Lander University

Infobox_University
name = Lander University


motto =
established =1872
type =University
endowment =
staff =
faculty =136
president =Daniel W. Ball
provost =
principal =
rector =
chancellor =
vice_chancellor =
dean =
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head =
students =3,000
undergrad =
postgrad =
doctoral =
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city =Greenwood
state =South Carolina
country =United States
campus =
free_label =
free =
colors =Blue and Gold
colours =
mascot =Senators (Former), Bearcat (Current)
fightsong =
nickname =
affiliations =
footnotes =
website =http://www.lander.edu
address =320 Stanley Ave
telephone =[phone]
coor =
logo =

Lander University is a public university located in Greenwood, South Carolina. It is the state's smallest publicly-funded baccalaureate institution.

About Lander

History

Lander University was founded by Methodist clergyman Samuel Lander in 1872 as Williamston Female College in Williamston, South Carolina. It remained a private institution for 26 years. In 1898 the College gained the support of the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The college moved to Greenwood in 1904 and was renamed Lander College in honor of its founder who died in the same year. It remained a women's college until 1943 when men were first admitted.

In 1948, when the Methodist Conference, pursuant to a policy of consolidation of its education efforts decided to end support of Lander College, interested citizens of Greenwood formed the Lander Foundation as a non-profit corporation and leased the College from the Church.

In 1951, the County of Greenwood obtained the College name and property from the Methodist Conference. The South Carolina General Assembly created the Greenwood County Education Commission, known as the Lander Foundation, to serve as the board of control of the College. Lander thus became the only four-year liberal arts college in the United States to be controlled and financed by a county government.

In 1973, Lander College became a state-supported college and in 1992 its name was changed to Lander University. The institution is now completely co-educational.

Location

The University is situated near the center of the City of Greenwood. The city of Greenwood has a population of 23,000 with a county population exceeding 66,000. Greenwood is located in the Piedmont of western South Carolina, just 2-4 hours from the beautiful South Carolina beaches or the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Campus

Lander is situated on a wooded site of approximately convert|123|acre|km2. In addition to six major buildings erected since 1973, campus improvements have included extensive renovations to a number of older facilities, new housing complexes, athletics fields and parking lots. Lander looks to the future with a new 10-year Campus Master Plan, introduced in 2003. The first phase of the plan, the creation of a campus entrance, is complete, and a new residence hall for 300 students opened in 2006. An expanded dining hall opened in January 2007.

tudents

Proud of its identity as a small student-centered public four-year university with a nurturing educational environment, Lander is committed to a gradual but limited growth from its present enrollment of 3000 to about 3500 students.

Enrollment is approximately 3,000 with a student body representing 23 states and 16 foreign countries. Minorities make up 25 percent of the student body; 67 percent of the student body is female and 33 percent is male. Campus residence halls accommodate approximately 1,100 students.

Faculty

Lander has a student/faculty ratio of 19:1 with 123 full-time faculty members, the majority of whom hold terminal degrees in their areas. The average class size is 19.

Academics

More than 80 areas of undergraduate study are offered, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with a concentration in art and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in elementary education. Students benefit from the flexibility of online courses and distance learning. Three programs are offered completely online: the R.N. to B.S.N. completion option, the criminal justice management bachelor’s degree and the health care management certificate. Many areas of study require or strongly recommend internship experiences, and there is an active study abroad program.

Lander also offers courses and a few degree programs at the University Center of Greenville, a consortium of public and private institutions.

Athletics

Varsity athletic teams have reaped honors at district and national levels, including 12 national championships in men’s tennis. A member of the NCAA Division II, Lander plays in the Peach Belt Conference and fields teams in men’s and women’s basketball, soccer and tennis; men’s baseball and golf; and women’s cross country, softball and volleyball. Lander also offers club sports that include equestrian, ultimate disc, rugby and volleyball teams, and it has an intramural program open to sports enthusiasts of all abilities.

In March 2007, Lander won the Peach Belt Tournament Men's Baseketball tournament in Greenwood, SC. The Lander women's basketball team won the Peach Belt regular season and conference tournament title in 2008.

The Lander mascot is the bearcat.

Other Aspects

Accreditation

Lander is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, Telephone number 404-679-4501) to award bachelor's and master's level degrees.

All but one of its academic programs, for which there is an accrediting body, are accredited. The University's programs in Business Administration, Nursing, Teacher Education, Music, Visual Arts, and Theatre are accredited respectively by the appropriate national accrediting agencies (the AACSB, the NLNAC, the NCATE, the NASM, the NASAD, and the NAST). Lander’s new Computer Information Systems undergraduate degree program will seek ABET accreditation in 2008, the first year it will be eligible to receive accreditation.

Highlights

The College of Business and Public Affairs enrolls the largest number of undergraduate majors followed by the College of Education. Lander has an exceptionally strong science program, and more than 90 percent of those applying to medical school in recent years have been accepted. Students in Lander’s engineering dual degree program have a 100 percent acceptance rate at Clemson University. A leader in Montessori education in South Carolina, Lander is the only public university in the state offering a program leading to Montessori certification and one of two publicly funded universities in the nation to do so.

Recent Events

Administration

Daniel W. Ball, "President"
Danny McKenzie, "Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs"
Diane D. Newton, "Vice President for Business and Administration"
H. Randall Bouknight, "Vice President for Student Affairs"
Jefferson J. May, "Executive Vice President for Athletics and Enrollment"

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Arts;Bachelor of Science;Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) "offered in secondary education with a concentration in art";Master of Education (M.Ed.) "offered in elementary education"

Academic Departments

College of Arts & Humanities
Department of Art
Department of Music
Department of Mass Communication & Theatre
Department of History & Philosophy
Department of English & Foreign Languages

College of Business & Public Affairs
Department of Business Administration
Department of Political & Social Sciences
Department of Military Science

College of Education
Department of Teacher Education
Department of PEES
Department of Psychology

College of Science & Mathematics
Department of Biology
Department of Physical Sciences
Department of Mathematics & Computing
Department of Nursing

ee also

* List of colleges and universities in South Carolina
* List of current and historical women's universities and colleges

External links

* [http://www.lander.edu/ Lander University]
* [http://www.lander.edu/admissions/ Lander University Admissions]
* [http://landerbearcats.athleticsite.com/ Lander Athletics]
* [http://www.lander.edu/library Larry A. Jackson Library]