Southern Adventist University

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location: Southeast
Setting: Large Town Setting
Type: Private
Affiliation: Seventh Day Adventists
Size: Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad)
Southern Adventist University
Southern Adventist University
[source]
One Sabbath Day at SAU
School Description
Provided by Southern Adventist University

Southern Adventist University, serving local, national, and international constituents, provides learning in a Christian environment where all are encouraged to pursue truth, wellness, and a life of service.

Southern Adventist University From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Southern Adventist University is a liberal arts university located in Collegedale, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The university operates a radio station, WSMC-FM, which plays mainly classical music as well as news from the BBC, National Public Radio, and Public Radio International. The station also provides live broadcasts of services from the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church.

History

Southern's roots stem from the establishment of Graysville Academy in Graysville, Tennessee, in 1892. The school moved to the community of Thatcher's Switch in 1916, renaming it Collegedale.

In 1942, Kenneth A. Wright became president of the school. During Wright's administration, Southern Junior College became accredited as a four-year institution. A new name, Southern Missionary College, was adopted in 1944. Two men and four women received Southern's first baccalaureate degrees two years later.

It earned the nickname "Southern Matrimony College" because many young people married while attending Southern.

Renamed Southern College of Seventh-day Adventists in 1982, the school became a university in 1996. On September 9, 1996, trustees voted on a new name: Southern Adventist University.

In mid-1997 Gordon Bietz became president of Southern Adventist University. Academic expansion has continued, with 10 graduate degrees now offered in business, education, psychology, nursing, computing, and religion. Fifty baccalaureate degrees are offered, 20 associate degrees, 38 minors, and two one-year certificate programs.

In the fall of 2005, undergraduate enrollment reached a record high in the school's 113-year history with 2,390 students pursuing their undergraduate degrees and 132 students studying for their graduate degrees. Southern is the largest undergraduate institution in the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

April 2005 fire

On the morning of April 26, 2005, a fire broke out in the Thatcher Hall Dormitory. One student died and two others were injured. Though the fire has been ruled an accident, the cause has yet to be determined. The area of the building in which the fire occurred was not equipped with fire sprinklers, though smoke detectors and fire alarms were in place and functioned properly. Sprinkler systems are primarily, however, designed for building protection and not life safety (It should be noted that when fire sprinklers became mandatory the buildings predating this mandate were not required to be retrofitted with them provided that smoke detectors and fire alarms were in place and functional.) Sprinklers, as well as other fire safety measures that go well beyond what is required, have been installed in Thatcher Hall.

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Students & Campus Life
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,249
On Campus Housing: Available
Full Time Students: 97%
Athletic Programs: Unavailable
> More Students & Campus Life
Expenses
Average Tuition: $ 14,020
Students Receiving Aid: 77%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid
Admissions
Application Fee: $ 25
Selectivity: Selective
> More Admissions

Students

General
Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 97%
Part-Time 3%
Men vs. Women
Women 57%
Men 43%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 73%
Hispanic 10%
African-American 9%
Asian 5%
Other 3%
Geography
In State vs. Out-of-State
Out-of-State 76%
In-State 24%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Tennessee 24%
Florida 13%
Georgia 8%
North Carolina 5%
California 4%
Percent of Students International: 4%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 76%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Published Tuition and Fees:
$ 14,020    
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 13,580    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 440    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 4,029 30%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 1,271 1%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 4,272 64%  
Student Loans:
$ 4,125 65%  
Any Aid:
  77%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 74% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 46%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 410, Math: 410
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 540, Math: 500
ACT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting ACT Scores: 73%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Composite: 19, Verbal: 19, Math: 17
Top 75th Percentile: Composite: 24, Verbal: 25, Math: 24

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 25.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Recommended
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Recommended
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Not Required
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Not Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

Degree Programs at Southern Adventist University

Associate's Level Majors
Bachelor's Level Majors

Photos

  • Southern Adventist University
    Southern Adventist University [source]

Videos

  • One Sabbath Day at SAU