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{{Short description|Private college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, US}}
{{Infobox University
{{Infobox university
|name = Spartanburg Methodist College
| name = Spartanburg Methodist College
[[File:Smc_shield_logo_online.jpg‎]]
| image = File:This is the logo for Spartanburg Methodist College.svg
|established = 1911
| image_upright = 0.7
|type = [[Private school|Private]]
| established = {{start date and age|1911}}
|endowment = $13.9 million<ref>As of June 30, 2009. {{Cite web | title = U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009|work = 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments | publisher =National Association of College and University Business Officers | url=http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf|format= PDF | accessdate = February 5, 2010}}</ref>
| type = [[Private college]]
|president = Colleen Perry Keith
| accreditation = [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges|SACS]]
|city = [[Spartanburg, South Carolina|Spartanburg]]
| endowment = $24.8 million (2022)<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY21 to FY22 |url=https://www.nacubo.org/-/media/Nacubo/Documents/research/2022-NTSE-Public-Tables--Endowment-Market-Values--FINAL.ashx?la=en&hash=362DC3F9BDEB1DF0C22B05D544AD24D1C44E318D|accessdate=October 3, 2023 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers |date=2023}}</ref>
|state = [[South Carolina]]
| religious_affiliation = [[United Methodist Church]]
|country = United States
| president = William Scott Cochran
|full-time enrollment = 797
| city = [[Saxon, South Carolina|Saxon]] ([[Spartanburg, South Carolina|Spartanburg]] address)
|faculty = 49
| state = [[South Carolina]]
|campus = metropolitan, {{convert|110|acre|ha|0|sing=on}} campus
| country = United States
|nickname = Pioneers
| students = 1,025
|mascot = Chuck
| coor = {{coord|34|57|13|N|81|58|16|W|region:US_type:edu|display=inline}}
|website = [http://www.smcsc.edu/ www.smcsc.edu]
| faculty = 89
[http://www.gosmcpioneers.com/ www.gosmcpioneers.com]
| campus = metropolitan, {{convert|110|acre|ha|0|adj=on}} campus
| nickname = Pioneers
| founder = David English Camak
| mascot = Chuck
|athletics_affiliations = [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] – [[Continental Athletic Conference]]
| colors = {{nowrap|{{color box|#074A8C}}&nbsp;{{color box|#FFFFFF}} Blue & white}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.smcsc.edu}}
| former_names = Textile Industrial Institute <br />(1911–1942)<br /> Spartanburg Junior College <br /> (1942–1974)
| motto = Deus Providet ([[Latin]])
| mottoeng = "God provides"
| logo = Smcsc.png
| logo_upright = 1.1
}}
}}


'''Spartanburg Methodist College''' is a private, two-year institution of higher learning, or [[junior college]], located in [[Spartanburg, South Carolina]]. It is the only independent, regionally-accredited, residential two-year college in South Carolina.
'''Spartanburg Methodist College''' ('''SMC''') is a [[Private college|private]] [[United Methodist Church|Methodist]] college in [[Saxon, South Carolina]]. The college is affiliated with the [[United Methodist Church]] and has approximately 1,000 students (2022-2023 academic year).

As a junior college, SMC gives students the opportunity to focus on their freshman and sophomore years of college in order to prepare to transfer to a four-year [[college]] or [[university]]. SMC offers a liberal arts curriculum designed to help prepare students for this transition.


== History ==
== History ==
Spartanburg Methodist College history dates back to its founding in 1911 as the Textile Industrial Institute (TII) by David English Camak. Camak was inspired by the challenges faced by southern cotton textile workers. With the support of Walter S. Montgomery, president of Spartan Mill, Camak established an elementary and secondary school in a vacant house near Duncan Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church. The school grew steadily, eventually becoming a mission of the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.<ref name=":0" />
Spartanburg Methodist College was founded as Textile Industrial Institute in 1911 by Dr. David English Camak, a visionary Methodist minister. At its founding as a work-study cooperative, TII served young adults working in area textile mills by offering high school level courses in preparation for advanced education or employment. In this first cooperative education program in the country, students worked a week and then took classes for a week. This arrangement enabled the school to provide resources for education and for life.


=== Founding and early years (1911–1919) ===
In 1927, the first two years of college-level work were added to the curriculum to provide graduates with an associate degree in liberal arts for transfer to senior level colleges. The continued close relationship between TII and local business and industry led to the development of associate degrees that prepared students for immediate employment.
In 1913, the college acquired its present campus and began construction of Charles P. Hammond Hall. Hammond Hall played a significant role in accommodating students and fostering a sense of community on campus, and it still serves as a residence hall.


Even though the work and study schedules helped students to attend Textile Industrial Institute, the school needed additional income to operate and help realize Dr. Camak's dream. To obtain Camak’s dream into the real world, The TII Board of Trustees must recruit members from the South Carolina Methodist conferences, allow the land to be on sale, and pay off the debts to create new funds for the project. Camak's dream became a reality in 1919 with the opening of the Model Mill, providing TII the opportunity to combine education and work as Camak had envisioned. The Model Mill made pretty weaves, dyed and bleached materials, improved the threads to make them stronger, and perfected the art of depth in precise dying. The success of the Model Mill was short-lived. In 1921, the mill employed only TII students, but issues with financing led the Model Mill to close in 1922. Students once again returned to off-campus jobs to support them while enrolled at TII.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Cann |first=Kathy |title=Common Ties: a History of Textile Industrial Institute, Spartanburg Junior College, and Spartanburg Methodist College |publisher=Hub City Writers Project |year=2007}}</ref> [[File:Spartanburg - Hammond Hall 01.jpg|thumb|245x245px|Hammond Hall, the first building on the campus, was constructed by students in 1913.|left]]
In 1940, the high school classes were dropped from the TII curriculum. In 1942, Textile Industrial Institute became Spartanburg Junior College and for the next twenty-five years focused its efforts on providing associate degrees designed for transfer into a wide variety of bachelor degree programs. Beginning in 1965, the College began a cycle of growth during which over three-fourths of the present campus buildings were erected or renovated, the curriculum was broadened and strengthened, student enrollment doubled and new expertise was added through faculty growth and development.


=== Expansion and challenges (1920–1940) ===
In 1974, Spartanburg Junior College became Spartanburg Methodist College.


By 1927, TII expanded its offerings to include the first two years of college-level education, providing students with various pathways for their future.<ref name=":0" /> After initially providing high school-level courses for young adults working in the area's textile mills, TII expanded its curriculum in 1927 to offer two years of college-level work, granting associate degrees in liberal arts. That allowed graduates to transfer to senior-level colleges or enter the workforce with valuable skills.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Spartanburg Methodist College |url=https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/spartanburg-methodist-college/ |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=South Carolina Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref>
Since its founding, the College has been affiliated with the mission work of the United Methodist Church and its forebear, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The relationship between the College and the church has continued across the years through
the General Board of Global Ministries and the Board of Global Ministries of the South Carolina Annual Conference. The College’s name attests to the pride the institution’s trustees, faculty, staff, and student body take in working and studying at a college based on the traditional values of the church and the United States of America.


The college continued expanding as students' work and study schedules coordinated with their jobs, and more students got an education. The industrial mill jobs on campus created declines in health from working in rash conditions. Many students worked on the campus in the kitchen, laundry, or farm; others worked in town. With the increased enrollment, the trustees soon realized that extra housing would be needed. Eliza Attleton Judd, wife of a local bank president, was interested in helping women access education and offered a solution to the school's housing problem by donating money to create a building for girls on campus. The trustees believed that completing Hammond Hall was a more urgent priority than building a dormitory for girls. Mrs. Judd continued to support TII with a gift of timberland. In 1928, a decade after her death, the Textile Industrial Institute built Judd Hall, a women's dormitory, in her honor.<ref name=":1" />
Today, Spartanburg Methodist College serves a highly diverse student body from several states of the United States as well as from several different nations of the world. The College seeks to meet the educational needs of its student body by enabling
each student to meet the challenges of a technologically based future. Spartanburg Methodist College offers a variety of educational programs to meet the needs of the traditional college student and of the non-traditional working adult.


In 1940, TII discontinued its high school classes, and in 1942, the institution changed its name to Spartanburg Junior College. In 1974, it changed its name to Spartanburg Methodist College.<ref name=":0" />
The college is led by a Board of Trustees comprising 24 members, with six clergy members and 18 laity. Terms are staggered on a three-year basis. Colleen Perry Keith has served as the College's seventh president since July 1, 2009.


=== Transitioning to a four-year institution ===
== Accreditation ==


For decades, Spartanburg Methodist College served as a two-year junior college.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herald |first=Journal |date=1991-10-18 |title=SMC Trustees won't seek four-year status |url=https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/1991/10/18/smc-trustees-won39t-seek-four-year-status/29539710007/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=Spartanburg Herald Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2019, Spartanburg Methodist College further expanded its academic offerings by introducing bachelor's degree programs. Today, the college is a four-year institution.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ware |first=Lisa |date=2019-02-20 |title=SMC receives federal approval to offer first four-year degree this fall |url=https://www.smcsc.edu/smc-receives-federal-approval-to-offer-first-four-year-degree-this-fall/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Spartanburg Methodist College |language=en-US}}</ref>
Spartanburg Methodist College is affiliated with the [[United Methodist Church]] and with the [[South Carolina Annual Conference]]. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church.
=== Presidents ===
{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1.4em; font-size: 90%; line-height: 1.8em; id:Presidents_of_Spartanburg_Methodist_College"
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background:#6f9cde" | <span style="color:white;">'''College presidents'''</span>
|-
|width="55%"|'''President'''
|width="45%"|'''Years Served'''
|-
| colspan="2" |
----
|-
| David English Camak || 1911-1923
|-
| Rembert B. Burgess || 1923-1962
|-
| Lester Kingman || 1963-1970
|-
| James S. Barrett || 1970-1976
|-
| George D. Fields, Jr. || 1976-1997
|-
| Charles Porter Teague || 1997-2009
|-
| Colleen Perry Keith || 2009-2015
|-
| William Scott Cochran || 2015-present
|}


[[File:Keith Fountain.jpg|thumb|Keith Fountain, named for President Colleen Perry Keith, SMC's seventh President; the fountain was built in 2016. <ref>https://myatlascms.com/map/accessible.php?id=781&cId=20043&mId=186087</ref>]]
== Student Body Makeup ==
''* Fall 2009 data provided by Spartanburg Methodist College''


The university's current president, Scott Cochran, assumed office on November 16, 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Inauguration of W. Scott Cochran |url=https://www.smcsc.edu/article/inauguration-w-scott-cochran/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Spartanburg Methodist College |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Staff |title=SMC President Scott Cochran elected to NAICU board of directors |url=https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/education/2018/03/16/smc-president-scott-cochran-elected-to-naicu-board-of-directors/12975344007/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=Spartanburg Herald Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> The president is appointed by the university's board of trustees, which has 24 members, five clergy and 19 laity, whose terms are staggered on a three-year basis.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-18 |title=Spartanburg Methodist College names three new trustees to board |url=https://scicu.org/spartanburg-methodist-college-names-three-new-trustees-to-board/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=scicu.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
Enrollment: 808 (775 full time / 33 part time)


== Accreditation and affiliations ==
Percent of Freshman applicants admitted: 70%


Spartanburg Methodist College is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges]] and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. It is affiliated with the [[United Methodist Church]] and the [[South Carolina Annual Conference]].
Male/Female Ratio: 57% / 43%


== Academics ==
Racial composition: Caucasian 67% / African-American 27% / Hispanic 4% / Other minorities 2%


SMC offers six associate degree and five bachelor's degree programs. Bachelor's degrees are available in business administration, psychology, professional writing and digital communications, sports management, or a customizable degree where students can select two concentrations from a pool of six: business, criminal justice, English, history, psychology, and religion.
On-campus residents vs. commuter students: 66% / 34%


{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:center; font-size:85%; margin:auto"
Spartanburg Methodist College serves students from every part of South Carolina. In fall 2009, 42 of the state’s 46 counties are represented in the student body, In addition, students from seven states (other than SC), one US territory, and three foreign countries are enrolled. Sixty-one non‐SC resident students account for six percent of the student body.
|+ ''Fall 2022 Term Demographics''<ref>{{Cite web |title=College Navigator - Spartanburg Methodist College |url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=spartanburg+methodist&s=all&id=218821#enrolmt |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=nces.ed.gov}}</ref>
|-
! !! Percentage
|-
| [[White people|White]] || 45.0
|-
| [[African America]]n || 36.0
|-
| [[Hispanic]] || 12.0
|-
| [[Asian people|Asian]] || 1.0
|-
| Non-resident || 1.0
|-
| [[Multiracial]] or other || 6.0
|}


== Academics ==
== Campus ==
SMC occupies 110 acres near the western edge of the city limits of Spartanburg. The campus has seven residential halls (Willard, Hammond, Kingman, Parsons, Judd, Bridges, and Sparrow) that are co-ed or all-female. Over the past decade, SMC has expanded its campus facilities. In 2012, a new academic building, Ellis Hall, was opened on campus. It houses nine classrooms, a bookstore, and academic offices, including the Vice President for Academic Affairs office, the Write Place, student publications, the President's Hall, and Gibbs Auditorium (which seats 275).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kitzmiller |first=Felicia |title=Spartanburg Methodist celebrates opening of Ellis Hall |url=https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2012/11/07/spartanburg-methodist-celebrates-opening-of-ellis-hall/30010603007/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Spartanburg Herald Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2019, the 4,000-square-foot Moore Family Fitness Center was opened on campus and provides students with access to aerobics machines, free weights, weight machines, and an aerobics classroom.

[[File:Hammond Hall.jpg|thumb|Hammond Hall]]
SMC offers six degree programs: Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Criminal Justice, Associate in Religious Studies, Associate in Fine Arts, and Associate in Business. It also offers a Paralegal Certification Program.


== Athletics ==
== Athletics ==


The college is a Division I member of Region X of the [[National Junior College Athletic Association]]. Region X includes colleges in the Carolinas, West Virginia, and Virginia. SMC offers 14 intercollegiate athletic programs which include Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Softball, Volleyball, and Wrestling. The college's athletic teams have won numerous regional, divisional, and national titles.
The college is a Division I member of Region X of the [[National Junior College Athletic Association]] (NJCAA). Region X includes colleges in the Carolinas, West Virginia, and Virginia. SMC offers 14 intercollegiate athletic programs. Which include Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Softball, Volleyball (indoor and beach), Baseball, and Men's and Women's Track and Field. SMC also offers men's and women's track and field. SMC also offers men's and women's track and field. The college's athletic teams have won numerous regional, divisional, and national titles.


The men's soccer team won the 1994 NJCAA national championship. Several other teams have made appearances in their respective NJCAA(JUCO)Division I national tournaments in recent years — most recently women's golf (three individual Top 50 finishes, 2011), men's tennis (26th place finish, 2010), wrestling (29th place finish, 2010), men's cross country (20th place, 2009), women's cross country (16th place, 2009) and volleyball (16th place finish, 2009).
Notably, SMC's men's soccer team is the only program to win an NJCAA national championship, claiming the title in 1994. In addition to this achievement, several other teams have recently appeared in their respective NJCAA (JUCO) Division I national tournaments. Most recently, women's golf (three individual Top 50 finishes, 2011), men's tennis (26th-place finish, 2010), wrestling (29th-place finish, 2010), men's cross-country (2nd place, 2012), women's cross-country (16th place, 2009), men's and women's half-marathon (3rd place, 2012), and volleyball (16th-place finish), 2009).


On October 2, 2023, it was announced that the Spartanburg Methodist College Pioneers would be joining the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA) as a member of the [[Continental Athletic Conference]] beginning with the 2024-25 athletics year.<ref>{{cite news |title=NAIA Announces Five New Members |url=https://www.naia.org/general/2023-24/releases/NAIA_NewMembersFall_10_2_2023 |publisher=[[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] |date=2 October 2023}}</ref> The Pioneers previously competed in the [[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]] [[Carolinas Junior College Conference|Region 10]] until the 2023–24 school year.
Alumni of the college include major leaguers [[Orlando Hudson]], [[Lee Gronkiewicz]], [[Mookie Wilson]], and [[Reggie Sanders]].

== Notable alumni ==
<gallery class="center" classes="center" mode="nolines" caption="Notable Spartanburg Methodist College alumni include:">
File:Olin D. Johnston, seated portrait.jpg| [[Olin D. Johnston]]⁣ South Carolina Governor and Senator (first graduating class of the college)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olin DeWitt Talmadge Johnston {{!}} 2004 Hall of Fame {{!}} Anderson County Museum |url=https://andersoncountymuseum.sc.gov/olin-dewitt-talmadge-johnston-2004-hall-fame |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=andersoncountymuseum.sc.gov}}</ref>
File:Orlando Hudson by Gage Skidmore.jpg|[[Orlando Hudson]]⁣ professional baseball player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=hudsoor01|title = Orlando Hudson Stats| publisher=Baseball Almanac |access-date= December 21, 2012}}</ref>
File:Lee Haney.jpg| [[Lee Haney]]⁣ professional bodybuilder <ref>{{cite web|title=Lee Haney Pro Bodybuilding Profile|url=https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bodybuilders-haney.htm|website=Bodybuilding.com|date=12 October 2015}}</ref>
File:Heath Hembree 151206-D-VO565-043 (23217563109) (cropped).jpg| [[Heath Hembree]]⁣ professional baseball player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heath Hembree - Baseball |url=https://cofcsports.com/sports/baseball/roster/heath-hembree/2633 |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=College of Charleston Athletics |language=en}}</ref>
File:Mookie Wilson (51010434042).jpg| [[Mookie Wilson]] professional baseball player <ref>{{Cite web |title=Spartanburg Methodist College Baseball Players Who Made it to a Major League Baseball Team {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/spartanburg_methodist_college_baseball_players.shtml |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ware |first=Lisa |date=2014-10-14 |title=NY Mets Hall of Famer Mookie Wilson to headline SMC Founder's Day Program |url=https://www.smcsc.edu/ny-mets-hall-famer-mookie-wilson-headline-smc-founders-day-program/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Spartanburg Methodist College |language=en-US}}</ref>
File:Reggie Sanders by Gage Skidmore.jpg| [[Reggie Sanders]]⁣ professional baseball player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=sandere02|title = Reggie Sanders Stats| publisher=Baseball Almanac |access-date= December 21, 2012}}</ref>
File:Jerry Martin Phillies.jpg| [[Jerry Martin (baseball)|Jerry Martin]]⁣ professional baseball player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jerry Martin - Baseball Stats - The Baseball Cube |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/14816/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=TheBaseballCube.com |language=en}}</ref>
File:CD Pelham (51276357690) (cropped).jpg| [[C. D. Pelham]]⁣ professional baseball player<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shanesy |first=Todd |title=SMC alum Pelham gets the call from Rangers |url=https://www.goupstate.com/story/sports/mlb/2018/09/04/smc-alum-cd-pelham-gets-call-from-rangers/10857729007/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Spartanburg Herald Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>
File:Vernon Taylor.jpg| [[Vernon Taylor (basketball)|Vernon Taylor]]⁣ professional basketball player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Team compleet met komst Vernon Taylor |url=https://www.donar.nl/nieuws/team-compleet-met-komst-vernon-taylor |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Donar |language=nl}}</ref>
File:Harris Stanton.jpg| [[Harris Stanton]]⁣ comedian<ref>{{Cite web |title=Harris Stanton {{!}} Comedians |url=https://thestandnyc.com/comedians/harris-stanton |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=The Stand Restaurant & Comedy Club |language=en}}</ref>
File:Sebastián Velásquez RSL 2012.jpg|[[Sebastián Velásquez]]⁣ professional soccer player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realsaltlake.com/players/sebastian-velasquez|title = Sebastián Velásquez| publisher=Real Salt Lake |access-date= November 16, 2013}}</ref>
File:Zack Godley on February 27, 2016.jpg| [[Zack Godley]]⁣ professional baseball player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Former SMC pitcher baffles Brewers in D-Backs debut |url=https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2015/07/24/former-smc-pitcher-baffles-brewers-in-d-backs-debut/30093426007/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Spartanburg Herald Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>
File:noimage.png| [[Dwight Smith (baseball)|Dwight Smith]]⁣ professional baseball player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=smithdw01|title = Dwight Smith Stats| publisher=Baseball Almanac |access-date= December 21, 2012}}</ref>
</gallery>
{{reflist|group=a}}


== References ==
== References ==
Line 74: Line 142:


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.smcsc.edu Spartanburg Methodist College website]
* [http://www.smcsc.edu/pages/Admissions Spartanburg Methodist College - Admissions Office]
* [https://www.smcsc.edu Official website]
* [https://www.gosmcpioneers.com Official athletics website]
* [http://www.smcsc.edu/pages/Financial_Aid Spartanburg Methodist College - Financial Aid Office]

* [http://www.njcaa.org/schmain.cfm?sid=34&divid=0&gender=m&slid=0&menu=11&schmenu=6&cid=1378 NJCAA Website - Spartanburg Methodist College]
<br/><!--this break is to put visual space between the last information and the following template if needed-->
* [http://www.cityofspartanburg.org City of Spartanburg]
* [http://www.visitspartanburg.com Spartanburg Convention and Visitor's Bureau]


{{Colleges and universities in South Carolina}}
{{Colleges and universities in South Carolina}}
{{NAIA independent schools navbox}}
{{MethodistColleges}}
{{MethodistColleges}}
{{Spartanburg, South Carolina}}

{{College sports in South Carolina|state=collapsed}}

{{authority control}}

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[[Category:Universities and colleges in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Spartanburg Methodist College| ]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in South Carolina]]
[[Category:United Methodist Church]]
[[Category:United Methodist Church]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1911]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1911]]
[[Category:National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities members]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]]
[[Category:NJCAA athletics]]
[[Category:Education in Spartanburg County, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Education in Spartanburg County, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Spartanburg County, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Spartanburg County, South Carolina]]<!--Not in the city limits-->
[[Category:1911 establishments in South Carolina]]

Latest revision as of 16:38, 4 May 2024

Spartanburg Methodist College
Former names
Textile Industrial Institute
(1911–1942)
Spartanburg Junior College
(1942–1974)
MottoDeus Providet (Latin)
Motto in English
"God provides"
TypePrivate college
Established1911; 113 years ago (1911)
FounderDavid English Camak
AccreditationSACS
Religious affiliation
United Methodist Church
Endowment$24.8 million (2022)[1]
PresidentWilliam Scott Cochran
Academic staff
89
Students1,025
Location
Saxon (Spartanburg address)
,
South Carolina
,
United States

34°57′13″N 81°58′16″W / 34.95361°N 81.97111°W / 34.95361; -81.97111
Campusmetropolitan, 110-acre (45 ha) campus
Colors    Blue & white
NicknamePioneers
Sporting affiliations
NAIA – Continental Athletic Conference
MascotChuck
Websitewww.smcsc.edu

Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) is a private Methodist college in Saxon, South Carolina. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and has approximately 1,000 students (2022-2023 academic year).

History[edit]

Spartanburg Methodist College history dates back to its founding in 1911 as the Textile Industrial Institute (TII) by David English Camak. Camak was inspired by the challenges faced by southern cotton textile workers. With the support of Walter S. Montgomery, president of Spartan Mill, Camak established an elementary and secondary school in a vacant house near Duncan Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church. The school grew steadily, eventually becoming a mission of the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.[2]

Founding and early years (1911–1919)[edit]

In 1913, the college acquired its present campus and began construction of Charles P. Hammond Hall. Hammond Hall played a significant role in accommodating students and fostering a sense of community on campus, and it still serves as a residence hall.

Even though the work and study schedules helped students to attend Textile Industrial Institute, the school needed additional income to operate and help realize Dr. Camak's dream. To obtain Camak’s dream into the real world, The TII Board of Trustees must recruit members from the South Carolina Methodist conferences, allow the land to be on sale, and pay off the debts to create new funds for the project. Camak's dream became a reality in 1919 with the opening of the Model Mill, providing TII the opportunity to combine education and work as Camak had envisioned. The Model Mill made pretty weaves, dyed and bleached materials, improved the threads to make them stronger, and perfected the art of depth in precise dying. The success of the Model Mill was short-lived. In 1921, the mill employed only TII students, but issues with financing led the Model Mill to close in 1922. Students once again returned to off-campus jobs to support them while enrolled at TII.[3]

Hammond Hall, the first building on the campus, was constructed by students in 1913.

Expansion and challenges (1920–1940)[edit]

By 1927, TII expanded its offerings to include the first two years of college-level education, providing students with various pathways for their future.[2] After initially providing high school-level courses for young adults working in the area's textile mills, TII expanded its curriculum in 1927 to offer two years of college-level work, granting associate degrees in liberal arts. That allowed graduates to transfer to senior-level colleges or enter the workforce with valuable skills.[2]

The college continued expanding as students' work and study schedules coordinated with their jobs, and more students got an education. The industrial mill jobs on campus created declines in health from working in rash conditions. Many students worked on the campus in the kitchen, laundry, or farm; others worked in town. With the increased enrollment, the trustees soon realized that extra housing would be needed. Eliza Attleton Judd, wife of a local bank president, was interested in helping women access education and offered a solution to the school's housing problem by donating money to create a building for girls on campus. The trustees believed that completing Hammond Hall was a more urgent priority than building a dormitory for girls. Mrs. Judd continued to support TII with a gift of timberland. In 1928, a decade after her death, the Textile Industrial Institute built Judd Hall, a women's dormitory, in her honor.[3]

In 1940, TII discontinued its high school classes, and in 1942, the institution changed its name to Spartanburg Junior College. In 1974, it changed its name to Spartanburg Methodist College.[2]

Transitioning to a four-year institution[edit]

For decades, Spartanburg Methodist College served as a two-year junior college.[4] In 2019, Spartanburg Methodist College further expanded its academic offerings by introducing bachelor's degree programs. Today, the college is a four-year institution.[5]

Presidents[edit]

College presidents
President Years Served
David English Camak 1911-1923
Rembert B. Burgess 1923-1962
Lester Kingman 1963-1970
James S. Barrett 1970-1976
George D. Fields, Jr. 1976-1997
Charles Porter Teague 1997-2009
Colleen Perry Keith 2009-2015
William Scott Cochran 2015-present
Keith Fountain, named for President Colleen Perry Keith, SMC's seventh President; the fountain was built in 2016. [6]

The university's current president, Scott Cochran, assumed office on November 16, 2015.[7][8] The president is appointed by the university's board of trustees, which has 24 members, five clergy and 19 laity, whose terms are staggered on a three-year basis.[9]

Accreditation and affiliations[edit]

Spartanburg Methodist College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the South Carolina Annual Conference.

Academics[edit]

SMC offers six associate degree and five bachelor's degree programs. Bachelor's degrees are available in business administration, psychology, professional writing and digital communications, sports management, or a customizable degree where students can select two concentrations from a pool of six: business, criminal justice, English, history, psychology, and religion.

Fall 2022 Term Demographics[10]
Percentage
White 45.0
African American 36.0
Hispanic 12.0
Asian 1.0
Non-resident 1.0
Multiracial or other 6.0

Campus[edit]

SMC occupies 110 acres near the western edge of the city limits of Spartanburg. The campus has seven residential halls (Willard, Hammond, Kingman, Parsons, Judd, Bridges, and Sparrow) that are co-ed or all-female. Over the past decade, SMC has expanded its campus facilities. In 2012, a new academic building, Ellis Hall, was opened on campus. It houses nine classrooms, a bookstore, and academic offices, including the Vice President for Academic Affairs office, the Write Place, student publications, the President's Hall, and Gibbs Auditorium (which seats 275).[11] In 2019, the 4,000-square-foot Moore Family Fitness Center was opened on campus and provides students with access to aerobics machines, free weights, weight machines, and an aerobics classroom.

Hammond Hall

Athletics[edit]

The college is a Division I member of Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Region X includes colleges in the Carolinas, West Virginia, and Virginia. SMC offers 14 intercollegiate athletic programs. Which include Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Softball, Volleyball (indoor and beach), Baseball, and Men's and Women's Track and Field. SMC also offers men's and women's track and field. SMC also offers men's and women's track and field. The college's athletic teams have won numerous regional, divisional, and national titles.

Notably, SMC's men's soccer team is the only program to win an NJCAA national championship, claiming the title in 1994. In addition to this achievement, several other teams have recently appeared in their respective NJCAA (JUCO) Division I national tournaments. Most recently, women's golf (three individual Top 50 finishes, 2011), men's tennis (26th-place finish, 2010), wrestling (29th-place finish, 2010), men's cross-country (2nd place, 2012), women's cross-country (16th place, 2009), men's and women's half-marathon (3rd place, 2012), and volleyball (16th-place finish), 2009).

On October 2, 2023, it was announced that the Spartanburg Methodist College Pioneers would be joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a member of the Continental Athletic Conference beginning with the 2024-25 athletics year.[12] The Pioneers previously competed in the NJCAA Region 10 until the 2023–24 school year.

Notable alumni[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY21 to FY22". National Association of College and University Business Officers. 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Spartanburg Methodist College". South Carolina Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  3. ^ a b Cann, Kathy (2007). Common Ties: a History of Textile Industrial Institute, Spartanburg Junior College, and Spartanburg Methodist College. Hub City Writers Project.
  4. ^ Herald, Journal (1991-10-18). "SMC Trustees won't seek four-year status". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  5. ^ Ware, Lisa (2019-02-20). "SMC receives federal approval to offer first four-year degree this fall". Spartanburg Methodist College. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  6. ^ https://myatlascms.com/map/accessible.php?id=781&cId=20043&mId=186087
  7. ^ "The Inauguration of W. Scott Cochran". Spartanburg Methodist College. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  8. ^ Writer, Staff. "SMC President Scott Cochran elected to NAICU board of directors". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  9. ^ "Spartanburg Methodist College names three new trustees to board". scicu.org. 2023-08-18. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  10. ^ "College Navigator - Spartanburg Methodist College". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  11. ^ Kitzmiller, Felicia. "Spartanburg Methodist celebrates opening of Ellis Hall". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  12. ^ "NAIA Announces Five New Members". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. 2 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Olin DeWitt Talmadge Johnston | 2004 Hall of Fame | Anderson County Museum". andersoncountymuseum.sc.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  14. ^ "Orlando Hudson Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  15. ^ "Lee Haney Pro Bodybuilding Profile". Bodybuilding.com. 12 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Heath Hembree - Baseball". College of Charleston Athletics. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  17. ^ "Spartanburg Methodist College Baseball Players Who Made it to a Major League Baseball Team | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  18. ^ Ware, Lisa (2014-10-14). "NY Mets Hall of Famer Mookie Wilson to headline SMC Founder's Day Program". Spartanburg Methodist College. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  19. ^ "Reggie Sanders Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  20. ^ "Jerry Martin - Baseball Stats - The Baseball Cube". TheBaseballCube.com. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  21. ^ Shanesy, Todd. "SMC alum Pelham gets the call from Rangers". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  22. ^ "Team compleet met komst Vernon Taylor". Donar (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  23. ^ "Harris Stanton | Comedians". The Stand Restaurant & Comedy Club. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  24. ^ "Sebastián Velásquez". Real Salt Lake. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  25. ^ "Former SMC pitcher baffles Brewers in D-Backs debut". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  26. ^ "Dwight Smith Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.

External links[edit]

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34°57′13″N 81°58′16″W / 34.9535067°N 81.9712091°W / 34.9535067; -81.9712091

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