Agnes Scott College

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Agnes Scott College

Agnes Scott seal
Motto "Now add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge." (2 Peter 1:5)
Established 1889
Type liberal arts women's college
Endowment $286 million
President Elizabeth Kiss
Faculty 82
Undergraduates 914
Location Decatur, Georgia, United States
Campus Suburban
Colors Purple and white
Mascot
Scottish Terrier
Affiliations Presbyterian Church (USA)
Website agnesscott.edu
Buttrick Hall
Buttrick Hall
Looking across the quad
Looking across the quad
McCain Library at dusk
McCain Library at dusk

Agnes Scott College is a private liberal arts women's college in Decatur, Georgia, near Atlanta. The college currently enrolls 914 students. Agnes Scott is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The undergraduate school offers 30 majors and 25 minors. Students who graduate from Agnes Scott receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. 87% of the faculty are full-time, and 100% of the tenure-track faculty hold terminal degrees. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1.[1]

It is considered one of the Seven Sisters of the South.

Contents

[edit] History

The college was founded in 1889 as Decatur Female Seminary by Presbyterian minister Frank H. Gaines. In 1890, the name was changed to Agnes Scott Institute to honor the mother of the college's primary benefactor, Col. George Washington Scott. The name was changed again to Agnes Scott College in 1906. Agnes Scott (Main) Hall, the oldest building on campus, was built in 1891 and once housed the entire school.

Agnes Scott is considered the first higher education institution in the state of Georgia to receive regional accreditation. The current president is Elizabeth Kiss, the founding director of Duke University's Kenan Institute for Ethics.

[edit] Undergraduate campus life

Students at Agnes Scott are known as "Scotties." The school colors of Agnes Scott are purple and white, while the mascot is Irvine, a Scottish Terrier. Each incoming class is assigned a class color out of red, yellow, blue, or green and votes on a class mascot that correlates with that color. The colors and mascots are intended to establish class pride, particularly during one week of fun-filled activities called Black Cat. Black Cat occurs every fall and culminates in a series of skits written, directed, and performed by the junior class. If there is dissatisfaction with a class mascot, the class is given the option to revote and choose a different mascot their second year.

Class mascots are often popular culture icons:

The class ring is given to students during the spring of their sophomore year in a special ceremony. The ring design, with its rectangular engraved black onyx stone, has remained essentially the same since its introduction in the 1920s with minor choices (metal, size, and antiquing) emerging in recent years.

The honor code is held in high regard among Agnes Scott students and faculty. At the beginning of every academic year, new students must sign the honor code and recite a pledge promising to uphold the high academic and social standards of the institution. Those students who uphold the code are allowed to take unproctored class tests and take-home examinations.

Agnes Scott's NCAA Division III sports teams include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.

[edit] Special curricula

Coeducational graduate programs:

  • Master of Arts in teaching secondary English
  • Master of Arts in teaching secondary math and science
  • Post-baccalaureate pre-medical program

Undergraduate programs:

[edit] Rankings

According to the 2007 US News and World Report, Agnes Scott is ranked the 61st best liberal arts college in the country. It is the highest ranked women's college in the southeast. The report also ranked Agnes Scott as No. 28 for "Great School, Great Price."

Princeton Review's 2007 The Best 361 Colleges ranks the college as follows:
No. 4 for "Most Beautiful Campus"
No. 8 for "Dorms Like Palaces"
No. 11 for "Diverse Student Population"
No. 13 for "Students Happy with Financial Aid"

[edit] Notable achievements

  • The 2004 edition of US News and World Report's rankings for best liberal arts colleges placed Agnes Scott as tied for number 50 in the country, and that year promotional information and school merchandise advertised the college's place among the "top 50."
  • In 2004, the college ranked second among women's colleges, seventh among national liberal arts colleges, and 27th overall in endowment per full-time enrolled student.
  • Agnes Scott's $125 million building program has led to the creation of a new parking facility, Public Safety office, planetarium, student campus center, science building, tennis courts, and improved landscaping and the renovation of the dining hall, observatory, and library. $1.6 million was spent on renovating three Victorian homes for student housing. Renovation of the Alumnae House and creation of a new chapel, office space, residence hall, theatre, and dance facilities have also been planned.
  • In 1995, approximately 600 students were enrolled at Agnes Scott. In fall 2004, for the first time in the school's history, enrollment reached 1,000 students.

[edit] Notable alumnae

[edit] Trivia

  • According to a 2006 study conducted by the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education, approximately 4,000 alumnae living in Georgia earn an estimated $143.9 million annually.
  • The college's science building contains a three-story rendering of part of the nucleotide sequence from Agnes Scott's mitochrondrial DNA. The DNA came from a blood sample of an ASC alumna who is a direct descendant of the college's namesake.
  • American poet Robert Frost was an annual visitor at Agnes Scott from 1945 to his death in 1962. During his visits, he would read poetry in Presser Hall. A statue of the poet sculpted by George W. Lundeen sits in the alumnae gardens. A collection of Frost's poetry and letters can be viewed at McCain Library.
  • The college was featured in Scream 2, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, and A Man Called Peter, as well as several TV shows and made-for-TV-movies filmed in the Atlanta area.
  • Tradition dictates that students who get engaged are thrown into the alumnae pond by their classmates.
  • Seniors at Agnes Scott traditionally ring the bell in Agnes Scott Hall's bell tower upon acceptance to graduate school or a job offer. This tradition dates from the '80s when the tower acquired its bell during the administration of President Ruth Schmidt. Students who ring the bell sign their names on the walls of the tower.
  • The Bradley Observatory at Agnes Scott houses the Beck Telescope, a 30 inch Cassegrain reflector, as well as a modern planetarium with 70-seat capacity and a radio telescope.

[edit] References

  • Earnshaw, Rebecca Lee. Students at Agnes Scott College During the 1930s. Decatur, GA: Agnes Scott College, 1988.
  • McNair, Walter Edward. Lest We Forget: An Account of Agnes Scott College. Decatur, GA: Agnes Scott College, 1983.
  • Noble, Betty Pope Scott. The Story of George Washington Scott, 1829-1903: A Family Memoir. Decatur, GA: Agnes Scott College, 2002.
  • Pope, Loren. "Agnes Scott College." In Colleges That Change Lives. New York: Penguin, 2000.
  • Sayrs, M. Lee. A Full and Rich Measure: 100 Years of Educating Women at Agnes Scott College, 1889-1989. Atlanta, GA: Susan Hunter, Inc., 1990.

[edit] External links


Georgia private colleges and universities
Agnes Scott College • American Intercontinental University • Andrew College • Argosy University • Art Institute of Atlanta • Atlanta Christian College • Atlanta College of Art • Bauder College • Berry College • Brenau University • Brewton-Parker College • Clark Atlanta University • Columbia Theological Seminary • Covenant College • Emmanuel College • Emory University • Georgia Military College • Interdenominational Theological Center • LaGrange College • Life University • Mercer University • Morehouse College • Morehouse School of Medicine • Morris Brown College • Oglethorpe University • Oxford College of Emory University • Paine College • Piedmont College • Reinhardt College • Savannah College of Art and Design • Shorter College • South University • Spelman College • Thomas University • Toccoa Falls College • Truett-McConnell College • Wesleyan College • Westwood College • Young Harris College
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