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Agnes Scott College is a women's liberal arts college in Decatur, Georgia, near Atlanta. The college currently enrolls over 1,000 students. Agnes Scott is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The undergraduate school offers 30 majors and 25 minors. Students who graduate from Agnes Scott receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. 87% of the faculty are full-time, and 100% of the tenure-track faculty hold terminal degrees. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1.

History

The college was founded in 1889 as Decatur Female Seminary by Presbyterian minister Frank H. Gaines. In 1890, the name was changed to Agnes Scott Institute to honor the mother of the college's primary benefactor, Col. George Washington Scott. The name was changed again to Agnes Scott College in 1906. Agnes Scott (Main) Hall, the oldest building on campus, was built in 1891 and once housed the entire school.

Agnes Scott is considered the first higher education institution in the state of Georgia to receive regional accreditation. The current president is Dr. Mary Brown Bullock, a 1966 Phi Beta Kappa graduate. President Bullock will be stepping down from her decade long position effective August 1, 2006. Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, Director of the Kenan Institute for Ethics, has been selected to succeed her.

Undergraduate campus life

Students at Agnes Scott are known as "Scotties." The school colors of Agnes Scott are purple and white, while the mascot is Irvine, a Scottish Terrier. Each incoming class is assigned a class color out of red, yellow, blue, or green and votes on a class mascot that correlates with that color. The colors and mascots are intended to establish class pride, particularly during one week of fun-filled activities called Black Cat. Black Cat occurs every fall and culminates in a series of skits written, directed, and performed by the junior class. If there is dissatisfaction with a class mascot, the class is given the option to revote and choose a different mascot their second year.

Class mascots are often popular culture icons:

The honor code is held in high regard among Agnes Scott students and faculty. At the beginning of every academic year, new students must sign the honor code and recite a pledge promising to uphold the high academic and social standards of the institution. Those students who uphold the code are allowed to take unproctored class tests and take-home examinations.

Agnes Scott's NCAA Division III sports teams include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.

Special curricula

Coeducational graduate programs:
  • Master of Arts in teaching secondary English
  • Master of Arts in teaching secondary math and science
  • Post-baccalaureate pre-medical program

Undergraduate programs:

Rankings

According to the 2006 US News and World Report rankings, Agnes Scott is ranked the 55th best liberal arts college in the country.

Princeton Review's 2006 The Best 361 Colleges ranked the college as the nation's second most beautiful campus, behind Pepperdine University in Malibu. The college also made The Review's list of the 140 colleges named a Best Southeastern College

Similarly, the Princeton Review ranks the college as:

No. 9 for "Diverse Student Population"
No. 10 for "Students Happy With Financial Aid"
No. 11 for "Dorms Like Palaces"
No. 13 for "Best Quality of Life"

Financial status

In 2005, Agnes Scott's endowment was $305 million. In 2004, the college ranked second among women's colleges, seventh among national liberal arts colleges, and 27th overall in endowment per full-time enrolled student.

More than 50% of students receive need- and/or merit-based assistance.

Notable achievements

  • The 2004 edition of US News and World Report's rankings for best liberal arts colleges placed Agnes Scott as tied for number 50 in the country, and that year promotional information and school merchandise advertised the college's place among the "top 50."

  • Agnes Scott's $125 million building program has led to the creation of a new parking facility, Public Safety office, planetarium, student campus center, science building, tennis courts, and improved landscaping and the renovation of the dining hall, observatory, and library. $1.6 million was spent on renovating three Victorian homes for student housing. Renovation of the Alumnae House and creation of a new chapel, office space, residence hall, theatre, and dance facilities have also been planned.

  • In 1995, approximately 600 students were enrolled at Agnes Scott. In fall 2004, for the first time in the school's history, enrollment reached 1,000 students.

Notable alumnae

Miscellaneous

  • The college's science building contains a three-story rendering of part of the nucleotide sequence from Agnes Scott's mitochrondrial DNA. The DNA came from a blood sample of an ASC alumna who is a direct descendant of the college's namesake.
  • American poet Robert Frost was an annual visitor at Agnes Scott from 1945 to his death in 1962. During his visits, he would read poetry in Presser Hall. A statue of the poet sculpted by George W. Lundeen sits in the alumnae gardens. A collection of Frost's poetry and letters can be viewed at McCain Library.
  • The college was featured in Scream 2, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, and A Man Called Peter, as well as several TV shows and made-for-TV-movies filmed in the Atlanta area.
  • Tradition dictates that students who get engaged are thrown into the alumnae pond by their classmates.
  • Seniors at Agnes Scott traditionally ring the bell in Agnes Scott Hall's bell tower upon acceptance to graduate school or a job offer. Students who ring the bell sign their names on the walls of the tower.

References

  • Earnshaw, Rebecca Lee. Students at Agnes Scott College During the 1930s. Decatur, GA: Agnes Scott College, 1988.
  • McNair, Walter Edward. Lest We Forget: An Account of Agnes Scott College. Decatur, GA: Agnes Scott College, 1983.
  • Noble, Betty Pope Scott. The Story of George Washington Scott, 1829-1903: A Family Memoir. Decatur, GA: Agnes Scott College, 2002.
  • Sayrs, M. Lee. A Full and Rich Measure: 100 Years of Educating Women at Agnes Scott College, 1889-1989. Atlanta, GA: Susan Hunter, Inc., 1990.

External links

Universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state) | Women's universities and colleges in the United States

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Agnes Scott College".

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