Southern Adventist University

35°02′53″N 85°03′04″W / 35.04813°N 85.05100°W / 35.04813; -85.05100

Southern Adventist University
Southern Adventist University
Former names
  • Graysville Academy (1892–1897)
  • Southern Industrial School (1897–1901)
  • Southern Training School (1901–1916)
  • Southern Junior College (1916–1944)
  • Southern Missionary College (1944–1982)
  • Southern College (1982–1996)
MottoPower for Mind and Soul
TypePrivate university
Established1892; 132 years ago (1892)
Religious affiliation
Seventh-day Adventist
Endowment$49.0 million (2020)[1]
PresidentKen Shaw
Academic staff
254
Administrative staff
324[2]
Students2,903[3][4]
Location, ,
United States
CampusRural, 1,000 acres (4.0 km2).[5]
AffiliationsNAICU[6]
CIC
Websitewww.southern.edu

Southern Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Collegedale, Tennessee. It is owned and operated by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It was founded in 1892 in Graysville, Tennessee, as Graysville Academy and was the first Adventist school in the southern U.S. Due to the need for additional space for expansion the school relocated in 1916 and was renamed Southern Junior College. In 1944, Southern began awarding baccalaureate degrees and was renamed Southern Missionary College. In 1996 the institution started conferring master's degrees and adopted its current name.

Southern offers associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees.[5] The university and its programs are accredited by multiple organizations including the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Its Institute of Archaeology offers an undergraduate degree in biblical archaeology; Southern is one of only two schools which offer the degree. It is known for its emphasis on Adventist beliefs and conservative religious and social practices,[7] and is considered the most conservative of the Seventh-day Adventist schools in North America.[8] The college operates a radio station (WSMC-FM), a health food store and a wellness center. Enrollment was 3,053 students in 2010, its highest level to date.[9]

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  2. ^ Jones, Kathleen; Proctor, Carole, Compilers (2009). "Section I, Educational Institutions and Primary Schools" (PDF). The Seventh-day Adventist 147th Annual Statistical Report—2009. Silver Spring, Maryland: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: 40. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2011-11-10.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Baerg, Angela (Spring 2011). "Small Groups on a Growing Campus" (PDF). Columns. 63 (1). Collegedale, TN: Southern Adventist University Marketing and University Relations: 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
  4. ^ Records & Advisement Office (Winter 2015), Undergraduate and Graduate Statistics for Board Meeting (PDF), Southern Adventist University, archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-08, retrieved 2015-11-27
  5. ^ a b "US News Best Colleges 2011", ranked no. 31, Southern Adventist University Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2011-05-31.
  6. ^ NAICU – Member Directory Archived November 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Downing, Lawrence (2 July 2008). "Confronting the Challenges in Adventist Education". Spectrum Blog. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2011-04-19.
  8. ^ Hughes, Tom. "ISSUES: Creative Arts Ministries and the Spirit of Prophecy". Children's ministry website. North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  9. ^ Jarod, Keith, ed. (October 2010). "Enrollment Surpasses 3000" (PDF). Southern Factor (Employee Newsletter). Collegedale, TN: Southern Adventist University: 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-11-10.