UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE

The 'University of Mobile' is an American four-year, private, Baptist-affiliated university in Prichard, Alabama, an industrial suburb of Mobile. The master's-level university has an enrollment of about 1,900.

Contents

History

Organization

Colleges and Schools

Demographics

Student Life

Student Government Association

Residential Life

Media

Athletics

Teams

History

Facilities

Mascot and School Colors

Rivalries

Notable Alumni

External links

History

In 1952, the Mobile Baptist Association appointed a committee to study the feasibility of starting a Baptist-affiliated colleoge in Mobile. In 1959, the Alabama Baptist State Convention agreed to build and operate a college if the Mobile community would raise $1.5 million within two years. Only one year later, area churches, businesses, and industries pledged more than $2 million to the effort. Dr. William K. Weaver, Jr., was appointed president of Mobile College on April 1, 1961, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1984. When Governor John Malcolm Patterson signed the College's charter in 1961, Mobile College became the first senior college to be chartered in the state of Alabama in 57 years. The College's first administration and classroom building, now named Weaver Hall in honor of the institution's first president, was completed in 1963. The College gained accreditation in 1968 from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The second president, Dr. Michael A. Magnoli, was inaugurated in 1984 and oversaw a period of unprecedented growth. In 1993 under Magnoli, Mobile College would become the University of Mobile. On February 13, 1998, the University of Mobile Board of Trustees unanimously elected Dr. Mark R. Foley as the third president. Under Dr. Foley, the University of Mobile entered the new millennium with the express purpose of preparing students academically, socially, and spiritually to impact the world. New academic majors have been added as the University anticipates and responds to changing needs.

Organization

A Board of Trustees acts as the head of the University of Mobile. The Board chooses a President, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer. The Alabama Baptist Convention has a major amount of influence on the University because of its contributions.

Colleges and Schools

The University of Mobile comprises four schools and one college.

★ College of Arts and Sciences

★ School of Business

★ School of Christian Studies

★ School of Education

★ School of Nursing
Mobile also has a Center for Adult Programs that allows adults who have previous college credits to continue their education and finish earning their degree.

Demographics

The University of Mobile has approximately 1,900 students from over 29 states and 24 nations. However, the largest portion of students come from inside the community in Mobile County. Around 500 students reside on campus in dormitories at Mobile, making it a very large commuter school.
The student to faculty ratio is 14:1, with more than 70% of Mobile's faculty holding a PhD. or the highest level in their field.

Student Life

Student Government Association

The University of Mobile has no Greek Life, therefore the student body relies on the Student Government Association to be a voice for the students. The SGA acts as a liaison between the student body and the administration and strives to increase student involvement in campus life and to give a voice to student concerns in administrative decisions. There are three boards within the SGA that shall serve specific roles as part of the larger organization. The Campus Activities Board, the Student Services Board, and the Community Service Board are each represented in the SGA by their respective officers. Each board has a vice-president, an executive assistant, and a publicity director. The Campus Activities Board also has a recreation director.

Residential Life

The University of Mobile requires that every student under the age of 21 or has less than 90 credit hours live on campus. The only exception is if the student still lives at home and commutes to school. Mobile has six dormitory units.

Media

There a several media outlines at the University of Mobile:

★ "The Ram Report", Official bi-weekly newsletter of the University of Mobile. It is faculty run but does have some articles written by students. The Ram Report does not publish opinions.

★ "UM News Net", Official online news source of the university. Also has a version that it e-mailed to students and faculty.

★ 'The Torch', The student-run, campus-wide newspaper. It is available free to all full-time, undergraduate students and is distributed at key locations on campus.

Athletics

Teams

Mobile has six men's athletic teams which include: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and tennis. The University of Mobile also has seven women's teams including: softball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and volleyball.

History

The University of Mobile intercollegiate athletic program began in 1985 and since that time has won eight national championships. The first of those championships came from the men's tennis team in 1993 followed by the women's tennis team in 1994. The men's golf team won their first national title in spring of 1997, the same year the women's soccer team won their first title in the fall of 1997. The men's tennis team, the only Mobile team to win two national titles, won their second title in 1997 and the women's golf team won their first championship in 1998. The men's soccer team won its first and only national championship in the fall of 2002 and the women's softball team has followed suit and won the 2006 (NAIA) National Championship.

Facilities

Major sporting facilities and their main use include:

★ H. Austill Pharr Gymnasium - Basketball and Volleyball

★ UM Softball Field - Softball

★ UM Baseball Field - Baseball

★ Gerald B. Wallace Tennis Center - Tennis

★ UM Soccer Field (Nicknamed: The Jungle) - Soccer
There are also various other facilities that are used for athletic purposes.

Mascot and School Colors

The University of Mobile's nickname is the Rams. Mobile has two mascots, Mac and his female counterpart named Molly. Mobile's school colors are Maroon and White, although Black is frequently used as well.

Rivalries

Mobile has one primary athletics rival: Spring Hill College. The rivalry intensifies for basketball games, as both teams are members of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in the (NAIA), and regularly fight for conference supremecy. Location also adds to the rivalry, as the schools are located less than 15 miles apart.

Notable Alumni

★ 'Big Daddy Weave' Members: Mike Weaver, Jeremy Redmon, Jeff Jones and Joe Shirk

★ 'J.C. Romero' Professional baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies

★ 'Saúl Rivera' Professional baseball player, Washington Nationals

External links

★ University of Mobile, official site