Philander Smith College

Philander Smith College is a private, historically black college that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. Although known historically as a school for African Americans, it accepts students of all races. However, the vast majority of its students are black was founded in 1882. It’s nickname is the Panthers and the University is a member of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Their colors are Green and Yellow and their motto is Think Justice.

[messagebox title=”University Profile”]
[third]
Location:
900 W. Daisy Bates Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202-3799
Phone: (501) 375-9845
Website: www.philander.edu
[/third]
[thirdlast]
Type: 4-year, Private not-for-profit
Awards offered:
Bachelor’s degree
[/thirdlast]
[thirdlast]Campus setting:
City: Midsize
Campus housing: Yes
Student population: 732 (all undergraduate)
Student-to-faculty ratio: 13 to 1
[thirdlast]
[/messagebox]

History

• Philander Smith College was officially founded in 1877 under the name of Walden Seminary as a means of providing education opportunities for freed slaves west of the Mississippi River.
• The school was renamed Philander Smith College in 1882 to recognize the financial contributions of Adeline Smith, the widow of Philander Smith.
• The college was chartered as a four-year college in 1883 and conferred its first bachelor’s degree in 1888.
• In 1933, it merged the assets of the George R. Smith College in Sedalia, Missouri, which burned down in 1925.
• In 1943, Philander Smith was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Campus

Philander Smith College is located in Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas, which is situated in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains on the South bank of the Arkansas River. Students have access to fine dining, shopping, concerts, and plays.

Faculty

• Faculty and staff members are committed to providing Philander students with significant scholarly and internship experiences.
• Many members of the faculty seek to involve students in their research and creative activities and encourage presentation of their scholarship at professional conferences.
• Philander faculty and staff members are dedicated to assisting students on a daily basis in there pursuit of a college education by providing support through co-curricular activities as well as formal and informal mentoring.

Academics

The academic program of Philander Smith College offers majors in the following areas:

• Business & Economics
• Education
• Arts and Humanities
• Natural and Physical Sciences
• Social Sciences

Facilities

• Library internet access is intended primarily for activities related to accessing information for academic reference and research.
• The purpose of the Office of Institutional Research is to gather and make available all pertinent information and related statistics about the college.
• The International Student Organization is comprised of 25 students representing several African countries as well as the Bahamas.
• With an aggressive recruiting campaign in the Bahamas and as a member of the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program, 36 students on F1 visas from foreign countries are studying with us during the 11/12 academic year.
• Enrolled are 26 students from the Bahamas , seven from Rwanda and one student from China.
• In addition we have students, faculty and staff from China, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Namibia, Sierra Leone, and Spain, Jamaica, Nigeria, Cameroon, Trinidad-Tobago, Palestine and South Korea.

Alumni

The Division of Institutional Advancement serves as the focal point for alumni and donor activities that support the College. Please help us to meet the higher education needs of our students, as well as to position Philander Smith College among the nation’s finest historically black colleges. With your support, the university will continue its pursuit of excellence and be ready for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Source: Philander Smith College