Samford: The Big Picture
Two important things you should know about Samford right off the bat: first, unlike many other colleges in Alabama, and many other colleges in the south in general, Samford is located in a great city - Birmingham. With over a million people in the metropolitan area, there is a lot to do - whether it's going to a play, traveling to the art museum, going to see a football game, cheapening out at the dollar movie theater, etc.
Second, Samford is a very beautiful campus. All the buildings were built in the Georgian Colonial architecture style, and they're all surrounded by a very nice quad area. Furthermore, Birmingham is a beautiful city filled with huge hills, meaning that Samford is very nice to look at.
These are things you may have already known about Samford, especially if you have visited the college before. However, there are other things you should know if you're looking at going to Samford.
For instance, as I'll probably say a couple other times in this review, Samford is a college on the move. In a recent Forbes Magazine study, Samford was ranked the 27th university in the nation - with Harvard being number one, and UC-Berkeley being number twenty six. Though Samford isn't a household name, it's starting to be recognized nationally for its expanding, productive academic programs.
Also, Samford is a college that's growing. Just recently Samford announced plans for an expanded University center, and there is literally always some construction that's going on around campus. This does mean, unfortunately, that the tuition is continuing to go up each month. But it means that Samford is becoming a better and better place to be.
The Samford administration is also amazing. The university's President, Andrew Westmoreland, actually teaches an American Politics class on campus which is highly recommended. In fact, many people in the administration teach at Samford, they're not afraid to interact with students, and most students seem to genuinely like them.
With that said, not everything is perfect, as I'll talk about throughout the review. Samford isn't a diverse place, at all. School spirit is a bit lacking, with very low attendance at athletic events.
And there always inevitable complaints about Campus Safety. Its latest stunt, caused by a now-fired employee, was to text message everyone at the university at 5:30 AM in the morning to tell them an armed person was on campus. A few hours later, we learned that it was all a hoax, made up by a Campus Safety officer who was tired of riding a golf cart around campus. It also failed to catch a "creeper" on campus for several weeks, until a group of students finally tackled him after seeing him outside a student dorm room. But there are worse things you could complain about, I guess.
Samford Academic Life
Classes at Samford are usually pretty small. Most freshman-level classes will have at most 30 students. However, junior- and senior-level classes usually stay below 20 students, and I've had classes with as few as seven students. Samford's size is a blessing and a curse - compared with other midlevel universities like Furman, Samford just doesn't seem to have as many professors per department or as many course offerings per semester. However, its size also allows students to get to know their professors, and most professors will learn the students' names.
I've found the intellectual climate adequate but lacking at times. Most students still seem to have the attitude of doing as little as they can to pass a class, and in most courses I've found myself to be one of the few people who actually completes assigned readings. There also tends to be low attendance at academic lectures and events. When a really big speaker comes, the teachers will bait students by giving them extra credit if they attend. However, this can often turn out to be an embarrassment for the university, with crowds of students deciding to leave the lectures early.
However, college, in the end, is what you make it, and those students who want to challenge themselves will have many opportunities to do so. Samford is launching an amazing new Honors program for the 2008-2009 school year, called the University Fellows Program. The program will accept only 45-50 students per year, and is designed to attract more high-achieving students with its advanced core curriculum and nice perks such as a free trip to Rome! Samford has been needing a good Honors Program for years (it's had one in the past, but most students tended to drop out early because it didn't offer much more than the normal Samford experience), but the University Fellows Program seems to be a great opportunity.
Those who don't choose to go the Honors path must complete a core curriculum consisting of freshman-level classes like "Cultural Perspectives" (a unique two-semester class which traces developments in literature, history, philosophy, science, etc. from the Greek and Roman age to present) and "Communication Arts" (another two-semester class -- and probably one of the duller classes at Samford -- which teaches students writing and speaking skills), as well as classes such as "Biblical Perspectives" (which has students think about the Bible critically) and "Concepts of Fitness and Health" (it is what it sounds like). A series of general education requirements in subjects like the natural sciences and humanities is also required. Though the courses may sound like a drag, those who are willing to learn -- which is what you should be coming to college for! -- should find an interesting and intellectually engaging curriculum.
Finally, Samford is a college on the move. Students are continually learning about large new endowments to the university, which is improving the quality of academics at Samford. There are a variety of great professional programs - whether in law, nursing, pharmacy, education, divinity, etc. - for those who just can't get enough of Samford after four years. And there always seems to be another major or minor or concentration being added. The expectation is that, with all the improvements, the Samford diploma is going to look better and better as time goes on.
Samford's Student Body
It's no secret that Samford has a bit of a minority problem. In the 2007-2008 school, according to official Samford statistics, 87% of the Samford population was white, with just under 7% black and 1% Hispanic. This doesn't exactly fit the demographics of the state. Also, just under 50% of the students are Baptist, while the rest of the students come from other Christian denominations. The number of students reporting no religious affiliation: 2.
Homophobia is rampant at Samford, and there is no LGBT organization in existence at the school. However, Samford did recently change its "code of values," which gave a values violation and $50 fine to those who committed acts such as rape or "homosexual acts." Now, the handbook simply says heterosexual/homosexual sex is not allowed on campus, though this isn't exactly a "gays welcome" sign.
Over 60% of undergraduate students are female, which seems to be in line with national trends. Most of the students seem to be from upper-middle class households. Additionally, according to Facebook, the vast, vast majority of Samford students are "conservative" or "very conservative."
The news isn't completely bad. Most students do NOT hail from Alabama - only a quarter of the students do, actually. I've made friends from literally all over the world at Samford. And let me reiterate something I said about the Samford stereotypes - they're mostly true, but there is diversity on campus if you look for it, and most students are more tolerant than you might expect.
Samford Student Activities + Social Life
Samford is by no means a party school -- but that doesn't mean you can't have fun.
Though Samford provides different activities for incoming freshmen to get to know each other, most incoming students' friends will consist of those who live in their dorms. If you have a choice, by all means, live on campus! Freshmen dorm life is one of the best experiences at Samford. Most people leave their doors open or encourage others to walk in without even knocking. During freshmen year, I almost always had people in my room talking or playing video games or whatever, and ping-pong tables, televisions, etc., can be found in the lobby.
Once one graduates from the freshmen dorms, though, he or she will probably find dorm/apartment life a bit lacking, with students making little effort to get to know the people in surrounding rooms. But that's alright, and shouldn't necessarily be viewed as negative - by sophomore year, ideally students will already have a lot of friends, either from their major or from the freshmen dorms or from some on-campus club, and won't necessarily rely on dorms for making friends anymore.
Most students wouldn't be found within a mile of any athletic events. Instead, religious groups like UCF, Campus Outreach or RUF seem to be some of the most popular "hang out" opportunities at Samford. But the big "Super Bowl" of events at Samford comes every February in the form of "Step Sing," in which practically the entire school either participates in or goes to watch this music and dance competition. It's fun, but it's probably a bit overhyped.
Most of the student body does not seem to be involved in fraternities and sororities, but Greek Life certainly is an important presence on campus.
And an important part of Samford is definitely the quad. Samford is a beautiful place, and anyone walking by the quad will almost always find people having a picnic, throwing around a frisbee, playing croquet, or stretching out in hammocks.
Samford Naked Truth
Three pieces of advice. First, challenge yourself! Don't just take the classes you hear are easiest or which you find cutting-edge. Instead, take professors who, though fair, will challenge you, and by all means, work hard for them! I think you'll find the college experience a lot more rewarding. This goes for any college.
Second, get involved! There are a number of great organizations on campus - from student publications like the Samford Crimson, to social justice organizations like Oxfam, to religious organizations like UCF, to political organizations like Samford Democrats (or Republicans).
Finally, expand yourself! It could be very easy to go to Samford and hang around people just like you. Instead, make friends with someone from out of the country, and take professors who don't hold the same political or religious views as you. A little diversity never killed anyone. To the contrary, for a positive college experience, it's almost essential.
