Explore Black History

This article contains promotional content. Please help improve it by removing promotional language and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic text written from a neutral point of view. See our advice if the article is about you and read our scam warning in case someone asks for money to edit this article. (March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Fort Valley State University

Former name	Fort Valley State College (1939–1996)
Motto	Be Bold. Be Amazing. Be Prepared.
Type	Public land-grant historically black university
Established	1939; 87 years ago (1939)
Parent institution	University System of Georgia
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Endowment	$12.7 million[1]
President	Paul Jones
Administrative staff	400
Students	2,182 (fall 2021)[2]
Location	Fort Valley, Georgia , U.S. 32°32′3.9″N 83°53′45.8″W / 32.534417°N 83.896056°W / 32.534417; -83.896056
Campus	1,365 acres (5.52 km2)
Colors	Royal blue and old gold
Nickname	Wildcats
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – SIAC
Website	fvsu.edu

Fort Valley State University (FVSU; formerly Fort Valley State College) is a public land-grant historically Black university in Fort Valley, Georgia, United States. It is part of the University System of Georgia and a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Fort Valley State University is the state's 1890 land-grant university and enrolls over 2,500 students. Approximately 90% of the student body is of Black American descent. The university is located in the town of Fort Valley in Peach County. Its 1,365-acre (5.52 km²) main campus is Georgia's largest public university in area.

Fort Valley State University, was founded as Fort Valley State College in 1939.^[3] It began with the 1939 consolidation of the Fort Valley High and Industrial School (founded in 1890, chartered in 1896),^[4] and the State Teachers and Agricultural College for Negroes of Forsyth, Georgia (founded in 1902).^[5] Both schools had been founded privately, and were affiliated with the American Missionary Association; they were transferred to state control and operation, to form Fort Valley State College.

In 1947, the state Board of Regents adopted a resolution moving the "land grant" designation from Georgia State College (later Savannah State University) to Fort Valley State College.^[5] In response to the Regents' resolution, in 1949 the Georgia General Assembly officially designated the Fort Valley State College as the Land-Grant College for Negroes in Georgia. During this time, public education was segregated due to Jim Crow laws.

The school became Fort Valley State University, a state and land-grant university, in June 1996.^{[citation needed]}

The president of Fort Valley State University is the chief executive officer of the university. Paul Jones has held the position since 2015.^[6] The complete list of presidents includes:

Fort Valley State University offers bachelor's degrees in more than 50 majors, as well as master's degrees in several fields of study.^{[citation needed]} FVSU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award associate, baccalaureate, master's and specialist degrees.^{[citation needed]}

The university also offers the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) which provides an opportunity for qualified students to receive a STEM degree from FVSU and an engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, or University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley.^[20]

The university's honors program is a selective undergraduate program designed to cater to high-achieving students.^[21]

Outreach services include Fort Valley State's Cooperative Extension Service Program, where extension service specialists operate in 42 Georgia counties, and the Pettigrew Conference Center, which hosts more than 500 courses and events for 51,000 patrons each year. In an effort to accommodate graduate and non-traditional students, external degree program courses are also being offered at off-campus sites in Macon, Cochran, Warner Robins and Dublin. The university offers online courses via WebCT, which allows students to pursue a number of majors and programs from home.

The College of Arts and Sciences, the oldest and the largest college at FVSU, houses 12 academic units and offers nearly 80 percent of the courses taught at FVSU. The college services the University System of Georgia's Academic Core and provides 20 undergraduate major fields of study. The Department of Business Administration and Economics is the largest academic department in the College of Arts and Sciences, and is an accredited member of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

The College of Education is an educator preparation program offering degrees in Middle Grades Education, undergraduate and graduate; Agriculture Education, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate; Early Childhood / Special Education undergraduate; School Counseling; Early Childhood / Special Education graduate; Health and Physical Education; Family and Consumer Sciences Education; and an MAT degree in the secondary teaching areas.

The College of Agriculture, Home Economics & Allied Programs is ranked 25th nationally in the production of Black American agriculturists, and placing first-time applicants into medical, dental, veterinary and pharmacy schools and colleges since 2001. The college has laboratories in the state, and scientists are securing grant funds and conducting research.^[22]

Pettigrew Farm and Community Life Center is a conference, convention, and fine arts facility.^[23] It was named after the fourth university president, Cleveland W. Pettigrew.^[23]

Anderson House was the residence of Francis W. Gano, one of the university's founders.^[23] It is the oldest facility on campus.^[23] The exhibits and displays in the house come from the Biggs Collection of period furnishings, silver, glassware, china, quilts, linens and civil war memorabilia.

Student activities at Fort Valley State University include NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics, The Blue Machine Marching Band, concert choir, Baptist Student Union Choir, forensics (intercollegiate speech and debate), and cheerleading.^[25] Overall, there are more than 70 clubs, social, and Greek organizations on campus.^[26]

FVSU has a radio station (WFVS-FM 96.9) and a television station (FVSU TV), as well as a college newspaper, The Peachite.^[27]

Athletic opportunities include intramural sports and intercollegiate men's basketball, cross country, football, tennis, and track and field, and volleyball and women's basketball, cross country, softball, tennis, volleyball, and track and field. The school currently competes as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.^{[citation needed]}

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Valley State University.

• Official website
• Athletics website
• "Fort Valley Music Festivals, 1938-1943", recordings and documents, American Memory, Library of Congress