Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

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Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Established: 1839
Type: Public
President: David L. Soltz, Ph.D.
Staff: 412 (total full-time and part-time)
Undergraduates: 7,783
Postgraduates: 787
Location: Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Campus: Rural
Mascot: Huskies
Affiliations: NCAA D-II; PSAC Keystone Library Network
Website: [1]

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, commonly referred to as Bloomsburg, BU, or Bloom is a public university located in Pennsylvania's only incorporated town, Bloomsburg. [1] [2] It is one of the 14 state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

Bloomsburg University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS).

Contents

History

 This section is written like a personal reflection or essay and may require cleanup.
Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (December 2007)

The acknowledged forerunner of what is today Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania was established in Bloomsburg in 1839 as an academy "to teach youth the elements of a classical education."

The academy continued with varied fortunes until 1856 when a charter was prepared and stock issued to organize the Bloomsburg Literary Institute. It too fell on hard times until reopening on April 9, 1866 under the leadership of Professor Henry Carver, offering primarily college-preparatory courses. The following year the building he designed and built at a cost of $15,000 was opened as Institute Hall, later named Carver Hall in his memory and considered today the University’s best-known landmark.

Largely through the efforts of J. P. Wickersham, Superintendent of Public Instruction, the institute became chartered as a normal school for teacher education in 1869 under the name the Bloomsburg Literary Institute and State Normal School. The school continued to offer both teacher education and college-preparatory courses under this organization until 1916 when it was purchased by the Commonwealth and renamed the Bloomsburg State Normal School.

During the 1920s the emphasis at the Normal School changed to full-time teacher education. In June of 1926 it was authorized to grant a Bachelor of Science degree in Education for teachers in the elementary and secondary schools, and in May 1927 the institution’s name officially became the Bloomsburg State Teachers College.

Under the administration of President Francis B. Haas (1927-1939), new degree programs were initiated in business and special education, and the campus expanded in both size and number of facilities.[3]

Upon the appointment of Dr. Haas as State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1939 Harvey A. Andruss, then Dean of Instruction and former Director of Business Education, was appointed president, a position he held until his retirement in 1969. Andruss was instrumental in the college hosting naval training programs during World War II.[4] The building they were given to use became known as Navy Hall, which after the war held first business education and then special education, which still resides in the newly remodeled structure.

In 1960 the school’s name changed to Bloomsburg State College. Soon after authorization was received to grant the Bachelor of Arts degree for liberal arts programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences/mathematics. Graduate study leading to the master of education degree was also inaugurated, with the first graduate in May, 1963.

Major expansion in facilities, faculty, and the student body followed in the 1960s and 1970s, as full-time undergraduate enrollment rose from 1,737 in 1960 to 4,940 by 1980. During this time seventeen new buildings were constructed and athletic facilities placed on the upper campus. The graduate programs also expanded as in 1968 approval was received for the Master of Arts degree, in 1976 for the master of business administration, and in 1982 for the Master of Science in nursing.

Commonwealth legislation created the State System of Higher Education on July 1, 1983, and the institution became Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Two doctoral programs were added, one in elementary education begun in 1982 and the second in audiology in 2003, with the first graduates of the latter program receiving their degrees in May of 2006.

The campus continued to grow with the addition of the McCormick Human Services Center in 1984, the Montgomery Place Apartments and Monty’s restaurant on the upper campus in 1989 and 1990 respectively, the Student Recreation Center in 1995, the new Andruss Library in 1998 and the Mt. Olympus Apartments in 2001. Since 1990 a number of existing buildings have also been remodeled, rebuilt or had additions added to them in order to create more modern facilities, and the campus has grown to a total of 280 acres.

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania continues to be a strong, multi-mission institution offering curricula in the liberal arts, business, nursing, allied health sciences, and teacher education, with degree programs at the associate, baccalaureate, and master’s level in addition to the two doctoral programs. Full-time undergraduate and graduate enrollment reached a record total of over 8,000 students in the fall of 2007.

Programs

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is most academically noted for its education programs, such as Elementary & Secondary Education and Audiology & Speech Pathology. As of 2004, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania offers 58 undergraduate programs and 16 graduate programs and a doctorate in audiology program, described in the university's academic catalog[2]. The university also has two ROTC programs. They are Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Army ROTC.

Faculty

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania currently employs approximately 400 professors, roughly 85% of whom hold Ph.D. degrees. Likewise, classes are never taught by graduate students. The student-to-faculty ratio is roughly 20 to 1.

Students

There are 8723 students enrolled at the university (7877 undergraduates, 846 graduates), which represents a more than 100% increase over the past 20 years. A majority of the students live off-campus within the town limits, with a similar number of students who commute. About 85 % of the students are Caucasian and 15% are of other heritage. The ratio of women to men is 60:40.

Academically, students are slightly above average, with median SAT scores of 1070. Most incoming freshman are within the upper 25% of their graduating high school class.

The annual average tuition for a student at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2004 was about $10,000. Approximately 70% of the students receive at least some form of financial aid.

Residence Halls

Luzerne Hall, Lycoming Hall, Northumberland Hall, Columbia Hall, Montour Hall, Schuykill Hall, Elwell Hall

Apartment Living

Freshman must live on campus in the residence halls for their first year. After that, apartment rentals are available in the Montgomery Place Apartments, Mt. Olympus Apartments, or the Kile Apartment Complex. A new apartment complex will open in the Fall of 2009.

Extracurriculars

There are more than 20 fraternities and sororities, in which about 10% of the student population participate. The school also hosts several political clubs, including College Republicans, University Democrats, Democracy Matters and the Political Science Organization.

Athletic logo for Bloomsburg
Athletic logo for Bloomsburg

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania has an extensive sports program which features three-peat NCAA Division II Championships from the field hockey team, as well as 2000's NCAA Division II runner-up in football. The school competes at NCAA Division I level in wrestling.

The university also includes a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline honor society.

The student newspaper, BU Voice, college radio station, WBUQ (91.1 FM), & BloomUtoday.com serve the campus's media needs.

Alumni

Prominent alumni of Bloomsburg University include:

References

  1. ^ The Pennsylvania Manual 117
  2. ^ Pennsylvania Local Government Fact Sheet, 2005
  3. ^ Dr. Francis B. Haas
  4. ^ Dr. Harvey A. Andruss

External links

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Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
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Eastern Wrestling League
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Public universities in Pennsylvania