History
Erskine College was founded by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1839. Prior to this time the church had established in Due West, S.C., an academy for men in 1835. This academy became Erskine College, the first four-year church-related college in South Carolina.
By the time of the Civil War, Erskine had become one of the thriving colleges of the region with more than 100 students enrolled. Following the war, loyal supporters rebuilt the endowment nearly depleted by the conflict. They also financed construction of the Erskine Building and established Chairs in Chemistry and English Literature under widely respected professors.
These professors helped Erskine establish a reputation for academic excellence as the college moved from a classical to liberal arts curriculum.
Also enhancing this reputation were the Erskine literary societies, as old as the college, which trained championship debaters and supplemented speech and literary training. The large auditorium constructed in 1892 brought renowned speakers to Erskine and continued Erskine's role as a cultural and educational center of the South Carolina Piedmont.
Erskine also played a greater role in the education of women, admitting women first in 1894 and becoming officially coeducational in 1899. Due West Female College, founded in 1859 by Associate Reformed Presbyterian ministers and laymen, came under the control of the ARP Church in 1904 and merged with Erskine College in 1927.
The planned merger paved the way for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges in 1925, and the combined institution continued to provide a quality education and produce distinguished graduates over the next three decades, despite the setbacks of the Great Depression, World War II, and the dearth of students entering higher education in the early 1950s.
Successful capital gifts campaigns beginning in 1954, 1963, 1974 and 1992 increased Erskine's endowment to more than $40 million and provided more than $15 million in physical plant improvements over four decades.
A new capital campaign, the Gold Campaign, was launched in 2001 and completed in December 2006. The largest capital fund-raising campaign in Erskine's history met and surpassed its $36.8 million goal, raising more than $40 million.
Among a number of emphases in the Gold Campaign were the funding of endowed scholarships and professorships and the renovation and expansion of Memorial Hall, including the addition of a mathematics facility.
Location
Erskine College is nestled in the academic village of Due West, a town of 1,200 residents located in historic Abbeville County, South Carolina, an area rich in colonial, Revolutionary War, and Civil War History. The town and the college, with a number of antebellum buildings, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An annual spring festival brings a large number of tourists to share in the cultural and historic heritage of the county.
Due West is located near a number of lakes and recreational areas and within easy access to Interstate Routes 26 and 85 and the cities of Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbia, and Greenville. Greenwood and Anderson are each about 20 miles away. The town provides a restful and quiet atmosphere for study.
Residence Life
Erskine's spacious 90-acre campus provides both classic and modern facilities. The signature towers of the Erskine Building are complemented by a state-of-the-art science facility and a new music and math education complex. Centrally located on the campus is the Bowie Arts Center, a modern museum and gallery. The Galloway Activities Center contains two gyms, racquetball courts, an aerobics/weight room, a climbing wall, and an athletic training facility. The Literary Societies, as old as the college, are located on campus. Students eat at an award-winning cafeteria and in campus cafes.
Size
Student:faculty ratio: 12:1
Total enrollment: 600
Curriculum
At Erskine, students are taught by professors, not graduate students, and the curriculum is based on the liberal arts tradition. Erskine is about mentoring and relational learning designed to spur greatness, enhance your academic growth, and prepare tomorrow’s leaders. Erskine is committed to providing a well-rounded educational experience designed to develop the whole person.
Erskine faculty members share their lives and challenge students to excel in all aspects of life. Erskine is committed to educating the next generation of lifelong learners that will make an impact on their families, their communities, their country and the world.
Athletics
The college maintains sound and varied recreational and athletic programs. The college encourages sports activities among all students in a belief that participation in sport at the intercollegiate, intramural, or recreational level aids in the overall personal development of the individual.
Erskine competes on the intercollegiate level as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and as a member of Conference Carolinas.
The College fields 14 intercollegiate teams: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf,men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, baseball, softball, volleyball and women's lacrosse.
Financial Aid
An Erskine education is an experience, the value of which cannot be easily measured in dollars. More than 90 percent of our students receive financial assistance. In addition to traditional sources of financial aid, such as federal and state aid, Erskine offers a variety of scholarships to those students who demonstrate academic ability and who will enrich the Erskine community. Erskine invites students and their families to become part of its family and is dedicated to working with them to help finance an investment in the Erskine experience.
Accreditation
Erskine College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Erskine College.
Erskine Theological Seminary is accredited by The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the United States and Canada, as well as by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award master’s and doctoral degrees, namely, the Master of Arts in Educational Ministries, Master of Church Music, Master of Arts in Counseling Ministry, Master of Arts in Practical Ministry, Master of Arts in Theological Studies, Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, and Doctor of Ministry degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Erskine Theological Seminary.
The three-fold purpose for publishing the address and contact numbers of the SACS Commission on Colleges is to enable interested constituents:
- To learn about the accreditation status of the institution;
- To file a third-party comment at the time of the institution’s decennial review; or
- To file a complaint against the institution for alleged non-compliance with a standard or requirement.
Other inquiries about Erskine (College or Seminary), such as admission requirements, financial aid, educational programs, etc., should be addressed directly to the College or Seminary and not to the Commission’s office.
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