Christopher Newport University Christopher Newport University , or CNU , is a public liberal arts university located in Newport News , Virginia , United States . CNU is the youngest comprehensive university in the Commonwealth of Virginia . The institution is named after Christopher Newport , who was a buccaneer ( or privateer ) and captain of the " Susan Constant " , the largest of three ships which carried settlers for the Virginia Company in 1607 on the way to find the settlement at Jamestown in the Virginia Colony , which became the first permanent English settlement in North America . History . In 1960 the city of Newport News joined together with the [ [ Virginia | Commonwealth of Virginia ] ] to create Christopher Newport College ( CNC ) , which opened its doors in 1961 and at the time was located in the old [ [ John W . Daniel ] ] School building . The college was founded as an extension of the [ [ College of William & Mary ] ] and offered extension courses that had already been available in the area for some time . In 1964 the college was relocated to its current location , a tract of land purchased and donated by the city . In this same year , the college ' s first permanent building was dedicated as Christopher Newport Hall . In 1971 , CNC became a 4 year college however remained an extension of William & Mary until 1977 when it attained its independence . Finally in 1992 , the college received university status under the leadership of then president Anthony R . Santoro who oversaw the building of the first residence hall and the original Captain John Smith Library . In 1996 CNU made plans to move to a more competitive university . Those plans included the expansion of the University property , several new buildings and residence halls , as well as redoing the academic programs and admission process . Academic programs . Christopher Newport University offers a variety of four year bachelors of sciences and bachelors of arts degrees . For a few of these degrees they offer a masters in 5 program which , with an additional year of study , will allow graduation with a masters of science or masters of arts in the selected field . Along with the choice of a major , many students will choose a minor with which to complement their education . They also offer several Pre - professional programs and Certificate programs . The campus academic programs are divided into the Joseph W . Luter III School of Business and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences . Each of these departments is broken down further into the academic programs that they offer . Joseph W . Luter , III College of Business and Leadership . The College of Business is currently located in the Business and Technology Center , locally abbreviated as The BTC Building . In 2005 the school of business was renamed to the [ [ Joseph W . Luter III ] ] School of Business . The school was renamed after a 5 million dollar donation from the [ [ Smithfield Packing Company ] ] . In December the Leadership and American Studies Department merged with the School of Business to create the Joseph W Luter III College of Business and Leadership . The College of Business is accredited by the [ [ AACSB ] ] and offers bachelors degrees in [ [ Accounting ] ] , [ [ Economics ] ] , [ [ Finance ] ] , [ [ Management ] ] and [ [ Marketing ] ] . Worldwide , only one in six business schools has AACSB international accreditation . The Joseph W . Luter , III School of Business scored at the 90th percentile for the 2009 - 10 academic year in the ETS Major Field Test ( MFT ) in Business . CNU ' s economic students regularly compete in the [ [ Fed Challenge ] ] , sponsored by the [ [ Federal Reserve System ] ] . College of Liberal Arts & Sciences . The college of [ [ Liberal Arts ] ] & Sciences is divided into academic departments . Each academic department is primarily associated with a building on campus . Most classes within a department will be located in the associated building as well as faculty offices and other learning resources . The department of Biology , Chemistry , & Environmental Science , generally located Mary Brock Forbes Hall , which opened in fall of 2011 , offers bachelors degrees in [ [ Biology ] ] , [ [ Chemistry ] ] , [ [ Environmental Science ] ] , and , until 2008 , [ [ Ornamental Horticulture ] ] . The Physics , Computer Science & Computer Engineering , or PCSE , department offers several bachelors degree as well as a master in 5 programs . Undergraduate programs include degrees in [ [ Computer Engineering ] ] , [ [ Applied Physics ] ] , [ [ Computer Science ] ] and [ [ Information Science ] ] . The Information Science program offers several concentrations which include [ [ Computer networking | Networking ] ] & [ [ Telecommunication | Communications ] ] , [ [ Information Systems ] ] , and [ [ Business Administration ] ] . With an extra year of study , a student can graduate with their bachelors in Computer Science or Physics as well as a masters in Applied Physics and Computer Science . Sharing Gosnold Hall with the PCSE Department is the Mathematics Department which offers a degree in [ [ Mathematics ] ] . As of January 2010 the Departments of Communication Studies , English , History , Government , Modern and Classical Languages and Literature as well as the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies are located in Lewis Archer McMurran , Jr . Hall . The former McMurran Hall has been demolished . The Government department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in [ [ Political Science ] ] . The [ [ History ] ] department offers degrees in History . The English Department offers a lone degree in English . Concentrations include [ [ Creative Writing ] ] , Language Arts , [ [ Literature ] ] , [ [ Technical Writing ] ] and [ [ Writing ] ] . For languages other than English , the Modern & Classical Languages & Literatures department offers degrees in German , French , Spanish , and Classical Studies . The department of Philosophy and Religious Studies offers a Bachelors of Arts , and includes Religious Studies and Pre - Seminary options for a concentration . The Psychology and Sociology & Anthropology and Socialwork Departments , offer degrees in [ [ Psychology ] ] , [ [ Social Work ] ] and [ [ Sociology ] ] . The sociology program also offers options for a concentration with include [ [ Criminology ] ] , Anthropology , and General sociology studies . The psychology program is also especially strong , with many students going on to obtain graduate degrees . Army Reserve Officer Training Corps ( ROTC ) . The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps has maintained a strong presence at CNU for several years , offering classroom and field based training . The program is a component of the [ [ College of William and Mary ] ] ' s [ [ ROTC ] ] prgram , known as the Revolutionary Guard Battalion . It commissions several new [ [ US Army ] ] [ [ second lieutenant ] ] s each year . The Department of Fine Art and Art History . The Fine Art Department , located in the back of the Ferguson Center , offers a degree in [ [ Fine Arts ] ] with concentrations in [ [ Art History ] ] and [ [ Studio Art ] ] . The Department of Theatre & Dance . The Theatre & Dance Department offers a degree in [ [ Theater Arts ] ] with concentrations in [ [ Acting ] ] , Arts Administration , Design / Technology , Directing / Dramatic Literature and Music / Dance . The school also offers a Bachelors of Music degree . This degree can be complemented with concentrations in Music Education both Instrumental and Choral , Performance and Music Composition | Theory . The music minor option , however , was dropped in 2009 , as was the Jazz Studies Major . Athletics . CNU participates in the [ [ USA South Athletic Conference ] ] and fields a wide variety of college level teams on the Division III level . CNU sports club programs include ice hockey , equestrian , dressage , cycling , fishing , lacrosse , martial arts , rock climbing , rugby , scuba diving , silver storm dance , soccer , swimming , table tennis , tennis , ultimate frisbee and volleyball . Baseball . The Captains baseball team made it to the [ [ NCAA ] ] World Series and finished 3rd and 2nd in 2002 and 2003 respectively under the coaching of John Harvell . The CNU baseball team has fielded 6 All American Athletes . Softball . CNU Softball team places 2nd in National Championship . 2011 Basketball . [ [ Image : CaptainsLogo . jpg | thumb | 350px | right | The CNU Captains logo introduced for the 2007 Season ] ] The CNU Men ' s basketball team holds an impressive . 697 percent victory percentage and 13 All - American Athlete honors over its almost 40 years of existence . CNU has also produced an NBA player in [ [ Lamont Strothers ] ] . The Women ' s basketball team , started in 1971 sports a slightly lower overall win percentage at . 583 and has fielded 7 All - American Athlete honors . 2011 Final Four - Woman ' s Basketball Division III . Christopher Newport University is participating in its first Final Four in school history - men ' s or women ' s - and is looking to expand on its most successful season in program history . The Captains ( 29 - 3 ) reached the NCAA Sweet 16 a year ago , setting a new program mark for victories in a season with 30 , but have advanced even further this year with a trip to the national semifinals . CNU is the top three - point shooting team in the nation , knocking down 44 . 7 % of their trey ' s this season , led by the nation ' s leading scorer , Chelsie Schweers . In her swan song season , Schweers has moved into number two all - time in scoring , with over 2 , 800 career points , and is Division III ' s all - time leader in three - pointers made , with 411 . Schweers has scored 132 points in four NCAA Tournament games , leading the championship with 33 . 0 points per game , and is threatening the all - time NCAA Tournament record for scoring ( 162 by Crystal Coleman - Bishop ) . Cross country . [ [ File : CNULogoSmall . png | thumb | right | The new Captains logo introduced for the 2010 Season ] ] The CNU Men ' s Cross Country team holds an impressive historical roster with over 110 first team All - Dixie / USA South Conference awards and 65 All [ [ Mason - Dixon Conference ] ] awards . The CNU Women ' s Cross Country team holds over 50 First team All - Dixie / USA South Conference awards and 42 All Mason - Dixon Conference awards . The men ' s team has also produced 4 All - American athletes with 1 award each . Football . With most CNU sports having been established for 20 years or more , CNU Football is one of the newest sports . Started in 2001 with Matt Kelchner coaching , the team has made it to the NCAA play - offs 5 out of the last 6 years . The team recently won their NCAA Division III Conference Championship . The Captains were the first team in NCAA history to win a conference title and advance to the NCAA playoffs in their first year of play - and have finished the regular season no lower than second place in the division since . Track . The CNU track has an impressive historical roster with 62 national championship titles held by 31 different athletes . Also , the track team has received a total of 451 All - American Athlete awards among 89 different athletes . Men ' s tennis . The CNU men ' s tennis team has recently come onto the Division III tennis scene after years in the shadows . The men won the USA South Conference title for the regular season and the Conference Tournament for the first times in almost a decade . The team players had several wins over Division I opponents and sophomore Eddie Glidewell finished in the Top 35 in the Nation . He joined five other players to reach this distinction - Holden Knight , Detlef Schultz , Jason Martin , and Hugh Spain . Coach Rush Cole has also recently set the program ' s record for most wins and is beginning to make the team a national powerhouse with the help of new assistant coach Worth Richardson . Field hockey . The women ' s Field Hockey Team is coached by Carrie Moura . In 2006 the team reached the elite 8 in the NCAA Division III National Tournament , and the Sweet Sixteen in the two years to follow . The team has had four all Americans and numerous all region players . Other sports clubs . [ [ Image : FreemanCenter . jpg | thumb | 250px | right | The Freeman Center & Trieshmann Pavilion ] ] Ice Hockey The CNU ice hockey team is a club sport at CNU and is a member of the [ [ ACHA ] ] and [ [ BRHC ] ] . The CNU Ice Hockey club was formed in the fall of 2004 . The team just completed its ninth season of play , finishing with the team ' s first Conference Championship , defeating Loyola University in overtime . See the CNU Men ' s Ice Hockey website at : . CNU FC Soccer CNU FC officially became a school - recognized club in 2005 . It was started by Phill Condrey ( President ) , Steven Mohn ( Vice - President ) , Jason Semko ( Secretary ) , Scott Siclari ( Treasurer ) , and Jeremy Wells . CNU FC CNU Rugby The CNU Rugby team was founded as a club sport in the Fall of 2000 . They are a member of the Virginia Rugby Union , Division III . And are 2009 DIII State Champs as well as 2012 V . R . U . Champions . CNU Martial Arts Club The CNU MAC was established by Skyler Brady in 2009 . CNU MAC is a competitive mixed martial arts team that trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu , wrestling , kickboxing and Muay Thai . The team hosted its first tournament , The Captain ' s Invitational on October 31 , 2010 . CNUMAC Athletic buildings . The Freeman Center houses the basketball , volleyball , and indoor track teams , while the lacrosse , soccer , baseball , softball , and field hockey teams play at a complex called " Captain ' s Field . " The football and outdoor track teams compete at POMOCO Stadium , named for a local car dealership chain . Ratcliffe Hall was expanded in 2012 and now includes various athletic offices as well as the varsity gym . Campus . [ [ Image : CaptChristopherNewportStatue01 . jpg | thumb | 200px | right | Statue of Sir Christopher Newport ] ] Boundaries . The traditional boundaries of the Christopher Newport University campus have been Warwick Boulevard , Shoe Lane , and Prince Drew Road in Newport News . In recent years , however , the University has " jumped " Warwick Boulevard , buying and demolishing properties in the immediate area to expand . The part of campus that is east of Warwick Boulevard is referred to as " East Campus " and is primarily used to house upper - class students . Residence halls . Residence halls on campus are usually segregated into the class of student living in them . In the recent years , new policies have been enacted that require all freshman and sophomore students to live in an on campus housing facility , unless they live in the commuting zone . Starting with the class of 2014 , all students must live on campus during the junior year in addition to their freshman and sophomore years . Freshman housing The oldest housing facility on campus is Santoro Hall which opened in 1992 and was named after Carol and Anthony Santoro . This building is directly adjacent to one of the campus dining facilities , the Hiden - Hussey Commons . Santoro Hall , along with the newer York River Hall , is primarily used for freshman housing . York River Hall was opened for occupancy in 2002 . This complex , consisting of two buildings ( York River East / York River West ) , houses over 500 students and is the largest residence hall on campus . Both Santoro and York River Halls are suite - living residence halls . In each building , pairs of neighboring housing units share a common private restroom . Freshman also live in portions of Potomac River Hall . Upperclassmen housing [ [ File : James River Hall at Christopher Newport University . jpg | thumb | left | 300px | James River Hall after a January snow ] ] Sophomore housing currently consists of James River Hall , opened in 2000 , half of Potomac River Hall , opened in 2004 , as well as Warwick River Hall , opened in 2012 . James River Hall boasts a variety of floor plans , including 4 , 5 , and 6 - person apartments , 4 - person suites , and three 15 - person Theme Units . Potomac Hall , like York River Hall , is divided into two buildings ( North / South ) , and consists of suites of two bedrooms , located around a central living room and bath . Warwick River Hall is the newest residence hall on campus and accommodates 447 students in 4 , 5 , and 6 - person suites each with a shared living room and bathroom . Juniors and Seniors living on campus are generally assigned to East Campus , the home for all upperclassmen at CNU . Starting in 2009 , five sororities and four fraternities live in Barclay Apartments , CNU ' s temporary Greek Village . Completed in 2002 , CNU Apartments is a complex of five buildings of three or four stories , housing up to 355 students . These buildings , named after Virginia - born presidents , include Washington , Jefferson , Madison , Harrison , and Monroe . The CNU Village rose to accompany CNU Apartments in 2005 , adding room for an additional 398 students in apartment living . Both the apartments and the Village feature 2 to 4 single bedroom apartments with a common living area ( full kitchen , living room / dinette , washer and dryer ) . Below CNU Village , along Warwick Blvd . , are a variety of eating establishments including Panera Bread , Moe ' s Southwest Grill , Subway , 7 - 11 , Sushi & Spice , and Schooners , opened by three local restaurateurs who wanted to fill a void left by the lack of a social outlet on campus . Dining facilities . The campus has 2 major dining facilities . Hiden - Hussey Commons The first dining facility on campus was originally named Harbour Lights . This all you can eat cafeteria style facility is decorated internally with nautical memorbalia to go along with its name . In 2005 Harbour Lights was renamed to the Hiden - Hussey Commons . Newer students just refer to it as " The Commons . " The dining hall was expanded in 2012 to include additional seating , serving lines , and a patio . Regattas Regattas Restaurant is the newest dining hall on CNU ' s campus . Opened in 2002 , it shares a similar format to the Hiden - Hussey Commons with the all - you - can - eat cafeteria style but sports a more up - tempo environment with newer chairs and tables and often featuring hand made waffle cones for ice cream and custom made omelettes . It is home to CNU ' s Mongolian Grill . It is located on the first floor of the new [ [ Student Union ] ] . The David Student Union . [ [ Image : DSU1 . jpg | thumb | 300px | left | The David Student Union ] ] [ [ Image : TheStreet . jpg | thumb | right | Main Corridor of the " DSU " ] ] The David Student Union , or the DSU as it is often called , is a $ 36 million , . facility whose construction began in 2003 and opened September 9 , 2006 . Constructed in a " Neo - [ [ Georgian architecture | Georgian ] ] " architectural style , the first floor contains the campus Convenience Store , parallel the DSU dining facilities : The Discovery Bistro , Discovery Cafe , [ [ Chick - fil - A ] ] , Discovery [ [ Pizza ] ] , and Regatta ' s . The campus Bookstore and Convenience Store closed during the Fall 2010 semester in favor of an online bookstore and instead contains a student lounge , admissions office , and apparel store . All on - campus students receive a mailbox and access to a full - service Post Office located on the second floor of the DSU . Four large conference rooms named for past U . S . Presidents are located around a central lobby area at the top of the steps . The Ballroom is also located on the second floor . The building provides offices for Student Life , The Captain ' s Log , Career Development , International Studies , Academic Advising , and others . Private desks with computers are provided for students as well as quiet study sections and recreational areas . The building was named in honor of William R . and Goldie R . David . Academic buildings . For the opening of the Spring 2010 semester , Christopher Newport University opened the Lewis Archer McMurran , Jr . Hall . This building has combined timeless neo - Georgian architecture with 21st - century technology . The building is 85 , 000 square feet and frames the university ' s Great Lawn on its western side . McMurran Hall houses the Departments of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures , History , English , and Government . It boasts a 150 - person lecture hall , two 50 - person lecture halls , and over 25 other state - of - the - art classrooms . To the north of McMurran Hall is Ratcliffe Hall , the former home of the Departments of English and Government . Once CNU ' s gymnasium , the building was renovated to include classroom and office space for students and faculty . Other academic buildings on campus include Gosnold Hall , Forbes Hall , and the Business and Technology Center ( BTC Building ) , located across Prince Drew Lane . The BTC Building is the current home of the Joseph W . Luter School of Business faculty and classrooms . Finally , the [ [ Ferguson Center ] ] for the Arts is home to the Departments of Music and Theater & Dance . Wingfield Hall , the former home of the Departments of Psychology and Language , was demolished in 2011 to make way for the Joseph W . Luter Hall , home of the school of business . The Joseph W . Luter , III Hall is the house of the Luter School of Business . The building , following the Neo - Georgian architecture of surrounding new structures , has a new 100 - seat tiered lecture hall , 14 traditional classrooms , teachings labs , research labs , faculty offices , and state - of - the - art technology . The Mary Brock Forbes Integrated Science Building is a 156 , 000 sq ft academic hall situated on the north edge of the great lawn , and houses the College of Natural and Behavioral Science as well as the Biology , Chemistry , Environmental Science and Psychology departments . It also includes spaces for students to interact , 50 faculty offices , a large lecture hall , 50 classrooms , research labs , and state - of - the - art technology . The Paul and Rosemary Trible Library . The library , renamed for Rosemary and [ [ Paul S . Trible , Jr . ] ] , had a multi - million - dollar addition completed in early 2008 . The new facility houses most of its collection in the original section . The new library was dedicated January 24 , 2008 and fully opened at the start of the Spring 2008 semester . The Trible Library boasts a new Einstein ' s Cafe , a 24 - hour study lounge , and IT help desk . The library is topped by a 14 - story cupola , which is inaccessible and the highest point in Newport News . The interior of the cupola is also not visible , as there is a three story dome roof inside the building . In early 2009 , the [ [ Mariners ' Museum ] ] Library relocated to the Paul and Rosemary Trible library , providing students and the community with convenient access to the largest maritime history collection in the Western Hemisphere . The Trible Library is slated for another expansion in 2014 that would add another floor to the back portion of the library . Ferguson Center for the Arts . In 1996 the university acquired the [ [ Homer L . Ferguson High School | Ferguson High School ] ] building and property , which was adjacent to campus . This building was used for classrooms until it was extensively renovated to become the [ [ Ferguson Center for the Arts ] ] , which opened in fall of 2005 . Many features of the original high school , which was located between what is now the concert hall and the music and theatre hall , can still be seen throughout the current building . It houses a 1725 - seat concert hall which is acoustically engineered so that anyone on stage can be heard from any seat without a microphone , A 453 - seat music and theatre hall , and a 200 - seat studio theatre . It also contains two art galleries , a dance studio , and several classrooms . Pope Chapel . Opened in early 2013 , the Pope Chapel , named for Larry Pope of Smithfield Foods , is a 14 , 000 square foot gathering place for various on campus religious organizations located at the campus entrance across from York River Hall and the Trible Library . Student life . Greek life . Greek life at Christopher Newport has grown in the recent years to include 7 [ [ North - American Interfraternity Conference ] ] listed fraternities , 6 [ [ National Panhellenic Conference ] ] listed sororities and 3 [ [ NPHC ] ] listed Greek organizations . NIC fraternities NPC sororities NPHC listed Notable alumni . Campus ministries . The campus has several religious organizations . These include [ [ Reformed University Fellowship ] ] ( RUF ) , [ [ InterVarsity Christian Fellowship ] ] ( IV ) , [ [ Young Life ] ] , [ [ Hillel Club ] ] , [ [ Campus Crusade for Christ ] ] ( CRU ) , Because Christ Matters ( BCM ) , [ [ Catholic Campus Ministry ] ] , the Canterbury Club , [ [ Fellowship of Christian Athletes ] ] , [ [ Lutheran Student Fellowship ] ] , and The Hampton Roads Church Student Fellowship . These organizations are now able to meet and hold events in the Pope Chapel , which opened in early 2013 . WCNU . WCNU is an online radio network supported by Christopher Newport University . that operates out of York River Hall . External links . [ [ Category : Universities and colleges in Virginia ] ] [ [ Category : Public universities ] ] [ [ Category : Liberal arts colleges ] ] [ [ Category : Education in Newport News , Virginia ] ] [ [ Category : Educational institutions established in 1960 ] ] [ [ Category : Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ] ] [ [ Category : Visitor attractions in Newport News , Virginia ] ] [ [ Category : Christopher Newport University | * ] ]