visitsouth
Photo courtesy Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
A prospective student's mom snaps a photo of the statue of A&M founder William Hooper Councill.

A prospective student's mom snaps a photo of the statue of A&M founder William Hooper Councill.

Photo by Tiffani Hill-Patterson

Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL

At A&M, it's about getting students in, then getting them out into the world

by Tiffani Hill-Patterson | March 01, 2010

2 Comments

I took a step back in time and joined a family from Atlanta on a tour of the Alabama A&M University campus led by Admissions Counselor Morris Hall. It’s a good thing I wore comfy shoes because the campus, known as The Hill, is huge, covering more than 2,000 rolling acres. Thank goodness for the Bulldog Transit System.

The BTS, an on-campus bus system, revs up at 7:30 a.m. and runs until 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, giving students a lift across the sprawling campus. The buses park for the night at 6 p.m. on Fridays after taking students to Madison Square Mall, Walmart and Target to stock up on essentials.

The university, one of 17 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, was founded by former slave William Hooper Councill in 1875. Originally called the Huntsville Normal School, the college was first located in downtown Huntsville. Today, Hall explained, the campus is located at the site where Councill was once sold as a slave.

As one of only two land grant schools in the state (Auburn is the other), A&M offers traditional liberal arts courses but also features some of the finest agriculture, industrial and research programs in the country. The university offers four doctorate degrees: Food Science, Physics, Plant and Soil Science, and Reading/Literacy. A&M was also the first school to send an experiment into space, Hall tells us.

As we trekked toward the bus stop across The Quad, a large grassy area on the east side of campus where many student activities take place, we saw pink and green bows adorning the trees in honor of Alpha Kappa Alpha week. Hall said students also gather for special events on The Block, an area behind the University Bookstore marked by colorful stones that identify the school's sororities and fraternities.

Student housing is plentiful on campus, ranging from high-rise dorms to three-bedroom apartments. Computer labs are available in most classroom buildings, Hall said, as well as in the student activities center, which also features a salon and barbershop. All-you-can-eat meals are served at two cafeterias on campus, and snack bars and a Quizno’s and Edy’s Ice Cream shop are available for in-between meals. A new wellness center currently under construction will have an indoor pool, track, bowling alley and weight room. And if mom wants to send a care package, a United States Post Office is located on campus, too.

Alabama A&M also has an outstanding athletic program with teams competing in football, basketball, softball, baseball, soccer, golf, track and field, tennis, bowling, cross country and volleyball in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

As Hall told the prospective student just before the tour started, "The key is to get you in ... and out. It's up to you to take what the world has to offer."


4900 Meridian Street
Normal, AL 35762
Campus operator: 256-372-5000
Undergraduate Admissions: 256-372-5245
Graduate Admissions: 256-372-5266

Featured In:


Tiffani Hill-Patterson's photo

Meet the Huntsville Insider

Tiffani Hill-Patterson

Huntsville writer Tiffani Hill-Patterson’s work has appeared in publications such as Parenting, Game On, Volta Voices,… more





huntsville alabama, huntsville attractions, huntsville al, Alabama A&M University, William Hooper Councill, The Hill, normal al, The Quad, Southwestern Athletic Conference, SWAC, Bulldog Transit, HBCU, Huntsville Normal School, Quizno's

2 Comments

Melonie Johnson-Readus

March 12, 2010 - 1:32 pm

I agree with this article as I attended Alabama A&M University from the year of 1996 through 2000 and can attest to the fact that A&M makes sure that their students get the most out of their education. I was involved in the Marching Band and other activities on campus and was able to get in get my education and get out to seek out the world. A. M. A. M. U !! ALL the way!

Tiffani Hill-Patterson

March 12, 2010 - 1:36 pm

Melonie,

Thanks for reading and commenting. I’m glad to know that I captured the spirit of A&M in my article. Go, Dogs!



Post a comment:

Name: (Required)

Email: (Required) - Your e-mail address will never be published.

URL:

Please type in the word from the image below: (Required)


Comment: (Required)

Remember me

Send follow up comments to your email?

UA-11360952-8