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Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, in the United States, an hour north-east of Little Rock. It is a private liberal arts Christian university associated with the Church of Christ.
The school was founded in 1924 as Harding College in Morrilton, Arkansas and moved a decade later to the campus of the defunct Galloway Women's College in Searcy. Today, the University contains 44 buildings. Seventeen degrees are offered, which include nine Bachelor's degrees, seven master's degrees and a degree in therapy. The student body of 5,975 students represents forty nine states and forty five foreign countries. University rules forbid smoking on campus, drugs and drinking (on or off campus), and sexual intercourse outside of wedlock. Men and women are not allowed in each others' dorm rooms. Bible courses and chapel attendance are mandatory for students.
Harding University also operates a graduate school of religion in Memphis, Tennessee, Camp Tahkodah, and Harding Academy. The latter is located in Searcy and should not be confused with Harding Academy in Memphis, though both have ties to the Church of Christ.
Harding's Presidents
- J.N. Armstrong 1924-1936
- George S. Benson 1936-1965
- Clifton L. Ganus Jr. 1965-1987
- David B. Burks 1987-present
Academics
Degrees Offered
Speakers in the American Studies Institute Distinguished Lecture Series
In keeping with Harding University's commitment to conservative political ideology, the American Studies Institute invites distinguished lecturers to speak on campus on a regular basis, and these speakers have been overwhelmingly conservative. Speakers in the Lecture Series have included the following:
- President George Bush
- President Gerald Ford
- Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
- Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev
- Prime Minister John Major
- Poland's first post-communist leader, Lech Walesa
- Vice President Dan Quayle
- Tennesee politician Lamar Alexander
- Vice President Dick Cheney
- Linda Chavez
- Henry Kissinger
- Tom Peters
- Jeane Kirkpatrick
- FSU football coach, Bobby Bowden
- Gene Stallings
- Zig Ziglar
- William Bennett
- Kenneth Cooper
- Fran Tarkenton
- William F. Buckley Jr., conservative journalist
- Zell Miller
- Robert Bork
- Jose María Aznar, recent president of Spain
International Programs
Harding offers several study abroad opportunities. International campuses are located in Italy, Greece, England, Australia, Chile, and France/Switzerland. Almost 30% of students from graduating classes have participated in one of these programs.
Campus
The campus includes a cafeteria, several fast food establishments, and a bookstore. A hallmark of Harding's campus are its white swings, which look like porch swings without the porch, and are very popular places to sit in the afternoons.
Student life
Many students participate in local Churches of Christ, social clubs, spiritual devotionals, and intramural sports. Each weekday morning students attend chapel, a 30 to 45 minute devotional session. Chapel presentations are usually led by students or faculty, but special events and guest speakers take place on a regular basis.
Social Clubs
Currently there are 31 clubs- 15 women's clubs and 16 men's clubs. Clubs host "mixers" in the fall to recruit new members. Prospective members then complete a "visitation," which requires that they meet and interview every current member of the club. The membership process culminates in Club Week, when each prospective member must complete the tasks given them by the vice president of the club.At the end of the week, potential members are scored, and if their efforts are sufficient, they are accepted into the club. Once a student is accepted into the club, they attend biweekly meetings and can participate in sports, service projects, and Spring Sing.
Spring Sing
Spring Sing is an annual musical production put on by the social clubs in April. Typically, over 10,000 people attend the show. Each year, an overall theme is selected and each club develops music and dance routines for the show. Rehearsals begin as early as January.Spring Sing also features a host and hostess and a general song and dance ensemble. These roles are chosen by audition. The ensemble performs to music played by the University Jazz Band.
Each club act is judged, and according to their rank each club is awarded a certain amount of money, which they then donate to a charity of their choice.
Campus Rules
Chapel and graded Bible courses are mandatory for all students.
Harding University has a no-smoking campus. Disciplinary action may be taken against students who smoke off campus. Illegal drugs are prohibited on or off campus. The consumption of alcohol is prohibited (for students and faculty) on or off campus. Exceptions have been made for missionaries participating in communion services in countries where partaking of the cup includes wine.
Harding recently re-evaluated its Code of Conduct. An e-mail from President David Burks indicated that these changes would take effect in the summer of 2006. This e-mail to the faculty outlined the following updates:
"For women, piercing will be limited to the wearing of earrings and a small nose stud. For men, piercing will be limited to the ear lobes and the wearing of small earrings or studs."
Regardless of age, students are prohibited from drinking alcohol. In the past, alcohol use has resulted in expulsion, even in cases where the student has self-reported the use of alcohol. Now, however, "students who voluntarily come to the Student Services office confessing an involvement with alcohol will be afforded an opportunity to submit to a range of possibilities up to but not including suspension or expulsion. Such agreements will only be reached when the student takes the first step in initiating discussion. Once a violation of the alcohol policy has otherwise been reported to the office of Student Services, those involved will no longer have the opportunity for this agreement and the violation will result in suspension."
Students and faculty may not participate in homosexual behavior.
Harding has restricted the wearing of shorts. Burks's e-mail updated the restriction: "shorts can be worn for casual wear at any time, but they will not be permitted in chapel, classes, or lyceum events."
"Curfew will be from midnight until 5:30 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and 1 a.m. until 5:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday." These rules may differ for Seniors.
Notable Alumni
- LaMar Baker
- Ed Madden, activist and professor at the University of South Carolina.
- Preacher Roe, former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Kenneth Starr, who did not graduate from Harding, got his degrees from George Washington University, Brown University, and Duke University.
External links
Gulf South Conference | Universities and colleges affiliated with the Church of Christ | Universities and colleges in Arkansas
"Harding University"