CNU: a pre-eminent liberal arts university

Outstanding teaching with a strong commitment to undergraduate education and the liberal studies core are the hallmarks of Christopher Newport University. A dramatic transformation spanning the past decade has placed it among the United States'pre-eminent liberal arts universities. As the youngest university in the Commonwealth of Virginia's excellent system of higher education, CNU is getting better, not bigger.

CNU offers baccalaureate programs through its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business, which earned international accreditation in 2005 by the world's top business accrediting organization — the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The University also offers five-year Bachelor's to Master's in teaching, applied physics and computer science and environmental science as well as graduate programs in applied physics and computer science and environmental science.

CNU offers an unbeatable combination of great teaching, small classes and a commitment to placing students first, which means that the quality of teaching, advising and student life is the University's first concern. Classes average only 25 students, and are taught by faculty members — 85 percent of which hold a doctorate or the highest degree in their field – not teaching assistants. Fifty-five new faculty members have been added since 2003. These scholars desire to engage and challenge students inside and outside the classroom and are committed to playing an active role in campus life.

Growing reputation for excellence

Word of Christopher Newport University's dramatic transformation is spreading far beyond the campus, and the University is drawing the best students from Virginia and beyond. In 2004, The Washington Post selected CNU as one of 20 top mid-Atlantic schools that it called "undiscovered gems."

Over the past decade, applications have exploded by more than 600 percent, and SAT scores have soared by more than 200 points. In 2005, 6,074 students applied for a place in the freshman class of 1,200. In 2005, the average freshman had an SAT score of 1152 and a 3.4 grade point average. Students enroll from every region of Virginia, 26 other states and several foreign countries.

The newest state-of-the-art facilities

Matching its academic success is the physical transformation of the campus, as the University nears completion of a $400 million building campaign. A $16 million sports and convocation center, The Freeman Center, opened in 2000 and was named the outstanding sports facility in the United Statesby the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association.

Nearly 3,000 students are housed in the University's state-of-the-art residential facilities that include four new residence halls and two new apartment complexes that win raves from students and parents, as well as architectural awards. New residential living includes CNU Village, a unique mixed-use development on campus that houses restaurants and stores that serve the entire community as well as students, faculty and staff. A world-class student union is expected to be completed by summer 2006, and an expansion that will double the size of the library will open soon after.

The world-class Ferguson Center for the Arts

The $60 million Ferguson Center for the Arts is the crowning jewel of Christopher Newport University. Teaching and learning are celebrated in the 1,700-seat Concert Hall, 500-seat Music and Theatre Hall, 200-seat Studio Theatre, classrooms, sound-isolated music practice spaces, rehearsal halls, dance studios, costume shops, lighting labs and set design studios.

The Center's inaugural season began in September 2005 with the christening of the impressive Concert Hall by Michael Crawford and the New York Pops under the direction of Skitch Henderson. The amazing performance schedule for 2005-06 includes 40 attractions representing 15 countries in genres from symphony and opera to modern dance and ballet, from jazz, gospel, blues, pops, country and western to Broadway and even includes wonderful children's theater.

The Ferguson Center is about exciting and challenging educational opportunities. CNU students work with, and learn from, the finest artists in the world. In October, one CNU student got the experience of a lifetime when he sang alongside the Italian opera sensation Andrea Bocelli for a sold-out performance in the Concert Hall.

A vibrant campus life

Students at CNU participate in more than 100 clubs and organizations, along with dozens of recreational and club sports. Student organizations reflect a variety of interests, including community service, academic and cultural enrichment, student leadership, religious pursuits, athletics, and international or ethnic ties. Whether a student is interested in biology field trips to the ocean or becoming a leader in campus government, a rich array of activities make campus life outside the classroom memorable.

Learning beyond campus

At CNU, we believe that the best way for students to truly appreciate what they have available to them in the United States is to study abroad. The rich cultural experiences they gain are as unique as the destinations they choose. And what they learn is something that can never be duplicated in the classroom.

Travel opportunities are available to eligible CNU students of all majors and programs. Students are spending semesters or full academic years in Japan, Costa Rica, India, Russia, Mexico, England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece and Australia. Depending on the program, they engage in lectures, seminars, tutorials, language immersion and internships.

And new for spring 2006 is the CNU Study Center in Prague, located just northwest of the center of Prague. The Study Center is housed in an historic complex where classes are taught, and CNU students live in apartment-style residences on site.

Through a State Department grant, CNU is developing a cultural-education exchange program that focuses on building bridges between cultures and giving students an opportunity to share their respective histories, backgrounds and cultures. This program will bring about 20 students from the countries of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria to CNU in summer 2006. Then during summer 2007, the CNU student hosts will travel to Morocco and Tunisia, reunite with their student partners, and attend seminars on the history, religion and culture of the region, and explore regional cultural/historical sites and earn academic credit. As an increasing number of CNU students and faculty members take advantage of international education opportunities, CNU established the Office of International Initiatives and Fellowships in July 2005 to serve as a source of information, guidance and support. The office creates, supervises and administers study-abroad initiatives. It oversees the recruitment of students and coordinates the application process for national and international scholarships and fellowships as well.

Located near the ocean and mountains in a history-lover's paradise

CNU's beautiful 260-acre campus is located in Newport News, Virginia, on the Virginia Peninsula. In the heart of Hampton Roads and one of the nation's top tourist destinations, it is a two-and-a-half hour drive south of Washington, D.C., and all that the nation's capital has to offer, and a three-hour drive from Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Less an hour's drive away is Virginia Beach, a classic American beach resort and the longest pleasure beach in the world, offering 35 miles of beaches along the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, a three-mile boardwalk, adventure sports, dolphin- and whale-watching and more. Also nearby are the amusement parks of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA.

Minutes from campus are the attractions of the Historic Triangle: Colonial Williamsburg, the restored 18th century capital of colonial Virginia and the largest living history museum in the United States; Yorktown, site of the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War; and Jamestown, the site of the first permanent English settlement in America. Christopher Newport University is named for the leader of the expedition to Jamestown, and the University will play a pivotal role in Jamestown 2007, the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the settlement.

The Hampton Roads region is a military and high tech development leader as well. It is home to the Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the world, as well as many Army, Air Force and Coast Guard installations. The University has strong ties to nearby NASA Langley Research Center and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Labs), one of the world's premier physics research facilities.

Within walking distance from campus is a peaceful, 550-acre woodland park with a five-mile jogging and hiking path that offers majestic views of the James River. The park also houses The Mariners'Museum, one of the world's largest maritime history museums, and the Peninsula Fine Arts Center.

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