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.