University of South Alabama

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University of South Alabama
USA.gif
Established 1964
Type Public
Endowment $415 million[1]
President VACANT
Admin. staff 992
Students 15,007
Location Mobile, Alabama, USA
Campus Main Campus
Nickname Jaguars
Colors Red, White, and Blue
                 
Mascot South Paw
Affiliations Sun Belt Conference
Website www.southalabama.edu

The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public, doctoral-level 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. The university has an enrollment of about 15,000 students.[2] To date, the University has awarded over 70,000 degrees.[3]

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.[4] South Alabama also has an annual economic impact of US$2 billion.[3] South Alabama owned hospitals treat over 250,000 patients annually.

Contents

Academics [edit]

The Covey College of Allied Health and College of Nursing
University rankings
National
Forbes[5] 224
U.S. News & World Report[6] 203–268
Global

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, 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.[7][8]

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%.[2]

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.[2]

Colleges [edit]

Shelby Hall - School of Computing

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 [edit]

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 1963–1998) and V. Gordon Moulton (served 1998-2013).

Research [edit]

USA has several research centers and institutes: The Center for Real Estate and Economic Development, The Center for Archaeological Studies, The Center for Forensics and Information Technology Security, The Center for Lung Biology, The South Alabama Research and Inservice Center, and The 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.[citation needed]

Athletics and traditions [edit]

Main article: South Alabama Jaguars
South Alabama Football at Ladd Stadium

The Jaguars participate in 15 NCAA sanctioned sports (7 men 8 women), and are founding members of the Sun Belt Conference. All sports participate in the Sun Belt conference, a Division 1/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. And after a furious comeback, the Jags fell short at Kent State 33-25 with the final play of the game ending on the Kent State 9 yard line. The Jaguars finished the 2011 season 6-4.[9] The Jaguars have future football contests scheduled with Mississippi St, NC State, Hawaii, Navy, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma St, Tulane, Georgia, Nebraska, Louisiana Tech, and Southern Miss, including home contests with many of those schools in the future years.[10]

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), including in 1989 when after defeating Alabama, the Jags went on to play the University of Michigan, who went on to win the championship that year.

School Songs [edit]

Moulton Bell Tower and Alumni Plaza

Jaguar Pride Fight Song

We're the mighty Jaguars
Stand up and cheer,
In our colors we take pride;
On to vic'try lead us year after year
We will stand here side by side.
Through the years we've prov'n
Our glory and fame.
Honor be to the victor's name,
U-S-A FIGHT!
FOR THE RED, WHITE & BLUE, GO JAGS![11]

South! Fight Song

South! Alabama
We're the pride of the red, white, blue!
Loyal, strong and faithful
To our alma mater true!

Jaguar statue and Mitchell Center Arena

South! Alabama
We will cheer you to win the day!
For it's J-A-G-U-A-R-S
For U-S-A![11]

Alma mater

All hail great university, Our Alma Mater dear,
South Alabama, red and blue, proud colors we revere.
Nestled among the hills of pine, enduring throughout time,
Upward and onward may your fame continue in its climb.
It seems that we have just begun; too soon we must depart
In all that life has planned for us, you'll share within our hearts.
So with thy blessings now send us, pray highest be our aim,
South Alabama may we ever glorify your name![11]

Campus life [edit]

Housing [edit]

Residence Life staff is in the building and available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Resident Assistants, Community Directors, Office Managers, and Area Coordinators.

Remember, just one charge a semester covers all of your housing expenses including 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 single to four person apartments.
  • Epsilon Community consists of three larger residence halls dedicated to freshmen and sophomores.
  • Delta Community is the largest area of residence halls consisting of five, two-story buildings and a common area with a convenience store/deli.
  • Stokes Hall Community is the largest residence hall consisting of 334 private rooms. Two rooms share a bed. It was opened in time for the 2011 fall semester.
  • Fraternity & Sorority Housing Community consists of 5 sororities and 4 fraternities for a total of 9 Greek chapter houses on-campus
  • The Grove is a privately owned apartment complex on campus with the ability to work with the financial aid office. Each resident has a private room-bathroom-walk-in closet separate from the rest of the apartment. Expenses covered in rent include internet, cable, water, sewer, and trash utility costs. Every apartment comes equipped with a washer and dryer. Electricity costs are covered up to $90 per unit in the 3-bedroom unit and $60 in the 2-bedroom unit. All apartments come with a full kitchen, which includes a dishwasher and full size refrigerator. The Grove offers individual leases per person, rather than per apartment. Therefore, you are never responsible for your roommate's rent if they fail to pay. The Grove version of RA's are Community Assistants (CA). CA's live at the complex and will be available 24 hours a day to assist you. CA's will also provide various social and recreational activities for Grove residents and their guests.

Greek life [edit]

Organizations [edit]

Panhellenic Council

Interfraternity Council

National Panhellenic Council

Professional Fraternities

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
  • Phi Kappa Sigma, (IFC Fraternity), Beta Mu chapter, founded date unknown.
  • Zeta Tau Alpha, (Panhellinic 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 [edit]

Notable alumni of the University of South Alabama include:

Publications [edit]

  • USA Vanguard
  • The Lowdown
  • The Oracle
  • Due South

References [edit]

  1. ^ http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2011NCSEPublicTablesEndowmentMarketValues319.pdf.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ a b c South Alabama | University of South Alabama | Best College | US News. Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved on 2012-05-25.
  3. ^ a b University of South Alabama Press Release. (PDF) . Retrieved on 2012-05-25.
  4. ^ University of South Alabama, Office of Public Relations, "Quick Facts.". Southalabama.edu (2011-01-25). Retrieved on 2012-05-25.
  5. ^ "America's Best Colleges". Forbes. 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012. 
  6. ^ "National Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 13, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011. 
  7. ^ Mobile Press Register http://blog.al.com/live/2011/10/usa_offers_first_doctorate_deg.html |url= missing title (help). 
  8. ^ University of South Alabama – Office of Public Relations http://www.southalabama.edu/publicrelations/pressreleases/2012pr/031512.html |url= missing title (help). 
  9. ^ University of South Alabama – 2011 Football Schedule. Usajaguars.com. Retrieved on 2012-05-25.
  10. ^ South Alabama Jaguars Football Schedules and Future Schedules. Fbschedules.com. Retrieved on 2012-05-25.
  11. ^ a b c "The Jaguar Mascot". USAJaguars.com. 2006-07-11. Retrieved 2007-04-13. 
  12. ^ Hevesi, Dennis. "Rodger McFarlane, Who Led AIDS-Related Groups, Dies at 54", The New York Times, May 18, 2009. Accessed May 19, 2009.
  13. ^ Goddard, John (01-04-2010). "Fanatic terrorism spent year in Toronto". The Toronto Star via TheStar.com. Toronto.  Text "http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/745524--fanatic-convert-to-terrorism-spent-year-in-toronto " ignored (help);

External links [edit]

Portal icon Alabama portal
Portal icon University portal
This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (November 2011)
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† will join the conference for football in 2013
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Coordinates: 30°41′48″N 88°10′43″W / 30.69671°N 88.17873°W / 30.69671; -88.17873

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