University of South Carolina Beaufort

Infobox_University
name =University of South Carolina Beaufort
native_name =
latin_name =


motto =
established =1795; reestablished 1959
type =Public
endowment =
staff =
faculty =109
president =
provost =
principal =
rector =
chancellor =Jane T. Upshaw
vice_chancellor =
dean =
head_label =
head =
students =
undergrad =1,386
postgrad =
doctoral =
profess =
city =Beaufort
state =SC
country =USA
campus =Urban, convert|59|acre|km2|1
free_label =
free =
colors =Garnet, Navy Blue, and Sand
colours =
mascot =Sand Sharks
nickname =Sand Sharks
athletics =NAIA
affiliations =
footnotes =
website = [http://www.uscb.edu www.uscb.edu]
address =
telephone =
coor =
logo =

The University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public university with its main campus in Beaufort and a branch campus between Hardeeville and Bluffton. It is one of the 3 senior USC campuses and is currently a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredited four-year school in the USC System. 1,461 students attended the University at one of its two campuses during the Fall 2007 semester.

History

In 1795, a preparatory school and college in Beaufort was chartered as the Beaufort College to serve the families of local planters. Classes began in 1802 and the college reached a prominent status in the community during the antebellum period. The college was forced to close in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War [ [http://www.beaufort-sc.com/history/bftcoll.htm Beaufort College - Beaufort, SC - Historic District - ICW-NET South Carolina Lowcountry ] ] and the Beaufort College building, constructed in 1852, was occupied by the Union forces for use as a hospital.

The college building was used by the Freedmen's Bureau during Reconstruction and it was an elementary school from 1909 to 1959. In the 1950s, two factors brought about the return of higher education to the Beaufort region. The University of South Carolina sought to expand its reach throughout the state by the establishment of extension campuses and the Beaufort County Higher Education Commission was formed by prominent citizens of Beaufort to bring such a campus to the area. A branch campus of the University of South Carolina was established in 1959 at the site of the old Beaufort College, but the official opening was delayed by Hurricane Gracie.

The campus experienced steady growth through the years and it expanded south along Carteret Street. In 2002, the campus was upgraded from a regional campus to a senior campus offering bachelor's degree. USCB opened a branch campus in Bluffton in 2004 and it also began offering programs for the Marine Corps on Parris Island.

Athletics

The University of South Carolina Beaufort sponsors nine teams, known as the Sand Sharks, to compete in the NAIA. The Sand Sharks field five women's teams in cross country, golf, tennis, softball, and volleyball. The men's teams compete in baseball, cross country, golf and tennis. Men's baseball coach Rick Sofield is a former player for the Minnesota Twins.

Organizations

The University of South Carolina Beaufort has numerous student organizations. The largest organization on campus is the Student Government Association. It consists of fourteen student senators and an executive board. The motto for the 2007-2008 school year was 'Think Globally.' The university hosted a series of events including; a Green Week, a debate on illegal-immigration, a panel discussion on Darfur and hosted a Campus Safety Conference.

References

External links

* [http://www.uscb.edu/ University of South Carolina Beaufort]
* [http://www.uscbathletics.com/ University of South Carolina Beaufort Athletics]