University of South Carolina Beaufort
The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB or USC-Beaufort) is a public university with three campuses located in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. It is part of the University of South Carolina System and enrolls about 1,900 students. The main campus is in Bluffton, South Carolina. The campus offers over 20 programs of study. The institution's campus in Beaufort, South Carolina houses the school's honor programs and the Department of Visual Arts & Design. The campus in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is home to the school's program for hospitality management . History. In 1795, a preparatory school and college in Beaufort was chartered as the Beaufort College to serve the families of local residents. Classes began in 1802, and the college reached a prominent status in the community during the antebellum period. The college was forced to close in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War and the Beaufort College building, constructed in 1852, was occupied by the Union forces for use as a hospital. The college building was used by the Freedmen's Bureau during Reconstruction, and it was an elementary school from 1909 to 1959. In the 1950s , two factors brought about the return of higher education to the Beaufort region. The University of South Carolina sought to expand its reach throughout the state by the establishment of extension campuses and the Beaufort County Higher Education Commission was formed by citizens of Beaufort to bring a campus to the area. A branch campus of the University of South Carolina was established in 1959 at the site of the old Beaufort College, but the official opening was delayed by Hurricane Gracie. The campus experienced steady growth through the years, and it expanded south along Carteret Street. In 2002, the  campus was upgraded from a regional campus to a senior campus offering bachelor's degrees. USCB opened a second, campus with housing in Bluffton. In 2004, it also began offering programs for the United States Marine Corps on Parris Island, South Carolina. In 2018, the institution opened its third campus, located on Hilton Head Island, to house the program for hospitality management. Academics. USCB is one of the three senior campuses in the University of South Carolina system and is a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredited four-year university. It offers the bachelor's degree in human services  online through Palmetto College. USCB offers the region's only human services degree as well as more traditional degrees like English, psychology, business, and education. The school opened a nursing facility in Spring 2009. Human simulators provide nursing students hands-on training opportunities. Another popular program capitalizing on nearby Hilton Head Island resorts is the hospitality management program, which draws international students and provides internships. The biology program allows students to explore and study first-hand the continental-shelf and estuarine environment with a concentration in coastal ecology and conservation. Student life. The university has 1,875 undergraduate students. The gender  makeup of the student body is 66 percent female and 33 percent male. The racial makeup of the student body is 72 percent white, 10 percent African-American, and 18 percent other. Student organizations. USCB offers numerous student organizations, including several special interest clubs, religious groups, honor societies, and academic clubs. The campuses largest organization Student Government Association, consisting of twelve student senators, a vice president, President, and an executive board. Greek life. USCB recognizes five chapters of national fraternities and sororities. The sole fraternity on campus is Kappa Alpha Psi. Sororities include Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Phi  Mu, and Zeta Tau Alpha. Fraternities and sororities are housed within the residential dorms. Athletics. USCB athletic teams are known as the Sand Sharks. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sun Conference, formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC), since the 2007–08 academic year. Men's sports include baseball, cross country, golf and track & field; while women's sports include cross country, golf, soccer, softball and track & field. Both the Sand Shark baseball and softball teams practice and play home games at the City of Hardeeville's Recreation  Complex (The Richard Gray Baseball Complex). On April 14, 2021, the university's athletic department announced its intent to pursue an Division II membership within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and join the Peach Belt Conference in that division starting in the fall of 2022. Men's and women's basketball will be added to the scholarship sports as a condition of its NCAA and Peach Belt memberships, and intended for the teams in that sport to start their first season in 2023–24. Housing. Palmetto Village. Palmetto Village is located on USCB's Bluffton campus. The school offers apartment  style housing, with each dorm consisting of four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen and dining area. There are ten dorms on campus, including five freshmen dorms. Students living in Palmetto Village are within walking distance from all campus buildings.