university, according to Inside Higher Ed. Campus The university is located on a 155-acre campus in Rome. Shorter also offers online degrees for various associate's, bachelor's, master's programs. Academics Shorter offers bachelor's degrees in 30 fields of study as well as some master's degrees. The university was granted an exception to Title IX in 2016, allowing the school to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. It is ranked among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth" by Campus Pride. Athletics The Shorter athletic teams are called the Hawks. The university is a member of the NCAA Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) for most of their sports since the 2012–13 academic year; with the exception of track & field, which they compete as an associate member of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC). The Hawks previously competed in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC; formerly known as Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference (GACC) until after the 2003–04 school year) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1999–2000 to 2011–12. Shorter competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball. History In May 2011, Shorter announced it would apply for membership into the NCAA at the Division II level. It was accepted into the NCAA reclassification process in July 2011 and joined the Gulf South Conference in July 2012. The university became a provisional member of NCAA Division II in the summer of 2013. In its final year in the NAIA, Shorter University athletics finished ranked second in the final NAIA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings. Shorter's No. 2 final ranking was the highest in school history. The Hawks scored in 12 sports and claimed the softball and men's outdoor track and field championships – Shorter won an outdoor track title for the second straight year. Shorter also placed second in men's indoor track and field, third in men's basketball, fourth in women's indoor track and field and fifth in women's golf. Shorter's No. 2 final ranking is a culmination of a journey to the top of the NAIA that began to build momentum five years ago. The Hawks managed just