Ohio Valley University

In 1956 several alumni of Harding University formed a committee to establish a Christian college in the West Virginia area. A foundation was formed to solicit funds for the future college.[4]

On September 14, 1960, the Ohio Valley College opened with classes being offered at South Parkersburg Church of Christ. In 1963 the South Campus opened with an administrative and classroom building on 133 acres (538,000 m²) between Parkersburg and Vienna which had been purchased in 1958. Two dormitories were opened that same year. An additional dormitory and library were built in 1966. Three years later an auditorium and student center opened. A cafeteria and student center opened in the 1979–80 school year. An athletic complex was built in 1992.[4]

In 1994 the college doubled its campus size with the purchase of 134 acres (542,000 m²) and a four-story building from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia. This separate campus became the North Campus. The new campus contained two auditoriums, several classrooms, cafeteria, dining and conference rooms, dormitory with 225 beds, a chapel, and two athletic fields. The school renovated the North Campus facility and constructed two new dormitories with a connecting lobby in 2003.[4]

In 2005 the college changed its name to Ohio Valley University. From 1998 until its closure the university was involved in numerous Title IX violations.[4]

In July 2020, the university's accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, placed the university on probation for failing to comply with the accreditor's criterion requiring a "resource base [that] supports its current educational programs and its plans for maintaining and strengthening their quality in the future."[5] A year-and-a-half later, in December 2021, the OVU Board of Directors voted to close due to financial difficulties; the state's higher education body voted shortly thereafter to revoke OVU's authority to grant degrees.[6]

In late 2021, OVU also faced an outstanding lawsuit filed by two female students who allege the school took no action after they reported being sexually assaulted by other students at an off-campus party. They said they were subjected to threats and intimidation after reporting the incident and that school officials discouraged them from pursuing it and revoked their athletic scholarships without notice. In an answer to the complaint, OVU acknowledged the students had reported the alleged assault and threats but denied the other allegations.[6]

All full-time students were required to attend daily Chapel services, and first-year dormitory residents followed a curfew system.

Ohio Valley University did not have national fraternities and sororities. Instead, the school had localized social clubs (co-ed at OVU). There were three social clubs – Delta, Kappa, and Sigma.[7] Clubs competed in intramural activities, service projects and Expressions—a musical concert held annually in the Spring.

A full-service cafeteria was located in the campus's Stotts Administrative Building.

The university offered opportunities in several performing groups. These groups included the OVU Singers, which was composed of approximately 32 singers. This group performed at congregations, youth rallies, and other venues. The Ambassadors was a dramatic group which traveled around to youth rallies, camps, and other church-related events. The OVU Jazz Ensemble was an integrated group of students and community members composed of woodwind, brass, and string ensembles and groups of a variety of instrumentation. The Ensemble performed at two on campus concerts a year and frequently gave performances for the community. Express was the college's contemporary Christian a cappella performing group. This group performed at over 200 events per year.

OVU stressed a Christian world view throughout its educational endeavors, and all students were required to complete an instructional Bible component each semester. The institution had 35 different degree tracks and 33 minor concentrations within the Colleges of Business, Biblical Education, Education, and Arts and Sciences.

In recent years, OVU had put significant effort into becoming a 21st Century center of academic innovation and excellence, and to that end had a number of unique programs in place, with more planned. Among the highlights were the Integrated Marketing and Communications degree program, which came online in 2018.

Energy was a major focus at OVU, in part as an outgrowth of the growing oil and gas industry in West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. OVU ws also affiliated with the ACE Educational Foundation, which led efforts to construct a 90-100 megawatt clean coal gasification plant in Vienna, West Virginia by 2020. In addition to becoming a major revenue generator for the local community, the plant was expected to serve as a location where undergraduates could learn strong business practices and learn how a functioning power plant operates. Part of the effort included making practical use of excess carbon dioxide in an on-site aquaculture greenhouse through a partnership with ECSIA.

In June 2020, the Higher Learning Commission placed the university on probation for failure to comply with the accreditation standard related to adequate finances. The commission reevaluated if the institution could demonstrate if it was in compliance with the criteria for accreditation.[8]

Ohio Valley's sports teams were known as the Fighting Scots and competed as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the River States Conference (RSC) for the fall semester of the 2021–22 school year. The school was part of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 1999–2000 to 2020–21, and while there had the lowest enrollment of any Division II member in the entire nation. All athletic teams competed in the RSC for the school's final semester except for wrestling (the conference does not sponsor wrestling championships).

Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports included basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.

During OVU's time in NCAA Division II, which began when the school moved to the NCAA from the NAIA and they joined the now-defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) from 1999–2000 to 2012–13. The WVIAC announced its dissolution following the 2012–13 school year, and during the initial stages of this process, OVU found a new conference home in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) from 2013–14 to 2020–21.[9] The Scots, along with former WVIAC conference members Alderson-Broaddus, Davis & Elkins and Salem International, all entered the G-MAC.[9]

In 2021, Ohio Valley re–joined the NAIA as part of the River States Conference, where it contested its final intercollegiate sports seasons.[10][11]

• Official website