University of South Carolina Aiken

The University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken or USCA) is a public university in Aiken, South Carolina. It is part of the University of South Carolina System and offers undergraduate degree programs as well as master's degrees. Additional graduate courses and degree programs are offered through the University of South Carolina Extended Graduate Campus program. The University of South Carolina Aiken awards baccalaureate degrees in more than 30 major areas of study including the bachelor of science in business administration online through Palmetto College.[3]

The University of South Carolina
Aiken
TypePublic university
Established1961 (1961)
Parent institution
University of South Carolina System
ChancellorDaniel Heimmermann[1]
ProvostThayer McGahee (interim)
Academic staff
251
Students3,840[2]
Undergraduates3,145
Postgraduates695
Location
Aiken, South Carolina
,
U.S.

33°34′23.91″N 81°46′06.34″W
CampusUrban, 453 acres (183 ha)
ColorsPacer Blue, Ace Red, & Triumph Gray
     
NicknamePacers
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division II – Peach Belt
MascotAce the Pacer
Websitewww.usca.edu

Campus

The campus is located on 453 acres (183 ha) in Aiken, 18 miles (29 km) from Augusta, Georgia, and 60 miles from Columbia, South Carolina.[4]

Academics

The University of South Carolina Aiken was ranked number 49 among "Regional Universities" in the southern US in the 2023 edition of U.S. News & World Report's guide America's Best Colleges. In 2019, the university was ranked #1 among top public regional colleges in the southern US. The university has frequently been ranked in the top three public regional colleges and has been ranked first eleven times: 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021.[5]

Accreditation

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Many of its programs are accredited by program- or discipline-specific accreditors:

  • The School of Education's undergraduate programs in early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special education are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Its graduate program for the M.Ed. in educational technology also is accredited by CAEP.
  • USC Aiken's master of science in applied clinical psychology degree program is accredited by the Master's in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC).
  • USC Aiken's department of chemistry and physics is nationally certified by the American Chemical Society. USC Aiken is the smallest university in the state of South Carolina to be nationally certified by the American Chemical Society and one of only nine in the state.

Students

As of the fall of 2021, USC Aiken had an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 3,101 undergraduate students and 768 graduate students. Students enjoy a low faculty-to-student ratio of 14:1 and 69% of classes consisting of 20 or fewer students.[7] The university reached record enrollment rates in the fall of 2018.

Student life

Greek life

The Greek system at USC Aiken consists of five fraternities and seven sororities. In fall 2021, seven percent of undergraduate men and six percent of undergraduate women were active in USC Aiken's Greek life community.[8]

CPC sororities

IFC fraternities

NPC fraternities

NPHC sororities

Student publications

The school newspaper is the weekly Pacer Times,[9] Founded in 1963 as the Rebellaire,[10] physical copies of the Pacer Times were once printed by the Aiken Standard.[11] The school also has a student-run literary journal, Broken Ink.[12]

Athletics
Main article: USC Aiken Pacers

USC Aiken's athletic teams are the Pacers. Competing in intercollegiate athletics at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Pacers have been members of the Peach Belt Conference since the 1990–91 academic year.

The school's teams were initially known as the Rebels. The mascot name was changed to Pacers in 1971.[13]

The Pacers compete in ten intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Men's and women's tennis were discontinued at the end of the 2018–19 school year. The Pacers have also formerly offered both a cheerleading program and an award-winning dance team, with both replaced by a combined co-ed spirit squad.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Dr. Daniel Heimmermann Named UofSC Aiken Chancellor". 9 April 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  2. "University of South Carolina Aiken". Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  3. "Palmetto College - Palmetto College - University of South Carolina".
  4. "Campus Info". Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  5. "USC Aiken #1, Again". USC Aiken Office of Marketing. Sep 9, 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  6. "About AACSB Accreditation". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  7. "University of South Carolina Aiken". Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  8. "Student Life". Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  9. Pacer Times official website (accessed January 21, 2023).
  10. Pacer Times, Vol. 50 no. 1, p.1 (August 8, 2013).
  11. "Wright named editor-in-chief of Pacer Times", Aiken Standard, August 31, 2012.
  12. "'Broken Ink' garners All-American status", Aiken Standard, August 17, 2013.
  13. Pacer Times, Vol. 50 no. 1, p.1 (August 8, 2013).
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