Southern Adventist University is a private, liberal arts university located in Collegedale, Tennessee. It was founded in 1901 as Southern Missionary College.
Southern Adventist University is a Seventh-day Adventist four-year liberal arts college located in Collegedale, Tennessee. One of the fastest growing universities in the United States and worldwide, Southern currently enrolls 5,650 students. The school features many opportunities for undergraduate research and study abroad programs.
Southern Adventist University (SAU) is a private Christian university in Collegedale, Tennessee on 22 acres 58 kilometers northeast of Chattanooga. Founded in 1909 as Lookout Mountain Sanitarium by Seventh-day Adventists, it became Southern Junior College in 1933 and gained full university accreditation in 1954. On July 1, 1995, the school merged with Chattanooga Bible College to become Southern Adventist University.
Southern Adventist University is a Christian liberal arts institution in Collegedale, Tennessee. The university was founded by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1901 as Champion College and completed its transition to private, co-educational institution in 1955. The university offers many degrees including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees.
What do you think about when I say the name “Southern Adventist University”? It’s a name that holds a lot of history. It’s where I got my undergraduate and graduate degrees. Southern has always had a rich heritage and is steeped in tradition. Southeastern conference champions, Rhodes Scholars, and according to the world record society for schooling, it was one of the first 17 colleges in the US to ever have a radio program!
Welcome to Southern Adventist University’s official WordPress website. Here you’ll find our school’s latest and greatest news and events, as well as all kinds of helpful information about our university. Whether you’re new to the region or a hometown hero, we hope you’ll take some time to explore this website and get to know us.
Selecting the right school can have a major impact on your future career. It’s important to pay attention to the quality of the education offered. There are many factors that affect the overall value of an education institution, but here are some metrics you should consider:
Southern Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Collegedale, Tennessee. It is owned and operated by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It was founded in 1892 in Graysville, Tennessee, as Graysville Academy and was the first Adventist school in the southern U.S. Due to the need for additional space for expansion the school relocated in 1916 and was renamed Southern Junior College. In 1944, Southern began awarding baccalaureate degrees and was renamed Southern Missionary College. In 1996 the institution started conferring master’s degrees and adopted its current name.
Southern offers associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees.[5] The university and its programs are accredited by multiple organizations including the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Its Institute of Archaeology offers an undergraduate degree in biblical archaeology; Southern is one of only two schools which offer the degree. It is known for its emphasis on Adventist beliefs and conservative religious and social practices,[7] and is considered the most conservative of the Seventh-day Adventist schools in North America.[8] The college operates a radio station (WSMC-FM), a health food store and a wellness center. Enrollment was 3,053 students in 2010, its highest level to date.[9]
School of Visual Art and Design[edit]
Wayne and Maria Hazen founded the School of Visual Art and Design in 1998. The film department produced Angel in Chains in 2003,[59][60] a film “based on a true story about acceptance and forgiveness.”[61] In 2007, Southern released Secret of the Cave, a feature film which was awarded a Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival in Indiana. The family-oriented feature was filmed in Ireland and was the first feature-length film produced at the university.[62][63] The school offers degrees in graphic design, animation, film production and fine art.[64]
McKee Library[edit]
Page from Life of Abraham Lincoln by J. L. Scripps
The McKee Library is located on the campus and opened in 1970. Its collection of books and media comprises approximately 165,000 volumes on the shelves, 25,000 electronic books, subscriptions to more than 880 print and electronic periodicals and access to more than 19,000 electronic journals. The library is defined by the Thomas Memorial Collection, a major Civil War collection with more than 3,600 volumes concerning Lincoln and the Civil War, and authentic photos and newspapers. The Collection has two original copies of the only Lincoln biography ever read and approved by him, the Life of Abraham Lincoln by J. L. Scripps, and a section of his original marble sarcophagus.[65]
Ideology[edit]
Southern is known for its religious and social conservatism,[7] and it is widely regarded as the most conservative of denominationally owned Adventist colleges in North America.[8] In 2001, Adventist noted theologian and scholar Raymond Cottrell, a “progressive Adventist“,[66] wrote that Southern operated “an agency of Southern Bible belt obscurantism.”[40]
In explaining why he placed his collection of artifacts and his personal library at Southern Adventist University, archaeologist William Dever said, “The major support for archaeology work in Israel and Jordan comes from conservative and evangelical circles where the Bible is still taken seriously and no one is more serious and committed about archaeological study in the Middle East than Adventists.”[67]
Student life[edit]
See also: The Southern Accent (newspaper)
The Princeton Review describes Southern as a “religiously loving environment.”[47] Most forms of jewelry are not allowed on campus, including engagement rings, and students may be fined for not complying with this policy.[68] Southern is a dry campus,[69] as the Adventist Church opposes the use of alcohol.[70] The university observes the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and students are expected to refrain from secular activities during these hours.[71]
Although Southern does not have fraternities or sororities,[72][73] there are 40 clubs on campus,[73][74] one of which is a chapter of the Adventist Forum, publisher of Spectrum Magazine.[75] The Southern Accent is a weekly student-run newspaper that has been the voice of Southern students since 1926 and gives information on events and outings and “hot issues that are being talked about on campus”.[76] There are 21 student-led ministries on campus and in the community and a Student Missions program.[77]
Southern has more than 10 miles (16 km) of hiking/mountain biking trails used by students and local community members alike.[78]
There is a campus-wide internet network with all classrooms accessing the wireless network and a computer lab in each building with access to printing. Wireless printing is also accessible in the dormitories.[79][80]
Dormitories[edit]
Southern’s dormitories are single gender although students can opt out of the dormitories during summer sessions or with permission from a dean. Upperclass and married students can receive exemptions from this policy.[81] The men’s dormitory is Talge Hall and the women’s dormitory is Thatcher Hall.[82] An accidental fire in Thatcher Hall in April 2005 killed one student and injured two others.[83] The dormitories have also been used to shelter storm victims who needed short-term housing, such as after tornadoes in early 2011.[84]
WSMC-FM radio station[edit]
Main article: WSMC-FM
Southern owns and operates FM radio station WSMC which is almost completely staffed by students and the only classical music station in the Chattanooga area. In 2003, following technical problems that caused the station to keep dropping off the air, WSMC upgraded equipment to improve its reliability.[85] It has been in operation since 1961 and is located on campus.[86]
