Introducing Doane College

History of Doane College

For 143 years, Doane College has occupied a distinguished place among the colleges and universities of the Midwest as Nebraska’s oldest private liberal arts and sciences college.

The history of Doane dates from 1857, when the General Association of Congregational Churches, in its first annual meeting at 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 preempted the Crete Academy. 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. The college is authorized to conduct all affairs considered essential to the liberal arts enterprise wherever it is carried on, including teaching, research, academic study and granting degrees.

Doane is historically affiliated with what is now called the United Church of Christ. 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 College Presidents

Doane College has been led by a succession of enlightened presidents. Doane’s first president, David Brainerd Perry, served from the official founding of the college in 1872 until 1912. He was followed by:

Mission Statement

The Doane College mission is to provide an exceptional liberal arts education in a creative, inclusive, and collaborative community where faculty and staff work closely with undergraduate and graduate students preparing them for lives rooted in intellectual inquiry, ethical values, and a commitment to engage as leaders and responsible citizens in the world.

Accreditation Statement

Doane College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL, 60602-2504). HLC may be reached at 800.621.7440 or ncahlc.org.

In addition, the Teacher Education unit at Doane College 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.

Doane is also accredited by other standardizing agencies, including the Nebraska Coordinating Commission of Post-Secondary Education (301 Centennial Mall South, P.O. Box 94987, Lincoln, NE, 68509-4987), which can be reached at 402.471.2295.

Documentation of accreditation may be viewed upon request in the Doane College President’s Office.

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 college protects the confidentiality of data collected.

Doane College Memberships

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Nebraska
Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges of Teacher Education
College Entrance Examination Board
Council for the Advancement and Support of Education
Council of Independent Colleges
Great Plains Athletic Conference
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
Nebraska Association of Colleges and Universities
Nebraska Council for Teacher Education
Nebraska Independent College Foundation
Nebraska Independent College Library Consortium