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The University of South Carolina, Columbia (USC or Carolina) is a public, coeducational, research university located in Columbia, South Carolina and is the flagship campus of the University of South Carolina System. Founded in 1801, the University offers more than 350 programs of study leading to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from fifteen degree-granting colleges and schools.http://www.sc.edu/aboutusc/ Professional schools on the Columbia campus include law, medicine, and pharmacy.
History
The University was founded as South Carolina College on December 19, 1801 and opened its doors in 1805. Scholars in its early history included Francis Lieber, Thomas Cooper, and Joseph LeConte, and it offered a traditional classical curriculum. However, the institution was closed during the United States Civil War. It reopened in 1866 and struggled for the next forty years as it was entangled in the political disorder within South Carolina during that time.
In 1906, the institution was rechartered as the University of South Carolina and became the first state-supported college or university in South Carolina to earn regional accreditation in 1917. For the next several decades, USC added colleges and programs to offer a more comprehensive curriculum. It became a statewide university during the 1950s by establishing campuses in communities throughout South Carolina.
On September 11, 1963, as a result of a federal court order, the first African-Americans students since Reconstruction were admitted to the University. As the baby boomer generation entered college, Carolina experienced a tremendous increase in enrollment (5,660 in 1960 to nearly 26,000 by 1979). As a result, more emphasis was placed on research. More colleges and schools were added, and new and innovative degree programs were introduced.
USC celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2001.http://president.sc.edu/history.html]
Campus
When South Carolina College opened its doors in 1805, the building now known as Rutledge College was the only building on campus. Located one block southeast of the State Capitol, it served as an administrative office, academic building, residence hall, and chapel. However, the master plan for the original campus called for a total of eleven buildings, all facing a large lush gathering area. Therefore, in 1807, the original President's House was the next building to be erected. The building now known as DeSaussure College followed shortly thereafter, and the remaining eight buildings were constructed over the next several decades. When completed, all eleven buildings formed a U-shape open to Sumter Street. This modified quadrangle is known as the Horseshoe.
The Horseshoe is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and most of its buildings reflect the federal style of architecture in vogue in the early days of the nation. Among them is the South Caroliniana Library, which was designed by Robert Mills and is the first freestanding academic library in the United States.http://www.sc.edu/library/socar/about.html
Over the years the eleven original buildings on the Horseshoe survived a fire, an earthquake, and the Civil War, but in 1940 McKissick Museum replaced the original President's House. The President's House would eventually return to the Horseshoe after extensive remodeling of one of its original buildings, which was dedicated as such in 1952.
During the 20th century, the campus began to spread out dramatically from the Horseshoe. Today it includes the student union, 21 residence halls, numerous academic buildings, Longstreet Theatre, the Koger Center for the Arts, the Carolina Coliseum, the Colonial Center, Sarge Frye Field, and various facilities for Olympic sports. (Williams-Brice Stadium is located approximately one mile off campus.)
Recent additions to the campus are the Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center (the largest facility of its kind on a college campus in the United States), the Greek village, and the West Quad.
The West Quad was opened in the fall of 2004 as a residence hall and is one of only four in the world to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
The campus continues to expand west toward the Congaree River in support of its research initiatives (see below). Three separate sites, each specializing in its own research area, will initially cover 500,000 square feet spread over six city blocks and will eventually grow to 5,000,000 square feet. This new district of campus, named Innovistahttp://innovista.sc.edu/, will mix university and private research buildings, parking garages, and commercial and residential units. At the center will be a public plaza called Foundation Square.
Future plans also include a new home for the Arnold School of Public Health and a new baseball stadium along the Congaree River.http://www.sc.edu/highlights/item.php?hid=8]
Academics
| College | Enrollment (Fall 2005) | |
|---|---|---|
| Undergrad | Graduate | |
| College of Arts and Sciences | 7,281 | 1,193 |
| Moore School of Business | 3,106 | 403 |
| College of Education | 879 | 873 |
| College of Engineering and Information Technology | 1,299 | 382 |
| School of the Environment | -- | 29 |
| The Graduate School | -- | -- |
| College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management | 1,662 | 78 |
| School of Law | -- | 744 |
| College of Mass Communications and Information Studies | 1,514 | 545 |
| School of Medicine | -- | 456 |
| School of Music | 320 | 115 |
| College of Nursing | 822 | 119 |
| College of Pharmacy | 388 | 400 |
| Arnold School of Public Health | 414 | 481 |
| College of Social Work | -- | 520 |
| South Carolina Honors College | -- | -- |
Admissions
Classified as more selectiveUSC Listing at the Carnegie Foundation, USC admitted less than 68% of those who applied to be Freshmen in 2005.USC Common Data Set, 2005 When admitting Freshmen, the university puts emphases on the rigor of high school study and scores on standardized test, SAT or ACT. It also considers class rank, extracurricular activities, and an optional personal statement. The average incoming freshmen has obtain a combined SAT score of 1166 and has a high school GPA of 3.82.Peterson’s Summary of SchoolUniversity Publication about average SAT Score in 2006Research
USC is the only university in South Carolina to be designated a research institution of "very high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This classification is the foundation's highest, given to 62 public and 32 private research institutions in the United States.http://uscnews.sc.edu/rsrc-admn069.htmlhttp://www.sc.edu/usctimes/PDFs/2006/March_23_2006pdf.pdfDuring his tenure, former USC president John Palms articulated a "Cathedrals of Excellence" budgeting philosophy. Palms was an expert fundraiser who advocated that the money be channeled into USC's best programs, rather than spread the funds evenly. The strategy would pay off in the long term when these programs became nationally prominent, making a name for USC and attracting grant money. The board of directors has since used his notion to shield certain colleges from budget cuts at the expense of others.
Current USC president Andrew Sorenson raised even larger sums for research, including a $300 million grant for colorectal cancer. In the spirit of Palms' budget, the board of directors moved to transform university land on Assembly Street into an "innovation district" called Innovista that will develop four strengths: biomedicine, nanotechnology, environmental science and alternative fuels.
Innovista is a partnered development with the City of Columbia and will form an ecosystem of sorts. The 200-acre campus will house offices and private research firms among the university offices and labs, as well as hold residences and retail. Those who live and work in the Innovista will have easy access to the Congaree Vista and a Publix, as well as being within walking distance of the Five Points bar and shopping district. All told, Innovista will add five million square feet of floor space to the metro area and could set Columbia on a more urban path.http://www.sc.edu/highlights/item.php?hid=10
South Carolina Honors College
USC is home to the nationally recognized South Carolina Honors College, which is designed to offer academically gifted undergraduates the advantages of a small college in the setting of a large metropolitan university. After gaining acceptance to the University, students must apply separately to the Honors College and demonstrate significant academic achievement to be accepted. Entering freshman in the program have an average weighted GPA of over 4.4 and an SAT score of 1410.The Honors College offers housing for freshman in Maxcy College, located on the University's historic Horseshoe. Additional Horseshoe housing in apartment-style residents are available to upperclassman Honors student in various buildings. Current development plans call for a new Honors College residence to be built on the site of the University's "Towers" dormitories.
There are over 120 courses offered exclusively to Honors College students. Students are required to complete a Senior Thesis under the direction of a faculty member in order to graduate from the College with Honors.
School of Law
The ABA-accredited School of Law is the only public law school in South Carolina.http://www.ipr.sc.edu/factbook/2005/university/uaccred.htm The private Charleston School of Law became the second law school in South Carolina when it opened in 2003, but it has yet to receive full accreditation from the ABA.http://www.charlestonlaw.org/faq.htm Opponents to establishing another law school in the state include many attorneys who believe USC's law school was already producing too many lawyers for South Carolina.| Publication | Rank | Category |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. News & World Report | # 1 | Undergraduate international business for 9th consecutive year |
| # 2 | Graduate international business (17th consecutive year as either # 1 or # 2) | |
| Top 100 | Law Schools | |
| # 19 | Graduate library science, including # 2 school library media and # 8 health information | |
| # 58 | Nursing master's program | |
| # 3 | School psychology doctoral program | |
| # 12 | Graduate social psychology | |
| # 109 | Overall undergraduate education (# 52 among public schools) | |
| Entrepreneur | Top 50 | Business schools in entrepreneurship |
| Forbes Magazine | # 49 | Graduate business schools' "return on investment" |
| Latin Trade | # 5 | MBA programs for Latin Americans |
| National Science Foundation | # 38 | Chemistry and biochemistry federally funded research |
| American Academy of Kinesiology & Physical Education | # 8 | Exercise science |
| Journal of Health Education | # 5 | Health education doctoral program |
| Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education | # 9 | Hotel, restaurant, & tourism management |
| American Board of Pediatrics | # 2 | Pediatrics residency program |
| Journal of Public Affairs Education | # 10 | Publication rates of faculty research in journals associated with the American Society for Public Administration |
| Kiplinger's Personal Finance | # 31 | 100 Best Values in Public Colleges |
Student Life
Demographics
Approximately 27,000 students attend the University of South Carolina, Columbia. (Another 11,000 students study at the regional campuses of the University of South Carolina System.) Enrollment statistics for the Fall 2005 indicate the following:- Undergraduates 77%, Graduates 19%, Professionals 4%
- Males 40%, Females 60%
- Full-time 75%, Part-time 25%
- Residents 83%, Non-residents 17%
- Minorities 21.51%
USC currently provides over 6,000 housing units on campus. Almost all freshmen live on campus, as do many other students and faculty. Since demand for on-campus housing continues to grow, the University is in the process of adding more resident halls, most of which will be suite-style. Popular off-campus housing includes apartments at College Suites, the University Commons, and Sterling University, as well as houses in the Shandon, Rosewood, and Olympia areas of Columbia.http://www.ipr.sc.edu/
Greek Life
The Greek system has been less popular at USC than at other large universities in the southern states. However, an increase in interest has already been experienced with the addition of the Greek Village where currently fifteen houses (construction started in 2002 and continues to develop) are owned and managed by individual Greek organizations. All students who live in these buildings are members of a sorority or fraternity.http://www.sa.sc.edu/greeklife/index.htmExtracurricular Activities
Students may participate in many different student organizations and have a voice in the University's administration by election to and service in student government. There is an editorially independent student newspaper, The Gamecock. Carolina Productions is the student programming board at the University. Driven by seven commissions, it is one of the largest organizations on campus.Students tend to socialize off campus in Five Points and the Congaree Vista. Both of these areas are within walking distance of campus and offer restaurants, bars, cafes, and a variety of local entertainment. Of course Columbia, being a metropolitan area, has many other amenities to offer students as well, including Lake Murray.
Athletics
South Carolina's 18 collegiate sports teams are known as the Fighting Gamecocks. All compete at the Division I level of the NCAA, and all but men's soccer compete in the Southeastern Conference.http://uscsports.cstv.com/trads/scar-history.html Men's soccer competes in Conference USA because the SEC does not sponsor men's soccer. The official school colors are garnet and black. Although the University's athletic programs have won only a few national titles, many league championships and tournament titles have been won over the years, giving fans a taste of success that keeps them clamoring for more. Tim Brando of CBS Sports has said, "You won't find any more loyal fans in the country than those who follow the South Carolina Gamecocks." http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/scar/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/05mg1-recruiting1.pdf, p. 17| Sport | Coach (since) | Facility | Titles http://uscsports.cstv.com/trads/scar-history.html | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | Ray Tanner (1997) | Sarge Frye Field | SEC East: 4 (2003, 02, 00, 1999) SEC Regular Season: 2 (2002,00) SEC Tournament: 1 (2004) NCAA Tournament: 22 appearances NCAA Runner-Up: 3 (2002, 1977, 1975) http://www.cwsomaha.com/html/about/champions.asp | |
| Basketball | Men's | Dave Odom (2001) | Colonial Center | Southern Conference Tournament: 1 (1933) ACC Tournament: 1 (1971) SEC East: 1 (1997) SEC Regular Season: 1 (1997) SEC Tournament Runner-Up: 2 (2006, 1998) NIT Championships: 2 (2006, 05) NCAA Tournament: 8 appearances |
| Women's | Susan Walvius (1997) | Colonial Center | NWIT Tournament: 1 (1979) Metro Conference Regular Season: 5 (1991, 90, 89, 88, 86) Metro Conference Tournament: 3 (1989, 88, 86) NCAA Tournament: 8 appearances | |
| Women's Cross Country | Stan Rosenthal (2001) | Metro Conference: 3 (1991, 90, 89) | ||
| Women's Equestrian | Boo Duncan (1998) | One Wood Farm | National Champions: 1 (2005) Hunt Seat National Champions: 2 (2006, 05) | |
| Football | Steve Spurrier (2004) | Williams-Brice Stadium | ACC Championship: 1 (1969) Bowl Record: 3W-9L | |
| Golf | Men's | Puggy Blackmon (1995) | The University Club | ACC: 1 (1964) Metro Conference: 1 (1991) NCAA Tournament: 17 appearances |
| Women's | Kristi Coggins (1994) | The University Club | Metro Conference: 1 (1990) SEC: 1 (2002) NCAA Tournament: 13 appearances | |
| Soccer | Men's | Mark Berson (1978) | Eugene E. Stone III Stadium | Metro Conference: 1 (1993) Conference USA Tournament: 1 (2005) NCAA Tournament: 17 appearances NCAA Runner-Up: 1 (1993) NCAA soccer records, p. 132 |
| Women's | Shelley Smith (2001) | Eugene E. Stone III Stadium | NCAA Tournament: 1 appearance | |
| Softball | Joyce Compton (1987) | Beckham Field | SEC Tournament: 2 (2000, 1997) SEC Regular Season: 1 (1997) SEC East: 4 (2002, 01, 1999, 97) NCAA Tournament: 14 appearances | |
| Swimming & Diving | Men's | Don Gibb (1999) | The Carolina Natatorium | |
| Women's | Don Gibb (1999) | The Carolina Natatorium | ||
| Tennis | Men's | Kent DeMars (1984) | Sam Daniel Tennis Center | ACC Regular Season: 1 (1968) ACC Tournament: 1 (1968) Metro Tournament: 6 (1991, 90, 89, 87, 86, 85) NCAA Tournament: 17 appearances |
| Women's | Arlo Elkins (1984) | Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center | Metro Conference Tournament: 5 (1990, 88, 87, 86, 85) NCAA Tournament: 15 appearances | |
| Track and Field | Men's | Curtis Frye (1996) | Weems Baskin Track Facility | NCAA Tournament: 11 appearances (indoor), 11 appearances (outdoor) NCAA Individual Champions: Many Olympic Medalists: Many World Championship Medalists: Many |
| Women's | Curtis Frye (1996) | Weems Baskin Track Facility | SEC: 3 (2005, 02, 1999) NCAA Tournament: 10 appearances (indoor), 11 appearances (outdoor) NCAA Championship: 1 (2002) NCAA Individual Champions: Many Olympic Medalists: Many World Championship Medalists: Many | |
| Women's Volleyball | Nancy Somera (2005) | Volleyball Competition Facility | NCAA Tournament: 7 appearances | |
Conference
The University was a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953, but left in 1971 after disputes over the conference's recruiting regulations and the political dominance of the ACC's four North Carolina schools. Carolina then competed as an independent until 1983 when it joined the Metro Conference for all sports except football. In 1991, the Gamecocks joined the Southeastern Conference when it increased its membership to 12 schools and split into two divisions, adding the University of Arkansas to its Western Division and the University of South Carolina to its Eastern Division.http://uscsports.cstv.com/trads/scar-history.htmlRivalries
Clemson University is Carolina's in-state rival, and the two schools compete with each other in all but two sports (Clemson does not sponsor softball and equestrian). In football, the Carolina-Clemson game is the third longest uninterrupted series in college football, having played every year since 1909.NCAA football records, p. 120The Eastern Division of the SEC may be the most competitive division in all of college sports, and Carolina has developed rivalries with all the other members of this division ever since joining it in 1991. However, Carolina's main rival in the SEC is the University of Georgia due to its proximity and prior history of competitions.
Recent Accomplishments
- The Bateman Public Relations team in the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies won the national competition in May 2004, and another student team placed third. The title is USC’s second national title in the Public Relations Student Society of America competition.http://www.jour.sc.edu/news/isite/2004BTeamwin.html
- USC-affiliated athletes won seven medals at the 2004 Olympic Games.http://uscsports.cstv.com/sports/m-track/spec-rel/082904aaa.html
- Students have won 272 national fellowship and scholarship competitions totaling more than $7.5 million dollars for advanced academic study.http://www.sc.edu/highlights/item.php?hid=12&q=AtAGlance
People
Main article: List of University of South Carolina people
External links
- University of South Carolina
- Official University of South Carolina Athletics Site
- Editorially independent student newspaper, The Gamecock
- Student Programming Board, Carolina Productions
- USNews School Brief - USNews school profile
- WUSC 90.5FM Columbia The commercial-free, free-format, non-top 40 Student run radio station of USC @ Columbia
- Campus Maps:
Footnotes
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University of South Carolina | Universities and colleges in South Carolina | Southeastern Conference
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