Salem College
Encyclopedia
- See also Salem State CollegeSalem State CollegeSalem State University is a four-year public institution of higher learning located in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem State University, established in 1854 as Salem Normal School, is located approximately fifteen miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. Salem State enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and...
in Massachusetts.
Salem College is a liberal arts
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
women's college
Women's Colleges in the Southern United States
Women's colleges in the Southern United States refers to undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations consist exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Salem College is the oldest female educational institution in the South and...
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
founded in 1772. Originally established as a primary school, it later became an academy (high school) and finally a college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college (coeducational Moravian College
Moravian College
Moravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:...
, originally Bethlehem Female Seminary, was founded in 1742). It is the oldest female institution in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
Though Salem is officially classified as a women's college
Women's colleges in the United States
Women's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
, men 23 years of age and over are admitted into the Continuing Education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
program (through the Martha H. Fleer Center for Adult Education) and into graduate-degree programs.
In 2009, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
rated it 67th of America's Best Colleges
Forbes Magazine's List of America's Best Colleges
In 2009 Forbes Magazine, along with The Center for College Affordability and Productivity, compiled a list of America's Best Colleges based on "the quality of the education they provide, the experience of the students and how much they achieve".- 2009 List :...
.
Overview
Salem College is an independent college committed to the liberal arts and quality professional preparation. Salem strives to set its signature upon its students by encouraging them to recognize and strengthen their human faculties and their capacities for service, professional life and leadership. In light of the evidence that such powers flourish when women live and learn within a community dedicated to their education, Salem affirms its commitment to young women in a residential setting.History and campus
Located in the historic Moravian community of Old SalemOld Salem
Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It features a living history museum that interprets the restored Moravian community. The non-profit organization began its work in 1950, although some private residents had restored buildings earlier...
, Salem College was originally a girls' school established by the Moravians, who believed strongly in equal education for men and women. The idea for the school began in 1766, when (at the age of 17) Sister Elisabeth Oesterlein walked from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
to Salem. On April 22, 1772, the Little Girls' School http://www.fmoran.com/sett4.html was founded. Her influence led the school to be among the first to accept non-white students. It became a boarding school in 1802 and in 1866 it changed its name to the Salem Female Academy. The school began giving college diplomas in 1890. In 1907 the name was officially changed to Salem Academy and College and to this day both Salem Academy
Salem Academy
Salem Academy is a boarding and day school for high school girls in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is formally known as Salem Academy and College where it shares its campus with Salem College, located near historic Old Salem...
and Salem College share the campus in Old Salem
Old Salem
Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It features a living history museum that interprets the restored Moravian community. The non-profit organization began its work in 1950, although some private residents had restored buildings earlier...
. http://www.salem.edu/about/history.php http://salemacademy.com/Academy/about/history.php
During the summer, the Salem campus has, since 1963, housed one campus of the Governor's School of North Carolina
Governor's School of North Carolina
The Governor's School of North Carolina is a publicly funded six-week residential summer program for gifted high school students in the state of North Carolina....
, a state-run summer program for gifted high school students.
The oldest building on Salem's campus is the Single Sisters' House. Originally constructed in 1785, an addition was added in 1819. The Single Sisters' House is the oldest building in the United States dedicated to the education of women. Renovation on the Single Sisters' House began in October 2005, and was 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 its original 1785 datestone. Several interesting features were found in the renovation process, including graffiti that was covered by plaster. The building is featured in the children's book "Sister Maus," written and illustrated by Salem College Professor John Hutton. The story portrays a mouse as a stowaway on the trip from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to living in the Single Sisters' House. The story was inspired by a mouse hole found in a baseboard of the foyer.
Salem has eight residence halls on campus. Two, Mary Reynolds Babcock and Dale H. Gramley, are designated for first-year students. The additional residence halls are named South, Alice Wolle Clewell (suite style), Bahnson House, Hattie Strong and Louisa Wilson Bitting. Each hall is named after someone who was important to the Salem community. The Fogle Flats are townhouses available to seniors.
Student life
Salem College enrolls (as of 2007) approximately 1,100 students; this includes undergraduate students, graduate students in the field of EducationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
as well as adult Continuing Education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
students who live off-campus. An estimated 450 students are "traditional" (under age 23) undergraduates who live on campus. All "traditional" undergraduates live on Salem's campus or with their immediate family. Though the majority hail from North Carolina and the surrounding states, many come from as far away as Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The international student population is also large, with students from Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
predominating. The diversity of Salem's student population creates classes that are a rich mixture of traditional-aged college students and adult students, enhancing the learning environment.
Salem College shares its campus with Salem Academy
Salem Academy
Salem Academy is a boarding and day school for high school girls in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is formally known as Salem Academy and College where it shares its campus with Salem College, located near historic Old Salem...
, a residential high school for young women. They formerly shared buildings, but the Academy was given its own buildings in the early 1900s.
Salem students participate in many unique traditional events including Fall Fest, the Sophomore/Senior banquet and Founders' Day Convocation. Students are required to attend one formal Student Government Association meeting per month and several formal convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
s per year.
Students are able to participate in over 50 clubs on campus, ranging from religious to political to environmental to social. Salem gives women the opportunity to get involved in as many organizations
as they'd like while encouraging them to obtain leadership positions within those groups.
Academics
Salem College offers the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Music (B.M.), Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.), Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), and Master of Education (M.Ed.).Undergraduate majors: Currently, accounting, art, art history, arts management, biology, business administration, chemistry, clinical laboratory science, communication, creative writing, criminal studies, economics, English, environmental studies, exercise science, French, history, interior design, international business, integrative studies (student-designed major), international relations, mathematics, music, not-for-profit management, philosophy, psychology, race & ethnicity studies, religion, sociology, Spanish, teacher education, and women's studies are all offered as majors.
Education licensure programs or concentrations are available for art, biology, chemistry, economics, English, French, history, international relations, mathematics, music, psychology, sociology, and Spanish majors.
Minors are offered in accounting, art (studio), art history, arts management, biology, business administration, chemistry, coaching, communication, creative writing, dance, economics, English, French, history, marketing, math, music, musical theater, not-for-profit management, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, Spanish, and women’s studies.
A College Honors Program is offered. Programs in Pre-Law, Pre-Med, Pre-Pharm, and Pre-Vet exist within existing majors, not as majors unto themselves.
Traditional-age students are required to complete an internship and community service as part of the Salem Signature general education program.
Salem's January Term provides students with an opportunity to concentrate on one subject area of particular interest. During this month students may enroll in courses on campus, travel programs, independent studies, or internships. Salem College students have completed internships in a wide variety of areas -- retailing, marketing, public relations, journalism, teaching -- for many businesses, law firms, congressional offices, banks, schools, museums and hospitals all over the world.
Salem College has a cross-registration relationship with Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, in which Salem undergraduates may take classes at Wake Forest's Reynolda Campus when a given course is not offered at Salem. (Similarly, Wake Forest undergraduates may enroll in Salem College courses when such a class is not available to them at Wake Forest.) Several Salem students are also members of Wake Forest's marching band.
Salem offers several graduate degrees in education, plus add-on teaching licensures. M.A.T. programs are available in elementary education, special education, middle/secondary content areas, foreign language (French or Spanish), art, and music. M.Ed. programs are available in elementary education, special education, and language and literacy. A graduate program in school counseling (M.Ed.) is to be offered, pending SACS
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
approval.
Salem also offers four undergraduate-level certificate programs: accounting, historic preservation, injury-preventive keyboard technique (for pianists and organists), and not-for-profit management.
Salem College is home to the Salem College Center for Women Writers
Salem College Center for Women Writers
The Salem College Center for Women Writers is a program based at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that awards annual prizes in literature. The center itself was founded in 1986, but did not begin granting cash awards until 2002...
. The center sponsors workshops and lectures, and hosts a prestigious annual writing contest.
Athletics
Salem is a member of NCAA Division III and the Great South Athletic ConferenceGreat South Athletic Conference
The Great South Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division III. Member institutions are located in the southeastern United States in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.-Current members:The league currently has 9 full...
. Currently, basketball, cross-country, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball exist on campus as NCAA varsity sports. Equestrian, Field Hockey, and softball are club sports. Salem's basketball team won the regional championship in February 2007. The soccer team won the regional championship in 2008, and has compiled a 49-18-3 record over the last four years.
Alumnae
Among its alumnae is Sarah Childress PolkSarah Childress Polk
Sarah Childress Polk was the wife of the 11th President of the United States, James Polk, and the 12th woman to serve as First Lady. Sarah was born in 1803 to Joel Childress, a prominent planter, merchant, and land speculator, and Elizabeth Whitsitt Childress—the third of their six children...
, wife of U.S. President James Knox Polk. 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
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
.
Recent Salem alums include actress Celia Weston
Celia Weston
Celia Weston is an American actress of stage, film and television, and a character actress. Professionally, she may be best known for her role as Jolene Hunnicutt on Alice.-Life and career:...
and Sarah Covington Fulcher, who currently holds at least two world records: the first woman and only the third person to complete a 2700-mile run across Australia, following up with the world's longest continuous solo run by any person.
See also
- Colonial CollegesColonial collegesThe Colonial Colleges are nine institutions of higher education chartered in the American Colonies before the United States of America became a sovereign nation after the American Revolution. These nine have long been considered together, notably in the survey of their origins in the 1907 The...
- Salem AcademySalem AcademySalem Academy is a boarding and day school for high school girls in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is formally known as Salem Academy and College where it shares its campus with Salem College, located near historic Old Salem...
- Adelaide FriesAdelaide FriesAdelaide Lisetta Fries was the foremost scholar of the history and genealogy of the Moravians in the southern United States...
- author of the 1902 Historical Sketch of Salem Female Academy. - Women's Colleges in the Southern United StatesWomen's Colleges in the Southern United StatesWomen's colleges in the Southern United States refers to undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations consist exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Salem College is the oldest female educational institution in the South and...