The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public, national research university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May, 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama.
USA is the only major public institution of higher learning on the upper Gulf Coast. With Alabama's two older universities more than 200 miles distant, the University is strategically located in the greater Mobile area, which has a population of more than a million within a 100-mile radius.
Currently, USA is divided into ten colleges and schools and includes one of Alabama's two state-supported medical schools. As of the Fall semester of 2014, South Alabama has an enrollment of 16,055 students. To date, the University has awarded over 80,000 degrees.
USA has an annual payroll of $404 million (US), with over 5,500 employees, and is the second largest employer in Mobile, Alabama. It has remained one of Alabama's fastest growing universities for the past several years. The university has come under great criticism; as of 2014 the university maintains a 14% graduation rate, and was named the 8th most dangerous college in the country by Business Insider.
Despite these criticisms, The University South Alabama has an annual economic impact of US$2 billion.In addition, South Alabama owned hospitals treat over 250,000 patients annually.
Academics
University of South Alabama Campus Tour -
The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in ten colleges and schools. Several programs offer masters level degrees in addition to undergraduate degrees. Doctoral level degrees are offered in several areas, including Business Administration, Nursing, Medicine, Basic Medical Sciences, Instructional Design, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Audiology, Marine Science, Psychology, Physical Therapy, and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree offered in collaboration with Auburn University.
The university will add doctoral programs in Business and Engineering beginning in 2013, with the business doctorate being the state's first doctorate in business administration.
The psychology doctoral program was initiated in 2009 and is one of a handful of such programs nationwide that offers a Combined degree, emphasizing both Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology. Significant research is done by faculty members in the above fields.
In all, undergraduate students at South Alabama can choose from more than 50 bachelor’s degree and certificate programs while there are more than 40 master’s degree programs. As of 2011, USA ranks as the 22nd best public university in the southern United States, and 52nd overall (in the South). It has an acceptance rate of 86.5%.
The student-faculty ratio at USA is 22:1, and the school has 41.5 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. USA students are 57% female and 43% male.
Colleges
The University of South Alabama has ten colleges:
- Pat Covey College of Allied Health Professions
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Mitchell College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Medicine
- Doctor of Pharmacy Program (Collaborative program with Auburn University)
- College of Nursing
- School of Computing
- School of Continuing Education and Special Programs
Administration
The University is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by and including the governor of Alabama. The Board appoints a president of the University. Since the founding of the University, there have been two presidents: Frederick Palmer Whiddon (served 1963â€"1998) and V. Gordon Moulton (served 1998-2013). John W. Smith, the current Vice President for Student Affairs, served as an interim president until the arrival of Tony G. Waldrop in 2014.
Research
USA has several research centers and institutes: Center for Design & Performance Improvement, Center for Real Estate and Economic Development, Center for Archaeological Studies, Center for Forensics and Information Technology Security, Center for Lung Biology, South Alabama Research and Inservice Center, and USA Mitchell Cancer Institute (USAMCI).
The USAMCI is the first academic cancer research institute in the upper Gulf Coast region. It was initiated in 2000, and is funded through philanthropic gifts; support from the state of Alabama; the city of Mobile, and Mobile county; federal appropriations; competitive contracts and grants; tobacco settlement funds; and the USA Foundation. The USAMCI is the largest single research endeavor in the history of the University of South Alabama, with a total investment of over $125 million. It currently provides over 55,000 patient treatment contacts annually.
In addition to improving cancer care, the Institute stimulates the growth of a strong regional economy built on biomedicine and biotechnology. Together with the entire USA Health System, USAMCI focuses on discovery and development of new and more effective treatments for cancer.
Athletics and traditions
The Jaguars participate in 17 NCAA sanctioned sports (8 men 9 women), and are founding members of the Sun Belt Conference. Men's sports include Football, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, and Outdoor Track and Field. Women's sports include Basketball, Softball, Soccer, Tennis, Cross Country, Volleyball, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, and Golf. All sports participate in the Sun Belt Conference, a Division I/FBS conference. The school is often referred to as simply "South", "USA", or the "Jags", but the more formal South Alabama is often used as well.
The university announced the creation of a NCAA sanctioned football team on December 6, 2007, with the goal of fast tracking the program to full FBS status by the 2013 season. The school's first ever game was played on September 5, 2009 in front of 26,000+ fans. The Jaguars football team is led by head coach Joey Jones, former Alabama player under Paul "Bear" Bryant. The Jaguars lost at NC State 35-13 during the 2011 football season, the program's first game against a FBS opponent and its first loss after going a combined 19-0 during its first 2+ seasons.
The Jaguars have future football contests scheduled with Mississippi St, NC State, Hawaii, Navy, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma St, Tulane, South Carolina, Nebraska, Louisiana Tech, and Southern Miss, including home contests with Mississippi State, NC State, Oklahoma State, Louisiana Tech, Tulane, and Navy.
The baseball program enjoyed much success under Coach Eddie Stanky (for whom the baseball stadium and field on campus is now named after), and later Coach Steve Kittrell, coming one win away from the College World Series six different times. The Jaguars have produced a litany of Major League Baseball talent. The most notable current players are David Freese, who was both the 2011 National League Championship Series MVP and 2011 World Series MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals, and Juan Pierre, a World Series winner with the Florida Marlins in 2003. Coach Steve Kittrell retired at the end of the 2011 season and handed over the position to the coach in waiting, Mark Calvi, who had been on staff for that final year. Calvi was the pitching coach at the University of South Carolina when the Gamecocks won the College World Series in 2010.
The basketball program has reached the NCAA tournament eight times, with its only win coming against the University of Alabama in 1989. The Jaguars have been beaten by the eventual national champion 3 of those 8 times (Michigan, Arizona, & Florida), with the Michigan loss occurring in the second round.
School songs
Jaguar Pride Fight Song
South! Fight Song
Alma mater
Campus life
Housing
USA Housing & Residence Life: The University of South Alabama department of Housing & Residence Life is committed to providing safe, reasonably priced, well maintained residence halls and interacting with students in a courteous and efficient manner. We endeavor to support the academic mission of the University by creating purposeful residential communities that are conducive to the academic and personal success of students.
Residence Life staff members are in the building and available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Resident Assistants, Community Directors, Desk Assistants, and Area Coordinators. Remember, just one charge a semester covers all of your housing expenses including extended basic cable, wireless Internet, electricity, water, garbage, pest control, campus post office box, free maintenance, and unlimited laundry.
- Beta/Gamma Community consists of fifteen small buildings containing one-person, two-person, and four-person apartments.
- Epsilon Community contains both traditional and non-traditional residence halls. Epsilon 1 and Epsilon 2 are both traditional halls housing our first-time freshmen Learning Communities (LCs). Both Epsilons have a TV Room, study room, and professional Residence Life staff offices. The non-traditional residence hall of Delta 6 has the added advantage of a kitchenette in every room for freshmen and upperclassmen. A total of 471 residents live in this community with 156 in Delta 6 and the remaining 315 residents in Epsilon 1 & 2. Just down the hill from the state of the art Student Recreation Center and a sidewalk away from the Dining Hall (Fresh Food Co.).
- Delta Community is made up of four non-traditional residence halls that house 535 residents: Delta 3 â€" 5. Both freshmen and upperclassmen live in this community. Laundry Rooms are located at one end of Delta 3, Delta 4, and inside the Delta Commons.
- Stokes Hall Community opened Fall of 2011 and features 330 suite-style rooms. Stokes Hall features one (1) classroom, eight (8) study lounges, two (2) multipurpose rooms, interior hallways, and a large laundry room. You'll find 330 Freshmen and Upperclassmen residing in this hall that has an added academic focus with Learning Communities and a Faculty-In-Residence.
- New Hall Community opened Fall 2013. This four-story traditional residence hall is home to 350 first-time freshmen, with two students per room. Each of these freshmen will be a member of a Learning Community. Each room contains its own bathroom with students having their own personal lavatory in the living area of each room. The new building includes one classroom that seats 25, two large study lounges, two community lounges, a large laundry room, two Community Director offices, and one Faculty member office.
- Fraternity & Sorority Housing Community consists of five sororities and four fraternities for a total of nine Greek chapter houses on-campus.
The Grove: is a privately owned apartment complex on campus that offers individual leases of 2br/3br apartments to only USA undergraduate and graduate students. (Not affiliated with USA Housing & Residence Life.)
Greek life
Organizations
The following are Greek organizations that existed at the University of South Alabama that are no longer active sorted by the date they received their national charter
- Delta Lambda Phi, (Beta Beta Chapter) founded in 2000 till 2005 was the first Gay, Bisexual, and progressive male fraternity at the University of South Alabama that did not discriminate on the bases of sexual orientation.
- Sigma Nu, (IFC Fraternity), Theta Mu chapter founded in 1970.
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon, (IFC Fraternity), Alabama Chi chapter founded May 8, 1971.
- Lambda Chi Alpha, (IFC Fraternity), Phi Gamma chapter founded in 1972.
- Theta Xi, (IFC Fraternity), Gamma Gamma chapter founded February 16, 1974
- Sigma Phi Epsilon, (IFC Fraternity), Alabama Eta Chapter founded 1987
- Zeta Tau Alpha, (Panhellenic Sorority), chapter designation and founding date unknown.
- Chi Sigma Omega, a fraternity that existed in 1975 for veterans. This was not a national fraternity.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni of the University of South Alabama include:
- Marlon Anderson (Second Baseman), Major League Baseball
- Glenn Borgmann, Major League Baseball
- Herbert L. "Sonny" Callahan, former United States Congressman (attended but did not graduate)
- Terry Catledge, Former NBA Player
- Grant Enfinger, professional racecar driver; currently competes in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
- Steve Falteisek, Major League Baseball
- David Freese, Major League Baseball; Currently with the St. Louis Cardinals; 2011 World Series MVP Award and 2011 NLCS MVP Award winner
- Luis Gonzalez, Major League Baseball
- Carolyn Haines, American Romance and Mystery author
- Jon Lieber, Major League Baseball
- Adam Lind, Major League Baseball; Currently with the Toronto Blue Jays
- Rodger McFarlane (1955â€"2009), Gay rights activist and first executive director of Gay Men's Health Crisis.
- Mike Mordecai, Major League Baseball
- Juan Pierre, Major League Baseball
- Dan Povenmire, co-creator of the Disney Channel Show Phineas and Ferb (Did not graduate)
- Heath Slocum, Professional Golfer; currently plays on the PGA Tour
- Courtney Smith, American football player
- Eddie Stanky, Major League Baseball Player & Manager; former head coach of USA Baseball Program
- Jessie Tompkins,former Nationally ranking hurdler in Track and Field and civil-rights activist
- P. J. Walters Major League Baseball; Currently with the Minnesota Twins
- Turner Ward, Major League Baseball; Current manager of Mobile BayBears Minor League Baseball team
- Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki, alleged terrorist with Al-Shabaab (militant group) (attended but did not graduate)
- Michael Kearney, world's youngest college graduate.
Publications
- USA Vanguard
- The Lowdown
- The Oracle
- Due South
Criticisms
Federal discrimination lawsuit
On April 4, 2014, a large group of students belonging to Students for Life USA, a pro-life student organization, has filed a complaint in federal court against numerous University of South Alabama officials, including Dean of Students Michael A. Mitchell alleging discrimination.
References
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website
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