. "Campus and Sites - Eastern University". eastern.edu. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  8. "NCAA Directory - Directory - Member Listing". web3.ncaa.org. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  9. "Middle Atlantic Conference". gomacsports.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  10. "Eastern University Eagles - Eastern University". goeasterneagles.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  11. "Eastern to add football". d3football.com. Presto Sports. September 15, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  12. "Eastern hoops player breaks NCAA all-time lax goals mark". April 18, 2002. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  13. "2002 Women's Lacrosse Archives". CSAC. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  14. "NCAA Lacrosse: Women's Division III Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  15. O'Loughlin, Kathy. "Main Line History: Test your knowledge of Main Line colleges, Part II". Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  16. "People of the simple way". Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  17. Rzeppa, Brian (May 25, 2016). "Former Nets Radio Prodigy Brandon Robinson Catches on at CBS Sports". Nothin' But Nets. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  18. "Who We Are". Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  19. "Ron Sider". Retrieved July 20, 2016.

Further reading
  • Boehlke, Frederick (2003). Faith, Reason And Justice: The First 50 Years of Eastern University. Exton, Pennsylvania: Apple Press. ISBN 978-0-9674912-3-3.
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