University of South Alabama

Public university in Mobile, Alabama, US

This article may lend undue weight to controversial news stories. Please help improve it by rewriting it in a balanced fashion that contextualizes different points of view. (March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

University of South Alabama

Former name

| Mobile Extension Center of the University of Alabama (1944-1963)[1]
Motto| "Research, Teaching, Service"
Type| Public research university
Established| May 3, 1963; 61 years ago (May 3, 1963)[2]
Accreditation| SACS

Academic affiliations

* ORAU
* Sea-grant
* Space-grant

Endowment| $667 million (total of USA's two separate endowment funds 2021)[3]
President| Jo Bonner

Administrative staff

| 992
Students| 13,463 (Fall 2022)[4]
Location|

Mobile

Alabama

United States

Campus| Midsize city[5], 1,224 acres (495 ha)
Other campuses|

* Dauphin Island
* Fairhope
* Wichita

Newspaper| The Vanguard (member of the combined student media group Jag Media)
Colors| Blue, red, and white[6]

Nickname| Jaguars

Sporting affiliations

| NCAA Division I FBS – Sun Belt
Mascot| South Paw
Website| www.southalabama.edu

The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public research university in Mobile, Alabama. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. The first classes were held in June 1964, with an enrollment of 276 students; the first commencement was held in June 1967, with 88 bachelor's degrees awarded.[7]

USA is divided into ten colleges and schools that include one of Alabama's two state-supported medical schools. In the fall semester of 2018, South Alabama had an enrollment of 15,093 students.[4] By the spring of 2019, the university had awarded over 90,000 degrees.[8] It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".[9]

USA has an annual payroll of more than $400 million, with over 6,000 employees, and is the second-largest employer in Mobile.[10] The university claims to have an annual economic impact of $3 billion.[11]

## Academics

[edit]

The Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health and College of Nursing Academic rankings

National
Forbes[12]| 616
U.S. News & World Report[13]| 299-391
Washington Monthly[14]| 234

The university offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in ten colleges and schools. Several programs offer masters level degrees in addition to undergraduate degrees. Doctoral level degrees are offered in several areas, including a Doctor of Pharmacy degree offered in collaboration with Auburn University.

USA also offers classes in nearby Baldwin County at its Fairhope campus,[15] and in 2015 opened Gulf Coast Campus.[16] Students at South Alabama can choose from more than 50 bachelor's degree and certificate programs and more than 40 master's degree programs. As of 2011, USA ranks as the 22nd best public university in the southern United States, and 52nd overall in the South. It has an acceptance rate of 86.5%.[17]

The student-faculty ratio at USA is 18:1,[18] and the school has 44.1% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. USA students are 57% female and 43% male.[17] As of 2018, the university had a 44% six-year graduation rate and a 22% four-year graduation rate for bachelor's degree programs.[19]

### Colleges

[edit]

Shelby Hall - Home to the College of Engineering and School of Computing

The University of South Alabama has ten colleges and schools:

* Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions
* College of Arts and Sciences
* Mitchell College of Business
* College of Education and Professional Studies
* College of Engineering
* Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine
* College of Nursing
* School of Computing
* Honors College
* Graduate School

### Administration

[edit]

The university is governed by a board of trustees appointed by and including the governor of Alabama. The board appoints a president of the university. Frederick Palmer Whiddon served as president from 1963 until 1998 and was succeeded by V. Gordon Moulton who served until 2013. John W. Smith, the current executive vice president, served as an interim president until the arrival of Tony G. Waldrop in 2014 and after his retirement in 2021. Jo Bonner was appointed as university president in 2021.[20]

## Athletics

[edit]

Main article: South Alabama Jaguars

Jaguar statue and Mitchell Center Arena

The Jaguars participate in 17 NCAA sanctioned sports (8 men's and 9 women's), and are founding members of the Sun Belt Conference. Men's sports include football, basketball, baseball, tennis, cross country, golf, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. Women's sports include basketball, softball, soccer, tennis, cross country, volleyball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and golf. All sports participate in the Sun Belt Conference, a Division I/FBS conference.

### Football

[edit]

The university announced the creation of an NCAA sanctioned football team on December 6, 2007, with the goal of fast tracking the program to full FBS status by the 2013 season. Since starting the football program from scratch, South Alabama has built a football facility and practice fields. The Hancock Whitney Stadium opened in 2020.

### Basketball

[edit]

South Alabama men's and women's basketball play in the 10,000 seat Mitchell Center.

### Baseball

[edit]

South Alabama's home park is Eddie Stanky Field, a 4,500-seat stadium with a natural grass playing surface.

Moulton Bell Tower and Alumni Plaza

## Legal and other matters

[edit]

### Police shooting

[edit]

On October 12, 2012, 18-year-old freshman Gil Collar was shot and killed by a campus police officer,[21] after appearing naked outside the police station.[22] The university released a statement saying a campus police officer "was confronted by a muscular, nude man who was acting erratically."[21] Collar was 5 foot 7 and weighed 135 pounds.[22] Authorities state that Collar appeared to be on drugs when the incident occurred.[23] The student's family filed suit against the university, the officer involved, and the police chief, Herbert Earl "Zeke" Aull.[23] In February 2013, a Mobile County judge ruled that the university was not liable for the student's death.[24] in 2014 the case moved to federal court.[25] In 2015, the officer was cleared in a civil suit.[26] The shooting inspired Brian Burghart, then editor of the News & Review in Reno, to found Fatal Encounters, a database that tracks killings by law enforcement officers.[27][28]

### 2014 federal discrimination lawsuit

[edit]

In 2014, a group of students belonging to Students for Life USA, a pro-life student organization, filed a complaint about alleged discrimination in federal court against University of South Alabama officials. The university later settled the lawsuit, paying the students an undisclosed amount of money. According to a copy of the settlement document provided by the Alliance Defending Freedom, the university "denied all material allegations and Plaintiff's claims of constitutional infirmities".[29] USA agreed to change a portion of its policy on use of its space and facilities, and to pay an unspecified sum settling "all of plaintiff's remaining claims, including liability, damages, and attorney's fees".[30][31]

### Abuse lawsuits

[edit]

In September 2021, a lawsuit was filed against a former University of South Alabama volleyball coach due to alleged sexual and mental abuse in 2019 and 2020.[32][33] The lawsuit included eight former players as plaintiffs.[34] The amendment also alleged that university administrators had knowledge of the abuse and added the university's athletic directors and coaches as defendants.[34] A second lawsuit was filed in 2022 by a former player uninvolved in the first lawsuit.[33] WKRG-TV reported that the claims of abuse made by the second lawsuit was similar to the first and that both allegations included inappropriate touching and overtraining.[33] The volleyball coach was hired by the University of South Alabama in December 2018 and resigned in February 2021.[35]

## Student life

[edit]

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022  Race and ethnicity[36] | Total

|

White | 61%  | 61

Black | 22%  | 22

Other[a] | 7%  | 7

Hispanic | 4%  | 4

Asian | 3%  | 3

Foreign national | 2%  | 2

Native American | 1%  | 1

Economic diversity
Low-income[b] | 41%  | 41

Affluent[c] | 59%  | 59

## Notable alumni

[edit]

This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (November 2020)

|

Notable alumni of the University of South Alabama include:

* Tina Allen (1949-2008), sculptor
* Marlon Anderson (second baseman), baseball player
* Kawaan Baker, football player
* Jake Bentley, football player
* Rosalynn Bliss, mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan
* Glenn Borgmann, baseball player
* Braedon Bowman, football player
* Herbert L. "Sonny" Callahan, United States Congressman
* Terry Catledge, basketball player
* Susan DuBose, American politician from Alabama
* Grant Enfinger, race car driver
* Steve Falteisek, baseball player
* David Freese, baseball player
* Luis Gonzalez, baseball player
* Carolyn Haines, author
* Sam Iorio (born 1998), American-Israeli basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Lance Johnson, baseball player
* Michael Kearney, world's youngest college graduate[37]
* Jon Lieber, baseball player
* Dan Povenmire, Disney animator
* Adam Lind, baseball player
* Darrell Luter Jr., football player
* Rodger McFarlane, gay rights activist[38]
* Mark Mostert, professor of education
* Mike Mordecai, baseball player
* Juan Pierre, baseball player
* Heath Slocum, golfer
* Courtney Smith, football player
* Eddie Stanky, baseball player
* Larry Stutts, Alabama state senator
* Jessie Tompkins, athletic hurdler and civil-rights activist
* P.J. Walters, baseball player
* Turner Ward, baseball player
* Jalen Wayne, football player
* Harold G. White, engineer and physicist

## Publications

[edit]

* USA Vanguard[39]
* The Lowdown
* The Oracle
* Due South
* College Student Journal (founded 1966).[40]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
2. ^ The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
3. ^ The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Encyclopedia of Alabama".
2. ^ "Brief History".
3. ^ As of June 30, 2021. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2021 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY20 to FY21 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
4. ^ a b University of South Alabama, Historical Enrollment Numbers
5. ^ "IPEDS-University of South Alabama".
6. ^ USA Brand Guidelines (PDF). Retrieved 2016-03-28.
7. ^ "USA: A Brief History". University of South Alabama. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
8. ^ University of South Alabama, 2019 Spring Commencement (PDF)
9. ^ "Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup". carnegieclassifications.iu.edu. Center for Postsecondary Education. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
10. ^ University of South Alabama, Office of Public Relations, "Quick Facts.". Southalabama.edu (2011-01-25). Retrieved on 2012-05-25.
11. ^ "University of South Alabama Engagement". University of South Alabama.
12. ^ "America's Top Colleges 2024". Forbes. September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
13. ^ "2024-2025 Best National Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
14. ^ "2024 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
15. ^ "USA Baldwin County Campus". University of South Alabama. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
16. ^ "USA Opens Gulf Coast Campus in Gulf Shores". Southalabama.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
17. ^ a b South Alabama | University of South Alabama | Best College | US News. Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved on 2012-05-25.
18. ^ "About USA Page". University of South Alabama.
19. ^ "University of South Alabama - 4 Year Graduation Rates, Gender, Race - Scholarships.com". www.scholarships.com.
20. ^ "University of South Alabama names new president". www.southalabama.edu.
21. ^ a b Gray, Melissa (7 October 2012). "Campus officer kills naked freshman at University of South Alabama". CNN.
22. ^ a b Fambro, Cassie (October 6, 2014). "Two years later, the death of Gil Collar still haunts the University of South Alabama in Mobile". AL.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
23. ^ a b Kirby, Brendan (26 July 2014). "University of South Alabama student fatally shot by officer was seeking help, lawsuit says". al.com.
24. ^ "Ala. Judge Dismisses Shooting Suit Against College". www.apr.org. Associated Press. 8 February 2013.
25. ^ "Gil Collar death suit will become a federal case". WSFA. July 28, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
26. ^ Fambro, Cassie (September 15, 2015). "Campus cop who shot and killed Gil Collar cleared in civil case". AL.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
27. ^ Johnson, Bert; Christiansen, Rachel (June 5, 2020). "Interview: For 7 Years, This Journalist Has Tried To Track Every Police Killing In The U.S." CapRadio. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
28. ^ Lozano, Alicia Victoria (July 11, 2020). "Fatal Encounters: One man is tracking every officer-involved killing in the U.S." NBC News. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
29. ^ "In the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama Southern Division" (PDF). Alliance Defending Freedom. p. 2. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
30. ^ Perez, Andrew (9 April 2014). "Pro-life students file suit against University of South Alabama". Fox 10 TV. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014.
31. ^ "USA, pro-life student group settle free speech lawsuit". Al.com. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
32. ^ Benbow, Dana Hunsinger. "Purdue-Fort Wayne volleyball coach put on leave after allegations of abusing former players". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
33. ^ a b c "Second sexual harassment lawsuit filed against former University of South Alabama women's volleyball coach". WKRG News 5. 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
34. ^ a b "New claims contend South Alabama officials knew of alleged abuse of athletes". al. 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
35. ^ "Lawsuit claims former USA women's volleyball coach abused former players". ABC17NEWS. 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
36. ^ "College Scorecard: University of South Alabama". United States Department of Education. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
37. ^ "Texas boy, 12, preps for life at Cornell". Ithaca Journal. Retrieved 3 April 2019. "Michael Kearney, a child prodigy, graduated from the University of South Alabama at the age of 10"
38. ^ Hevesi, Dennis. "Rodger McFarlane, Who Led AIDS-Related Groups, Dies at 54", The New York Times, May 18, 2009. Accessed May 19, 2009.
39. ^ "The Vanguard | South Alabama Student Newspaper". thevanguardusa.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
40. ^ "A Journal Pertaining to College Students: College Student Journal". projectinnovation.com. Project Innovation, University of South Alabama.

## External links

[edit]

* United States portal

* Official website
* South Alabama Athletics website

* v
* t
* e

University of South Alabama

Located in: Mobile, Alabama

Academics|

* Colleges and schools: Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions
* College of Arts and Sciences
* Mitchell College of Business
* College of Education and Professional Studies
* College Engineering
* College of Medicine
* Doctor of Pharmacy Program
* College of Nursing
* School of Computing
* Honors College

Athletics|

* Football
* Baseball
* Softball
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball
* Eddie Stanky Field
* Hancock Whitney Stadium
* Jaguar Field
* Mitchell Center
* Soccer Complex

Campus|

* WJGR

People|

* Michael Kearney
* Tony Waldrop
* Frederick Palmer Whiddon
* Tina Allen
* David Freese
* Eddie Stanky

* v
* t
* e

Sun Belt Conference

Full members|

* Appalachian State Mountaineers
* Arkansas State Red Wolves
* Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
* Georgia Southern Eagles
* Georgia State Panthers
* James Madison Dukes
* Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
* Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks
* Marshall Thundering Herd
* Old Dominion Monarchs
* South Alabama Jaguars
* Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles
* Texas State Bobcats
* Troy Trojans

Beach volleyball-only members|

* Charleston Cougars
* Mercer Bears
* UNCW Seahawks

Men's soccer-only members|

* Kentucky Wildcats
* South Carolina Gamecocks
* UCF Knights
* West Virginia Mountaineers

Championships and awards|

* List of champions
* Baseball
* Football
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball

* v
* t
* e

Colleges and universities in Alabama

Public institutions|

* Alabama
* Alabama A&M
* Alabama State
* Auburn
* Auburn Montgomery
* Jacksonville State
* Montevallo
* North Alabama
* South Alabama
* Troy
* UAB
* UAH
* West Alabama

Private institutions|

* Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
* Amridge
* Birmingham School of Law
* Columbia Southern
* VCOM-Auburn
* Faulkner
* Heritage Christian
* Huntingdon
* Huntsville Bible College
* Miles
* Miles Law
* Mobile
* Oakwood
* Samford
* Selma
* Spring Hill
* Stillman
* Talladega
* Tuskegee
* United States Sports Academy

Community/junior colleges|

* Alabama Community College System
* Bevill State CC
* Bishop State CC
* Calhoun CC
* Central Alabama CC
* Chattahoochee Valley CC
* Coastal Alabama CC
* Enterprise State CC
* Gadsden State CC
* H. Council Trenholm State CC
* J. F. Drake State CTC
* J. F. Ingram State TC
* Jefferson State CC
* Lawson State CC
* Lurleen B. Wallace CC
* Marion Military Institute
* Northeast Alabama CC
* Northwest Shoals CC
* Reid State TC
* Shelton State CC
* Snead State CC
* Southern Union State CC
* Wallace CC
* Wallace State
* Wallace Selma

Upper level colleges|

* Athens State University

Federal institutions|

* Air University
* Community College of the Air Force

Defunct colleges|

* Birmingham–Southern
* Concordia
* Daniel Payne
* Judson
* Southeastern Bible College
* Southern Benedictine
* Virginia College

* v
* t
* e

City of Mobile

History|

* Timeline
* Formation
* Battle of Fort Charlotte
* Civil War era
* Battle of Mobile Bay
* Battle of Spanish Fort
* Clotilda
* Magazine explosion

Geography|

* Africatown
* Airport Boulevard
* Blakeley Island
* Brookley Air Force Base
* Dog River
* Fowl River
* Government Street
* Mobile Bay
* Mobile River
* Mobile–Tensaw River Delta
* Old Shell Road
* Pinto Island
* Spanish River
* Spring Hill
* Toulminville

Politics|

* Mayor (list)

Economy|

* Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley
* Port of Mobile
* Mobile Downtown Airport
* Mobile Regional Airport
* Austal USA
* BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards
* Continental Motors, Inc.
* Signal International
* Volkert, Inc.
* VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering

Culture|

* Azalea Trail Maids
* Bayfest
* Mardi Gras in Mobile
* Mobile Arts Council
* Mobile Civic Center
* Mobile Opera
* Mobile Symphony Orchestra
* Mystic society
* People from Mobile
* Saenger Theatre

Architecture|

* Tallest buildings in Mobile
* RSA Battle House Tower
* RSA–BankTrust Building
* Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel
* Mobile Government Plaza
* Regions Bank Building
* Wachovia Building
* Providence Hospital
* Van Antwerp Building
* The Battle House Hotel

Historic sites|

* NRHP (list)
* Ahavas Chesed Cemetery
* Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company
* Boyington Oak
* Duffie Oak
* Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
* Catholic Cemetery
* Church Street Graveyard
* Fort Charlotte
* Magnolia Cemetery
* Sha'arai Shomayim Cemetery

Green spaces|

* Bellingrath Gardens and Home
* Bienville Square
* Cathedral Square
* Langan Park
* Mobile Botanical Gardens
* Mardi Gras Park

Education|

| K–12|

* Mobile County PSS
* Davidson High
* LeFlore Magnet High
* Murphy High
* B. C. Rain High
* Williamson High
* Baker High
* Alabama School of Mathematics and Science
* Faith Academy
* McGill–Toolen Catholic High
* St. Paul's Episcopal School
* UMS-Wright Preparatory School

|

Tertiary|

* Bishop State Community College
* Spring Hill College
* University of Mobile
* University of South Alabama

Museums|

* Battleship Memorial Park
* USS Alabama
* USS Drum
* Fort Conde
* Mobile Carnival Museum
* Mobile Museum of Art
* Museum of Mobile
* National African American Archives and Museum
* Oakleigh Historic Complex
* Richards DAR House

Media|

* Lagniappe Daily
* Mod Mobilian
* Press-Register
* WALA 10
* WFNA 55
* WKRG 5
* WPMI 15

* Category

30°41′48″N 88°10′43″W﻿ / ﻿30.69671°N 88.17873°W﻿ / 30.69671; -88.17873

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Israel

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz place

People|

* ISIL

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template