History of Doane University
Doane University has occupied a distinguished place among the colleges and universities of the midwest as Nebraska’s first and oldest private liberal arts and sciences school.
The history of Doane dates from 1857, when the General Association of Congregational Churches, in its first annual meeting in Fremont, Nebraska, resolved to lay the foundation of a literary institution of a high order in Nebraska. Fourteen years later, and after several unsuccessful attempts to establish Congregational schools across the state, an academy was founded in Crete on May 22, 1871.
The efforts of the local Congregational pastor and Thomas Doane, chief civil engineer for the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad, were instrumental in advancing the idea of the academy.
On July 11, 1872, Doane College was founded. The college was officially incorporated at that time as a nonprofit institution governed by an independent, self-perpetuating board of trustees. It has received continuous accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, now named the Higher Learning Commission, since 1913.
Doane began its work in higher education for adult and non-residential students when it offered its first professional development classes in Lincoln in 1981. The current Lincoln campus was established in 1988.
In 2016, Doane College became Doane University, reflecting its structure of multiple campuses, colleges, and the addition of online programs. No matter the changes, Doane has continued to hold on to its liberal arts origins, prioritizing teaching, research, academic study and helping students reach success in all aspects of their education.
Doane is historically affiliated with what is now called the United Church of Christ (UCC). Doane serves as the representative institution for the Nebraska, Rocky Mountain, Kansas-Oklahoma, and South Dakota conferences of the UCC. Doane, although founded by Protestants, is open to students of all religions, as well as those who profess no formal religion.
Doane University Presidents
Doane University has been led by a succession of enlightened presidents. Doane’s first president, David Brainerd Perry, served from the official founding of the university in 1872 until 1912. He was followed by:
- Arthur B. Fairchild 1912-1914 (acting)
- William O. Allen 1914-1918
- John N. Bennett 1919-1925
- Edwin B. Dean 1925-1936
- Bryan S. Stoffer 1937-1942
- Bryant Drake 1942-1947
- David L. Crawford 1948-1954
- Donald M. Typer 1954-1966
- Philip R. Heckman 1967-1987
- Frederic D. Brown 1987-2005
- Jonathan M. Brand 2005-2011
- Jacque Carter 2011-2021
- Roger Hughes 2021-
Mission Statement
Doane University creates distinctive educational experiences, immersed in the liberal arts, to prepare our students for careers and lives grounded in inquiry, ethics, and a commitment to lead and serve in the global community.
Purpose
We Build Leaders
Vision
Doane University will be a comprehensive university, recognized for innovation, valuing the liberal arts and professional studies in order to empower and prepare students for life, career, and community engagement.
Values
- Inclusion: Doane values creating an environment in which all individuals and communities are able to fully participate, belong and thrive in authentic ways.
- Integrity: Doane values ethical and principled decision-making and taking responsibility for one’s actions.
- Innovation: Doane values forward thinking and the ability to develop and implement new or re-imagined ideas in a collaborative environment.
- Transformation: Doane values enhancing lives and developing potential.
We Build Leaders
At Doane University WE BUILD LEADERS for success in life, communities and chosen professions through…
L = Learning
Developing life longlearners who prioritize communication and inquiry
E = Equity
Valuing equity, striving to eliminate disparities and promoting accessibility
A = Advocacy
Empowering individuals to positively advocate for themselves and others
D = Diversity
Embracing and supporting diversity in all its forms through an intersectional lens
E = Ethics
Teaching and celebrating ethical decision making grounded in integrity
R = Resilience
Providing the tools to persevere through adversity
S = Service
Cultivating empathy and compassion through ongoing acts of service
Doane University Liberal Arts Statement
At Doane, we see a liberated mind as the surest path to intellectual fulfillment and professional achievement. As such, we embrace the liberal arts as the core of our curriculum. We conceive the liberal arts to be an expansive educational approach designed to foster critical analysis of the world and self-realization of the individual. Through exposure to a liberal arts education, we expect our graduates to:
- Collaborate and lead with imagination and humility born of understanding and appreciating multiple perspectives;
- Continue learning and growing throughout life, becoming iteratively more refined regarding their worldview, values and vocation;
- Navigate the complexities of contemporary society with resilience, integrity and freedom of thought;
- Critically and effectively discuss, debate and deliberate the evolving issues of a constantly changing community, nation and world; and
- Identify and innovate opportunities to create value in their communities and in the broader world.
Accreditation Statement
Doane University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (230 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL, 60604-1411). HLC may be reached at 800.621.7440 or hlcommission.org.
Doane is also accredited by other standardizing agencies, including the Nebraska Coordinating Commission of Post-Secondary Education (140 N. 8th St., Suite 300, P.O. Box 95005, Lincoln, NE, 68509-5005), which can be reached at 402.471.2847.
The College of Education at Doane University is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (1140 19th St. N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036). CAEP can be reached at 202.223.0077 or caepnet.org. This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs.
The Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program is also accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), which is recognized as a standard of excellence for counseling education. CACREP can be reached at cacrep.org or by calling 703.535.5990.
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (8101 College Blvd #100 Overland Park, KS 66210). ACBSP can be reached at (913) 339-9356.
Documentation of accreditation may be viewed upon request in the Doane University President’s Office.
Licensure and Certification
Doane regularly updates program requirements in order to prepare students for licensure and certification as appropriate. In order to comply with federal disclosure requirements, up-to-date information about licensure and certification can be found on the General Licensure and Certification Disclosure page. Prospective and current students are encouraged to research the requirements in their current or intended state of residence to ensure that their intended enrollment in a program will meet the requirements of their state’s licensing agency.
Assessment Statement
Doane values the participation of undergraduate and graduate students in its institution-wide program to assess student achievement. This program is part of the institution’s responsibility to monitor student outcomes and assure the continuing quality of a Doane degree. Multiple strategies are used to gather information about student achievement throughout the college experience. Information collected as a part of the assessment program is used for assessment purposes only and is not used to evaluate individual performance. The university protects the confidentiality of data collected.
Doane University Memberships
Campus Locations
Doane’s first students in the late 1800’s studied in one primary building, Merrill Hall, which was destroyed by a fire in 1969. Through years of careful stewardship by faculty, staff, and students, Doane’s residential campus in Crete is one of the most celebrated in the midwest.
Doane’s growth beyond Crete traces its origins to 1981, when classes were first held for adult, non-residential learners seeking professional advancement at the offices of Select Research, Inc. in Lincoln. The Fred D. Brown Center is the flagship facility of Doane’s Lincoln Campus. The building was purchased in 2005 and named in honor of longtime Doane President Fred D. Brown, who was an original proponent of all of Doane’s non-residential learning programs. The Fred Brown Center includes dedicated offices and classrooms for its master and doctoral programs, IT services, Academic Support Center, and faculty offices.
Doane’s Graduate Education programs have a long tradition of offering courses across the state in partnership with area Educational Service Units (ESU) and School Districts. Doane has these additional locations approved for Veteran benefits:
- Bellevue Public Schools, 2600 Arboretum Drive, Bellevue, NE 68005
- North Platte, McKinley Education Center, 301 W F Street, North Platte, NE 69101
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