Радфордский университет: история и современность

Public university in Radford, Virginia, US
the university in Virginia

Radford University is a public university in Radford, Virginia, United States. It is one of the state's eight doctorate granting public universities. Founded in 1910, Radford offers curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, graduate programs including the M. F. A., M. B. A., M. A., M. S., Ed. S., Psy. D., M. S. W., and specialized doctoral programs in health related professions. It is classified among "Doctoral/Professional Universities".

The State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford was founded in Radford as a women's college in 1910. In 1924, the school was renamed the State Teachers College at Radford, with the primary intent of training teachers in the Appalachian region. In 1943, as part of the state's consolidation movement, the college merged with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in nearby Blacksburg, serving as the then predominately male land grant college's women's campus.

Radford University's undergraduate programs emphasize the liberal arts, business, sciences, and teacher education. The graduate and undergraduate programs in business administration offered by the College of Business and Economics at Radford University are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The university has a student/faculty ratio of 14:1 with an average class size of 19. More than 80 percent of faculty members hold doctorates or other terminal degrees (M. F. A., M. B. A., Ph. D., J. D., etc.) in their fields.

Radford University is an campus located in a residential area of Radford, Virginia. The town is located in the Virginia Highlands, between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains at a double bend in the New River. Nearly all of the 31 administrative, academic, student services, and residence halls, some built in a red brick Georgian style, are located on a main lawn and two quadrangles and a pedestrian thoroughfare in a area, while a large adjoining area along the New River separated from the main campus by U. S. Route 11 and the Norfolk Southern railroad holds the university's athletic facilities, student parking lots, and student apartments. The university opened a new COBE building (College of Business and Economics) in 2012. In 2014 a New Student Fitness Center opened. A new Center for Sciences opened during the spring semester of 2016. The following fall semester, the new CHBS (College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences) Building opened its doors. As of 2016, nearly all dorms at Radford have been renovated. Renovations are currently ongoing for several buildings on campus. Radford is located on exits 105 and 109 of Interstate 81, with accessibility to nearby I 77. Bordering the Little River, and about five miles from campus, is the Selu Conservancy, a reserve, observatory, retreat, and conference center owned by the University Foundation. Radford University is also home to the Radford University planetarium – a permanent planetarium with a 10 meter dome, running the Digistar 5 planetarium software. The planetarium is primarily operated by work study students and is maintained by the physics department. All shows are free for all attendees.

The university's teams are known as the Highlanders (in honor of the region's Scots Irish heritage) and compete in the Big South Conference. Radford offers 16 NCAA varsity sports for men and women. The Radford men's basketball team won the Big South Conference tournament in 1998, 2009, and 2018. Radford also won the Big South Conference Men's Tennis Championship in 2007, 2008, and 2009 as well as the Big South Softball Championship in 2009. The Radford baseball team has won the Big South Conference Championship in 2015, and 2017. In 2015, they defeated the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina with a walk off single by Hunter Higgerson. The team finished with a final record of 45–16. The team was selected to compete in the Nashville Regional where they went 2–2, with wins against Lipscomb University and Indiana University, before losing to the 2015 National Runner up Vanderbilt University, in the Regional Finals. The Radford men's rugby club team won the Division II National Championship in 2003 and 2008. Student athletes have exclusive use of the Dedmon Center, a recreational and convocation complex that opened in 1981. The Dedmon Center features a 1/6 mile indoor jogging track, a weight training room, locker rooms, and several team rooms. The main arena features a basketball floor and a secondary volleyball arena for intercollegiate competition with four recreational courts for basketball or volleyball. Adjoining facilities include intramural soccer, football, softball fields, and intercollegiate fields and courts for baseball, softball, field hockey, and tennis. The Patrick D. Cupp Stadium adds an intercollegiate soccer, lacrosse, and track and field complex.