Mission Statement
In pursuit of the development of the whole person, Lenoir-Rhyne University seeks to liberate mind and spirit, clarify personal faith, foster physical wholeness, build a sense of community, and promote responsible leadership for service in the world.
As an institution of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the University holds the conviction that wholeness of personality, true vocation, and the most useful service to God and the world are best discerned from the perspective of Christian faith.
As a community of learning, the University provides programs of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing study committed to the liberal arts and sciences as a foundation for a wide variety of careers and as guidance for a meaningful life.
Vision Statement
Our goal is to prepare graduates for purposeful lives and service through exceptional experiences.
Values Statement
Lenoir-Rhyne University espouses a set of values designed to inform us, as members of this educational community, in our personal development and our interactions with others. These values establish our principles of operation as an organization. They furnish guidance and assurance to each member of our community, and they help us to see how everyone’s contributions improve the life of our university.
These principles are made manifest through our daily actions, and they are fully realized only when embraced by everyone in our community. Constant and consistent attention to these core values will cultivate the continuous improvement of our institution, will assist us in the achievement of our mission, and will direct us toward realizing our vision as a university.
Excellence - We will strive for excellence in everything we do. We will continuously cultivate our intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth. We will develop our talents and abilities to their fullest extents.
Integrity - We will act with integrity at all times. We will respect and be honest with each other. We will take personal responsibility for our words and our actions.
Care - We will care about others in our learning and working relationships. We will be responsible stewards of our resources. We will support each other and work together toward the common good.
Curiosity - We will learn from our community, past and present. We will confront important issues with humility and open minds. We will embrace the gains attained from the diversity of people and perspectives.
Accreditation Statement 2024-2025
Lenoir-Rhyne University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters and doctorate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Lenoir-Rhyne University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling 404.679.4500 or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Initial Accreditation: 1928
Last Accreditation Review: 2018
Next Accreditation Review: 2028
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the regional accrediting agency for 11 states including North Carolina and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. All SACSCOC member institutions are required to undergo a full accreditation review every 10 years and submit a Fifth-Year Interim Report between decennial reviews.
Purpose of Accreditation Status Publication
The purpose of publishing Lenoir-Rhyne University’s accreditation status with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is to:
- Learn about the accreditation status of the institution,
- File a third-party comment at the time of the university’s decennial review, or
- File a complaint against the university for alleged non-compliance with a standard or requirement. It indicates that normal inquiries about the institution, such as admission requirements, financial aid, educational programs, etc. should be addressed directly to the institution and not to the commission’s office.
For more information on additional accreditation, please visit the Lenoir-Rhyne Accreditation webpage at: https://www.lr.edu/about/accreditation
History
The Reverends William P. Cline, Andrew L. Crouse, Jason Moser, and Robert A. Yoder shared the desire of other Lutheran leaders that the church establish an institution in Hickory to train teachers and ministers and offer a religious-oriented education to all youth.
Their desire for a school did not take form until property became available through a Hickory businessman, Colonel J.G. Hall. The property, a 56-acre tract one mile north of the Hickory business district, was part of the estate of a Watauga County lawyer, Captain Walter Lenoir. Before he died in 1890, Captain Lenoir surveyed the area and deeded it to Colonel Hall with the request that it be used only as a campus for a church-sponsored college. Colonel Hall, acting as Lenoir’s trustee, turned the property over to the ministers after they had signed personal notes assuring that $10,000 would be invested in buildings and equipment.
The school opened September 1, 1891. It carried the name ”Highland College,” but four months later it was chartered under the name of Lenoir College in memory of the donor of the land. The 149 students and eight teachers met for classes the first year in a modest two-door frame structure which had originally housed a private academy. During its second year, the college moved into a new brick main building which housed the academic, administrative, social, and religious life of the campus until it was destroyed by fire in 1927.
Even though Lutheran ministers founded the college, taught its classes, and Lutheran congregations sent young people to its doors, it was not until 1895 that the college established a formal relationship with the church. That year, the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod, which included a large number of North Carolina congregations, assumed official sponsorship and support of the institution and, through its successor bodies, has maintained the church relationship to the present day.
For almost three decades Lenoir College served as a combination college, business school, and academy under the leadership of President R.A. Yoder (1891-1901) and President R.L. Fritz (1901-1920). By the time Dr. J.C. Peery (1920-1925) became president, the emergence of public schools in North Carolina had squeezed the academy division out of the college structure. The institution made another major change in its academic program by abandoning its traditional program of a single liberal arts curriculum and offering students a choice of varied major fields.
In 1923 the college changed its name to honor Daniel E. Rhyne, a Lincoln County industrialist who boosted the endowment and other assets of the institution with his frequent gifts. In recognition of his support, the institution’s name became Lenoir-Rhyne College.
Approval of Lenoir-Rhyne College’s academic program was earned during the Fritz administration when the North Carolina State Board of Education awarded A-grade ratings to Lenoir-Rhyne and nine other colleges. It was during the administration of President H. Brent Schaeffer (1926-1934) that regional accreditation was earned. Lenoir-Rhyne College was admitted to membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1928.
Dramatic growth in student enrollment marked the closing years of the administration of Dr. P.E. Monroe (1934-1949). Boosted by the influx of returning veterans following World War II, enrollment rose from 407 in 1945 to 843 two years later.
Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Growth
The trend toward rising enrollments carried over into the administration of Dr. Voigt R. Cromer (1949-1967). Gradual enlargement of the student body continued until 1,300 students were enrolled. The faculty increased to 96 members, the endowment grew to $1.8 million, and 13 major buildings were constructed.
During the administration of Dr. Raymond M. Bost (1967-1976), Lenoir-Rhyne College initiated long-range plans to enrich the quality of its curriculum. Major improvements in the academic calendar and program were implemented, and joint-degree programs with other institutions of higher education were increased. Student personnel services expanded, the campus enlarged to 100 acres, and the endowment grew to $3.9 million.
Dr. Albert B. Anderson served as the eighth president from 1976-1982. His administration was marked by a refinement of the college’s role as a church-related institution, the restructuring of the academic calendar and core curriculum, and the addition of majors in psychology and accounting. Capital campaigns conducted by the church, the local community, and alumni resulted in the construction of a physical education center, new instructional facilities, the renovation of an existing classroom building, and a new mini-auditorium. With the 1980-1981 academic year, the college established a graduate program in education. In addition, two significant programs-the Lineberger Center for Cultural and Educational Renewal and the Broyhill Institute for Business Leadership-were established under Dr. Anderson’s leadership and the endowment grew to $8.8 million.
Lenoir-Rhyne College graduate and member of the college’s Board of Trustees, Albert M. Allran, guided the college as interim president for approximately 20 months before the appointment of Dr. John E. Trainer, Jr. Dr. Trainer’s administration as ninth president began in August 1984 and closed in May 1994. In recognition of the college’s centennial anniversary in 1991, supporters contributed more than $27 million for endowment, building, and operational purposes. The endowment increased to $19 million and the annual operational budget advanced to $20 million. During the decade, the college also added a major field of study in occupational therapy, gained institutional recognition among top-ranked colleges in the nation, and initiated special renewed efforts to encourage academic excellence and student leadership development.
The tenth president, Dr. Ryan A. LaHurd, was called to Lenoir-Rhyne College in 1994, following nine years of service at Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN), where he served as vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college. He helped the college achieve a vision to embrace multiculturalism, celebrate Lutheran heritage, and strengthen Lenoir-Rhyne College’s leadership as a comprehensive regional college of the liberal arts. He resigned in June 2002.
Dr. Wayne B. Powell became Lenoir-Rhyne’s 11th President on December 1, 2002, following two years of service as vice president and dean for academic affairs at the college. He previously served other institutions as a dean and professor of mathematics. Dr. Powell articulated an aggressive vision for Lenoir-Rhyne centered around excellence and founded in the college’s heritage as a nationally recognized comprehensive, liberal arts college operating under the Lutheran traditions of inquiry and free exchange of ideas.
In 2008 Lenoir-Rhyne College officially changed its name to Lenoir-Rhyne University. By 2015, total enrollment exceeded 2300 students, total endowment approached $100 million, and total full-time faculty rose to over 130 professors. In 2009, the faculty developed and implemented major revisions in the undergraduate core curriculum and convocation programs. In 2012, the University completed a very successful SACSCOC reaffirmation. In that same year, it opened a new graduate center in downtown Asheville, NC and, simultaneously, merged with the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. In 2014, it established a graduate center on its new Columbia campus. By 2015, the Asheville and Columbia graduate programs constituted nearly 350 of the over 2300 LR students, and the total graduate student enrollment on all three campuses approached 750 students in approximately 25 graduate programs (including several programs delivered fully online to students). In 2015, the University completed its most success capital campaign in institutional history, raising approximately $67 million in its “University Rising” campaign, which included support for the new Grace Chapel and the new Alex and Lee George Hall addition to the Minges Science Center.
Dr. Fred Whitt became LR’s 12th president in February 2017, after Dr. Powell retired. Under his leadership, the university implemented a new strategic plan, Pivoting to a New Level of Excellence, which aims to grow enrollment, improve retention and graduation rates, and invest in infrastructure. He also has led efforts to reorganize the university’s structure to better support the strategic plan; expanded resources around diversity, equity and inclusion; lowered tuition by 30 percent; and invested in updating facilities across campus. He also led the university through the worldwide COVID pandemic.
In 2022, LR was recognized as #7 in the South for undergraduate teaching, #21 for Best Value, #41 for Best Regional Universities in the South and #42 for Social Mobility. Dr. Whitt also oversaw the launch of new academic programs and expansion of other programs designed to meet student and economic demand. Underscoring the success of the entire LR experience, 97 percent of graduates are either employed or in graduate school six months after graduation, significantly higher than the national average of 84%.
The Campus
The campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University includes approximately 100 acres, bounded by Fourth and Eighth Streets, N.E., and extending northeast of Seventh Avenue, N.E., in Hickory. In 2015, the University purchased additional acreage adjacent to campus on Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard designated to the growth of its health and medical science programs. Hickory is a city of about 40,000, and is the nucleus of North Carolina’s fourth largest metropolitan area.
The campus includes the following major structures:
Belk Centrum (1983): Attached to Rhyne Memorial BUilding, this added space contains faculty offices, seminar and classroom areas, and a 180-seat auditorium.
Cloninger House (acquired 1996): Facing Seventh Ave. N.E., this structure was originally constructed in 1905 by the Rev. Robert Cline, brother of the Rev. William P. Cline, one of the College’s founders. It houses offices and meeting facilities for the Office of Insitutional Advancement.
Conrad Hall (1963): This residence hall, facing College Drive, accommodates 108 students. It was completed at a cost of $520,000 and named for Dr. Flavius L. Conrad, president of the United Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North Carolina from 1949 to 1962. Conrad Hall was totally renovated in 2008.
Cromer Center (1963): Facing Sixth Street, N.E., the Cromer Center includes the campus dining hall, lounges, meeting rooms, a meditation chapel, offices and rooms for student services, bookstore, post office, and Joe’s Coffee, and Chick-fil-A. It was completed at cost of $1 million and named for Dr. Voigt R. Cromer, sixth president of Lenoir-Rhyne College. The main facility was renovated in 2015 and the dining hall in 2016.
Duane and Madeleine Dassow University Commons (2021): The Duane and Madeleine Dassow University Commons is a two-building complex that features conference rooms, a reception area and office space. The facility is located near Moretz Stadium and serves as an anchor for the west side of campus. The complex comprises Alumni House, which houses university marketing and communications, and was originally the home of the college president. The house was made possible through a designated gift of $35,000 given by Mr. and Mrs. Albert D. Eckard of Hickory and their son, R. Neil Eckard. The complex also includes a newly constructed residence for the president, which includes event space.
Fritz Hall (1950): This residence hall faces College Drive and accommodates 80 students. It was constructed originally as a men’s residence hall and renovated in 1958 and again in 2008. It is named for Dr. R.L. Fritz, Sr., member of the first graduating class, second president of Lenoir-Rhyne College, and member of the faculty for 52 years.
Isenhour Hall (1968): A residence hall for first year students faces Eighth Avenue, N.E., Isenhour accommodates 145 students. It is named for Dr. Harry E. Isenhour, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Lenoir-Rhyne College from 1950 until 1971.
Lineberger Administration Building (1965): This office building faces the quadrangle, and it houses administrative offices, including the president, academic affairs, institutional advancement, human resources and diversity, equity and inclusion. It was completed at the cost of $310,000, given by the Lineberger Foundation, Belmont, N.C. It was named for Archibald Caleb Lineberger, a Belmont industrialist.
Living-Learning Center (2001): Facing Sixth Street, N.E., the Living-Learning Center provides residence hall facilities, a faculty apartment, and a seminar space.
Lohr Hall (constructed 1997): Facing Seventh Avenue, N.E., the Lawrence L. and Frances Mauney Lohr Hall was constructed by joining two existing brick homes which had been acquired earlier by the University. One of these homes was built in 1938 for Professor Victor Aderholt, a member of the Class of 1915; the other in 1950 for Dr. Robert L. Fritz, an 1892 alumnus of Lenoir-Rhyne College. Both were acquired by the University in the 1980s. The facility now houses the Division of Enrollment Management, including offices and meeting rooms for Academic Records, Admissions and Financial Aid.
Mauney Hall (1928): This building was named for donors Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Mauney and Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Mauney and their families. A major renovation project was completed in 2004 converting the building into an academic facility housing faculty offices, classrooms, computer labs, and the Center for Commercial and Social Entrepreneurship.
Mauney Music Building (1960): A classroom-rehearsal building facing Sixth Street, N.E., this structure also contains studios, practice rooms, offices, band room, choral room, and recording and broadcasting equipment. It was completed at cost of $352,000 and named for the donors, Dr. and Mrs. William K. Mauney, Kings Mountain, N.C., and their sons. The pipe organ, given in memory of Ernest Jacob Mauney, was replaced in 1994 through a contribution by Thomas W. Reese; it was given in memory of his mother, Myrtle Suttlemyre Reese.
McCrorie Center (2002): On Stasavich Place, the McCrorie Center is a facility designed to offer the most technologically advanced learning environment for students in the health sciences, including Nursing, Health and Exercise Science, Community Health, Dietetics, and Athletic Training. The center includes health program instruction areas such as classrooms, offices, and laboratory space, clinical areas encompassing athletic training offices, private exam rooms, rehabilitation, hydrotherapy, and training facilities, as well as athletic facilities such as coaches’ offices, locker rooms, and weight training rooms. One of the essential features of the building is its incorporation of the three health education programs and their connection to the university athletics program. Shared classrooms, labs, and computer technology provide efficiencies for the university among these programs. Additionally, the building houses the Solmaz Institute for Childhood Obesity.
Minges Science Building (1959): A classroom-laboratory building facing the quadrangle, Minges was completed at a cost of $560,000 and named for the donors, Dr. and Mrs. Luther L. Minges, Rocky Mount, N.C., and their family. In 2017, the University opened a new wing of this facility, the Alex and Lee George Hall, which added more than 32,000 square feet of laboratories and other learning spaces to the Natural Science facility.
Moretz Stadium (1923): Situated between Fourth and Fifth Streets, N.E., this impressive stadium was constructed as a combination football-baseball field and renovated in 1964 into a larger football stadium accommodating 8,500 spectators. Originally called College Field, it was renamed in honor of Helen S. and Leonard Moretz, the donors for its major renovations. In 2022, the university undertook an $18-million removation to enhance the facility, now home to football and men’s and women’s lacrosse, and ensure it would continue to be the crown jewel of the LR Athletics.
Morgan Hall (1958): This residence hall for first year students faces Eighth Avenue, N.E., accommodates 150 students, and was completed at a cost of $600,000. It was named for Dr. Jacob L. Morgan, president of the United Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North Carolina from 1921 to 1947.
P.E. Monroe Auditorium (1957): Facing Sixth Street, N.E., this structure contains an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,556, as well as conference rooms and offices. It was completed at the cost of $625,000, funded in part through the Hickory Chamber of Commerce and supported by the citizens of the Hickory area. It was named for Dr. P.E. Monroe, fifth president of Lenoir-Rhyne College.
Price Village (1973): Facing Ninth Avenue, N.E., this residence area accommodates 180 students in 6 and 14 student units. It was named for Dr. K.A. Price, class of 1902, a benefactor of Lenoir-Rhyne.
Rhyne Memorial Building (1927): A classroom building facing the quadrangle, the Rhyne building was constructed as the Daniel Efird Rhyne Administration Building and converted to classroom-faculty office use exclusively in 1965. It was fully renovated for classroom use in 1982. It was named for the donor, Daniel E. Rhyne, a Lincoln County industrialist.
Rudisill Library (1943): Facing the quadrangle, the Library building was enlarged and remodeled in 1967, and again in 1983, when a television studio, curriculum laboratory, media classrooms, and other features were added. It was erected with money given by Mr. and Mrs. Carl Augustus Rudisill, Cherryville, NC, and their children, Mr. and Mrs. T.W. Borland and Mr. and Mrs. Ben Richard Rudisill. In 2009, the Lohr Learning Commons was opened on the second floor of the facility providing students, faculty, and staff access to a number of general academic supports in one central location.
Schaeffer Hall (1941): Named for Dr. H. Brent Schaeffer, fourth president of Lenoir- Rhyne College, a major renovation project was completed in 2005 converting the building into a conference hall to serve the local business community.
Shuford Arena (1957): The facilty includes a gymnasum, natatorium, and a playing court with a spectator capacity of 3,600, classrooms, offices and dressing rooms. It was completed at a cost of $525,000, given by Shuford Mills, Inc., of Hickory and named for A. Alex Shuford Sr., Hickory industrialist. Improvements were made in 2022 as part of an additional gift from the Shuford family.
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church (1951): Facing Eighth Street, N.E., and used by the University and St. Andrew’s congregation (organized on the campus in 1894), St. Andrew’s was completed at a cost of $400,000, given by the congregation, the United Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North Carolina, alumni, and other friends of Lenoir-Rhyne University.
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