Academics
The 鈥渢op-notch, passionate, [and] available鈥 profesors at Southern 鈥渢ruly care about [student] success鈥 and 鈥渢ake time to talk with the students---not just the good ones, but also the struggling and average ones.鈥 鈥淥nce when I was too sick to go to class,鈥 relates one undergrad, 鈥渙ne of my teachers brought the class handouts right to my dorm so I could complete the homework for the next day.鈥 Southern鈥檚 academic strengths include 鈥渘ursing, business, religion, and teaching,鈥 but undergrads say the Seventh-Day Adventist school 鈥渃reates mission-minded graduates no matter what field of study鈥 they choose. Southern鈥檚 popular nursing program is particularly 鈥渆xcellent,鈥 鈥渆nlightening,鈥 and challenging. The 鈥減rofessors are fantastic,鈥 says one nursing major. 鈥淭hey are all meant to be here and . . . I love them all.鈥 鈥淭he administration is a bit old-fashioned鈥 and 鈥渃ould definitely work on allowing more student input [o]n certain decisions,鈥 but administrators are also genuinely 鈥渃oncerned about [students鈥橾 well-being鈥 and 鈥渧ery sociable鈥; they, 鈥渋ncluding the president, are sometimes even seen at the dining hall serving students.鈥 Students gripe that it鈥檚 鈥渉ard to get financial help鈥 at Southern, and that the cost of tuition 鈥渁dds a whole lot of stress.鈥 鈥淲here does all my money go?鈥 wonders one undergrad. One student sums it up: Southern 鈥渋s about helping you decide what you want to do with your life career-wise, inspiring you to have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, and sucking your wallet completely dry!鈥
Student Body
鈥淓veryone is different, but we all love Jesus,鈥 says one student, whose classmates agree: Southern is 鈥渁 culturally and geographically diverse school鈥 in which 鈥淭he big majority of kids may come from different backgrounds, but our unique religious background gives us a similar history and, thus, makes us uniform.鈥 Students note approvingly that their classmates are 鈥渘ice, happy, [and] friendly.鈥 鈥淭he typical student . . . smiles and says 鈥榟i鈥 when one walks by. Most people hold the door open for others.鈥 Many students say that 鈥渢he students [who] are atypical don鈥檛 seem to have trouble fitting in because people seem generally accepting of other people.鈥
Campus Life
The Southern campus lies near the Tennessee River and the Georgia state line in a 鈥済orgeous鈥 region with manifold opportunities for 鈥渒ayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, boating, caving,鈥 鈥渟ky diving, canoeing, and camping.鈥 Nearby, 鈥渘eat, artsy鈥 Chattanooga also 鈥渕akes for a fun and easy getaway.鈥 The student body eschews drinking and partying; one undergrad says, 鈥淚 know of one student who has ever admitted using alcohol and two students who have used marijuana, but it does not seem like a general practice.鈥 Students rave about Southern鈥檚 鈥渧ery spiritual focus鈥 and 鈥渞eligiously loving . . . environment鈥 but are divided about the school鈥檚 鈥渞igid鈥 policies, which include a dress code, required worship services, and prohibitions against jewelry, dancing, and serving meat in the cafeteria. Many students believe these rules create 鈥渢he healthy good influence of a Christian lifestyle,鈥 but others complain that 鈥渇orc[ing] people to worship [at] designated times . . . makes people want to do it less.鈥
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