Shorter University is a private Baptist university in Rome, Georgia. It was founded in 1873 and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through six colleges and schools. In addition, Shorter operates the Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business and the School of Nursing at off-campus facilities in the Rome area.

Fielding athletic teams known as the Shorter Hawks, the university is a member of NCAA Division II and Conference Carolinas. The official school and athletic colors are blue and white. The college was renamed in 1877 to Shorter Female College because of the financial contributions of Alfred and Martha Shorter.

During the 1920s the college constructed the first indoor swimming pool in the United States and swimming became a physical education graduation requirement. The era also included the first women selected for the board of trustees. During the 1920s Shorter became an accredited member in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, in which the university holds accreditation. The Georgia Supreme Court, however, ruled that Shorter's board didn't have the authority to sever ties with the convention. On June 1, 2010, Shorter College changed its name to Shorter University to reflect the institution's growth and expansion.

In December 2012, SACSCOC reaffirmed Shorter University's accreditation through 2022.

Personal lifestyle statement

In October 2011, the university introduced a requirement that its employees sign a "Statement of Faith" and a "Personal Lifestyle Statement" in which they agree to adhere to the following principles:

  • loyal to the mission of Shorter University as a "Christ-centered" institution affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention.
  • not engage in the use, sale, possession, or production of illegal drugs.
  • reject as unacceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality.
  • not use alcoholic beverages in the presence of students, and abstain from serving, from using, and from advocating the use of alcoholic beverages in public and in settings in which students are present or are likely to be present.

The introduction of the lifestyle statement caused a sizable departure of university employees. An anonymous survey found that only 10 percent of faculty members favored signing the pledge and that only 12 percent planned to stay at the university, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Campus

thumb|right|The college depicted in the 1885 book The Commonwealth of Georgia

The university is located on a 155-acre campus in Rome.

Shorter also offers online degrees for various associate's, bachelor's, master's programs.

Academics

Shorter offers a liberal arts education in a Christ-centered environment.

Shorter offers four associate degrees, bachelor's degrees in 46 fields of study, four master's degrees programs, and pre-professional programs. The university has four colleges, three schools, and other academic programs.

The university was granted an exception to Title IX in 2016, allowing the school to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. It is ranked among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth" by Campus Pride.

Athletics

The Shorter athletic teams are called the Hawks. The university is a member of the NCAA Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in Conference Carolinas since the 2024–25 academic year. with the exception of track & field, which they compete as an associate member of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC). The Hawks previously competed in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) for most of their sports from 2012–13 to 2023–24, as well as the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC; formerly known as Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference (GACC) until after the 2003–04 school year) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1999–2000 to 2011–12.

Shorter competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.

History

In May 2011, Shorter announced it would apply for membership into the NCAA at the Division II level.

The Hawks placed third in 2010–11 on the shoulders of men's indoor and outdoor track and field national championships and 11th in 2009–10.

Notable people

Notable alumni

  • Vivian Louise Aunspaugh, Texas painter and art teacher
  • Jamie Barton, opera singer
  • I. M. Ibrahim (1941–2008), College soccer coach
  • Emma Lewis Lipps, American botanist and professor of Earth sciences
  • Marilyn Lloyd, Tennessee businesswoman and politician
  • Martin Scott, businessman, educator, and politician
  • Ed Stetzer, an American author, speaker, researcher, Baptist pastor, church planter, and Christian missiologist.
  • Una Leonora Weatherby, American pteridologist and botanical illustrator.
  • Moeed Yusuf, the 9th National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan

Notable faculty

  • Eleanor Churchill Gibbs (1840-1925), educator, writer

Other notable persons

  • Lamartine Griffin Hardman (1856-1937), 65th Governor of Georgia, served as president of the Board of Trustees.

Notes

References

  • Official athletics website