Carroll University

History

Prior to its establishment, Carroll was known as Prairieville Academy, which was founded in 1841. Its charter – named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Maryland, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence – was passed into law by the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature on January 31, 1846. During the 1860s, the American Civil War and financial difficulty caused Carroll to temporarily suspend operations. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the institution's name to Carroll University, effective July 1, 2008.

Academics

Carroll University offers more than 95 areas of study at the undergraduate level, with master's degrees and certificates in selected subjects, as well as one clinical doctorate program in physical therapy.

There are 133 full-time and 258 part-time faculty members. 71.4% of the faculty have terminal degrees. As of September 2015, Carroll serves 3,521 students at the full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate levels. These students represent 33 states and 31 countries.

Campus

The campus is home to a variety of nineteenth and early twentieth century historical buildings, including Sneeden House (a 1922 colonial home now used as a guesthouse and conference center) and MacAllister Hall (a renovated, 19th-century mansion that now houses offices for the CFO, English, modern language, computational and physical sciences, chemistry, and the Division of Arts and Sciences). The school provides housing in six residence halls, six apartment buildings, and two houses.

The full campus stretches 132.8 acres, with a Main Campus around 50 acres, a four-acre Center for Graduate studies located three minutes south of Interstate 94, a six-acre property southwest of campus and a 64-acre field research station in Genesee, Wisconsin.

Residence halls

Apartment buildings

Bagpipes

Since the 1960s, bagpipes have been a part of Carroll’s opening convocation and commencement ceremony. Freshmen are escorted to their first assembly by a lone bagpiper, and upon graduation are led to commencement by a band of bagpipes. The rite of passage symbolizes Carroll’s connection to its Presbyterian roots; early 19th century Scottish immigrants settled in Waukesha, then known as Prairieville.

Ring the bell

A longstanding Carroll sports tradition, “Ring the Bell” is a ceremony performed by Carroll varsity teams following a win, when members ring the school victory bell located at the northwest corner of Schneider Stadium. All teams participate – football, soccer, lacrosse – as long as the game is played and won at Schneider. In 2016 the victory bell was repainted and updated to feature the new Carroll Pioneers logo.

Athletics

Carroll University's athletic teams, nicknamed the Pioneers, participate in the NCAA Division III and compete in 11 men's and 11 women's sports in the Midwest Conference. Carroll University was a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin from 1955 to 1992. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and volleyball. Carroll University will again be a member of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin, effective 2016–2017.

Football

The college football program at Carroll began in the late 1890s. Past head coaches include Glenn Thistlethwaite, Vince DiFrancesca, and Matty Bell. The current coach is Mark Krzykowski, who replaced Henny Hiemenz after the 2010 season.

A notable event in American football history occurred at Carroll on September 5, 1906, when Saint Louis University player Bradbury Robinson, coached by Eddie Cochems, threw the first legal forward pass in football history (though it was first used experimentally in the 1905 Washburn vs. Fairmount football game).

Basketball

In 2006, both the men's and women's basketball teams qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in school history. The women won the Midwest Conference tournament and received the automatic bid, while the men's team received an "at-large" bid. Both were eliminated in the first round of play.

In 2007, both teams again qualified for the tournament. The Pioneers won the Midwest Conference tournament, during which freak power outages forced the championship game to be delayed and moved twice, first to Monmouth College, then to nearby Knox College. Upon reaching the NCAA tournament, they defeated 7th-ranked Augustana College in the first round of play, and 5th-ranked University of St. Thomas, to advance to the "Sweet Sixteen" sectional level. The women received an at-large bid to the tournament, defeating Illinois Wesleyan University in the first round, but losing in the second round to 25th-ranked Luther College.

In 2012, Carroll returned to the NCAA tournament, making it to the second round after defeating ranked Transylvania University.

Media

Rankings

In 2009, Carroll was ranked 175th out of 600 by Forbes on their list of America's Best Colleges.

In 2013, Carroll was ranked 43rd in Midwest Regional Colleges by U.S.News & World Report on their list of America's Best Colleges.

In 2014, Carroll was ranked 38th in Midwest Regional Colleges by U.S.News & World Report on their list of America's Best Colleges.

In 2015, Forbes magazine ranked Carroll at #108 in the Midwest, and #458 in their overall rankings of best colleges in the U.S. The magazine also gave Carroll a B financial grade.

Notable faculty