Author: Kathy Dean

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile announced today it will extend delivering course content in an online format through the end of spring semester.

University of Mobile President Lonnie Burnett said a final decision has not been made about the spring commencement ceremony, pending additional information on federal and state guidelines concerning gatherings. However, if spring commencement is postponed, the university would hold a Dec. 12 commencement ceremony on the lawn, giving Spring 2020 graduates the opportunity to experience the UM tradition of touching the globe to signify going out into the world.

Following is the full statement:

To the University of Mobile Community:

On my direction, the University of Mobile extended spring break through Friday, March 20 and transitioned to online course assignments beginning Monday, March 23.  I promised, in my earlier statement, to reevaluate the situation on or before April 3.  While my hope was to resume our normal academic and campus life schedule on April 6, the rapidly evolving situation, coupled with guidelines presented by federal and state agencies, have forced the leadership team to take additional steps.  The following actions and guidelines are effective immediately:

1. 1. 1. Online course delivery will be extended through the end of the spring semester.  All on-ground courses as well as campus activities are suspended through May 10.
      2. Although it appears unlikely that the on-campus spring commencement ceremony will be held as currently scheduled, we will postpone a final decision until we receive additional information regarding federal and state guidelines regarding gatherings.  If the spring commencement is postponed, degrees will be conferred to students who meet graduation eligibility. The diplomas will be mailed to students. We would then have a December 12 commencement service on the lawn.  All 2020 spring graduates will be encouraged to participate in this ceremony.  All spring academic awards will be presented at this service.
      3. Residential students should wait to receive authorization before returning to campus to checkout.  To comply with social distancing guidelines, the checkout process will be staggered based on residence halls.  Residential students will be contacted.
      4. The university business office will send additional information regarding student account adjustments for room and board as soon as possible.
      5. The Fall 2020 schedule is now viewable on MyUM and the Summer 2020 schedule will be posted soon. Registration will begin on Monday, March 30.  Students should contact their advisors with any questions.

Please know that these decisions are not made without a great deal of thought and prayer.  Throughout this process, our main concern has been for the health and safety of our students and employees.  We are taking these actions at this time in order for our families to plan and in order to reduce as much anxiety as possible.  It is important to note that the university is not suspending operations.  There are nearly 1,500 students hard at work completing coursework as we finish this semester.  All university offices remain operational.

Finally, please know that I am proud of the way our students, faculty, and staff have risen to the occasion during these uncertain weeks.  When I accepted this position, I said that I was certain of two things.  First, this university has the best people in the world, and second, our God is faithful.  Having witnessed your response to this challenge, I have never been more convinced that I am correct.

Dr. Lonnie A. Burnett
President
University of Mobile

 

About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile announces the following changes in upcoming events, as the university has extended spring break through March 20.

Hinson Lecture scheduled for March 19 is postponed.
Alumni Brunch scheduled for March 21 is postponed.
Ram Run scheduled for March 20 is cancelled.
Preview Day scheduled for March 20 is cancelled.
Sporting events from March 12-March 25 are cancelled.
Symphonic Winds concert scheduled for March 19 is postponed.
Presidential Inauguration scheduled for March 27 is postponed until the fall.

About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile announced today it will extend spring break for one week through Friday, March 20, in response to public health concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The university will make an announcement on Wednesday, March 18, on plans for the possibility of alternative modes of course delivery that would, if implemented, begin on Monday, March 23.

Other university operations will continue and offices will remain open. Information will be updated at umobile.edu/coronavirus. For information, call 251.442.2222.

The full statement is below:

The University of Mobile will extend Spring Break for students and faculty through the end of next week (Friday, March 20).  On Wednesday, March 18, the administration will announce plans for the possibility of alternate modes of course delivery that would, if implemented, begin on Monday, March 23.  At the current time, any shift in delivery mode would be temporary.  Students are encouraged to remain off campus, however, the university will provide housing and food service for students who must be in residence.  While there are no known cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the University of Mobile campus, this action is being taken out of an abundance of caution with our primary concern being the health and safety of students, employees, and the community.  The university administration continues to monitor the evolving situation.  All other university operations will continue and offices will remain open.  Questions should be referred to the university at 251.442.2222.

 

About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

MOBILE, Ala. – A new music scholarship at the University of Mobile continues what Gospel Music Hall of Fame’s Roger Breland has done over a nearly 50-year career in Christian music – launch generations of successful artists, church and music industry leaders, and educators serving around the world.

The Roger and Linda Breland Endowed Music Scholarship will provide financial assistance to music students in the Alabama School of the Arts at the University of Mobile, a Christian university where Breland has served in various leadership roles since 2002. The couple’s desire is to help young people develop their talents, fulfill God’s calling on their lives, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide through music.

“Linda and I are praying to raise a minimum of $100,000 initially to fund the scholarship. We are asking our family, friends, alumni and others impacted by this ministry to invest in the lives and future of students,” Breland said. “Our desire is this scholarship will be a legacy of what God has done and is continuing to do through the amazing students at the University of Mobile.”

Vice President for Advancement Bruce Earnest said, “Endowed scholarships provide long-term support of our students and assure the university’s mission for generations to come.” Tax-deductible gifts can be made at umobile.edu/givenow or call the Office for Advancement at 251.442.2587.

Breland and his wife, Linda, founded TRUTH in 1971, one of the early contemporary Christian touring ensembles. TRUTH went on to produce 61 albums and perform before millions of people in over 9,000 concerts. Breland’s 31 years with TRUTH helped launch the careers of artists such as 4Him, Veritas and numerous other touring Christian artists.

His career at the University of Mobile began in 2002 as artist-in-residence, and expanded to include dean, vice president, then executive dean of the Roger Breland Center for Performing Arts in the Alabama School of the Arts.

Breland spent 17 years on the road with Voices of Mobile, a university ensemble he co-founded with Dr. Al Miller, dean of the Alabama School of the Arts. They led an expansion of the Alabama Baptist university’s music program that includes UM’s first doctoral degree in musical arts. Along with faculty whose expertise ranges from opera to worship leadership, they have prepared thousands of graduates to pursue their professional calling as musicians, educators, worship leaders, missionaries, music industry professionals, music ministers and more.

“Our graduates are making an impact around the world. Linda and I have been inspired and blessed because of the impact they have made in our personal lives,” Breland said.

For 14 years, Linda hosted a Monday night Bible study for female students in their home.

“One thing that was a constant theme in their weekly prayer requests was school bills that needed to be paid. It was also obvious that some of them didn’t have a single dollar for spending money,” Linda said. “Roger and I hurt when we see students hurting. Our desire with this scholarship is to lighten the financial burden for these amazing students and help them fulfill their dreams of a music education at the University of Mobile.”

Brian Boyle, executive director of the University of Mobile Foundation, said, “With the long-time support, prayer, and encouragement of his wife, Linda, Dr. Roger Breland set a high bar with regard to his achievements in the Christian music industry.

“The Roger and Linda Breland Endowed Music Scholarship will help deserving young men and women pursue the same passion that Dr. and Mrs. Breland did. This scholarship could be the catalyst in helping students reach their highest potential in this field.”

In the course of 17 years with Voices of Mobile, Breland traveled half a million miles with the ensemble, presenting 2,000 concerts across 12 nations, while recording 16 albums. Voices of Mobile presents approximately 150 concerts each year and have been featured at The White House, The Pentagon, Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, Carnegie Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, and numerous national and religious conventions. They have toured Germany, France, Jordan, Israel, the Cayman Islands, Philippines, China, England, Romania, Bahamas, Cuba and throughout the United States. VOICES is regularly seen on countless national television programs, including IN TOUCH with Dr. Charles Stanley or REFRESH with Dr. Michael Catt.

Breland recently hosted the 17^th year reunion of Voices of Mobile on campus. He ended his touring career in 2019 and made the transition to executive director of Voices of Mobile. Today, he is working toward realizing another dream – helping the next generation have the advantage of a Christ-centered higher education at the University of Mobile.

 

About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

MOBILE, Ala. – Students in the University of Mobile praise and worship ensemble Ignite Worship say it’s not just the new sound system made possible by a donation from The Lenoir Charitable Trust that means so much to them.

It’s what that donation says about them personally as students, and about their mission through the Christian university’s Alabama School of the Arts.

“Somebody who has seen what we do firsthand contributed so we can continue to spread the gospel. It’s so encouraging,” said Mason Moak, a freshman majoring in worship leadership.

Students, faculty and administrators gathered in Lyon Chapel March 3 as Butler, Alabama, Mayor Mike Williams presented a check to UM President Lonnie Burnett.

The $100,000 donation from The Ernestine L. Lenoir Charitable Trust will provide a new professional sound system for the traveling ensemble, one of over 20 performing groups in the Alabama School of the Arts. In addition, the university’s historic Lyon Chapel will have needed repairs and renovations.

Williams and his sister, Patricia Williams Harris, are trustees of the foundation. Focusing on the education of young people is one of The Lenoir Trust’s main goals.

Williams said he was impressed with the university’s students when he invited Voices of Mobile to perform at a community concert at Butler’s annual fall festival, Butler Fest.

“Not only was I in awe of the group’s talent level and their amazing performance, but I was also very impressed with the University of Mobile students’ character and attitude during their first encounter. They were polite, respectful, and made a point to express their gratitude. They are great ambassadors for UM,” Williams said.

UM President Burnett said this isn’t the first time Williams and his sister have been generous to the university. The Lenoir Trust recently established the Joan K. Williams Scholarship Fund, named in honor of their mother, for nursing students. Subsequently, they created a second endowment, the “Sis” Lenoir Fund, named in honor of Ernestine Lenoir.

“Mayor Williams didn’t just see a need and move on. He saw a need and acted. Students will benefit from this gift for years to come,” said Burnett.

Vice President for Advancement Bruce Earnest said Williams and Harris exemplify 2 Corinthians 9:7, a passage that refers to a cheerful giver.

“Mayor Williams is someone who is generous with what he has, who provides and who cares,” Earnest said.

“It makes me feel good,” Mayor Williams said as he presented the check. “I want to help the students keep preaching and singing.”

 

About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

MOBILE, Ala. – Dr. Daniel Dupre will deliver a lecture entitled “The Geopolitics of Murder on the Southern Frontier, 1760-1812” as this year’s installment of the University of Mobile’s Billy G. Hinson Lecture Series.

In this presentation, Dupre will discuss the complicated relationship between Alabama’s native population and encroaching populations. His specific focus will be to examine how violence in the area that would become the state of Alabama sparked very different reactions, and thus provides a window into the shifting character of the southern frontier.

The talk will be held Thursday, March 19 at 7 p.m. in Weaver Auditorium on the University of Mobile campus. The program, which includes the lecture and a book signing, is free and open to the public.

Dupre is professor of history at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and author of Transforming the Cotton Frontier: Madison County, Alabama, 1800–1840 and Alabama’s Frontiers and the Rise of the Old South. He received a B.A. in history from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Ph.D.in history of American civilization from Brandeis University. Dupre has written many scholarly articles and has been in demand as a speaker at numerous academic conferences.

The Billy G. Hinson Series, now in its 14^th year, was established by the University of Mobile College of Arts and Sciences to present academic programs dealing with major topics in American history. The series is named in honor of Dr. Billy Hinson, long-time history professor at the university. For more information, contact Dr. Michael Robinson at 251.442.2249 or mrobinson@umobile.edu.

 

 About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

MOBILE, Ala. – Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson proclaimed Feb. 19, 2020, “Coach Mike Jacobs Day” in the City of Mobile as the University of Mobile Rams played the Spring Hill Badgers at Hank Aaron Stadium.

The proclamation recognized the impact and legacy of Jacobs, who founded the Rams baseball program in 1990 and served as head coach for all 30 seasons until his death on Dec. 3, 2019.

Jacobs was “a man of faith and integrity who invested his life in the young men he coached, in his family, and in service to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” the proclamation read.

Voices of Mobile opened the game with the National Anthem, and the Rams took the field for the first time with a new head baseball coach, Jon Seymour. Seymour had served as interim head coach since mid-December and was named head coach Feb. 17. Previously, he was assistant then associate coach for 15 years under Jacobs.

As the first pitch of the ballgame between UM and Spring Hill was delivered to home plate, close to 400 fans, the majority from UM, cheered on the Rams who got out to an early 3-0 lead in the 3rd inning. However, Spring Hill answered back in the 4th and 5th innings with five combined runs. From there, Mobile’s comeback was cut short as the Badgers defeated the Rams 8-5.

The two teams will meet again on April 21 at Hank Aaron Stadium.

The greatest win of the night was pregame, when Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s proclamation was read announcing Feb. 19, 2020 to be Coach Mike Jacobs Day.

 

The proclamation reads:

WHEREAS, University of Mobile Coach Michael Allen “Mike” Jacobs founded the Rams baseball program in 1990 and served as head coach for all 30 seasons until his death on December 3, 2019, and

 WHEREAS, Coach Jacobs compiled a record of 993 wins and led the Rams to three streaks of 40 or more total wins, reaching the 30-win plateau 17 times and guiding the Rams to seven conference championships and a berth in the 2001 NAIA World Series, and

 WHEREAS, Coach Jacobs was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018 and named Conference Coach of the Year in 1998, 2001 and 2008, and

 WHEREAS, The University of Mobile named its baseball field “Mike Jacobs Field” in 2011 and appointed him athletic director of the largest athletic program in the NAIA on July 1, 2019, and

 WHEREAS, the beloved coach left a legacy as a man of faith and integrity who invested his life in the young men he coached, in his family, and in service to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

 NOW, THEREFORE, I, William S. Stimpson, 108^th Mayor of the City of Mobile, Alabama, do hereby officially recognize February 19, 2020 as

 Coach Mike Jacobs Day

In the City of Mobile

 

About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.