History

Judson's heritage is one of dreams, triumphs, and faith. Established in 1838 by members of Siloam Baptist Church of Marion, Alabama, Judson College continues to honor her commitment to Christian higher education for women.

The Judson Female Institute, named for Anne Hasseltine Judson, the first American woman to serve as a foreign missionary, opened January 7, 1839. A four-story, Greek Revival style building was erected by 1840. In January of 1841, The Judson was incorporated by the Alabama General Assembly. In 1903, the school officially became known as Judson College.

Judson students enjoy the unique traditions and character of the past while preparing for the challenges of an ever-changing world. Faculty and staff strive to help each student achieve her dreams through the development of mind and soul.

Throughout her history, Judson has educated women in the humanities, social sciences, natural and physical sciences, education, and fine arts. Graduates of the College have achieved success in concert halls, graduate educational institutions, homemaking and community service, hospitals, social services, scientific research facilities, law offices, corporations, government service, education and church-related vocations.

Now that we are in the 21st century, Judson remains committed to her mission of Christian higher education. By investing in technology, continuously improving academic programs, and renovating and restoring the historic campus, Judson College assures the relevance of her mission and service.

Vision Statement

The twenty-first century marks the beginning of Judson's third century of service. We must consider all that is behind us a preamble to our future. We will endeavor to become the finest Christian liberal arts college for women in America. Our twenty-first century students must be academically prepared for life and learning, always ready to exemplify the life and teachings of Christ.

Mission Statement

Judson College, a private, undergraduate institution of liberal learning and professional study related to the Alabama Baptist State Convention, offers distinguished student centered academic programs in a residential single gender setting and through distance education to both genders. As a caring collegiate community, Judson College is dedicated to maturing its students into well adjusted and productive citizens through the transmission of knowledge, refinement of intellect, the nurturing of faith, and the development of character. Resulting from these efforts, Judson graduates will:

• Know general information common to the educated public and detailed information of an academic discipline;
• Do critical thinking and effective communicating;
• Be persons of enduring faith and character who are eager to serve and to lead.

Statement of Core Values

Judson College is a purposeful, caring community of students and employees who live, work, and learn together, and who are united by faith in God and adherence to Christian traditions. Based upon the character and teaching of Christ, the Judson community commits itself to "Principles of Light and Truth" that frame our common concerns and core values. Acceptance of these values is a pledge to exercise them consistently in our treatment of others, and to expect to be treated in kind.

As a Christian, liberal arts institution for women, Judson College seeks to adhere to convictions best exemplified in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

As a Christian community, the College embraces:

• faith in God, adherence to Christian traditions, commitment to the ministry and mission of the Christian church;
• the infinite worth of persons and the development of the full potential of each person at every stage in life, and "love of neighbor as one's self;"
• the lifelong pursuit of knowledge and understanding;
• the making of ethical choices based on the life of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Bible, the well-being of others, and an informed conscience;
• openness, truthfulness, justice, and fairness to all people regardless of gender, ethnic origin, age, and level of ability; and respect for opinions, convictions and beliefs different from our own;
• the aspiration for personal achievement, economic self-sufficiency, and public usefulness;
• a work ethic characterized by diligence, honesty, stewardship, and a sincere effort to do one's best;
• service to community and constituency, within the College and the wider society.

Accreditation and Memberships

Accreditation

Judson College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097: Telephone number 404-679-4500) to award baccalaureate degrees.

The College's undergraduate teacher education programs are approved by the Department of Education of the State of Alabama (5215 Gordon Persons Building, P.O. Box 302101, Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2101).

The College's music program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, Virginia 20190-5248).

Memberships

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
Alabama AHEAD
Alabama Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Alabama Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
Alabama Association for Institutional Research 
Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Alabama Field Directors Forum
Alabama Poverty Project
Alabama Reading Association
American Chemical Society 
American Riding Instructors Association
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
Association for Childhood Education International
Association of Christian Librarians
Association of Librarians and Archivists of Baptist Institutions
Business Council of Alabama 
CASE
Christian Library Consortium
Consortium for Global Education 
C.O.P.E.
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Institutional Research and Evaluation
Intercollegiate Horse Show Association
International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities
Mathematics Association of America
National Association for College Admission Counseling 
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Schools of Music 
North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professinals
North American Riding for the Handicapped Association
Perry County Chamber of Commerce
Sigma Xi
Southern Association of College and Schools
Southern Association of College and University Business Officers
Southern Association of Institutional Research 
The Tuition Exchange
United States Collegiate Athletic Association
Women's College Coalition

Assessment

Judson College reviews and evaluates academic programs by measuring student achievement and attitudes. For this purpose, students may be required to take one or more tests designed to measure achievement in the major, general education, or other areas. Performance on these tests will not be used to determine eligibility for graduation. Results of these tests remain confidential and are used for improvement of the College and its programs.

In addition, students are expected to complete surveys and/or questionnaires. These may be administered at intervals during enrollment, prior to graduation, or several years after graduation. The purpose of these surveys is to obtain student perspectives about aspects of the College, its programs, and its services.

Faculty

The Judson faculty represents a wealth of knowledge gained through academic studies and experiences at fifty-two nationally and internationally acclaimed institutions. The rapport afforded by small classes and the faculty's commitment to the individual student secures for Judson graduates an excellent foundation for achieving life's goals.

Bowling Library

Bowling Library, named for the late Dean Robert Bowling, is the center of instructional activities of the College. Constructed in 1963, the building has three floors. The library houses more than 70,000 items including books, newspapers, periodicals, music scores, audio-visual materials, equipment, and archival materials and collections.

The library's online catalog may be accessed via the Internet from on and off campus.  http://judson1.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/.

The main floor of the library houses most of the non-circulating collection including reference materials, microfilm, current periodicals. About one-third of the circulation collection are located on the ground floor. The Circulation Desk and Reserves Section occupy the center of the main floor. There are five computer workstations on the main floor. These workstations provide access to the Internet and the campus network.

Music scores and books related to music, audio-visual materials, books related to education, and juvenile books are housed on the ground floor. There are also two classrooms and one listening room located on the ground floor. 

Most of the circulating book collection is located on the second floor. The Archives of the College and special collections are also located on the second floor. The Riddle Alcove holds the collection from the office of former President, Dr. John Ingle Riddle.  

The library provides access to over fifty online periodical databases covering a wide range of subjects including databases specifically related to art, business, education, humanities, literature, music, science and social sciences. These databases contain article abstracts and full-text articles from over twenty thousand journals and magazines and from over one thousand newspapers. Access to the Alabama Virtual Library, Literature Criticism Online (Contemporary Literary Criticism, Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, and Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism containing more than 725 volumes), the Oxford English Dictionary Online, Oxford Music Online (Oxford Companion to Music, Oxford Dictionary of Music, New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and New Grove Dictionary of Jazz), and the Classical Music Library (over 50,000 classical recordings) is also provided by the library. In addition, the library provides access to ACLS Humanities E-Books, CredoReference, Gale Virtual Reference Library, NetLibrary, Opposing Viewpoints Reference Center, and Oxford Reference Online Premium with over 24,000 books available. These resources are available to students, faculty, staff, and administrators on and off campus.

The library staff offers orientation sessions to incoming students and bibliographic instruction to various classes. Students may receive personal help with reference questions. Interlibrary loan services are also available to Judson students and personnel.

The facilities and services of the library are available to the students, faculty, staff and administrators of the college. Additionally, the facilities and most services are available to members of the local community. Reciprocal agreements allow Judson students and personnel to use the University of Alabama libraries in Tuscaloosa and the Samford University libraries in Birmingham.

Special Endowment Funds

In keeping with the Judson tradition of pursuing academic excellence, loyal supporters have endowed professorships and academic support to various programs.

The Leslie R. Armstrong Chair of Applied Science. Named in honor of Colonel Armstrong, inventor, philanthropist, Christian gentleman and steadfast friend of the college.

The John Calvin Faulkner Professorship of Religious Studies. Endowed through wills and bequests of colleagues and the estates of Mr. J. C. and Mrs. Bonnie F. Faulkner.

The Lula and Alton Holley Endowment Fund. Endowed by the children of Lula and Alton Holley and named in their honor, the funds will  be used for an annual award for excellency in classroom teaching.

The Katherine McIntosh Newell Professorship of English and The Neal C. Newell Professorship of Pre-Law. Established by the Judson Board of Trustees in recognition of the leadership and generosity of the Newell family.

The Martha and Dorothy Myers Fund for Faculty Development. Endowed by Dr. Ira L. Myers in memory of his wife, Dorothy, and his daughter, Martha.

The Dorothy M. Pryor Fund for Faculty Development.  Endowed by Dr. Dorothy M. Pryor, Class of 1951 

The Harold and Anna Speir Concert and Lecture Series Endowment Fund. Endowed by Mr. and Mrs. Harold H. Speir, the fund will foster the cultural development of students by exposure to distinguished artists and lecturers.

The Mary Gibson Thompson Faculty Award.  Endowed by the family of Mary Gibson Thompson and named in her honor, the fund is used to award outstanding teaching by Judson faculty.