The University
The University of
South Carolina, founded in 1801, is one of the oldest
universities in the United States. The University rests on a 239
acre hilltop located near the state capitol in the heart of
Columbia. The University has experienced considerable growth
since the 1960s with over 26,000 students currently enrolled at the
Columbia campus, more than a third of whom are graduate students.
Students from all states and over 130 foreign countries attend the
University, 7,000 of whom live on campus.
The University offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees
through seventeen colleges and schools, including the Schools of Law
and Medicine. The bachelor's degree is offered in over seventy
major fields, the master's degree in over 100 fields, and the doctoral
degree in over fifty fields. Over fifteen research bureaus and
institutes throughout the University provide research support and
service in several disciplines. Exchange programs with over
thirty
foreign countries have been established at the University.
All of these
elements contribute to the University of South Carolina's
central mission to advance knowledge and higher learning throughout the
University community and reinforce its commitment to becoming one of
the country's foremost centers of teaching, research, and public
service.
The Libraries
The University's libraries maintain over 3 million
volumes of books as well as 3.6 million units in microform and 20,000
subscriptions to periodicals to support faculty and student
research. The great majority of these are centrally located in
the Thomas Cooper Library and
are easily accessed through an advanced computerized circulation
system. Graduate students may also obtain a library carrel from
which to carry on research and store materials. Other campus
libraries available for student use include the South Caroliniana
Library, which houses information pertaining to the state of South
Carolina. There are also additional specialized libraries for
business, law, medicine, mathematics, music, and the sciences.
Computer Labs
Conveniently located
in the basement of Gambrell Hall, the College of
Arts and Sciences Computer Lab provides a complete set of computer
services to the faculty and students. It has equipment to support
word
processing and printing, graphics, mapping, and statistical
research.
The Computer Lab is also a storehouse for the Inter-University
Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
databases. The Computer Lab is very responsive to the needs of
students who make regular use of this facility in support of their
graduate studies. A supplementary computer lab is also located on
the
fifth level of the Thomas Cooper Library. The Department of
Political
Science also maintains a small computer lab on the third floor of
Gambrell Hall exclusively for the use of its graduate students.
The Institute for Public Service and Policy Research maintains a variety of programs in public service and public policy analysis. Several of the staff members maintain dual appointments with the Department of Political Science and teach specialized courses in policy analysis and applied research techniques. Areas of specialization include survey research, bioethics, health policy, and environmental policy. The survey research center, reputed to be one of the finest in the Southeast, conducts national and state wide telephone surveys on a variety of social and political issues.
The Richard L. Walker Institute of International and Area Studies
The Richard L. Walker Institute of International and Area Studies, located on the fourth floor of Gambrell Hall, was founded in 1961 as the University's center for social service research in international studies. The Walker Institute provides organizational support for faculty research, travel, and consultation. It also facilitates visits to the Columbia campus by internationally known scholars and practitioners. The Walker Institute normally has international scholars in residence, with its own faculty and graduate assistants involved in research projects abroad. The Institute also has developed and ongoing program of academic exchanges with similar organizations in the United States and abroad which allows students and faculty access to facilities and contacts elsewhere. Under the leadership of Dr. Gordon Smith, the Institute has developed a regular series of publications, colloquia, public lectures, and international conferences. The Institute also maintains a library and reading room with several unique resources to serve the needs of faculty and students as mentioned above.
Area Studies Programs
The College of Arts and Sciences sponsors a number of area studies programs with offices located on the fourth floor of Gambrell Hall. The largest of these is the Center for Asian Studies. These programs often sponsor activities of interest to the entire University community and include colloquia, guest speakers, and film series.
Exchange Programs and Study Abroad
The Study Abroad office provides students with a central location where they can obtain information on the wide variety of study abroad programs offered through the University of South Carolina. Summer, semester, and academic year programs are available for students to expand their academic and cultural experiences. Support for study abroad through student travel grants and scholarships is available through the Study Abroad office. Additionally, it maintains a resource library with information about hundreds of study abroad programs offered through other U.S. institutions and agencies, scholarships for study abroad, overseas travel, and short-term work abroad programs. International Student Identification Cards (ISIC), International Teacher Identification Cards (ITC), and International Youth Hostel Cards are all issued by the Study Abroad office. An adviser in the office will also provide assistance in working through the application process and pre-departure procedures. The office of International Student Services provides services for international students on campus and may also be contacted to connect you with individuals on campus from the countries you wish to visit.