Founding of Villa Julie College
Villa Julie was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur at “Seven Oaks,” the 80-acre former estate of the George Carrell Jenkins family in Greenspring Valley, Baltimore County. The school opened on October 1, 1947, which is now recognized as Founders Day. Official approval as a two-year college was granted by the Maryland State Department of Education in 1954, and a new classroom facility, Founders Hall, was opened. The school was incorporated in 1958 in the State of Maryland.
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools awarded Villa Julie regional accreditation in 1962. In 1967, the college became an independent institution with control vested in a newly formed Board of Trustees comprised of business, civic, and professional leaders. By the late 1960s, enrollment had increased to full capacity. In 1970–71, the college built a multi-million dollar complex consisting of a Library/Learning Resources Center and Administrative Wing, Art Center, and Student Center. Evening and summer sessions were inaugurated, and the number of degree programs increased. In 1972, the college became coeducational. Accreditation was reaffirmed by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 1972 and again in 1982.
University Timeline
1984
Villa Julie became a four-year college offering the bachelor’s degree in computer information systems.
1985-1986
While the college continued to offer two-year programs, the student body and faculty continued to grow. Academic offerings were augmented to include new majors and programs that provided a wider choice of professional career possibilities and supported the changing requirements of the business and professional communities in the region. The concept of career education combined with the liberal arts became a hallmark of the College’s philosophy, Pro Discendo, Pro Vivendo: For Learning, For Living.
1988
The Middle States Association again reaffirmed the college’s accreditation, this time as a four-year college offering bachelor’s and associate’s degrees. New baccalaureate programs included liberal arts and technology, administrative science, computer accounting, computer information systems, and business information systems. For the convenience of the growing number of adults interested in completing their degrees, the college also added Saturday classes.
1991
A cooperative education program was initiated for junior and senior students, making it possible for them to experience firsthand a working environment directly related to their fields of study.
1993
Off-campus housing for students in garden-type apartments was opened a short distance from the college. The cooperative education program was also expanded and opened to all students in the baccalaureate programs. 1994 The college was awarded membership in NCAA Division III. 1995 The college began the first phase of the construction of an Academic Center, Inscape Theatre, Student Union and gymnasium, and Science Center.
1996
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) granted approval for programs for the preparation of elementary and early childhood teachers. This was the first Maryland education program that fulfilled the new state MSDE requirements for teacher education. The college also received the endorsement of the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) for a Master of Science in Advanced Information Technology.
1997
The college celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Academic Center, Inscape Theatre, and Art Gallery opened in August, and in November, the Student Union and gymnasium opened. MHEC endorsed five new bachelor’s degree programs in biology, chemistry, English language and literature, interdisciplinary studies, and psychology.
1998
A new bachelor’s degree program in visual communication design was approved by MHEC.
1999
President Carolyn Manuszak and Dean Rose Dawson retired with a combined 65 years of service to Villa Julie College. MHEC approved two new bachelor’s degree programs in early childhood leadership and biotechnology.
2000
The new decade brought the inauguration of Villa Julie's fourth President, Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D.
2001
New master’s degrees programs in business technology management and e-commerce were approved by MHEC.
2002
The School of Graduate and Professional Studies was created to accommodate the needs of adult learners. Through this school, adult students could enroll in master’s degree programs, evening/weekend bachelor’s degree programs, or accelerated bachelor’s degree programs. Additionally, the college began offering an accelerated B.S. to M.S. degree in advanced information technology, enabling students to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years. Villa Julie College and the Union Memorial Hospital announced a four-year nursing education agreement.
2003
The college broke ground on its first campus-owned student housing complex in nearby Owings Mills.
2004
Apartment-style housing for 550 students and a community center opened. The college also leased classroom space on the same piece of land, allowing students to live and attend classes at the same location for the first time in Villa Julie history. Those moves, along with the purchase of the former Baltimore Ravens training facility and the office building where the college leased classroom and office space, gave Villa Julie more than 80 acres of land at the Owings Mills campus. In December, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski visited the college to announce nearly $250,000 in federal funds to support distance-learning efforts utilizing the Verizon Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Also in 2004, the Board of Trustees began discussing the possibility of transitioning to university status because of the growth in student population and the addition of a second campus. A year later, the Board authorized the administration to study the feasibility of becoming a university and to assess whether to simultaneously change the name of the institution.
2005
A bachelor’s degree in medical technology was added to replace the two-year medical laboratory technology program.
2006
The fall semester resident population topped 1,000 students. The Rockland Center opened in October to provide a student dining center, offices for Student Affairs, and a banquet hall for functions organized by on- and off-campus groups. Additionally, the college received just over $1,000,000 to expand the nursing program. The Caves Sports and Wellness Center, the new name for the renovated facility formerly used by the Baltimore Ravens, was opened. In August, the college began offering an online Master of Science in Forensic Studies degree.
The Board approved university status in November 2006 and later established a committee to oversee a study of name options for the institution.
2007
In May, the college broke ground on the next new building for Owings Mills, a 60,000-square-foot academic building to house the newly formed Brown School of Business and Leadership, other programs and a state-of-the-art mock trial courtroom. The school opened in April 2009.
Regarding the name change, historical and legal research and surveys shortened that list to seven potential names late in the year. The college started a phase of quantitative and qualitative research to determine the best name from that group, and alumni, current students, and potential students and their families were surveyed for their opinions.
2008
Villa Julie celebrated its growth throughout the 2007-08 academic year as part of its 60th anniversary celebration, inaugurating a new tradition on October 1, 2007, by celebrating Founders Day to commemorate the day the college first opened. The college received reaccreditation from Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and Villa Julie took a leadership role in educating Maryland's future teachers by creating the state's first teacher preparation program for middle school educators.
On June 11, 2008, the Board voted unanimously to change the name of the institution, and the name Stevenson University was unveiled the next morning. The Board also voted to keep the Villa Julie name alive by creating the Villa Julie College of Arts and Sciences as part of Stevenson University.
2009
Additional expansion of the Owings Mills campus included Wooded Way, which housed specialized student learning communities as well as the Office of Career Services. In March 2009, the University Restructuring Plan was adopted by the Faculty Council. The plan created four new schools within the Villa Julie College of Arts and Sciences: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences; the School of Design; the School of Education; and the School of the Sciences. The Brown School of Business and Leadership and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies remained as originally configured. In August, a new bachelor’s degree in criminal justice was offered online for both traditional students and students in the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. In 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 the men's lacrosse team made it to the Division III semifinals.
2010
A new entrance to the Owings Mills campus was opened. Stevenson was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service learning, and civic engagement. In June, the university received a $100,000 Wal-Mart Foundation College Success grant for first-generation college students. In August, a new, updated Mustang logo was unveiled for Stevenson athletics. In fall 2010, Stevenson welcomed its largest freshman class, and new 35,000-square-foot gymnasium was added the Owings Mills campus sports complex.
2011
In April, the university hired its first band director to lead the newly created marching band. During the summer, the Owings Mills campus store opened across from the new gymnasium. Two new residence halls welcomed an additional 500 students on the Owings Mills campus, and the new 3,500-seat Mustang Stadium was opened in early September.
In November 2011, the university purchased the Owings Mills site of Shire Pharmaceuticals. The 28-acre site—which today includes the School of Design and the Manning Academic Center—comprises the university’s Owings Mills North location.
2012
The School of Graduate and Professional Studies received approval from MHEC to add two new master's programs: cyber forensics and healthcare management. In April 2012, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences brought the International Drama Conference to Baltimore and the University’s Archives established the Maryland Bible Society Collection at Stevenson to house the society’s historic 400-year-old first edition of the King James Bible. In May, Stevenson's Athletic Department announced that it would be leaving the Capitol Athletic Conference (CAC) in summer 2012 to join the Middle Atlantic Conferences, of which the football program was already an affiliate member. In December 2012, the Greenspring Valley Orchestra, conducted by Stevenson music professor Robert Suggs, celebrated its 10th Anniversary Concert.
2013
The School of the Sciences hosted the inaugural Dell Lecture in honor of Stevenson trustee Samuel M. Dell III and his wife Geraldine and awarded the first Dell Scholarship for outstanding Stevenson seniors studying biology, chemistry, and mathematics. The university also added bachelor’s programs in biochemistry and environmental science and a Master of Arts in teaching in biology, chemistry, and mathematics, a STEM-focused degree with secondary education certification.
The men’s lacrosse team won the NCAA 2013 Division III National Championship game, beating the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Tigers at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on May 26.
2014
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak came to campus to address a crowd of middle school, high school, and Stevenson students. In April, Stevenson unveiled the iconic 12-foot-tall, bronze mustang statue, "Victory," outside of Mustang Stadium. The university opened an Athletics Hall of Fame, located in the Owings Mills Gymnasium, which was later named in honor of Dick Watts, the University’s former Director of Physical Education.
2015
The new School of Nursing and Health Professions was created, comprised of the Department of Nursing and the Medical Laboratory Science Program, bringing Stevenson's number of schools to seven.
2016
President Manning announced his plan to retire after 16 years of leadership, and the Board of Trustees began a nationwide search for his successor. In August, the university dedicated the new 200,000-square-foot academic building at Owings Mills North as the Kevin J. Manning Academic Center (MAC). Stevenson also received naming gifts for two of schools housed in the MAC: the Sandra R. Berman School of Nursing and Health Professions and the Beverly K. Fine School of the Sciences. In November, the Board named Claire E. Moore, alumna and Vice President of Student Affairs, as Interim President of the university.
2017
Stevenson opened the Center for Student Success on the Owings Mills Campus to provide student resources and academic support services, including the Office of Student Success, the John L. Stasiak Academic Link, and the Experiential Learning Center. In March 2017, the Board concluded its presidential search and unanimously named Elliot Hirshman, Ph.D., President of San Diego State University (SDSU), as the new President of Stevenson as of July 2017. Prior to President Hirshman’s appointment at SDSU, he served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Stevenson also celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding. Additionally, the School of Graduate and Professional Studies' name was changed to Stevenson University Online. In July, the university formally announced its acquisition of the former Rosewood Center property. The sale was approved by Maryland’s Board of Public Works in June. The 117-acre Rosewood site is adjacent to the Owings Mills and Owings Mills North locations and will nearly double the total acreage of the University. The University’s tentative plans, after completion of environmental clean-up and remediation, include developing new educational facilities and recreational resources.
2018
In January, the Garrison Hall Student Activities Commons opened. The commons includes rooms for student clubs and activities, clubs sports offices, three meeting rooms, a fitness center, and a console video gaming room. The center also serves as the home for Stevenson’s eSports team with a dedicated eSports room. Also in January, work began on a new quad area, a green space between the School of Business and Leadership, Garrison Hall, and Rockland Center. Work also began on the Rosewood property, including the demolition and clean-up of existing buildings to make way for Stevenson’s campus master plan in the coming years. In the fall, the university’s first Professional Minors are being offered in applied management, entrepreneurship and small business development, human resources, real estate, and software design and coding. These minor options give students additional career options and a competitive edge in the job market.