Catawba College Catawba College is a private , coeducational liberal arts college in Salisbury , North Carolina , USA . Founded in 1851 by the North Carolina Classis of the Reformed Church in Newton , the college adopted its name from its county of origin , Catawba County , before moving to its current home of Salisbury in 1925 . Today , Catawba College still holds loose ties with the successor to the Reformed Church , the United Church of Christ , and offers more than thirty undergraduate degrees . In 2009 , Catawba College was listed as 17th in the U . S . News and World Report in the category " Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the South . " Catawba College has been consistently named as one of the " 361 Best Colleges " by the Princeton Review , and the school ' s theatre program is consistently rated as one of the top 10 in the nation , and in 2011 alone , winning 8 awards from the Metrolina Theatre Association for their production of Bright Lights , Big City . In 2008 and 2009 , " In Tune Monthly " named Catawba College one of the best music schools in the country . History . Catawba College was founded by the North Carolina Classis of the Reformed Church in the United States in 1851 . The years following the opening of the college were years of growing prosperity for the school , but the Civil War changed this as funds and students became less available . During the war years , the College became an academy , operating as Catawba High School from 1865 until 1885 , whereupon it resumed operations under its original charter as Catawba College . After the Civil War ended , Catawba continued to make changes to itself , including becoming coeducational in 1890 . Even with the addition of women to the student body , the College struggled to overcome the depletion brought on by the war . Responding to the offer of a partially constructed dormitory - administration building and several acres of land in Salisbury , trustee , college , and church officials closed the campus in Newton in 1923 and re - opened in Salisbury in 1925 . The college is now affiliated with the United Church of Christ , the successor to the Evangelical and Reformed Church , itself the successor to the Reformed Church in the United States . Academics . Through its residential day program , Catawba College offers the B . A . , B . S . , and B . F . A . degrees in over 30 undergraduate majors , with 22 concentrations available , in a variety of disciplines , including athletic training , biology , business administration , chemistry , communication , education , English , environmental science , French , history , mathematics , medical technology , music , musical theatre , physical education , political science and pre - law , pre - med , pre - ministerial , pre - pharmacy , psychology , recreation , religion , philosophy , sociology , Spanish , sports management , sustainable business and community development , and theatre arts . A variety of minors are also available . Students may also be invited to participate in the College ' s Honors Program . Other programs include the Lilly Center for Vocation and Values , Leadership Catawba , the Center for the Environment , the Center for Career and Service Learning , and Summer School . For working adults , Catawba ' s School of Evening and Graduate Studies offers the Bachelor of Business Administration ( B . B . A . ) , with concentrations in Business Management , Information Systems , and Administration of Justice . In conjunction with the Department of Teacher Education , the Bachelor of Arts in Education ( B . A . E . ) degree may be earned with a major in Birth – Kindergarten Education ; at the graduate level , the Master of Education degree in elementary education is also offered . Shirley Peeler Richie Academy for Teaching . As part of an ongoing emphasis on teacher education , Catawba announced the creation of the West Scholars Program in 2006 . The highly competitive program offers a substantial scholarship , up to $ 15 , 000 for North Carolina residents , in addition to " leadership seminars , community , service , scholarly researched presentations " and various other benefits . In addition to the West Scholars , Catawba added the distinction of being one of only 18 institutions in North Carolina to offer a N . C . Teaching Fellows program for the 2009 – 2010 academic year . Promoting education in North Carolina , the program offers a full tuition award to the participants . Center for the Environment . The Center for the Environment was established in 1996 to educate students , faculty , staff and the public about environmental stewardship and sustainability . A catalyst for advancing sustainable solutions , it has assumed a leadership role in the region , serving as a model and lending its expertise on issues ranging from air and water quality to land preservation and sustainable development . Since its inception , it has provided opportunities for students to work with community members in addressing issues of sustainability . The sustainable building that houses the Center , which opened in 2001 , was hailed by the top state environmental official as “ the wave of the future in resource and energy efficiency . ” Everything about the building – from site design to the environmentally friendly building materials and green furnishings , from energy and water conservation issues to recycling and waste management – is grounded in principles of sustainability . It is a three - dimensional incarnation of the Center ’ s curriculum – an excellent teaching tool as well as an environmentally sound project . Adjacent to the Center is the college ’ s 187 - acre ecological preserve which , along with its 300 - acre wildlife refuge , gives Catawba students ample opportunities for analyzing ecosystems and learning about conservation management . Athletics . Catawba ' s athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference as the Catawba College Indians ; named after the Catawba Indian tribe that was native to the original location of the school . Catawba features 18 NCAA Division II sports teams . The men ' s teams are Baseball , Basketball , Cross Country , Football , Golf , Lacrosse , Soccer , Tennis , and Swimming . The women ' s teams are Basketball , Cross Country , Golf , Lacrosse , Soccer , Softball , Swimming , Tennis , and Volleyball . The Catawba College football team holds the distinction of winning not only the inaugural , but 2nd annual Tangerine Bowl , now known as the Capital One Bowl , without allowing the opposing teams to score a single point . On Jan . 1 , 1947 , they defeated Maryville College 31 – 0 and on Jan . 1 , 1948 they defeated Marshall University 7 – 0 . Indians nickname . In 2005 , the NCAA cited Catawba College as a school with a " hostile " and / or " abusive " nickname . While the NCAA cannot force a school to change a nickname , it promised to deny post - season hosting privileges to schools in violation . In response to the designation , Catawba College officials filled a formal appeal to continue use of the Catawba Indian mascot . Citing the approval of the remaining members of the Catawba Indian tribe , the NCAA granted the appeal on the condition the college use the tribe specific nickname of the Catawba Indians when referring to the nickname as opposed to simply the " Indians . "