Fort Valley State University (FVSU; formerly Fort Valley State College and Fort Valley Normal and Industrial School) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

land-grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

historically black university Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

Fort Valley, Georgia Fort Valley is a city in and the county seat of Peach County, Georgia, Peach County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 8,780. The city is in the Warner R ...

, United States. It is part of the

University System of Georgia The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates gener ...

and a member-school of the

Thurgood Marshall College Fund The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is a non-profit organization that supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 55 member-schools that include public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), medical school ...

. Fort Valley State University is the state's 1890 land-grant university and enrolls over 2,500 students. Approximately 90% of the student body is of African-American descent. The university is located in the town of Fort Valley in Peach County. Its 1,365-acre (5.52 km²) main campus is Georgia's largest public university in area.

History

Fort Valley State University, formerly Fort Valley State College, began with the 1939 consolidation of the Fort Valley High and Industrial School (chartered in 1895) and the State Teachers and Agricultural College of Forsyth (founded in 1902). The Fort Valley High and Industrial School, previously affiliated with the American Church Institute of the

Protestant Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

, was transferred to state control and operation. Under the agreement, the work formerly carried on at the State Teachers and Agricultural College was consolidated with the work at Fort Valley High and Industrial School to form the Fort Valley State College. In 1947 the state

Board of Regents In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual co ...

adopted a resolution moving the "

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

" designation from

Savannah State College Savannah State University (SSU) is a public historically black university in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is the oldest historically black public university in the state. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College ...

to Fort Valley State College. In response to the Regents' resolution, in 1949 the Georgia General Assembly officially designated the Fort Valley State College as the Land-Grant College for Negroes in Georgia. Public education was segregated at that time. The school became Fort Valley State University, a state and land-grant university, in June 1996.

Presidents

The president of Fort Valley State University is the chief executive officer of the university. Paul Jones has held the position since 2015. The complete list of presidents includes:

Academics

Fort Valley State University offers

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

s in more than 50 majors, as well as

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate 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 prac ...

s in several fields of study. FVSU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

(SACS) to award associate, baccalaureate, master's and specialist degrees. The university also offers the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) which provides an opportunity for qualified students to receive a

STEM Stem or STEM most commonly refers to: * Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant * Stem group * Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Stem or STEM can also refer to: Language and writing * Word stem, part of a word respon ...

degree from FVSU and an

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, or University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley. The university's honors program is a selective undergraduate program designed to cater to high-achieving students. Outreach services include Fort Valley State's Cooperative Extension Service Program, where extension service specialists operate in 42

Georgia counties The U.S. state of Georgia is divided into 159 counties, the second-highest number after Texas, which has 254 counties. Under the Georgia State Constitution, all of its counties are granted home rule to deal with problems that are purely local ...

, and the Pettigrew Conference Center, which hosts more than 500 courses and events for 51,000 patrons each year. In an effort to accommodate graduate and

non-traditional student Nontraditional student is a term that refers to a category of students at Higher education, colleges and universities. The term originated in North America and usually involves age and social characteristics. Nontraditional students are contrasted ...

s, external degree program courses are also being offered at off-campus sites in Macon, Cochran, Warner Robins and

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. The university offers online courses via

WebCT WebCT (Course Tools) or Blackboard Learning System, now owned by Blackboard, is an online proprietary virtual learning environment system that is licensed to colleges and other institutions and used in many campuses for e-learning. To their WebCT ...

, which allows students to pursue a number of majors and programs from home.

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences, the oldest and the largest college at FVSU, houses 12 academic units and offers nearly 80 percent of the courses taught at FVSU. The college services the University System of Georgia's Academic Core and provides 20 undergraduate major fields of study. The Department of Business Administration and Economics is the largest academic department in the College of Arts and Sciences, and is an accredited member of the

Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), formerly the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, is a United States–based organization offering accreditation services to business programs focused on te ...

(ACBSP).

College of Education

The College of Education is an educator preparation program offering degrees in Middle Grades Education, undergraduate and graduate; Agriculture Education, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate; Early Childhood / Special Education undergraduate; School Counseling; Early Childhood / Special Education graduate; Health and Physical Education; Family and Consumer Sciences Education; and an MAT degree in the secondary teaching areas.

College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology

The College of Agriculture, Home Economics & Allied Programs is ranked 25th nationally in the production of African American agriculturists and the university's leader in placing first-time applicants into medical, dental, veterinary and pharmacy schools and colleges since 2001. The college has laboratories in the state, and scientists are securing grant funds and conducting cutting-edge research.

Campus

Pettigrew Center

Pettigrew Farm and Community Life Center is a conference, convention, and fine arts facility.

Anderson Museum and Welcome Center

The Anderson House is Fort Valley State University's oldest building and houses the Biggs Collection.

Anderson House

Anderson House was the residence of F.W. Gano, one of the university's founders. It is the oldest facility on campus. The exhibits and displays in the house come from the Biggs Collection of period furnishings, silver, glassware, china, quilts, linens and civil war memorabilia.

Student activities

FVSU students have many opportunities for extracurricular involvement at the university, including

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...

intercollegiate athletics, The Blue Machine

Marching Band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

, Baptist Student Union Choir,

forensics Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...

(intercollegiate speech and debate), and

cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense Physical exercise, physical activity. It can be performed to motivate s ...

. Overall, there are more than 70 clubs, social, and Greek organizations on campus.

Student media

FVSU has a radio station (WFVS-FM 96.9) and a television station (FVSU TV), as well as a college newspaper, ''The Peachite''.

Athletics

Athletic opportunities include intramural sports and intercollegiate men's basketball, cross country, football, tennis, and track and field, and volleyball and women's basketball, cross country, softball, tennis, volleyball, and track and field. The school currently competes as a member of the

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Formed in 1913, it consists mostly of historically black col ...

Alumni

References

External links

*
Athletics website

recordings and documents, American Memory, Library of Congress {{authority control Universities and colleges established in 1895 Historically black universities and colleges in the United States Land-grant universities and colleges Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 1895 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Education in Peach County, Georgia Buildings and structures in Peach County, Georgia Public universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state)