Lander University
Encyclopedia
Lander University is a public university
located in Greenwood
, South Carolina
. It is the state's
smallest publicly-funded baccalaureate
institution.
. 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 Greenwood County 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.
Lander also offers courses and a few degree programs at the University Center of Greenville, a consortium of public and private institutions.
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 all students.
In March 2007, Lander won the Peach Belt Tournament Men's Basketball tournament. They advanced to the NCAA tournament against the defending national champions, Virginia Union. The Lander women's basketball team won the Peach Belt regular season title in 2008 and conference tournament title in 2008 and 2009.
The Lander mascot is the Bearcat and used to be the Senators.
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
).
Miren Ivankovic: Award Winning Professor
List of colleges and universities in South Carolina
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
located in Greenwood
Greenwood, South Carolina
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 22,071 at the 2000 census and had slightly increased to 22,710 according to a 2009 estimate.-Geography:...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. It is the state's
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
smallest publicly-funded baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
institution.
History
Lander University was founded by Methodist clergyman Samuel Lander in 1872 as Williamston Female College in Williamston, South CarolinaWilliamston, South Carolina
Williamston is a town in Anderson County, South Carolina, United States, The population was 3,791 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Williamston is located at ....
. 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 Greenwood County obtained the College name and property from the Methodist Conference. The South Carolina General Assembly
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
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.
Campus
Lander is situated on a wooded site near the center of the City of Greenwood, of approximately 123 acres (50 ha). 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 created a new 10-year Campus Master Plan 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.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. Due to the dramatic increase of incoming freshmen during the 2009 and 2010 academic years, the university housing department has leased several apartment complexes.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. 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 ConferencePeach Belt Conference
The Peach Belt Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division II. The PBC was formed in 1990 with seven charter universities as the Peach Belt Athletic Conference, and took its current name in 2000.-Current members:The league currently has 13 full...
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 all students.
In March 2007, Lander won the Peach Belt Tournament Men's Basketball tournament. They advanced to the NCAA tournament against the defending national champions, Virginia Union. The Lander women's basketball team won the Peach Belt regular season title in 2008 and conference tournament title in 2008 and 2009.
The Lander mascot is the Bearcat and used to be the Senators.
Accreditation
Lander is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 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
National Association of Schools of Music
The National Association of Schools of Music is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music...
, the NASAD, and the NAST
NAST
Nast may refer to:People:* Condé Montrose Nast , American journalist and entrepreneur* Jean Népomucène Hermann Nast , Austrian artist and entrepreneur...
).
See also
Distinguished Alumni*Miren Ivankovic: Award Winning Professor
List of colleges and universities in South Carolina