King University is a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

-affiliated

private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...

Bristol, Tennessee Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 27,147 at the 2020 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundary be ...

, United States. Founded in 1867, King is independently governed with covenant affiliations to the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in the Religion in the United States, United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States too. Its th ...

and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).

History

In April 1866, the Holston Presbytery assembled at the old Pleasant Grove Church in Bristol, Tenn., to establish a Christian college. The college was built on of land in Bristol that had been donated by

Reverend The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...

James King, in whose honor it is named. The first classes were offered in August 1867. When the college outgrew its small campus, King's grandson Isaac Anderson donated land on a hillside east of

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

and in 1917, the college moved to its present location. In January 2013, King College announced that it would change its name to King University. The name change reflects the master's-level, comprehensive benchmark that King has reached in recent years. Becoming a university was the natural unfolding of King's strategic plan, unveiled in 1998, to create an even broader mix of programs based on a university model. On June 1, 2013, King College officially became King University. In December 2013, King University was granted a Level V designation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ( SACSCOC), after a two-year application and review process. As a result, King University began its first doctoral program, a Doctorate of Nursing Practice, in the Fall 2014.

Campus

The King University campus is located on approximately from downtown Bristol, Tennessee. All main buildings on campus are brick and of Georgian-style architecture. King University also has three additional Tennessee campuses located in Kingsport and

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

. There are 10 additional instructional locations across Southwest Virginia and Tennessee.

Accreditation and memberships

King University is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

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 ...

(SACSCOC) King is a member of numerous associations, including the Appalachian College Association (ACA), the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) and the

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is an international organization of evangelical Christian colleges and universities. The headquarters is in Washington, D.C., United States. History In 1976, presidents of colleges in Chri ...

(CCCU).

Academics

King University offers more than 80 undergraduate majors, minors and pre-professional programs. Several professional studies programs are offered for working professionals and most programs are available in face-to-face and online formats. King also offers several graduate programs: Master of Social Work (MSW), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Education (MEd), Master of Science in nursing (MSN), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Schools

King University is organized into six schools: *College of Arts and Sciences *Peeke School of Christian Mission *The School of Health and Professional Sciences *The School of Business, Economics and Technology *The School of Education *The School of Nursing

Libraries

* E.W. King Library (main campus): The E.W. King library contains a collection of over 140,000 items and is located on the north side of the campus Oval. * Kingsport Information Resource Center: This center serves the college's students who attend classes in Kingsport, TN, and the surrounding area. * Knoxville Learning Center: This center serves the college's Adult and Graduate Studies (AGS) students who attend classes in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the surrounding area.

Curriculum

The Core Curriculum of King University underwent its last major revision by the faculty during Spring 2009. The Core is composed of a Common Experience, four semester hours of courses that all tradition undergraduates must take at the college, and General Education, thirty-eight hours of courses that span the traditional liberal arts.

Experience DC

As part of the university's First Year Experience Program, each year the entire freshman class travels to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

for an experiential learning trip known as ''Experience DC''. During the trip, students visit offices of legislators, national museums, international organizations, art galleries and various public venues. Participants are challenged to explore their views on the arts, religion, varying cultures and issues facing humankind. The trip also helps students examine career options.

Institutes of King University

Institute of Security and Intelligence Studies: The King Institute for Security and Intelligence Studies (KISIS) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the scholarly study and advancement of security and intelligence issues. Institute for Regional and Economic Studies: The King Institute for Regional Economic Studies (KIRES) was established in 2012 to expand the scope of the King University Regional Economic Studies (KCRES) team. A small KCRES team was formed in 2010 within King's School of Business to provide analysis of economic problems and opportunities confronting the region served by King University. Institute for Faith & Culture: The King Institute aims to cultivate a conversation that is both artful and substantial on issues of Christian faith and culture, creating spaces for students and community members to find friendship and shared purpose.

Student life

Student government

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the formal representative entity for the student body, consisting of elected executive officers (President and Vice President) and a Senate representing each class (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior). The SGA serves as the voice of the students to the board of trustees, administration, faculty, and staff. The SGA also charters, funds, and oversees other student organizations.

Student organizations

Academic organizations include: STEA-KE (Education), History & Political Science Society, Psy Chi Honor Society, Forensic Science Club, Marketing Club, Finance Club, ENACTUS (formerly SIFE), and a collegiate chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery. Performing arts-related organizations include: Collegium Musicum (Chamber Choir), Symphonic Choir, Men's Ensemble (All the King's Men), Women's Ensemble (Queen's of King), Jazz/Gospel Choir, Symphonic Band, 250 Jazz (Combo Jazz Ensemble - plays at basketball games occasionally), Chapel Band, and The King University Players (K.U.P.) General interest organizations include

Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a national Mixed-sex education, coeducational Service fraternities and sororities, service Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It is the largest College fraterniti ...

, the Newman Club, a collegiate chapter of the International Justice Mission, the International Student Organization,

College Republicans College Republicans is an umbrella term that describes college and university students who support the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party of the United States. The College Republican National Committee (CRNC) is the oldest campus- ...

College Democrats College Democrats is an organization located on several college campuses. Their main focus is to elect Democratic Party candidates and provide networking and leadership opportunities for student members. The chapters have served as a way for coll ...

, TISL, and a computer/video gaming club.

Student publications

Students have the opportunity to work in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

and

publishing Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

. ''The Kayseean'' is the student

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

.
The Kayseean
' transitioned to an online format in 2019. The school

yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of Annual publication, a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually ...

is ''The Tornado''.

Student activities

The Student Life Activities Committee at King (SLACK) is a student group responsible for organizing and executing student activities under the direction of the Director of Student Life. Events in the past have included:

concerts 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 ...

dances Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, movies, outdoor adventures (canoeing, caving, ropes courses), overnight trips, International Fair, Oktoberfest, a late night exam breakfast, an end-of-the-year luau, Safe Spring Break promotion, and bingo nights. A program of

intramural sports Intramural sports are recreational sports organized within a particular institution, usually an educational institution, for the purpose of fun and exercise. The term, which is chiefly North American, derives from the Latin words ''intra muros'' m ...

, called SLACK Sports, is offered to students. Typical sports include: indoor soccer, flag football, volleyball, dodgeball, bowling, and ultimate frisbee. In addition, intramural video game tournaments, Texas Hold'em poker tournaments, chess tournaments, and board game nights are also held throughout the year.

Athletics

The King athletic teams are called the Tornado. The university is a member of the

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 ...

ranks, primarily competing in the

Conference Carolinas Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...

(CC) since the 2011–12 academic year. They were also a member of the

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic c ...

(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level. The Tornado previously competed as an NCAA D-II Independent from 2009–10 to 2010–11; and in the

Appalachian Athletic Conference The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the Southeastern United States in Tennessee, Kentu ...

(AAC) of the

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

(NAIA) from 2001–02 to 2008–09. King competes in 25 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include acrobatics & tumbling, basketball, cross-country, golf, softball, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, triathlon, volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include bass fishing, cheerleading, cycling, dance and Esports.

University nickname

The university nickname, the

Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

, was adopted in 1922 following a 206–0 football win over North Carolina rival Lenoir College (now Lenoir–Rhyne University). The local newspaper covering the event wrote the headline "King College's Victory Was 'Tornado' Of Week's Games" and began referring to the football team as the "Tornado". This is a record score which stands in the annals of collegiate football as one of the highest ever won on the gridiron.

University mascot

Twister, a lion, was unveiled as the university's new mascot on September 2, 2011. Twister is a fearless lion that represents the determination and courage reflected in King's adventure as an NCAA Division II institution. Equipped with his King colors of navy blue and scarlet red, Twister dons the number 11 on his back while rallying those in Tornado Athletics and the King University community.

Spiritual life

Students have many opportunities to explore Christian beliefs and spiritual traditions. Opportunities abound with chapel, the King Institute for Faith and Culture, Christian ministry groups, and service projects. Each year, student teams also travel nationally and internationally for a range of mission and study abroad trips. All traditional King students are required to obtain fourteen chapel, convocation, or community service credit hours per semester.

The King University Institute for Faith and Culture

Inaugurated in 2008 and dedicated to the work and example of

Frederick Buechner Carl Frederick Buechner ( ; July 11, 1926 – August 15, 2022) was an American author, Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies ...

, the Buechner Institute at King University explored the relationship between faith and culture. In 2015, after the death of Dale Brown, founding director, and at the request of the Buechner Literary Assets, LLC, the Buechner Institute became the King Institute for Faith and Culture. The King Institute for Faith and Culture is a continuation of conversations between faith, art, and culture started by the Buechner Institute. The King Institute for Faith and Culture sponsors on-campus convocations (generally on Mondays at 9:15 a.m.) as well as evening lectures either on campus or in community venues, that feature speakers from a variety of backgrounds to examine the ways in which faith informs art and public life and cultivate conversation about what faith has to do with books, politics, social discourse, music, visual arts, and more.

Notable alumni

* Christian H. Cooper author, trader, and member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

. *

Patricia Cornwell Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels; June 9, 1956) is an American crime writer. She is known for her best-selling novels featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, of which the first was inspired by a series of sensational murders ...

author * Cylk Cozart actor * Rodney D. Fogg General *

Mike Helton Michael Gregory Helton (born August 30, 1953) is an American businessman and the current vice chairman for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, better known as NASCAR. He is best known for being NASCAR's third president and for ...

former president of

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

Sarah Hildebrandt Sarah Ann Hildebrandt ( ; born September 23, 1993) is an American freestyle wrestler. She won the gold medal in the women's 50kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, and a bronze at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Hil ...

Olympic wrestler * William R. Laird, III

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

* Jason Mumpower Tennessee State Representative and Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee *

Katherine Paterson Katherine Paterson (née Womeldorf; born October 31, 1932) is an American writer best known for Children's literature, children's novels, including ''Bridge to Terabithia (novel), Bridge to Terabithia'' (1977), which won the Newbery Medal in 197 ...

author File:Patricia Cornwell in 2016.jpg,

File:Rodney D. Fogg.jpg, Rodney D. Fogg File:Sarah Hildebrandt (cropped).JPG,

File:Mike Helton Nascar President (2480176110).jpg,

File:Katherine Paterson Politics and Prose 2011 crop.jpg,

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{authority control Universities and colleges established in 1867 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Sullivan County, Tennessee Buildings and structures in Sullivan County, Tennessee 1867 establishments in Tennessee Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) Private universities and colleges in Tennessee