Milligan University is a privateChristian university in Milligan College, Tennessee. Founded in 1866 as the Buffalo Male and Female Institute, and known as Milligan College from 1881 to May 2020, the school has a student population of more than 1,300 students, most of whom reside and study on its 355-acre (1.44 km2) campus. Milligan University is historically related to the Restoration Movement.[citation needed] The university offers over 100 programs of study leading to both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
In 1943, Milligan became the only college in the nation to completely turn its facilities over to the Naval training programs. The V-12 Navy College Training Program utilized the college's campus from 1943 to 1945.[2]
On March 18, 2011, the Board of Trustees appointed Bill Greer (Milligan Class of 1985) as the 15th president; Greer assumed leadership of the college on July 15, 2011.[3]
In the spring of 2020, the university drew attention for its views of and actions related to gay and lesbian people after the university fired a professor for being in a same-sex relationship.[4] This administrative decision was founded on a document drafted in 2015 detailing the administration's views on homosexuality.[5]
The Elizabeth Leitner Gregory Center for the Liberal Arts, a center for performing arts, opened on January 16, 2008.[8] It features a 300-seat theater, photography labs, and classrooms for use by the fine arts programs at the university.
As a church-related liberal arts university, Milligan remains closely aligned with the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, a capella churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the three religious bodies that have traditionally supported the school. A campus ministry program and culture of service exist on campus.[9][10][11] Alcohol and tobacco use are prohibited on campus. On August 1, 2019, the university changed its alcohol policy to allow students over the age of 21 to drink alcohol off campus.[12][13]
The Milligan Stampede is Milligan University's student-run newspaper. It was founded in 1925. Its staff also operate a student-run broadcast news service and news website.[14]
John Preston McConnell, ordained minister in the Christian Church, and was the founder and first president of Radford University;[23] he also served as pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Radford, Virginia, which is located just across the street from Radford University