Berry College

1. Berry College The World’s Largest College Campus Leah Holder Georgia Southern University American Higher Education Adopt A U Research Project Dr. Daniel W. Calhoun July 16, 2012

2. VISION Martha Berry was the daughter of a prosperous local business owner, who believed that education could provide a path from poverty for local children. Martha’s willingness to teach soon developed into the establishment of four day schools and quickly grew to include a girls school, a junior college and later a senior college. These schools of the early 1900s grew within three decades into Berry College, a comprehensive liberal arts college. (Mathis & Dickey, 2010)

3. The early years… • In the late 1890s, Martha Berry spent most her free time in her log cabin located next to her family home, Oak Hill. During her youth, her days consisted of reading, writing and contemplating. • Little did Marthaknow that same cabin would serve as an initial learning space for underprivileged children. When her classes outgrew this small space, she built a small school building on the 83 acres giving to her by her father and used an abandoned church named Possum Trot to conduct her classes. Martha Berry’s Original Cabin Possum Trot Church Oak Hill

4. Growth • In 1902, the Boys Industrial School was opened and was followed by the opening of the Martha Berry School for Girls just seven years later. In 1926, Berry Junior College was established and expanded to a four-year school in 1930 and 1957 brought Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accreditation. • Through the 1960s and early 1970s the college sanctioned several modifications such as paying student workers, revising the strict code on student behavior, abandoning uniform dress and mandatory religious services. In 1964, the boys school was renamed Berry Academy and became coeducational in 1971. (McDougald, 2011) Boys Industrial School

5. Early supporters Martha Berry traveled widely, seeking support for her schools, and became an accomplished fund raiser. She obtained money for the operation of the schools, the construction of numerous buildings, the purchase of additional lands and the establishment of an endowment for future support. Many of the gifts were small, but she also received support for the schools from such people as philanthropists Andrew Carnegie and Emily Vanderbilt Hammond, U.S. presidents Calvin Coolidge and Theodore Roosevelt and Rome native, Ellen Axson Wilson who was U.S. president Woodrow Wilson's wife. (Mathis & Dickey, 2010) Martha Berry & Calvin Coolidge Martha Berry & Theodore Roosevelt

6. HENRY FORD • Hearing that Henry Ford was making endowments to worthy causes, Martha Berry visited him in an effort to raise money for the Berry Schools. Ford, tired of being a donation target, reached into his pocket, grabbed a dime and flung it on his desk, saying, "This is all the money I have I my pocket. Take it and leave.” Berry took the dime, returned to Rome Georgia, and bought seeds. • A year later, she went back to Ford and showed the multimillionaire pictures of the gardens, crops and trees she planted with his dime. Ford was so impressed, he gave Berry $25,000 on the spot, which was an unheard of fortune in that day. • The automobile magnate went on to build the Ford buildings, a cluster of Gothic structures on the campus. The Ford Foundation recently gave Berry College a $9.4 million grant. (McDougald, 2011) Henry Ford Ford Buildings

7. Mission • Berry College is a comprehensive liberal-arts college with Christian values. The college furthers their students' intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth; proffers lessons that are gained from worthwhile work done well; and challenges them to devote their learning to community and civic betterment. • Berry emphasizes an educational program committed to high academic standards, values based on Christian principles, practical work experience and community service in a distinctive environment of natural beauty. • It is Berry's goal to make an excellent private liberal-arts education accessible to talented students from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. (Berry College, 2012)

8. PURPOSE • Berry College’s first responsibility is to provide an education in the liberal arts and professional fields to meet the intellectual, moral and material needs of students; and they dedicate themselves and their academic program toward fulfilling this responsibility. • Research, publication and other scholarly activities are valued and are expected to contribute to good teaching by the faculty. In keeping with this expectation, the faculty and staff dedicate themselves primarily to teaching effectively and to inspiring students to academic excellence. (Berry College, 2012)

9. Offerings SCHOOLS Campbell School of Business Charter School of Education and Human Services Evans School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences DEGREES Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Science Master of Business Administration Master of Arts in Teaching Education Specialist DUAL-DEGREE PROGRAMS Engineering with Georgia Institute of Technology Nursing with Emory University School of Nursing PRE-PROFESSIONAL OPTIONS Pre-Dentistry Pre-Law Pre-Medicine Pre-Pharmacy Pre-Veterinary Medicine Pre-Physical/Occupational Therapy

10. demographics LOCATION 26,000 acres in Rome, GA BUILDINGS 47 Primary, 13 Residence Halls STUDENT BODY (2011-2012 Academic Year) 1,944 Undergraduate 149 Graduate FACULTY 95% hold a Ph.D. or equivalent ACCREDITATION SACS AACSB NCATE NASM ACS

11. Student Services • Viking Web • Bookstore • Campus Safety • Career Center • Computer Labs • Counseling Center • Dining Services • Disability Services • Health & Wellness • Jobs on Campus • Mail Services • Tech Support • Tutoring • The Writing Center

12. Academic SERVICES • Academic Services at Berry College include Academic Advising, the Academic Support Center, Faculty Research and Sponsored Programs, the Office of the First-Year Experience, Institutional Research, the Center for Instructional Technology, Multimedia Services, and the Office of the Registrar. • Berry College academic services incorporates intellectual engagement, service to others and firsthand work experiences. This enables students to live responsible, productive and creative lives in a dramatically changing world. (Berry College, 2012)

13. governance • An effective shared governance structure in which faculty, administrations, and other stakeholders (boards of regents or visitors, state legislatures, the public, etc.) work together to achieve shared goals is critical to the core academic, research, and service missions of institutions of higher education. • Currently the faculty governance at Berry College is committed to fulfilling the mission of educating student’s Head, Heart and Hands within the context of the School’s disciplines. (Berry College, 2012)

14. Administrative structure • Berry College Administrative Structure consists of the following offices: • Office of the President • Chaplain • Office of Advancement • Business and Finance Division • Enrollment Management • Office of the Provost • Student Affairs

15. CONTINUED progress • Since opening, Berry College has been recognized nationally for quality and value and has a reputation as a national leader in higher education. For more than a century, Berry College has emphasized the importance of a comprehensive and balanced education that unites a challenging academic program with opportunities for meaningful work experience, spiritual and moral growth, and significant service to others. (McDougald, 2011)

16. TODAY Even though she has been dead for 70 years, Martha Berry’s self-help ideals and relentless fund-raising efforts made Berry College one of the nation’s most successful educational experiments. As a result of her years of hard work within the schools and the college, Martha has earned her place in history as one of Georgia’s most prominent women of the first half of the 20th century.

17. REFERENCES • Berry College. (2012). Berry college: experience first hand. Retrieved July 3, 2012, from: • http://www.berry.edu/ • Dickey, O., & Mathis, D. (2005) Berry college: A history. Athens, GA: • University of Georgia Press. • Mathis, D., & Dickey O.W., (2010, January 01). Martha berry • (1866-1942). Retrieved from http:www.georgiaencyclopedia.org.nge • /Article.jsp?id=h-2621 • McDougald, L.M. (2011, April 01). Built on love & grace. An old tradition • returns to oak hill. Retrieved from http://enjoynwgeorgia.com/