Erskine College is a private Christian college in Due West, South Carolina. It offers an undergraduate liberal arts college and a graduate theological seminary. The college was founded in 1839 by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and its sports teams compete in NCAA Division II as a member of Conference Carolinas.
Early history
Established in 1839 by the Associate Reformed Synod of the South as an academy for men, the college became the first four-year, church-related college in South Carolina It was named for Ebenezer Erskine, one of the founders of one of the antecedent bodies of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and a pastor. Erskine had led a group of separatists from the Church of Scotland to found an Associate Presbytery. Erskine began to admit women in 1894 and officially became coeducational in 1899. In 1927, it merged with Women's College of Due West, founded in 1859. In 1929, Bryson College closed and merged with Erskine College.
Recent history
In 1999, Rev. John Carson became president of the college. Upon his installation he noted: "I do not intend to add anything new, not one new straw on the backs of faculty or staff or students. But I do intend to be consistent in making this vision a reality. Erskine College will be, by God's grace, what it has been called to beâ€"a Christian liberal arts college open to all students." Dr. Randall T. Ruble was voted in as the President of Erskine College and Seminary on October 26, 2006. He was inaugurated April 10, 2007.
In April 2011, David A. Norman was inaugurated into the office of President. On June 1, 2013, Dr. Norman resigned, and Dr. N. Bradley Christie was appointed Acting President. On July 18, 2014, it was announced that Erskine College and Seminary called Dr. Paul Kooistra, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, as their president.
On March 11, 2014, a website article on Outsports detailed the coming out of two male players on the college's volleyball team. On February 27, 2015, Erskine College released statement that students are expected to "follow the teachings of scripture concerning matters of human sexuality."
After serving as President of Erskine College and Seminary for a period of 3 years, Dr. Paul Kooistra announced his planned retirement, to be effective at the end of October 2016. An interim President, Dr. Robert E. Gustafson, Jr. was named on October 21st, 2016 . Four months later, on February 10, 2017, Dr. John Basie was named as Provost of Erskine College. Dr. Basie was quoted as saying, "My family and I are humbled by this calling to come serve the Erskine community and the ARP Church. We look forward to working alongside others in implementing the college’s Christ-centered mission."
On May 26th, 2017, The Board of Trustees of Erskine College and Theological Seminary appointed Dr. Robert E. Gustafson, Jr as the 17th President of Erskine College and Seminary following his seven months of service as interim president. Known as a visionary leader with a history of effectiveness in Christian education, Dr. Gustafson was hailed in official press releases as "a dedicated Christian with a pastor’s heart, a deep thinker, and a lifelong learner, ready to address the challenges of Erskine College and Theological Seminary.â€
Academics
Erskine College offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. Minors are offered in several other fields of study. A Christian Education concentration is offered within the Bible and Religion major and special minors are offered in Family Studies, Computer Science, Non-Western Studies, Theater, and Information Technology. The college also offers pre-professional programs in medicine, law, pharmacy, and dentistry. The student to faculty ratio is 12:1.
Although Erskine is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, it was placed on "Warning" status following its most recent decennial accreditation review in December 2013. The College's status was reviewed in December 2014, and the sanction was then escalated to "Probation" status, due to continued failure to comply with accreditation standards related to fiscal stability and institutional effectiveness in student learning outcomes. SACSCOC removed all accreditation sanctions and reaffirmed Erskine’s regional accreditation in December 2015.
Athletics
Erksine College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II. The Flying Fleet are a member of the Conference Carolinas. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
Major buildings
- Administrative offices: Belk Hall, Watkins Student Center
- Art buildings: Bowie Arts Center, Memorial Hall (music), Print Shop
- Classrooms: Belk Hall, Reid Hall, Daniel Moultrie Science Center (DMSC)
- Recreation: Galloway Center, the Hangar (under Lesesne Auditorium), pavilion, swimming pool, volleyball court
- Male housing: Grier (freshmen), Pressly, Robinson
- Female housing: Carnegie (freshmen), Bonner, Kennedy
- Dining services: Java City, Moffatt Dining Hall and Snappers
- Erskine Towers: Flagship Building, old astral observatory and clock tower
- Computer Lab and library: McCain Library, Reid Hall (archives)
Notable alumni
Will
- Susan Audé - WIS-TV news anchor
- Erskine Caldwell - American author (attended, but did not graduate)
- Beth Couture - head coach of the Butler Bulldogs women's basketball team
- Tom Ervin - member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
- Thomas S. Gettys - U.S. Congressman from South Carolina
- Ira B. Jones - former South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice and gubernatorial candidate
- Thomas G. Long - Brandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology at Emory University
- Benjamin Meek Miller - Governor of Alabama, 1931â€"1935
- William Bell Montgomery - founder of Southern Farm Gazette (now known as the Progressive Farmer) and Mississippi State University
- Joseph Rodney Moss - former Associate Justice and Chief Justice on the South Carolina Supreme Court
- Lemuel P. Padgett - U.S. Congressman from Tennessee
- Charles Bryson Simonton - U.S. Congressman from Tennessee
- Tom Verlaine - lead singer/guitarist of proto-punk rock band Television (attended, but did not graduate)
See also
- List of colleges and universities in South Carolina
References
External links
- Erskine College official website
- Erskine Flying Fleet official website
- Erskine Theological Seminary
- Erskine College Main Building - Due West, S.C.