Rate this HBCU Day 89: Jarvis Christian University

[DrBanneker]

We last covered North Carolina Central University which received an average score of 7.9.

See the updated leaderboard here

Today we check out the small Christian University, Jarvis Christian University in Hawkins, Texas, about thirty minutes north of Tyler where the HBCU Texas College is located. It is the only remaining HBCU (there were once twelve) founded by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. It started as an elementary school gradually evolving to a high school, college, and finally university. It was for a long time the only Black high school in the area and the only higher education institute for Blacks along with Texas College.

It is named for Maj. Jones Jarvis and his wife Ida Van Zandt Jarvis who donated the land for the school. Unique amongst HBCUs, it had a steady source of funding in revenue from oil wells that were discovered on the campus in the 1940s. However, these were depleted and closed in the 1980s.

Today it remains a small Christian university but has some unique aspects such as athletics not found at many HBCUs like bowling and wrestling.

Founded: 1912

City, State: Hawkins, TX

Type: 4-year, Private not-for-profit (Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) affiliated)

Nickname: Bulldogs

Enrollment and percent Black enrollment: 721 (all undergraduate), 79% Black

Part-time student percentage: 15%

First Generation Student Percentage: 46%

Percentage of students from households under $30k/over $100k: 68% / 4%

Out of State Percentage: 15%, (Top States: Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama)

Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 12:1

Admissions Acceptance Rate: Open admissions

4-Yr / 6-Yr Graduation rates: 12% / 16%

Transfer out rate: N/A

Male/Female percentages (Female:Male Ratio): 45% male/ 55% female (1.2:1 ratio)

Tuition: $12k

Median Federal Debt After Graduation: $29k

Median Parent PLUS Loans After Graduation: $9k

Median Earning 10-Years after 10 years from freshman year: $30k

Median Earnings for specific majors after 3 years after graduation:
Business Administration: $38k

Top Majors by Degrees:
Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Sports Medicine, Education

Endowment: ~$10M

Alumni Engagement:4.6% of alumni give back

Athletic Conference: Red River (NAIA)

Mascot: Bulldogs

Notable Alumni:
David 'Fathead' Newman - Jazz saxophonist that played with Ray Charles

Erbie Bowser - Blues pianist and singer

Main Campus:

Athletics
Besides the typical basketball, baseball, track...they have golf and:

New men's and women's wrestling program


Mens' and Womens' Bowling Team

Sophisticated Sounds of Soul (S3) Marching Band

They just hired a former Grambling Band Director to lead the band



Choir

Cheerleaders




Miss Jarvis Christian College

@invalid @MostReal @Originalman @#1 pick @Ziggiy @SupaVillain @Tug life @Idaeo @get these nets @MostReal @Bryan Danielson @Rollie Forbes @Sonic Boom of the South @staticshock @Charlie Hustle @BigAggieLean. @Optimus Prime @How Sway? @DropTopDoc @Anerdyblackguy @EndDomination

 

[Rollie Forbes]

I have never heard of this school, but I appreciate our small unknowns as much as I appreciate our more prestigious universities.

 

[GoAggieGo.]

Never heard of this school, but its history is pretty interesting. Drove through that area twice when going from Shreveport to Dallas, and did not know I was passing by 2 HBCUs (this school and Texas college).

Interesting that among the out of state students, Mississippians are one of the top. Never would’ve knew

 

[Rollie Forbes]

Never heard of this school, but its history is pretty interesting. Drove through that area twice when going from Shreveport to Dallas, and did not know I was passing by 2 HBCUs (this school and Texas college).

Interesting that among the out of state students, Mississippians are one of the top. Never would’ve knew

Breh, if there's a good gospel choir, somebody from Mississippi is going to be in it!

 

[get these nets]

TJC, Jarvis Christian University sign articulation agreement​

Front, from left: Dr. Juan E. Mejia, TJC president and CEO; Dr. Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt, JCU president and CEO; second row, Dr. Deana Sheppard, TJC provost and vice president for academic and student affairs; and Dr. Cynthia Hester, JCU interim provost.

July 2023 Leaders of Tyler Junior College and Jarvis Christian University signed an agreement on Tuesday, to strengthen the collaboration between both institutions and ease the path for students to fulfill their higher education goals.
Through the agreement, TJC and JCU aligned mutual programs including biology, business administration, business (accounting), business (computer information systems), business management, chemistry, criminal justice, cybersecurity, English, history, journalism (mass communication), kinesiology, mathematics and social work.
TJC students can complete their associate degree in any of these programs and seamlessly transfer to JCU without losing course credits.


“I am especially excited about this collaboration that will allow two great institutions to come together and serve the students to choose to get their education in East Texas,” said Dr. Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt, JCU president and CEO. “We are excited to partner with you in order to open up pathways for our students. We know that if students are going to live their best lives, the best education they can get can help them to do that.
“At the end of the day, we are preparing students to live and work in East Texas and Texas but also to be great national and global citizens and to make sure that this nation is best nation it can be.”



TJC President and CEO Dr. Juan E. Mejia said, “Today is a very special day for TJC, JCU, and our East Texas communities. We believe wholeheartedly in empowering our students to the point of excellence, and a major strategy for this is through strategic partnerships such as this. It is said that we can go faster alone, but we can go further and achieve more if we do it together, through authentic partnerships.”
The agreement also connects students to Transfer Academic Excellence Scholarships offered by JCU from $4,000 to $8,000 over the remaining two-year period, based on academic achievement. These scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis and are renewable at the end of each year for the period the student is attending Jarvis.
“Our students need to be able to move on to the next level, which could mean a bachelor’s or a master’s degree sometimes in many areas,” said Dr. Cynthia Hester, JCU interim provost. “At Jarvis Christian University, we have the opportunity today to have students go into more than 10 different areas at our university, so they can move on to a bachelor’s degree.”