People, Locations, Episodes

Albany State University is Founded

*This date celebrates the founding of Albany State University in 1903. It is one of over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America.

Originally called the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute, private and religious organizations supported it to train black youths in southwest Georgia. 1917 it became the state-supported, two-year Georgia Normal and Agricultural College. In 1943, it became a four-year institution and was named Albany State College. The Board of Regents approved the current name, Albany State University, in June 1996. Albany State University is a growing regional institution in southwest Georgia that offers undergraduate and graduate liberal arts and professional degree programs and a wide range of outreach programs to the community.

The college is located in Albany, a progressive city with a population of 100,000. Albany State offers seven undergraduate degree programs, of which the most popular majors are biology, criminal justice, computer science, education management, and nursing. The University offers six advanced degrees: a master of science in criminal justice, a master of public administration, a master of business administration, a master of science in nursing, a master of education in 11 majors, and an education specialist degree. The University offers a Board of Regents engineering transfer program and a dual degree program in engineering with Georgia Tech.

Traditional and non-traditional students comprise the 3,150-student population, approximately 60 percent fitting the traditional 18-22-year-old student profile. About 40 percent of the students live in campus housing, while 40 percent are older adults. Sixty percent are women. Located on the banks of the Flint River, the 204-acre campus is undergoing a $112 million extensive construction and renovation resulting from a devastating flood in 1994. The aftermath of this natural disaster created a new spirit of determination on campus along with the motto, "Unsinkable Albany State." The construction will create a new campus for Albany State students and the Albany community.

The University offers many social opportunities for students through bands, choirs, religious groups, honor societies, several major Greek and honors sororities and fraternities, and ROTC. An NCAA Division II school, Albany State's intercollegiate sports include men's sports in football, basketball, baseball, track and field, cross-country, and women's sports in basketball, volleyball, cross-country, and track and field. Albany State serves its community through various outreach initiatives, particularly service-learning programs.