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With a legacy of learning dating back over 160 years, Longwood University has developed a meaningful learning environment that extends far beyond the classroom.

Founded in 1839 as the Farmville Female Seminary Association, the school was a pioneer first in private and later in public education.

The State of Virginia acquired the school in 1884 and renamed it as the Normal School, the first state institution of higher learning for women in Virginia. Over the years, the school expanded its curricula and had a succession of names, becoming Longwood College in 1949 and fully coeducational in 1976. On April 24, 2002, history was again made at Longwood when Governor Mark Warner signed legislation that designated Longwood as a university, effective July 1, 2002.

The legacy that began in 1839 continues today as Longwood University offers over 100 majors, minors and concentrations through its various academic programs. Given its historical roots, Longwood University enjoys an enviable reputation for teacher preparation. But the excellence has expanded throughout the university with strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences, business, professional and pre-professional programs. Today, the coeducational, comprehensive state university has an enrollment of over 4000 students and is comprised of three separate colleges plus a graduate division: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, and the College of Education and Human Services.

Under the leadership of President Patricia P. Cormier, Longwood is committed to developing citizen leaders and provides a meaningful learning environment where students learn skills, knowledge and theory and then translate learning into action by doing research, internships, field work and community service. Recognizing the value of experiential learning, Longwood is one of the few universities in the country to require all students to complete an internship or similar learning experience before graduation. Additionally, Longwood was the first institution in Virginia to require that every freshman have a laptop computer. Technology is integrated throughout the learning process-an essential element for preparing the leaders of tomorrow.

The Longwood learning environment is enriched further by the library that holds 245,000 book titles, 2,100 print journal subscriptions, and some 100 electronic data bases including access to 11,000 full-text electronic journals and provides state-of-the-art technology for information retrieval from libraries throughout the world, as well as satellite reception of foreign programs and web access.

Longwood students continue to rate their university as one of the most engaging in the country, according to results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). In the 2002 survey, seniors rated Longwood at or above the 80th percentile on 6 of the 9 NSSE benchmarks when compared with Masters institutions; freshmen rated Longwood at or above the 60th percentile on all 9 benchmarks when compared with Masters institutions. "Student Engagement with Technology" continued to lead the way at the 90th percentile or higher. The survey was developed by national assessment experts as an alternative to the U.S. News & World Report rankings, which are strongly influenced by resources and reputation. NSSE is sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and The Pew Forum for Undergraduate Learning.

Additionally, Longwood University is one of only 20 "high performing" institutions nationwide selected to participate in the Documenting Effective Educational Practices (DEEP) project being launched by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE). Basically, the main purposes of the project will be to discover what practices enhance the learning process for college students and then to share that information with colleges and universities throughout the nation. Longwood was selected for the project because it was identified as an "educationally effective institution" based upon NSSE benchmark results and "promising persistence and graduation rates." Additionally, the new U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Survey ranks Longwood with the 10th highest graduation rate (62 percent) among all master's level universities in the South.

Longwood provides leadership and services in the region and the state through the Longwood Small Business Development Center, the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in South Boston, and the Virginia Writing Journal--an award-winning publication that features writing, art, and photography by Virginia high school students.

Additionally, Longwood University has a tremendous economic and cultural impact on Farmville and the surrounding communities. A recent study conducted by the Longwood Small Business Development Center estimates that university employees, students, and visitors spent over $100 million in 2001--with 54 percent of that amount being spent in Farmville and the eight surrounding counties.

The Longwood campus, located in the heart of historic Farmville, Virginia, provides excellent facilities while reflecting the charm, beauty, and character associated with its long heritage. The University is rapidly recovering from the devastating fire of April 24, 2001 that destroyed several historic buildings on campus including the Ruffners, Grainger Hall, and the signature Rotunda building. A completely rebuilt Grainger Hall opened for the fall semester 2003 and construction is well underway on rebuilding the Ruffners and Brock Commons, a beautiful pedestrian promenade that will provide a central focal point for the Longwood campus while eliminating traffic congestion and safety hazards. Construction is also underway for a new science building.

One of the newest buildings on campus is the two-story, 60,000 square foot dining hall located on Pine Street that opened for the spring semester 2000. This multi-purpose facility, with its curved, colonnaded portico overlooking Iler Field, is the first on campus to utilize geothermal heating and cooling. The flexible interior design provides space for banquets, meetings, and special events along with a Grand Dining Room seating 500 and an arcade seating an additional 700.

Behind and alongside this area are broad malls, lawns, 11 tennis courts, four athletic fields, an indoor-outdoor swimming pool, and numerous late-20th century buildings, including the library, residence halls, the Lankford Student Union, and various academic facilities. The campus has six auditoriums ranging in size from 150 seats to over 1200.

Lancer Hall is a $4.5 million health, physical education, and recreation complex. It has a gymnasium with 3,000 seats; a complete weight-training laboratory; an olympic-size pool with a three-meter board and underwater sound, lighting, and observation window; a 500-seat natatorium; a modern dance studio with a floating floor and staging capacity; and one of the state's best-equipped laboratories for the study of human performance as it relates to exercise, sports, health, and the arts. Nearby, is a nine-hole golf course and Longwood Estate, the home of the President.

Longwood University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelors and masters degrees. Other accreditation includes the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Virginia State Board of Education, the National Association of Schools of Theatre, and the National Association of Schools of Music. Specific program endorsements include the undergraduate Social Work Program which is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; the undergraduate Therapeutic Recreation Program which is accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association in cooperation with the American Association for Leisure and Recreation; and the undergraduate Business Administration Program which is accredited by AACSB International.