History of the University
Lander University was founded as a college for women by Methodist clergyman Samuel Lander in 1872 as Williamston Female College in Williamston, South Carolina. It remained a private institution for 26 years. In 1898, the college gained the support of the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1904, the college was relocated to Greenwood, S.C., and was renamed Lander College in honor of its founder.
Men were admitted in 1943, and the institution is now completely coeducational.
In 1948, when the Methodist Conference, pursuant to a policy of consolidation in its education efforts, decided to end support of Lander College, interested citizens of Greenwood formed The Lander Foundation as a nonprofit corporation and leased the college from the church.
In 1951, the county of Greenwood obtained the College name and property from the Methodist Conference. The South Carolina General Assembly created the Greenwood County Education Commission, known as The Lander Foundation, to serve as the board of control for the College. Lander thus became the only four-year liberal arts college in the United States to be controlled and financed by a county government.
On July 1, 1973, Lander College came under the control of the Board of Trustees of the State Colleges of South Carolina, making Lander a state-assisted college. The State College Board of Trustees governed Lander, the College of Charleston, and Francis Marion College. Effective July 1, 1988, governance of Lander was vested in the Lander College Board of Trustees.
On July 1, 1992, by action of the Board of Trustees, the institution became Lander University.
The University has been served by twelve presidents: Samuel Lander (1872-1904); John O. Willson (1904-1923); Robert O. Lawton (interim) (1923); B. Rhett Turnipseed (1923-1927); R. H. Bennett (1927-1932); John W. Speake (1932-1941); John Marvin Rast (1941-1948); Boyce M. Grier (1948-1966); E. Don Herd, Jr. (1966-1973); Larry A. Jackson (1973-1992); William C. Moran (1992-2000); Daniel W. Ball (2000-2015); and Richard E. Cosentino (2015-present).
Lander University subscribes to a policy of equal educational and employment opportunity for all.
Vision Statement
All Lander University graduates are broadly educated, well-informed, equipped for responsible participation in the civic lives of their communities, and prepared to continue their education or launch their careers.
Vision revised and approved by Board of Trustees on September 14, 2021
Mission Statement
Lander University offers high-demand and market-driven programs to ambitious and talented students in South Carolina and beyond. These programs are delivered in a rich liberal arts environment to produce highly qualified and marketable graduates.
Approved by the Lander University Faculty on March 16, 2016
Approved by the Lander University Board of Trustees on March 22, 2016
Approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education on June 2, 2016
Landers Role and Scope
Through its liberal arts programs and its professional schools for business, education, and nursing, the University offers an undergraduate curriculum that combines a broad, liberal education with specialized study leading either to immediate application in a career or to more advanced study. The undergraduate programs provide opportunities for students to achieve competence in a major discipline and to explore a broad core curriculum designed to assist them in developing the ability (1) to gather and critically analyze information from a variety of fields and to use that information as a basis for reasoned judgments and for effective problem solving, (2) to synthesize diverse ideas and information, and (3) to understand and convey ideas clearly.
In addition to its undergraduate programs, Lander provides a limited number of master’s programs and post-graduate courses that respond to critical needs of the immediate region and the State. Supporting the University’s role as a teaching institution and recognizing that scholarship is essential to establishing and maintaining excellence of instruction, Lander faculty engage in scholarly and creative activities appropriate to their teaching fields. In addition, the faculty and staff recognize Lander’s responsibility to the public and to the local economy; therefore, the University serves as an intellectual and cultural center and cooperates with various agencies, schools, and businesses.
The University, situated near the center of Greenwood, a small South Carolina city, combines urban with rural and traditional with modern features. Because student success depends in large part upon readiness, the University reserves admission to those students who can demonstrate adequate preparation for higher education either through a predicted GPA or through previous success at another post-secondary institution. While Lander serves primarily students from a seven-county area (Greenwood, Laurens, Edgefield, Abbeville, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda) and reflects the demographic diversity of this constituency, it strives to draw students from every region of South Carolina as well as from other states and foreign countries because a geographically diverse population better serves the educational interests of all students enrolled. Lander predominately attracts qualified traditional full-time students but also welcomes non-traditional and part-time students. Lander University’s commitment to extending educational opportunities to these varying constituencies reflects its belief that citizens of a free society have a right to the enriching benefits of higher education.
Accreditation
Lander University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Lander University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
- The College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), 777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750, Tampa, FL 33602-5730 USA, Telephone: (813) 769-6500, Fax: (813) 769-6559.
- The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is approved by the South Carolina State Board of Nursing (110 Centerview Dr. Suite 202, Columbia, SC 29210; telephone number: 803-896-4300) and The Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Master of Science in Clinical Nurse Leader programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
- The undergraduate Exercise Science program at Lander University is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 9355-113th St. N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775. Telephone: (727) 210-2350.
- The Teacher Education programs of Lander University are approved by the state of South Carolina and the academic unit is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), 1140 19th St NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036. Telephone: (202) 223-0077.
- Lander’s Montessori Teacher Education Program offers coursework leading to certification by the American Montessori Society. It is fully accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE), 420 Park Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Telephone: (434) 202-7793.
- The Bachelor of Science in Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA 20190. Telephone: (703) 437-0700.
- The Bachelor of Science in Visual Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2D and 3D Studio programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA 20190. Telephone: (703) 437-0700.
The Academic Programs
Lander University confers the degrees of Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Education (MEd), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Science in Management (MSM), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Design (BDes), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Bachelor of Science (BS) on candidates who are recommended by the faculty.