Academics
Courses are “demanding and strenuous” at The University of the South, “but not impossible.” This private institution features small classes with a “strong emphasis on critical thinking and writing,” and professors “know your name and care if you do well” because of that. Beyond that, teachers are “ridiculously accessible,” host dinners, classes, or even “’Congratulations, you finished the final!’ cookies” at their homes. (Students do note that lately the administration is not maintaining quite as low of a student-to-faculty ratio for intro-level courses.)
Overall, the campus community “loves and venerates our liberal-arts tradition,” which emphasizes “learning and personal growth” and a “well-rounded education to use in careers and in life” over competition or job-specific training. Yet according to one student, the school “shows that you can get a good job with any degree here. Even the lampooned Art History major has a high job rate.” Undergrads think confidently of their post-graduation prospects, giving credit once again to faculty who are “always willing to share their professional contacts” in addition to an “extensive alumni network [that] will support you after college” and the school’s “great reputation around the South.”
Student Body
The University of the South students describe themselves as a mix of “preppy, work-hard-party-hard” types and “hemp-wearing hippies,” although the “overlap between . . . groups is substantial.” One student boasts: “It is a delicate balance that wouldn’t work anywhere but here.” That said, the school is concerned with traditions of courtesy, respect, and academic commitment,” and has a reputation for conservative Southern values. The University of the South attracts “mostly white, wealthy, Southern students” who are “unique, fun, well-rounded, down-to-earth” and friendly. So, racially, “the campus isn’t diverse, but it is growing.” And the school itself has a mostly liberal student body and faculty, and “encourages diversity of faiths, backgrounds, sexual identities, etc.” Additionally, while the school still has a dress code, it’s no longer “pearls and pointy heels” or seersucker suits. “We all dress pretty nice but not that overboard,” clarifies a student. Another thing students have in common is a “shared desire to excel in classes,” and the “school spirit … bonds people” into a “tight-knit community” on campus. Students here are grateful that their peers are “unique in their passions and supportive of each other’s endeavors” and that they “treat one another with a lot of respect.”
Campus Life
The University of the South “facilitates the idea of [being] a Spartan: fit in both mind and body,” a student shares. This is appropriate given the boundless outdoor activities the school’s forested campus provides. The student body loves to rock climb, sunbathe, hike, swim, and mountain bike. Making the most of campus is a necessity as the school “is pretty isolated—Nashville is [an] hour away.” When they’re not outdoors, the library is the go-to spot for students “studying or catching up with friends.” And although students “revolve their schedules around school work,” weekends are generally occupied with “sporting events and parties.” Greek life “serves as the central social network” of the school, although “it isn’t the stereotypical Greek life where everyone must fit a cookie-cutter mold.” Members proudly note that frats and sororities are welcoming and diverse: “parties are open to all students, making the environment very friendly.” That said, students are divided on the issue of drinking and pledging, with some feeling that it is difficult to build a social life without joining Greek life, and others suggesting that there is “a large group of students who do not drink” to help provide alternatives. The popular Sewanee Outing Program leads trips on afternoons and weekends, and “for spring break, they’re kayaking the Amazon river,” says one excited student. For those more culturally inclined, options include “open mic nights, cinema guild, theatre, stand-up comedy, … academic lectures, poetry readings, [and] creative writing workshops.”
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