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. Construction is expected to be completed in Spring 2008.
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.
Tuition and Fees
Financing Options
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 Commission on Colleges of the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga.
30033-4097: Telephone number 404-679-4501) to award bachelor of arts and
bachelor of science degrees.
Erskine College is a member of the National Commission on Accrediting,
Association of American Colleges, the American Council on Education, the
South Carolina Association of Colleges and Universities, the Council for
Advancement and Support of Education, the South Carolina Independent
Colleges and Universities, the Council for Christian Colleges and
Universities, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education,
the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers,
the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division II), and Conference
Carolinas.
The teacher education programs of the college are approved by the State
Board of Education using the Standards of the National Association of State
Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC). The Teacher
Education Program has been awarded national accreditation by the National
Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Erskine is on the
approved list of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Any student wanting more information on Erskine College's accreditation may
contact the Academic Office at 1-864-379-8772.
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