10 Interesting Facts about USC

One of these following facts about USC might be one of the most important information you need if you want to continue your study into college. USC, or as you know as University of Southern California, is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university which was founded in 1880 with its main campus in Los Angeles, California.  As California’s oldest private research university,USC has historically educated a large number of the region’s business leaders and professionals. In recent decades, the university has also leveraged its location in Los Angeles to establish relationships with research and cultural institutions throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim. To get to know more about this university, here are some facts about USC you might be interested in.

Facts about USC 1: Enrollment

For the 2012-2013 academic year, there were 18,316 students enrolled in four-year undergraduate programs. USC is also home to 21,642 graduate and professional students in a number of different programs, including business, law, social work, and medicine. The university has a “very high” level of research activity and received $560.9 million in sponsored research from 2009 to 2010.

Facts about USC 2: National Collegiate Athletic Assocication

USC sponsors a variety of intercollegiate sports and competes in the National Collegiate Athlectic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Members of the sports teams, the Trojans, have won 99 NCAA team championships, ranking them third in the nation, and 361 NCAA individual championships, ranking them second in the nation.

Facts about USC 3: History

The University of Southern California was founded following the efforts of Judge Robert M. Widney, who helped secure donations from several figures in early Los Angeles history: a Protestant nurseryman, Ozro Childs, an Irish Catholic former-Governor, John Gately Downey, and a German Jewish banker, Isaias W. Hellman. The three donated 308 lots of land to establish the campus and provided the necessary seed money for the construction of the first buildings.

Facts about USC 4: Campus

The University Park campus is in the University Park district of Los Angeles, 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Downtown Los Angeles. The campus’ boundaries are Jefferson Boulevard on the north and northeast, Figueroa Street on the southeast, Exposition Boulevard on the south, and Vermont Avenue on the west.

Facts about USC 5: Other Campuses

Besides its main campus at University Park, USC also operates the Health Sciences Campus about 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of downtown. In addition, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is staffed by USC faculty from the Keck School of Medicine and is often referred to as USC’s third campus. USC also operates an Orange County center in Irvine for business, pharmacy, social work and education.

Facts about USC 6: Former Agricultural College Campus

Chaffey College was founded in 1883 in the city of Ontario, California, as an agricultural college branch campus of USC under the name of Chaffey College of Agriculture of the University of Southern California. USC ran the Chaffey College of Agriculture until financial troubles closed the school in 1901. In 1906, the school was reopened by municipal and regional government and officially separated from USC. Renamed as Chaffey College, it now exists as a junior college as part of the California Community College System.

Facts about USC 7: Organization and Administration

USC is a private corporation controlled by a Board of Trustees composed of 50 voting members and several life trustees, honorary trustees, and trustees emeriti who do not vote. Voting members of the Board of Trustees are elected for five-year terms. One fifth of the Trustees stand for re-election each year, and votes are cast only by the trustees not standing for election.

Facts about USC 8: Student Government

The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) makes decisions representing the undergraduate students of the university. It consists of an appointed executive leadership board, popularly elected legislative branch, and judicial oversight, along with a programming board. All USG activities are funded by the student activity fee, which the Treasurer has control over setting and that the Senate approves.

Facts about USC 9: Department of Public Safety

USC’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) is one of the largest university law enforcement agencies in the nation. The Department of Public Safety headquarters is located on the University Park campus, and there is a substation on the Health Sciences campus. The department operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The authorized strength of the department is 293 full-time members.

Facts about USC 10: Academics

The four-year, full-time undergraduate instructional program is classified as “balanced arts & sciences/professions” with a high graduate coexistence. Admissions are characterized as “most selective, lower transfer in”; 95 undergraduate majors and 147 academic and professional minors are offered.The graduate program is classified as “comprehensive” and offers 134 master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees through 17 professional schools.

Hope you would find those USC facts really interesting and useful for your additional reading.