Exploring Stevenson University's Greenspring Campus: A Comprehensive Overview

Stevenson University, a private institution in Baltimore County, Maryland, operates across two campuses, one of which is the Greenspring campus. This article delves into the details of the Greenspring campus, its history, facilities, and its role within Stevenson University.

Stevenson University: An Overview

Stevenson University enrolls approximately 3,615 undergraduate and graduate students. Founded as Villa Julie College in 1947 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic women's religious order, the institution initially served as a one-year school for training medical secretaries. Over the years, it has evolved into a comprehensive university offering a wide array of programs.

The Greenspring Valley Campus: Location and History

Stevenson's Greenspring Valley campus is located in the Green Spring Valley area within the northwestern portion of Baltimore County. The campus resides on the 60-acre former estate of the George Carroll Jenkins family. The estate was known as "Seven Oaks," a name inspired by the large old oak trees on the property, which were believed to mark a traditional Lenni Lenape burial ground.

Villa Julie was approved as a two-year college by the Maryland State Department of Education in 1954 and received its first Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation in 1962. Traditionally a commuter college for local residents, by the early 1990s Villa Julie started attracting students interested in college housing. Without the proper zoning for such an addition to the Stevenson campus, the college leased off-campus apartments in Pikesville and later in the county seat of Towson, where resident students began living in 1993. It started offering master's degrees in 1995.

Transformation to University Status

On October 28, 2000, Villa Julie College inaugurated its fourth president Kevin J. Manning, who succeeded Carolyn Manuszak. Under Manning, enrollment continued to increase and the demand for college-owned student housing intensified. The college broke ground on a second campus in Owings Mills in August 2003, opening it a year later. In late 2007, the school's leaders decided to make changes needed to attain university status. Meetings were held to help determine whether the name should be changed to Villa Julie University, or something different, given its broader reach. Other names considered were Great Oaks University, Tufton University, Greenspring University, Rockland University, Sagamore University, and Billiart University.

Read also: Preserve Your Stevenson Diploma

Academic Schools and Programs

Today, Stevenson University is composed of seven schools. The Howard S. Brown School of Business and Leadership opened for the fall 2008 semester and houses the school's Accounting, Business Administration, Business Information Systems, Computer Information Systems, Marketing, and Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics programs. Formerly housed on the Greenspring campus, the School of Design moved to a new building on a property purchased from Shire Pharmaceuticals in 2013 to create what is now the Owings Mills North location of the Owings Mills campus. In September 2016, the 200,000 sq ft Kevin J. Manning Academic Center opened and today houses the Beverly K. Fine School of the Sciences, the Sandra R. Berman School of Nursing and Health Professions, and additional facilities for the School of Design.

Stevenson offers over 90 majors, minors, tracks, and concentrations. Stevenson University Online, formerly the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, offers online master's, bachelor's, and certificate programs for working professionals. Admission is granted on a rolling basis, and courses are offered year-round in 8-week sessions.

Campus Facilities and Resources

The Greenspring campus, built in three phases between 1971 and 1998, is located at 1525 Greenspring Valley Road, two miles from Interstates 695 and 83. The wooded campus, spanning several buildings totaling over 200,000 square feet, sits 12 miles north of downtown. Properties include a 384-seat performance arts theatre, gymnasium, cafeteria and a science centre. Several athletic fields and tennis courts are also on the site.

The university expanded its athletic facilities in 2010 with the opening of a 35,000 sq ft gymnasium and the 3,500-seat Mustang Stadium on the Owings Mills Campus. In February 2018, Stevenson opened a Student Activities Commons in Garrison Hall on the Owings Mills campus to serve as a student club and activities center. The Commons include club sports offices, three meeting rooms, a fitness center, and a console video gaming room. It also serves as the home for Stevenson's esports team, which has its own esports arena.

Student Life and Activities

From community services and the arts to education and religion, there are more than 80 clubs and extracurricular activities for students. The university's athletic facilities include the Caves Sports and Wellness Center (formerly the training facility of the Baltimore Colts), the Owings Mills gymnasium, and Mustang Stadium.

Stevenson teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Mustangs are a member of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC). Stevenson used to compete in the Capital Athletic Conference (now the Coast-to-Coast Conference [C2C]) from 2007-08 to 2011-12. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track & field, volleyball and swimming. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball (indoor and beach), and swimming. In 2016, Stevenson University became the first NCAA Division III Institution to add Women's Beach Volleyball as a collegiate sport. This is also the same year men's ice hockey began their first season of competition. In Spring of 2022, Stevenson broadened their sport count to 28 with the addition of Acrobatics & Tumbling, a competitive sport with similarities to cheer, gymnastics, and stunt.

With the induction of the football team in 2011, the university added a marching band. The Stevenson University Marching 100 is a modern-style marching band that plays both contemporary and traditional marching band music. The band uses woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments along with synthesizers, guitars, and color guard. The band plays at football games, open houses, and other university events.

Community Engagement and Cultural Programs

Since 2006, Stevenson University has sponsored the Baltimore Speakers Series, which takes place at the Joseph Meyerhoff Center in Baltimore City. Through its Arts Alive! initiative, the university offers a year-round calendar of cultural programs, including art exhibitions, theatre productions, film screenings, musical performances, and guest speakers.

Expansion and Future Developments

In summer 2017, Stevenson University reached an agreement with the state of Maryland to acquire the former Rosewood Center property in Owings Mills. The 117-acre site is adjacent to Stevenson's existing Owings Mills campus and nearly doubles the total acreage of the university. The Rosewood project has included remediation and demolition of 20 buildings on the site in spring 2018. In 2017, purchase of the Rosewood property has been further developed into what is now known as East Campus.

Stevenson University is listing its 60-acre Greenspring campus, a long-expected move as the college continues to expand in Owings Mills.

Accreditation and Non-Discrimination Policy

Stevenson University is currently engaged in its scheduled accreditation review with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). As part of this process, the University is providing notice to its constituents and the public of the opportunity to submit comments regarding the institution’s compliance with standards for accreditation, requirements of affiliation, policies and procedures, and applicable federal regulatory requirements. MSCHE accepts third‐party comments through its Complaints and Third-Party Comments Form. Comments are accepted while Stevenson University is approaching a scheduled accreditation review by the Commission.

Stevenson University admits students of any race, color, sex, religion, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, benefits, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the University. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, and national or ethnic origin in the administration of its education policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other university-administered programs. The University is committed to providing all students with an educational environment free of bias, discrimination, intimidation, or harassment and complies with all relevant federal, state, and local laws.

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