University of South Carolina Aiken
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 1961 |
| Chancellor | Sandra Jordan |
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Academic staff
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251 |
| Students | 3,280 |
| Undergraduates | 3,223 |
| Postgraduates | 157 |
| Location |
Aiken, South Carolina, U.S. 33°34′23.91″N 81°46′06.34″W / 33.5733083°N 81.7684278°WCoordinates: 33°34′23.91″N 81°46′06.34″W / 33.5733083°N 81.7684278°W |
| Campus | Urban, 453 acres (183 ha) |
| Colors | Cardinal, Navy blue |
| Athletics | NCAA Division II Peach Belt Conference |
| Nickname | Pacers |
| Mascot | Ace the Pacer |
| Website | www |
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The University of South Carolina Aiken (also referred to as USC Aiken, USCA, or South Carolina Aiken) is a four-year, public coeducational university in Aiken, South Carolina. The school offers undergraduate degree programs as well as master's degrees in elementary education, educational technology and applied clinical psychology. 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 include the bachelor of science in business administration online through Palmetto College.
Founded in 1961 in a historic mansion in downtown Aiken, USC Aiken moved to its present site in 1972. Under authority granted by the South Carolina General Assembly, the Aiken County Commission for Higher Education entered into an agreement with the University of South Carolina in 1961 to establish a two-year, off-campus center of the University in Aiken County. A small cadre of faculty and staff was assigned the mission of establishing a college community with acceptable operations and standards.
The campus opened its doors in September 1961 with 139 students, three full-time faculty members, and a secretary. Mr. Chris Sharpe served as the first Director of the University of South Carolina Aiken Center, which was housed in Banksia, a renovated mansion in the City of Aiken. In 1962, Mr. Bill Casper was appointed Director of the Center. Initially, the Center offered only freshman and sophomore-level courses. In 1968, the Center underwent an institutional self-study and was accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees as a branch of the University of South Carolina and as a junior college. The first associate degrees were awarded in June 1968.
In 1968, the South Carolina General Assembly authorized a bond issue to purchase a new site for the campus. After an extensive search, the Aiken County Commission for Higher Education purchased property from the Graniteville Company in 1970 for a new campus location. The campus moved from Banksia to the present site in 1972, occupying 144 acres (58 ha). All educational and student life programs were initially housed in one large, multi-purpose administration/classroom building, renamed the Robert E. Penland Administration and Classroom Building in 1999. The building features an open courtyard with a sculpture by artist Charles O. Perry. The sculpture, "Double Knot," was designed as a symbol of the University's close ties with the local community.
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