Jarvis Christian College

Jarvis Christian College is a historically Black liberal arts, baccalaureate degree-granting institution affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The mission of the college is to prepare students intellectually, through academic programs that promote excellence in teaching and learning; socially, through student-centered support programs that encourage positive and constructive communication among peers, faculty, and staff; spiritually, through programs that stimulate spiritual growth and worship; and personally, through interaction that fosters self-development and maturity. The mission further seeks to prepare students for professional and graduate studies, productive careers, and to function effectively in a global and technological society

Residence Halls. The present residence halls include four buildings for men and five for women students. William and Mary Alphin, Charles A. Berry, and W. J. Fuller residence halls were opened for occupancy in 1962. Cary, Hurdle, Venita Carney Waddleton, and Peter Clarence Washington halls were opened for occupancy in 1970. Each building has 26 rooms, with each room accommodating from two to four students. These are two-story buildings adorned with native stone and brick. Wilma Ervin and John Oliver Perpener halls were opened for occupancy in 1986 for women and men, respectively.

The Olin Library and Communication Center. The Olin Center, first occupied in 1965, is an air-conditioned, two and one-half story brick structure. The Olin Center houses the Olin Resource Center, Upward Bound, a distance-learning facility, two computer laboratories, the Teacher Education Learning Center, classrooms, special laboratories, an auditorium, offices and storage spaces. The Center is a gift from the Olin Foundation.

The Charles A. Meyer Science and Mathematics Center. The Meyer Center is an airconditioned, brick structure that opened for occupancy in 1969. There are two full stories, a partial story, and a basement. The building has an assigned area of 29,243 square feet and contains 84 rooms. The building is divided into two wings designated as the mathematics wing (north) and the science wing (south). In the mathematics wing, there are offices and classrooms. The science wing of the Center has laboratories, faculty offices, and classrooms. The auditorium, which is on two levels, is designed for science lectures and demonstrations. The auditorium is also used as an all-electronic learning facility. The Meyer Center is designed to provide a modern learning environment for students enrolled in science and mathematics. All laboratories have modern equipment and are adequate for the teaching of science and mathematics. The Center is a gift from the Olin Foundation.

The James Nelson Ervin Religion and Culture Center. The Ervin Center is located at the center of the campus between the residence halls and consists of the Peoples-Dickson Education Building and the Smith-Howard Chapel. The Peoples-Dickson wing contains classrooms and offices for the Division of Arts and Education. The Smith-Howard Chapel has an office for the College pastor, a fellowship hall, and a chapel, which seats 550 persons.

The Earl W. Rand Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Center. The Rand Center contains a gymnasium with a seating capacity of 2,432, a multi-purpose auxiliary gymnasium, a kitchen, physical fitness laboratories, classrooms, offices, a dance studio, locker rooms, training rooms, a heated, Olympic-size swimming pool, and lounge areas. The Center was completed in 1980.

The Community and Technology Center. The Center, which was completed in 2004, is a 5,000 square-foot one-story building that serves as a center for community-based programs. It contains two computer laboratories, two lecture/classrooms, and nine offices.

The Elbie Guy Crawford Titus Women’s Commons Building. The women’s Commons is located in the area of the women’s residence halls. The facility has 2,746 square feet of space. There are storage areas, offices, lounge areas, and a small apartment.

The Ida V. Jarvis Student Center. The building has 14,607 square feet of assigned space. It houses the dining hall, the President’s Dining Room, and the student activities center.

The James A. Aborne Student Success Services (SSS). The James A. Aborne building is onestory and now houses the Student Success Services program. SSS consists of various programs that provide assistance to students to help ensure they are successful in their studies. The SSS is home of Student Retention, Mentoring, Engagement, and Group Sessions and the Writing and Math Labs. Additionally, the SSS consists of student lounges, study areas, testing area, and a fully functional computer lab.

The Charles A. and Sarah G. Berry Student Apartments. This complex has twelve units and is located north of the Charles A. Meyer Science and Mathematics Center. It includes four efficiency and eight one-bedroom units. All have central heating and air-conditioning. All are one-story brick structures.

The Faculty Housing Complex. The faculty housing complex was completed in 1970. The complex has twenty units and is located north of the Olin Library and Communication Center. It includes eight one-room efficiency units, six one-bedroom units, and six two-bedroom units. All have central heating and air-conditioning. All are one-story brick structures.

The Alumni Heritage House. The Alumni Heritage House is a one-story brick structure that once housed the campus President. The Heritage Room, which houses historical documents and artifacts, is part of the facility. The remainder of the building is currently not in use.

The Emma B. Smith Administration Building. The Administration Building was erected in 1936. It is a one-story, brick structure with an assigned area of 12,695 square feet. It houses offices for the President of the College, Human Resources, and the office of the Registrar. In addition, it houses offices for the Vice President for Administration and Finance and its divisions: Federal Collections, Mailroom/Reproduction/Telecommunications, Financial Aid, and the Business Office. The office of Institutional Advancement and Development, including the offices of Public Relations, and Alumni Affairs, is also located here. Additionally, the building contains one conference room.

The Barton-Zeppa Building. The Barton-Zeppa Building is a concrete structure on the east side of the campus. It has an area of 9,426 square feet with ten rooms used for housing the Maintenance Department.

The Sebetha Jenkins Living and Learning Center. The Sebetha Jenkins Living & Learning Center was constructed in 2007. The complex consists of two distinct buildings: the Ron Hay Student Services Building and the Sebetha Jenkins Living & Learning Center. The former houses the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, grill, student mailboxes, fitness center, and other offices. The latter houses both male and female students, for a total of 304 beds. The total of the rooms are divided equally for the male and female occupants.

Goodwin Nature Trail and Pavilion. On March 25, 2011, the 2-mile Goodwin Nature Trail and Pavilion (Outdoor Classroom) were formally opened. The trail and pavilion were constructed with funds from a Trail Grant awarded to Jarvis by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The trail is available for pleasure walking and jogging. It will also be available for trail biking whenever weather conditions provide a firm, dry surface. Motorized vehicles, excluding wheelchairs, will not be granted access to the trail without advance permission from Jarvis. The trail is open to the public as well as to the Jarvis family. In addition to the uses noted above, the trail and pavilion will support education and research. Areas along the trail will be used as outdoor laboratories for courses such as general biology, general ecology, and environmental chemistry. Other areas will be used as Jarvis faculty and student research sites, and the area will be available to researchers from other colleges, universities, institutes, etc. Area public schools will be invited to use the trail for field outings. In addition, use of the trail, pavilion, and surrounding areas for other purposes can be granted upon written request.

Jarvis Christian College, an accredited, private, co-educational, church-related college, is located one mile east of Hawkins, Texas, and four miles west of Big Sandy, Texas, on U.S. Highway 80. It is fourteen miles from U.S. Interstate 20. Accessible Texas cities within a radius of thirty miles are Mineola, eighteen miles west; Gladewater, fifteen miles east; Tyler, twenty miles south; and Longview, twenty-five miles east. Tyler and Longview have populations of approximately 83,800 and 75,500, respectively. Both cities have daily airline service to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Shreveport, Louisiana is accessible via Interstate 20 for airline connections to all parts of the United States and foreign countries.

Jarvis is free from the noise and smog of the big city and is conducive for study, but retains access to neighboring metropolitan areas. It is approximately 100 miles southeast of Dallas.