Summary
Anderson University is a selective private comprehensive university located in Anderson, in the U.S. state of South Carolina, offering bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in approximately 60 areas of study. Anderson is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and accredited as a Level V institution by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All of the University's professional degree programs eligible for additional specialized accreditation are so accredited at the national level: the College of Education programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); music programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM); the College of Business is accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); and the art, graphic design, and interior design programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The School of Nursing programs, initiated in fall 2012, are approved by the South Carolina Board of Nursing[1] and is in pursuit of specialized accreditation within the normal time frame following initiation.
Anderson is also recognized as one of eleven South Carolina Teaching Fellows institutions sanctioned to educate the state's future public school teachers. Anderson is ranked in the Top Tier of Southern Comprehensive Universities by U.S. News and World Report. It is also recognized as one of America's 100 Best College Buys by Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc., one of America's Best Christian Colleges, and is consistently recognized by the Princeton Review as one of the top universities in the Southeast. Since 2009, Anderson has been recognized by U. S. News and World Report as one of a small number of "Up and Coming" institutions in the country for its recent advancements and innovation. In 2010 and 2011, Anderson was named the top "Up and Coming" regional college in the South.
Over the last ten years, enrollment has grown significantly (81 percent), from approximately 1,608 students in 2002 to 2,908 students in the fall of 2012.
Anderson University recently completed a new 102-bed residence hall, and re-purposed a historic campus building into a 26,000 square foot state-of-the-art nursing education center. Anderson is also raising resources to construct a new 60,000 square foot, $16 million student center in the heart of the campus.
Anderson participates in the NCAA Division II and is a member of the South Atlantic Conference.[2] In its former athletic conference, Conference Carolinas, Anderson won the coveted Messick Award for sportsmanship several times and, over the course of four consecutive years, the Joby Hawn All-Sports Cup.[3] The University's newly acquired 77-acre (31 ha) athletic campus stands adjacent to the academic campus and will be the site of significant growth in athletic facilities over the next decade. Of note is the men's basketball team's participation in the Elite Eight regional playoffs in the spring of 2011 and the University's numerous conference championships in several other sports.
Anderson has been named by Presidents Bush and Obama numerous times to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. In a typical year, Anderson students are required to contribute approximately 15,000 hours of service to numerous community human service organizations.
Johnson Female Seminary Heritage
Anderson University traces its heritage and initial founding to 1848 in the form of Johnson Female Seminary which was located in the City of Anderson. The short-lived seminary was founded by the Rev. W. B. Johnson, an early Baptist statesman and the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention.[4] The seminary closed its doors due to the combined impact of Rev. Johnson's untimely death and the onset of the Civil War, but not without leaving a lasting impression on the local young people of that day. Shortly after the turn of the century, those who fondly remembered the impact that the Johnson Female Seminary had on the region developed a compelling vision of resurrecting the institution in the form of Anderson College which later became Anderson University. In less than a year, a band of visionaries had raised $100,000 and secured 32 acres (13 ha) for the new campus and, thus, Anderson University was born. Rev. Johnson's home still stands in Anderson, South Carolina, and his portrait hangs in perpetuity in the Merritt Parlor on the Anderson University campus.
Student body
The Anderson University student population stands at approximately 2,900 students, with a student to faculty ratio of 17:1.[5] The traditional student body is made up of young women and men from a variety of states and regions from across the United States. In addition, a significant portion of the students are from non-US countries, including Kazakhstan, Iraq, Mongolia, Russia, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden, France, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Barbados, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, India, Japan, and Bermuda. The University also serves adult students through its ACCEL evening program and graduate courses of study.[6]
Global education
Anderson emphasizes global education and promotes and facilitates students wishing to participate in study abroad in numerous locations around the world. Semester and year-long programs require advanced academic work plus various assignments that allow the student's professor to assess student learning and assign grades while studying abroad.
In addition, the university features two signature programs. The first signature program is called "Anderson Abroad" for juniors who meet academic requirements. Anderson Abroad is a short-term educational experience led by a full-time Anderson faculty member in various countries, the cost of which is partially subsidized by the university. The other signature program is a semester long experience in Sydney, Australia. Anderson University is host in Sydney to its own students as well as students from approximately 44 other universities within Anderson's global education consortium. A full-time Anderson faculty member is the on-site head of the program in Sydney. Both Anderson Abroad and the Australia program provide academic credit.
Anderson's global education consortium of approximately 44 universities provides Anderson students the opportunity to experience a faculty-supervised semester abroad in numerous countries around the world.
Center for Cancer Research
The Center for Undergraduate Cancer Research was established in 2009 to facilitate undergraduate research in search for a cure for cancers. Working under the direction of full-time faculty, students conduct studies and publish results. The Center is located on the nearby campus of AnMed Health Medical Center.[7]
Palmetto Boys State
Anderson University became the host of Palmetto Boys State in June 2011. The American Legion's Boys State program is a unique way for young men to learn about the American system of government and politics by participating in a mock governmental system. More than 800 rising seniors are honored to be selected each year by their high school teachers and counselors to be delegates or "citizens" at Boys State. Many of South Carolina's state political, business, and community leaders have attended Boys State. The program was previously held at the University of South Carolina, The Citadel, and Wofford College.
Academic programs
Anderson offers the following undergraduate degrees in the traditional daytime program:
Anderson offers the following undergraduate degrees in its ACCEL program:
Anderson offers the following graduate programs:
Athletics
Anderson University teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II. The Trojans are a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC). Anderson formerly competed in Conference Carolinas until the 2009-10 season.
Campus Locations and Educational Delivery Systems
Anderson University is situated on a 68-acre (28 ha) main campus with an additional 202 acres (82 ha) within the city limits of Anderson, South Carolina. The University recently received a gift of 125 acres (51 ha), boosting its acreage to its present 270, including 40 acres (16 ha) of wetlands used as an outdoor lab for the science programs.
The University also recently acquired the former Anderson County Fairgrounds consisting of 77 acres (31 ha). This property will be developed into an athletic campus over the next few years. Most of the buildings on the main campus are red brick, built throughout the 20th century in the Georgian architectural style. The Merritt Administration Building, Denmark Hall, and Pratt Hall were the original buildings on the Anderson University campus, being built at the time of the university's founding in 1911. The front lawn is called "Alumni Lawn" (sometimes referred to as the "Sacred Six" acres) of Anderson University is heavily wooded with large oak trees, as is the interior of the main campus which is landscaped in a series of rising terraces. The front lawn and early buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Anderson College Historic District.[8]
Most recently, Anderson University acquired the former Duke Energy Service Center which is approximately one mile from the main campus. The acquisition was achieved through a partial gift, partial purchase. The facility is the home of the University's graduate program in criminal justice otherwise known as the Command College of South Carolina. The facility also houses undergraduate criminal justice programs.
Anderson University is known to have a significant squirrel population on its main campus. They are drawn to the lush campus and huge 100-year old oak trees that adorn the landscape. The squirrels are so accustomed to being around people that they are approachable within a very short distance.
The University offers numerous courses and several entire degree programs online. These offerings are particularly popular with adult and graduate students. Traditional students study primarily on campus, but may blend an online course into their schedules to gain additional schedule flexibility.