The Tuscaloosa sky was grey upon our arrival, but the rain held off for our tour of The University of Alabama. Covering over 1,000 acres the campus was filled with beautiful columned buildings and huge oak and magnolia trees that provided much needed shade in the "Quad"and throughout campus. Southern charm and elegance were my initial thoughts in regards to this campus.
UA Library
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Ferguson Student Center
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Another picture of the Student Center
(newly renovated in 2014)
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Beautiful trees in the "Quad"
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Established in 1831, the University of Alabama has deep traditions and is proud of its heritage and future. Currently educating 36,000 students, UA is a large sized public institution that has a tremendous amount of opportunities and resources. With over 200 majors and minors as well as 250 student organizations, UA students have no excuse to not be involved! The top degrees earned at UA were:
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Biology
- Business Admin
- Marketing
- Accounting
- Public Relations
- Education- Elementary and Secondary
- Engineering- Mechanical, Civil, and Chemical
- Nursing
- Social Work
The focus for the Dean of Admissions and the Honors College was a holistic student. The Dean of the Honors program, Dr. Shane Sharpe, stated that they wanted a student that could handle the rigor in the classroom and lab, enjoyed local community involvement, and would take time to enjoy life. The philosophy of balance tended to follow us throughout our tour.
UA has a rolling admissions process. Students usually have an admissions decision within 45 days of applying. The average SAT score for 2014 was 1170, ACT score of 26.1, and a GPA of 3.65. Information regarding merit based scholarships can be found on scholarships.ua.edu
The Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Tim Hebson, was full of great insight as to how students can be successful at UA. They believe in supporting their students. Every professor/instructor sends out a mid-year report so that every student is fully aware of how they are performing in a class. If a student is not doing well, contact is made with that student. Their goal is for students to finish their degree in 4 years. Another interesting option for UA students is the Spring2/Fall2 option. If a student is not doing well at the mid-year report time. The student can drop a course (with no penalty) and add an online course to replace that course that they are failing so that they don't lose credit hours. What a great option that can help a student stay on track and refrain from getting into academic troubles!
How often do students consider changing their major? OFTEN! UA has a solution for that, they have a resource called degreeworks that allows students to see what classes they have taken (the college uploads their courses and grades) and then select what major they want to change to. The program then tells them how their course work matches up and how changing programs could impact their graduation date. Oftentimes, students see that changing majors would add another year to graduation and decide to stay the course.
UA has the largest Greek affiliation in the country, over 10,000 members of Greek life. The Veterans Center was also a source of pride for the school. They highly promoted their desire to work with Veterans and helping them earn their education.
Our tour guide was a tribute to the love that students and alumni feel towards their alma mater. Tuckston was a witty, charismatic, and passionate tour guide. As a freshman, he put himself out there and applied to be an ambassador. There are so many of YOU that would be a great ambassador for NOHS and the college that you attend! I want to challenge our students at NOHS to give consideration to these types of roles as they begin to join college campuses. What an awesome opportunity to get to know your college and sell it to the masses that come to visit!
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