Working at Spelman College

Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective historically Black college that prepares women to change the world. Spelman’s holistic liberal arts education empowers women to excel intellectually, think creatively, serve wholeheartedly, act globally, and lead boldly. Located in Atlanta, Spelman College’s multifaceted, person-centered learning community creates lasting bonds of sisterhood and support. Providing an educational experience unlike any other, Spelman embraces a long-standing and life-changing commitment to academic rigor, career development, community involvement, and positive social impact.

Spelman is part of the Atlanta University Center, the largest consortium of historically Black institutions of higher learning in the world. Its partner institutions include Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Morehouse School of Medicine. Spelman shares cross-registration with its undergraduate partners. The AUC institutions also share the newly renovated Robert W. Woodruff Library.

A historic campus of 32 acres, dating back to 1883, Spelman is five minutes west of downtown Atlanta. There are 25 buildings on the lush, well-manicured campus, including a new, silver LEED- certified green residence hall, The Suites, and The Camille O. Hanks Cosby Academic Center, which houses the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art and the state-of-the-art College Archives.

As a result of its dedicated faculty and staff, Spelman College has gained an excellent national reputation and high rankings in the media’s annual college guides. The College ranks among the top 70 Best Liberal Arts Colleges, consistently ranks as a top producer of Fulbright Fellows and Teach For America candidates, and has the distinction of being the leading producer of Black females who go on to earn doctoral degrees in science and engineering.

Spelman College is also home to SpelBots, the first all-women, African-American robotics team to take part in the international RoboCup competition in 2005, long considered the Olympics of Robotics and artificial intelligence. In addition, the Women’s Research and Resource Center, the WISDOM Center and Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, as well as the College’s departments of art and drama and dance, are among the many esteemed programs that showcase the College’s strengths in the humanities, arts and service leadership.

Dedicated, talented, and well-qualified faculty members are a hallmark of Spelman College. Home to 183 full-time faculty members, Spelman boasts an 11:1 student/faculty ratio, providing students with greater opportunities to engage with professors across disciplines. The William and Camille Cosby Endowed Professorship Program, for example, supports professorships in the fine arts, humanities and the social sciences. It is a multidisciplinary initiative designed to enhance the intellectual, cultural and creative life of Spelman College and its surrounding community. Previous Cosby Chairs include former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin; award-winning author and poet Pearl Cleage, C’71; the Rev. Renita Weems; distinguished scholar and economist William Darity, Ph.D.; and Bernice Johnson Reagon, C'70, an internationally known producer, composer and recording artist, and founder of the Grammy Award-nominated a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey and the Rock.

Spelman faculty have a significant impact on the College’s mission to educate students to lead and serve their communities and the world. To this end, Spelman’s iconic representative is the Millenial professor. The College is strengthening its Faculty Development Program to be comprehensive – recruiting and retaining talented individuals who pursue creative, rigorous scholarship and course development within their disciplines and in multidisciplinary ventures. These professors will also lead the way in internationalizing the curriculum.

As part of the College’s strategic plan for 2015, Spelman’s agenda is to strengthen the academic core of the institution. Constituents such as students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumnae, trustees and community partners participate by taking specific actions called GOALS. Spelman’s faculty goals are: global engagement; ongoing professional development; advising students to prepare not only for careers but for lives of success, leadership, and service; leadership through participation in shared governance; and service learning integrated across the curriculum.

The Spelman MILE – My Integrated Learning Experience – forms the foundation of Spelman College’s strategic plan. Symbolizing a transformational journey of learning, the Spelman MILE will ensure key competencies – such as critical thinking, effective communication, quantitative reasoning, and digital literacy – that Millenial students need for personal success. Student GOALS include: global engagement, including at least one meaningful international travel experience; opportunities for undergraduate research and career-related internships; alumnae connections to strengthen our sisterly bonds early on; leadership development focused on individual potential and best practices; and service learning that pairs hands-on community engagement with coursework shared governance.

Each year, the College hosts Research Day in April, as well as Faculty Research Day in October. Both events are designed to showcase excellence in student and faculty research across academic disciplines.

For more information about Spelman, visit http://www.spelman.edu/.