General Information
Type: Public / HBCU
Established: 1867
Students: 1,500+
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Mission Statement
The mission of JCSU is to provide an outstanding education for a diverse group of talented and highly motivated students from various ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds. The university offers a liberal education in conjunction with concentrated study in specialized fields, in preparation for advanced study and specific careers.
Student Information
Johnson C. Smith is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), a designation given generally to southern schools by Congress in 1965 in order to support those school's academic efforts. The title was generally given to schools, like JCSU, that were founded to educate black Americans just before and after the Civil War. These universities were once the only opportunity for many African-Americans to get an education, even following Antebellum and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. This is where JCSU's roots lie, where our past is, but our future lies in our diversity and our understanding of all cultures so that we may better relate to them and work with them in our diversified world. Many have asked if HBCSUs are still relevant now that African-Americans have more opportunities to attend many mainstream colleges but the simple truth is that HBCUs are more successful across the board at getting degrees into the hands of African-Americans. Despite the diversification of other schools, HBCUs offer the best route to a degree. HBCUs make up only 3 percent of American higher education institutions, but we graduate around 18 percent of all black college students. We also offer students a place where they will feel like they belong, where you will meet other students who look like you, who are ambitious and are also setting goals for themselves. We have found this can motivate our students and help them achieve their personal Success Stories.
Campus Life
We strive to provide a unique campus experience to our students.
Programs of Study
http://www.jcsu.edu/collegesandmajors/
Student Life
JCSU provides every opportunity to help our students feel at home on campus.
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Our 3-day freshmen orientation, Golden Bull Academy, gives incoming students and parents a chance to experience life at JCSU and prepare for move-in day
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Freshmen Bootcamp is a comprehensive week-long program to help new students make the transition to college and adjust to campus life
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Our involved faculty and staff help foster a close-knit, family atmosphere that is unrivaled
Residence Living
Staying in one of our 10 campus residence halls is the best way to experience everything JCSU has to offer.
75 percent of JCSU students live on campus
Residence halls provide a dynamic community that contributes to each student’s overall experience – intellectual, cultural, social, emotional, and spiritual
Each residence hall sponsors programs and activities throughout the year
Living in Charlotte
Did you know Charlotte has been named among the best places to live in the U.S.? Since campus is right on the edge of Charlotte’s Center City, it’s convenient to experience all the great shopping, restaurants, nightlife, and events the city has to offer. Charlotte area attractions include:
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Paramount’s Carowinds theme park
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Carolina Panthers (NFL) and Bobcats (NBA) sporting events
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200+ outdoor parks and walking trails
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Harvey B. Gantt Center For African-American Arts + Culture
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Art, science, and history museums
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Concord Mills, and 3 other area malls
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NASCAR races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
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U.S. National Whitewater Center
Study Abroad
Part of the effort of this program is to afford students the opportunity to travel abroad to experience other cultures and their languages. Already JCSU has sponsored a program that allowed current students to apply for a passport for free. To encourage students to apply, the schools gave away 12 all-expense paid trips to Rome. Approximately 329 students either successfully completed a passport application or already possessed an application by the deadline.
The goals of the new Center for Excellence in Global Education are to ensure that all students acquire passports to study abroad and for students to gain international experience by broadening their knowledge, understanding and appreciation for world cultures in terms of language, economics, and health issues as well as environmental and social issues.
This program is enriching student's lives and educations and also making them better global citizens, ready to handle the career opportunities of a flattening world. International travel gives JCSU students the extra edge they need to successfully compete in today's job market.
Athletics
Our NCAA Division II sports teams keep the fans roaring at athletic events, and both men’s and women’s basketball teams are top competitors in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
http://goldenbullsports.com/