Graceland University is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

with campuses in Lamoni, Iowa, and

Independence, Missouri Independence is the fifth-largest city in Missouri and the county seat of Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson County. Independence is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro ...

. The university offers degree completion and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

programs at

satellite campus A satellite campus or branch campus or regional campus is a campus of a university or college that is physically at a distance from the original university or college area. This branch campus may be located in a different city, state, or coun ...

es in Centerville and

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

, and

Trenton, Missouri Trenton is a city in Grundy County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,609 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Grundy County. The city used to be the world's largest producer of vienna sausages (at its biggest employer, the C ...

. It also offers

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

and graduate programs online. The university was founded in 1895. Graceland was established by, and is affiliated with, the

Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is an American-based international church, and is the second-largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. The churc ...

, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). Graceland's main campus in Lamoni offers over 50 academic programs, including 9 preprofessional programs and 35 undergraduate majors. The residential campus also offers 18 varsity sports, campus-wide activities, and intramural sports. The Independence campus offers graduate and undergraduate programs in the School of Nursing and the Edmund J. Gleazer School of Education. The campus is also home to programs in the

Community of Christ Seminary The Community of Christ Seminary at the Independence campus of Graceland University is the official and only seminary of Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day ...

. Patricia Draves has been Graceland's president since June 15, 2017.

History

Graceland University was established as Graceland College in 1895 by the RLDS Church in Lamoni, Iowa. Land for the college was donated by church members, with the first 20 acres given by Marietta Walker. The name "Graceland" was selected by Colonel George Barrett, land surveyor for the college, for the graceful slope of the hill upon which it was built. Until the administration building was completed, classes were conducted in a building in downtown Lamoni. The first day of classes was September 17, 1895. In 1917, Graceland received accreditation from the states of Iowa and Missouri and from the North Central Association of Colleges, making it the first fully accredited junior college in Iowa. Graceland became a four-year college in 1960. Its nursing program began in 1910 as a cooperative program with the Independence Sanitarium and Hospital in Independence, MO. The Graceland campus was extended to Independence with the establishment of the college's bachelor's degree program in 1968–69. The Graceland Partnership Program, offering degree-completion programs on community college campuses, was established in 1989. In 1995, Graceland acquired SkillPath, a business training company that offers seminars and classes. Graceland College became Graceland University on June 1, 2000.

Academics

Reputation

Graceland University Administration Building

Graceland ranked "first tier" in ''U.S. News & World Reports "America's Best Colleges" in 2011, 2012 and 2013. It falls in the "Private University" category, "Midwest Region". In 2012, Graceland ranked 91st and in 2013 88th. The reports cite Graceland's small class sizes, with 72% of classes containing 20 or fewer students, financial aid services, and the university's "selective" admissions process. Graceland has also been recognized by the Princeton Review as a top school in the Midwest.

Accreditation

Graceland is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and have full approval status with the Iowa Board of Nursing and the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

Programs

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Graceland's College of Liberal Arts and Science holds classes only on the Lamoni campus. The college holds five divisions: Division of Visual and Performing Arts, Division of Health and Movement Science, Division of Humanities, Division of Science and Math and the Division of Social Science. Among these divisions are over 30 majors, including pre-professional programs.

School of Nursing

The School of Nursing is one of Graceland's most popular programs. The School of Nursing offers classes on the Independence Campus and online. In the undergraduate nursing program (Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to Registered Nurse), students complete four semesters of general education classes on the Lamoni campus, then transfer to the Independence campus to complete their final four semesters. An accelerated nursing program is available that allows students to graduate is seven semesters.School of Nursing
The School of Nursing's online programs include both graduate and undergraduate degrees: BA in health care management, RN to BSN, RN to MSN, Master of Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Post Master MSN certificate, Nurse Educator Post Master MSN certificate and a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Edmund J. Gleazer School of Education

The Edmund J. Gleazer School of Education, named for Edmund John Gleazer Jr., a past president of the university, is one of Graceland's largest programs. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Classes are offered on the Lamoni campus, Independence campus, the regional campuses and online.Edmund J. Gleazer School of Education
"Our Programs Center Around You." Graceland University. N.p., n.d. Web. 2012. Undergraduate degrees include elementary education and secondary education. The Lamoni campus is the only location that offers a secondary teaching certificate. The School of Education has a partnership with Kansas City, MO, schools, called Professional Development Schools (PDS). The PDS partnership assigns education students to an in-the-field classroom for an entire semester of student teaching (as opposed to the traditional one semester.) The School of Education offers international programs, where students can student-teach in New Zealand, or take winter term classes in Jamaica and Zambia. Graduate programs include a Master's of Education with six different specializations: literacy instruction, management in the inclusive classroom, collaborative teaching and learning, differentiated instruction, technology integration and mild/moderate special education.

C.H. Sandage School of Business

The C.H. Sandage School of Business offers undergraduate programs. Classes are held on the Lamoni campus and degree completion programs are held online and at regional campuses. Programs include accounting, agricultural business, business administration, economics, organizational leadership and sport management.C.H. Sandage School of Business
"C.H. Sandage School of Business." Graceland University. N.p., n.d. Web. 2012. The School of Business maintains a close partnership with the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. Graceland students who plan to attend a graduate school are encouraged to consider Seton Hall as an option. The School of Business is named after Charles H. Sandage, a past professor for the university.

= Enactus

= The School of Business is tied to Graceland's Enactus team. Founded in 1989, the team works internationally and locally. In recent years, Graceland Enactus program has taken winter term trips to Zambia, the Philippines and Belize. In 1996 Graceland Enactus was named U.S. National Champion, and advanced to compete at the Enactus World Cup in Paris, France. The team finished second to China at the competition. In April 2012, Graceland Enactus was named Regional Champion for the 12th consecutive year and placed in the top eight teams at the Enactus National Exposition.

Community of Christ Seminary

The Community of Christ Seminary is offered online or at the Community of Christ Temple. The program offers a Master's of Arts in religion.

Chapel

The Cheville Chapel was dedicated in 1978 in honor of

Roy Cheville Roy A. Cheville (October 2, 1897–April 6, 1986) was a religious leader, theologian and educator in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), which became Community of Christ in 2001. Cheville graduated from G ...

, theologian, educator and former

Presiding Patriarch In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Presiding Patriarch (also called Presiding Evangelist, Patriarch over the Church, Patriarch of the Church, or Patriarch to the Church) is a church-wide leadership office within the priesthood. Among the duties ...

of the

. The structure was built for $325,000 and funded by a restricted private bequest. In keeping with the desire for the

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

to be an accessible place of solitude, Graceland's president Frank Hough determined that the facility should remain unstaffed and open at all times. The chapel's relatively small seating capacity makes it an intimate setting for worship, theological education and the performance of

sacred music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...

. Known for its excellent

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acousticia ...

, it has been used for small ensemble performances. It is used several times a week by campus groups for worship services, and as a place of individual prayer and reflection. Architecturally, the

postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...

brick structure is minimalist. It is reminiscent of the exterior simplicity of the Rothko Chapel in Houston built only a few years earlier, while its twin

steeple In architecture, a steeple is a tall tower on a building, topped by a spire and often incorporating a belfry and other components. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religi ...

foreshadows the deconstructivist style in architecture that began a decade later. The chapel houses Aaron Sherer's "The Process of Becoming", a canvas wall hanging employing a mix of colorfully painted ribbons.

Student life

Residence life

Instead of having fraternities and sororities like many universities, Graceland has residential social organizations called "Houses." These Houses are on Graceland's main campus, but the Independence campus has its own House, McKevit Manor. Students are assigned to a House whether they live on or off campus. Graceland has eight men's Houses: Agape, Cheville, Closson, Faunce, Orion, Powell, Stewart Manor, and Tiona; and eight women's Houses: Amici, Aponivi, Hanthorne, Khiyah, Paloma, Sariah, Shalom, and Solah.
"Leadership & Service." Graceland University. N.p., n.d. Web. 2022. Each House has officers who serve on Graceland's student government. The officers form a House Council, including a House President (who leads the House Council), a Campus Organization of Social Activities (COSA) representative, an Academic Student Council (ASC) representative, a senator, an intramural sports representative and a chaplain. House Council members are elected by members of their House. In addition to their student government duties, House Council members plan social activities called "functions". The functions vary by House and range from formal dinners to campouts. Houses hold meetings every Tuesday at 10 p.m. Meetings are led by the House President and House Council and vary widely from House to House.

Activities and organizations

Graceland has over 50 clubs and organizations for students. Between Graceland student government and the campus clubs and organizations, over 250 official leadership positions are available.Activities and Organizations
"Get Involved." Graceland University. N.p., n.d. Web. 2012. Graceland student government is a popular student activity, particularly for sophomore and junior students on campus. Intramurals are perhaps the most popular campus activity, with over 98% student participation. Intramural teams are divided by House and level of competition. Other popular student clubs include the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), International Club, Outreach International club, Enactus, Art Student Society and Sustainability Club.

Performing arts

With the completion of the Shaw Center expansion in fall 2012, Graceland has placed a renewed emphasis on the performing arts. Graceland performance groups include Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Oratorio Chorus, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Symphonic Band, Orchestra and Theatre. For the 2012–2013 academic year, Graceland doubled its number of annual theatre productions. Over 1/3 of Graceland students participate in the arts (both visual and performing). Graceland brings a variety of talent acts to campus. In 2012, Graceland brought in Canadian trumpeter Jens Lindemann, trombone player Wycliffe Gordon, the Fountain City Brass Band, vocalist Shannon Gaye, actor Arliss Howard, who directed Graceland's homecoming play, the Vienna Boys Choir, and Owen/Cox Dance group.

School traditions

House Meeting Every Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. students gather with their fellow House members in a weekly meeting. Meetings are led by the House President and involve House Council members. Meetings vary from House to House, but generally include recreational activities and announcements from House Council members. Meetings are generally held in House lounges.Goehner, David. The Graceland College Book of Knowledge. Independence: Herald Publishing House, 1997. 168-69. Print. Airband Every year at Graceland's annual Homecoming weekend, COSA puts on an annual Airband competition. Male Houses are paired with female Houses (brother/sister Houses) and teams compete against each other in a choreographed dance competition. Houses spend weeks preparing props, themes, and storylines for the competition, then perform their routines before a panel of judges. The winner of Airband is awarded points, and the team with the most Homecoming points wins money for its House. New Years in November Every year in mid-November, COSA sponsors a campuswide dance and celebration, called New Year's in November. The event is essentially a celebration of the coming new year, because students are not on campus for New Year's Eve. The event has a specific theme every year and includes dancing and other activities. The event traditionally ends with a pancake breakfast in the Commons. Final Fling The final weekend of the semester, COSA sponsors a campuswide celebration for students. Events vary year to year, but often include inflatables, sports tournaments, and various entertainment acts. Students collect wristbands for each event they attend, and at the weekend's conclusion enter their wristbands in a drawing for prizes. Thursday Night Movie Once a week, COSA plays a free movie in the local theatre, The Coliseum. Before 2012, the movie played on Wednesdays; the day was changed in fall 2012 to accommodate Graceland student government meetings.

Athletics

The Graceland athletic teams are called the Yellowjackets. The university is a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the

Heart of America Athletic Conference The Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC or The Heart) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in ...

(HAAC) since the 1971–72 academic year. The Yellowjackets previously competed in the

Missouri College Athletic Union The Missouri College Athletic Union (MCAU) was an intercollegiate athletic conference that existed from 1924 to 1971. It consisted primarily of private universities from the state of Missouri that departed the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Ass ...

(MCAU) from 1960–61 to 1970–71. Graceland competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, track & field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, flag football, golf, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading, dance and rodeo.

Notable alumni

Alik L. Alik Alik L. Alik (born January 26, 1953) is a diplomat and politician from the Federated States of Micronesia who was the Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia from May 11, 2007 to May 11, 2015. Born in Kosrae, Alik completed high scho ...

: politician, Vice President of the

Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states compr ...

, 2007–present *

Leonard Boswell Leonard Leroy Boswell (January 10, 1934 – August 17, 2018) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2013, a district based in Des Moines. A member of the Democratic Party, he was defeated for reelectio ...

: politician, Democratic member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

3rd District, 1997–2013 * Teresa Carpenter: journalist and novelist,

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

winner, 1981 * David Clinefelter: American teacher and academic administrator, 1972 * Merle Harmon: sport announcer, motivational speaker, entrepreneur *

Caitlyn Jenner Caitlyn Marie Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner; October 28, 1949) is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete. Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yellowjackets before incurring a knee ...

: 1976 Olympic gold medalist-

decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄ ...

, television personality * Don Knabe: former member of

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States. History On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Sessions as their firs ...

Roger D. Launius Roger D. Launius (born May 15, 1954) is an American historian and author of Lithuanian descent, a former chief historian of NASA. He retired in 2016 as Associate Director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs for the Smithsonian National Ai ...

: author, US Air Force historian,

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

chief historian, associate director,

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Na ...

* C. Robert Mesle: Process theologian, 1972 *

Frederick Madison Smith Frederick Madison Smith (January 21, 1874 – March 20, 1946), generally known among his followers as "Fred M.", was an American religious leader and author and the third Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter ...

: Graceland's first graduate; third president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now the

, 1915–1946 *

Israel Alexander Smith Israel Alexander Smith (February 2, 1876 – June 14, 1958) was the fourth son of Joseph Smith III and a grandson of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Israel A. Smith succeeded his brother, Frederick M. Smith, as P ...

: President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now the Community of Christ, 1946–1958 *

David Yost David Harold Yost (; born January 7, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for portraying Billy Cranston in ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', '' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie'', '' Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers'' a ...

: actor, original Blue

Power Ranger ''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise ''Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS Ente ...

Milton Young Milton Ruben Young (December 6, 1897 – May 31, 1983) was an American politician, most notable for representing North Dakota in the United States Senate from 1945 until 1981. At the time of his retirement, he was the most senior Republican in t ...

: politician, Republican U.S. Senator from

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...

, 1945–1981

References

External links

*
Graceland athletics website
{{authority control 1895 establishments in Iowa Community of Christ Educational institutions established in 1895 Latter Day Saint universities and colleges Private universities and colleges in Iowa Education in Decatur County, Iowa Private universities and colleges in Missouri Buildings and structures in Independence, Missouri Latter Day Saint movement in Iowa Latter Day Saint movement in Missouri University, Graceland Buildings and structures in Decatur County, Iowa Education in Jackson County, Missouri