Salem College

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For the previously named Salem College in West Virginia, see Salem International University.

Salem College


Motto	Reach Within, Shape the Future
Established	1772
Type	Private woman's college
President	Susan E. Pauly
Undergraduates	1,100
Location	Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
Mascot	Salem Spirits
Website	salem.edu

Salem College is a small, liberal arts woman's college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina founded in 1772, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States.

Located adjacent to the historic Moravian community of Old Salem, Salem College was originally a girl's school established by the Moravians, who believed strongly in equal educations for men and women. It became a boarding school in 1802. In 1866 it changed its name to Salem Female Academy and became Salem College in 1890 [1],

Among its alumnae is Sarah Childress Polk, wife of U.S. President James Knox Polk. Dolley Madison, wife of U.S. President and Founding Father James Madison, also attended Salem College. The daughter of Chief John Ross, head of the Cherokee Indian Tribe, was attending Salem College prior to her withdrawal to accompany her family on the Trail of Tears.

In 1766, at the age of 17, Sister Elisabeth Oesterlein walked from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Salem. On April 22, 1772, the school of Salem was founded. Her influence led the school to be among the first to accept non-white students.

Salem College enrolls (as of 2007) approximately 1,100 students. All undergraduate students are required to complete both community service and internship programs prior to graduation -- part of the "Salem Signature" leadership program, for which the college has earned national praise.

Salem College shares its campus with Salem Academy, a residential high school for girls. They formerly shared a campus, but the Academy was given its own building in the early 1900's.

During the summer, the Salem campus has, since 1963, housed one campus of the Governor's School of North Carolina, a state-run summer program for gifted high school students.

A large part of student life at Salem is governed by the Honor Code. Students sign the code during first-year orientation, and receive a daisy. In signing the code, they are accepting responsibility and trust to not cheat or lie. Violations are considered severe, and sent to the Honor Council. Due to the Honor Code, the school allows a high degree of freedom in exam taking. A unique feature of Salem is its system of self-scheduled exams. Students have several days to complete their exams on their own schedule.

The oldest building on Salem's campus is the Single Sister's House. Originally constructed in 1785, an addition was added in 1819. The Single Sister's House is the oldest building in the United States dedicated to the education of women. Renovation on the Single Sister's House began in October 2005, and will be completed for a re-opening ceremony on April 22, 2007 - marking the 235th anniversary of the founding of Salem. In the fourth-floor attic of the Single Sister's House is the original 1785 datestone. Several interesting features were found in the renovation process, including graffiti that was covered by plaster. A Salem professor, Dr. John Hutton, wrote and illustrated the children's book "Sister Maus." The story portrays a mouse as a stowaway on the trip from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to living in the Single Sister's House. The story was inspired by a mouse hole found in a baseboard.

In 2005 Salem began the process of joining the NCAA Division III. Currently, basketball, cross-country, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball exist on campus as NCAA varsity sports. Equestrian and Field Hockey are club sports.

Salem College has a relationship with Wake Forest University, in which Salem students are allowed to cross-register to take classes at Wake Forest. Several Salem students are also members of Wake Forest's marching band.

Salem College offers a variety of majors to its students. Currently, Accounting, American Studies, Art, Art History, Arts Management, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Communication, Creative Writing, Economics, English, French, German, History, Interior Design, International Business, International Relations, Mathematics, Music, Music Education, Not-for-profit Management, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, and Spanish are all offered as majors. Additional minors are offered in Dance, Marketing, Theater, Political Science, and Women's Studies. Also offered is an Honors Program. Programs in Pre-Engineering, Pre-Law, and Pre-Med exist, but within existing majors, not as majors unto themselves. The Not-for-Profit major was added in 2006, and is the only not-for-profit major program in North Carolina. Students also take classes as part of the Salem Signature program. Both community service and an internship are required for graduation.

Salem has seven residence halls on campus. Two are designated for first-year students. Each hall is named after someone who was important to the Salem community. The Fogle Flats are apartments available to seniors.