User:Steventity/Sandbox:RSU

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Rogers State University
Motto: Tradition Innovation Excellence
Established: 1909
Type: Public
Endowment: $6,700,000[1]
President: Dr. Joe A. Wiley
Provost: Bill R. Beierschmitt
Dean: Dr. Michael Turner
OU Board of Regents: Paul D. Austin, Chairman
Students: 4,039[2]
Location: Claremore, Oklahoma, USA
Campus: Suburban
Colors: Blue and Crimson
Mascot: Hillcats
Affiliations: Sooner Athletic Conference
Website: www.rsu.edu
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Rogers State University, also known as RSU, is a public, co-educational university with its main campus in Claremore, and full service campuses in Bartlesville, and Pryor Creek. Since it began offering bachelor's degrees in 2000, it has outpaced the growth of all other public universities in the Oklahoma. It currently has a total enrollment of over 4,000 students in programs at its three campuses and in its distance learning programs.


Contents

[edit] History

The institution that is now RSU has gone through several stages in its existence, from its foundation as a state sponsored preparatory school, to its transition to a military academy, and finally, to its current incarnation as a four year university.

It has its roots in the Eastern University Preparatory School, which was founded in 1909. During the construction of the famous "Preparatory Hall", Eastern University Preparatory School held its classes in the old Claremont building until 1911. The institution was closed in 1917.

In 1919 it was restarted as the Oklahoma Military Academy (OMA), to meet the growing educational and training needs of the United States Armed Forces, and from 1923 to 1971 it offered secondary and collegiate education. Thousands graduated from OMA, and over 100 gave their lives serving their country during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

In 1971, the Oklahoma Legislature replaced the OMA with an institution to grant two year associate degrees to the public known as Claremore Junior College. In 1982, it became Rogers State College. In 1996, Rogers State College and the University Center at Tulsa (UCAT) merged to form Rogers University, with campuses in Claremore and Tulsa, which operated for two years before being separated by the Oklahoma Legislature. The part that had been Rogers State College became a member of the OU Board of Regents, and was re-christened Rogers State University. RSU was given permission to seek accreditation as a four year, bachelor degree granting university. In 2000, RSU became the institution it is today, a public four year, residential university. On August 16, 2006, Rogers State's Stratton Taylor library was named a Federal depository library, the 20th in the state of Oklahoma.

[edit] Academics

RSU currently offers bachelor's degrees in 9 areas: Applied Technology, Biology, Business Administration, Business Information Technology, Communications, Game Development, Justice Administration, Liberal Arts, and Social Science.[3] Beginning in spring 2007, RSU will add a tenth area and offer a BFA in Visual Arts with concentrations including studio arts, graphic design and multimedia.[4] RSU will also offer a degree in Organizational Management, beginning in March 2007.[5] In fall 2007, RSU will add bachelors in Sports Management, Community Counseling and Nursing.[6][7][8]

In conjunction with Cameron University, RSU also offers a "2+2" program in Elementary Education, in which students can earn an associate's degree in elementary education from RSU and then trasition to the final two years of a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Cameron, with all classes taught at RSU's campus in Claremore.

RSU also offers associate's degrees in almost 20 areas, which include Nursing, Accounting, Police Science, and Computer science.

RSU is a pioneer in online and distance learning through eCollege and compressed video courses. Three bachelor's degrees, in Applied Technology, Business Information Technology, and Liberal Arts, and 4 associate's degrees are available completely online. RSU also has a radio station and the only university operated, full power public television station in Oklahoma. These facilities on the Claremore campus allow students to gain real-world experience in media and communications during their studies.

[edit] Student life

[edit] Residential life

Walker Dorm on the left, Adams Dorm on the right, Honors Dorm in front of both (with clock on top).
Walker Dorm on the left, Adams Dorm on the right, Honors Dorm in front of both (with clock on top).

Oklahoma requires, with few exceptions, that all freshmen live in one of the six residence halls.[1] Three of these building are towers (12 stories each): Adams Center, Walker Center, and Couch Center; the other two are quads with Cate Center being the primary quad and Cross Center being a spillover location.[2] The final building is the Academic Arts Community.[3] The Academic Arts Community, more commonly referred to as Cate 5 or Honors, is located directly above the honors college, David L. Boren Hall. Although it is commonly believed that this dorm caters only to honors students, a large proportion of non-honors students comprise the community. The three towers are all located around each other with the Couch Cafeteria completing the residence community. Couch Cafeteria is composed of several different themed restaurants that serves a wide variety of food each day.[4] Located in between Adams and Walker Centers is the Adams/Walker Mall, a field roughly the size of a football field. This are includes a basketball court and an open grass are that hosts musical events and other student-related activities. As of Fall 2005, over 3,400 students lived in one of these residence halls. Each residence hall has its own RSA (Resident Student Association) office, as well as its own computer lab and laundry facilities. By 2010, all residential halls will be completely renovated and upgraded.[5]

The university owns several apartment complexes around the campus. Some of these apartments were old and dilapidated, and the university has taken the strides to resolve this issue. Two brand new complexes owned by the university opened in recent years; OU Traditions Square East in 2005 and OU Traditions Square West in 2006.[6] One older complex, Kraettli apartments, still has residents (mainly families and law students[7]), while another, Parkview Apartments, were recently demolished.[8]

Due to the lower cost of living in Oklahoma, many students find it financially viable to live off campus in either apartments or houses. Over the last several years, Norman has seen a boom in apartment development. Since 2002, four new apartment or condominium complexes (not including the OU-owned properties) have been built[9] in addition to a booming housing market that is resulting in Norman spreading further east. Many students commute from nearby Moore and Oklahoma City.

[edit] Student organizations, activities, and media

The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band
The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band

There are over 350 student organizations at Oklahoma.[10] Focuses of these organizations range from ethnic to political, religious to special interests. For example, the College Republicans at OU has over 1,800 members,[11] nearly 10% of the Norman campus undergraduate population. In addition, OU has around 20 organizations related to Christian ideals.[12]

The student union provides a place for students to relax, sleep, study, watch television, or socialize. The student union is home to the Union Programming Board which provides diverse activities and programs in the Union. These programs can include movies, bands, dances, give-aways, and other activities. Intramural sports are a popular activity on campus with over 35 different sports available.[13] A large intramural field where many outdoor events take place is located just one block east of the dorms.

The Pride of Oklahoma is the university's marching band. The Pride celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004 and consists of 311 student musicians and dancers from 19 states. Students wishing to enter the band must go through a rigorous audition process. The band plays at every home football game. A smaller "pep-band," which usually consists of 100 members, travels to every away football game. The full band makes trips to the AT&T Red River Rivalry game against The University of Texas, Big 12 Championship Game, and the bowl game. In some circumstances, the full band may travel if a game is of importance. Members of the band are also present for many student events. It is often noted as one of the best college marching bands, as it won the Sudler Trophy in 1987.[14]

  • DONE* RSU's radio station, KRSC, is broadcast on 91.3 FM and over the Internet. It began in 1980 as a 10 watt station, and is now 3000 watts, reaching an audience of over 1.2 million in notheastern Oklahoma. The station's programming consists mainly of indie rock and pop, with specialty rock, blues, jazz and Celtic music. KRSC also provides coverage of area high school sporting events through the Rogers County Sports Radio. The station is staffed by students, faculty and area media personalities such as Oklahoma broadcasting and promotions legend Davit Souders. Souders hosts The Local Flavors Show, a weekly program on KRSC-FM, RSU's radio station, featuring independent music from the region. KRSC broadcasts from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. It is an associate member of the public radio satellite system and the Oklahoma News Network. The facilities are located in Markham Hall. *DONE*

The campus TV station, TV4OU, features student produced programming five nights a week and is available on local cable (COX Ch. 4). "OU Nightly" is the live, student newscast which airs weeknights at 4:30 and 9:30. "The Sports Package" is a live sports program, which airs live Monday nights at 5:00 and throughout the week. Both programs were recently named #1 college programs in their respective categories. [15] The Wire and TV4OU are programmed through Oklahoma's Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Oklahoma's Department of Continuing Education operates KROU and KGOU, a public radio station broadcasting on 106.3 FM. KGOU is affiliated with NPR. The campus newspaper is The Oklahoma Daily produced daily during the fall and spring semesters and weekly during the summer semester.[16]

Oklahoma has a strong social fraternity and sorority presence. Many fraternities and sororities are only a couple decades younger than the university itself with the first fraternity chapter being established in 1905. Currently there are 40 national fraternities and sororities on campus. Governing these 40 Greek chapters are four governing bodies: Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and the Latino Greek Council. In 2005, the average GPA for the Panhellenic Association was 3.30.[17]

[edit] Campus

[edit] Claremore

The main campus of RSU includes two identical dormitories for student housing, Downs Hall and Ledbetter Hall, in addition to the RSU Student Apartments, which consist of four-bedroom suites with living rooms and kitchens. The majority of RSU's athletic facilities are also located on the main campus. Bushyhead Field House houses a fitness center and the basketball court, and Soldier’s Field stadium seats 1,500 and includes a press box. The Conservation Education Reserve is a 120-acre reserve adjacent to the RSU campus. It is a joint educational project by RSU and the Rogers County Conservation District, under the guidance of the Department of Wildlife and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. The founding funding for the reserve was donated by The Texaco Foundation. The reserve contains a wetlands walkway, a view tower, an amphitheater, a dock, an obstacle course, water study labs, a backyard habitat and butterfly garden, and various pathways that contain educational opportunities and materials.

Foundation Alumni Center – Dedicated in 1983, this 2,700 square-foot building is headquarters for the Development Office, the Rogers State University Foundation, the Oklahoma Military Academy Alumni Association, and the Rogers State University Alumni Association. Private funds were raised to construct the building.

Innovation Center –The Innovation Center promotes economic development in the region by providing education and training to business and industry. A new $1 million, 7,000 - square-foot center provides incubator space for entrepreneurial companies.

Markham Hall – This facility houses the studios for RSU-TV and RSU Radio, business offices, and is a one-stop center for advisement, enrollment, financial aid, counseling, and other student services. The building is named for Major General Baird H. Markham, commanding general of the 45th Division and a former member of the Board of Regents of the University. The building was completely renovated in 2002.

Meyer Hall – Named in honor of Maurice Meyer, the first Oklahoma soldier to fall in World War I, this building has been remodeled to house the Oklahoma Military Academy Museum, and offices for the president and other members of the administrative staff. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Pershing Hall – The RSU Post Office, University Printing Services, and Janitorial Services are located in this building.

Preparatory Hall – This domed structure featuring a gold dome, was built in 1910, and is the oldest building on campus. This building contains the office of Academic Computing Services and the School of Liberal Arts.

RSU Child Development Center – This structure formerly housed the infirmary for Oklahoma Military Academy and is now a childcare and preschool center for children of students, staff, and faculty, as well as the general public.

RSU Radio – Located in Markham Hall, KRSC-91.3 FM, known as RSU Radio, is a public radio station licensed to Rogers State University. The station was first established in 1980 as a 10-watt station. Effective power has been increased to 3,000 watts reaching a potential audience of 1.2 million in northeastern Oklahoma. Listeners can enjoy a significant mix of free–form pop alternative music with specialty shows on rock, blues, jazz, and Celtic music. 91.3 FM also is known as "Rogers County Sports Radio" with comprehensive coverage of area high school football, basketball, baseball, and girl's softball. RSU Radio is an associate member of the public radio satellite system and the Oklahoma News Network. The station is a "hands on" teaching facility of the RSU communications program. The station broadcasts Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. and Sunday 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

RSU-TV – Located in Markham Hall, KRSC-TV is a public educational television station licensed to Rogers State University. It is the only full-power, over-the-air broadcast television station licensed to a college or university in Oklahoma. The station began operation in 1987 as a 300,000-watt station. In 1992, a new 850-foot tower/transmitter was constructed increasing transmitting power to 2.75 million watts. KRSC-TV reaches a broadcast audience of 1.2 million viewers in northeastern Oklahoma and southern Kansas via UHF Channel 35 and 70 cable systems. The station produces and broadcasts a significant volume of college-level telecourses, “live” interactive distance learning programming, and developmental courses from three specially equipped broadcast classrooms on campus. Additional programming, local production, and special interest features round out the lineup. RSU-TV is recognized annually for being one of the top public stations nationally in regard to volume of local production. The station is a student training facility for the RSU communications program. The station broadcasts Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to midnight.

Sculpture Lab – Constructed in 2004, the Sculpture Lab provides equipment and facilities to support students and faculty working with ceramics, pottery, and other sculptural processes.

Stratton Taylor Library – The new $4 million Stratton Taylor Library, located in the heart of RSU’s Claremore campus, houses the university’s expanding library holdings and services. The library collection, located on the second and third floors, provides students with computer use areas, study spaces, reading rooms, meeting rooms, a classroom, and a coffee bar. The first floor of the building contains classrooms and offices. The state-of-the-art facility is the focal point of the Claremore campus and a center for learning and research for students and faculty alike. Completed in 2004, the library is named for Sen. Stratton Taylor, President Pro Tempore Emeritus of the Oklahoma Senate and Distinguished Alumnus of RSU.

Student Services Center – Construction will begin Fall 2006 on the new RSU Student Services Center - a two level, 50,000-square-foot facility that will combine student development programs under one roof, serve as a central location for students to study and socialize, and provide a focal point for the Claremore campus.

Student Union Building – The Student Union Building is home to the Rogers State University Bookstore, RSU Cafe, and the Student Affairs Office.

Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium – A 580-seat facility equipped for all types of productions, available to the public for a minimal charge. Please contact the Office of Administrative Services at (918) 343-7733 for more information.

[edit] Athletics

The school's sports teams are referred to as the Hillcats, a mascot chosen in 2005. The school participates in the NAIA's region six, and is an associate member of the Sooner Athletic Conference. The University currently fields teams in softball and baseball, and will begin men's and women's teams in both basketball and soccer in fall 2007. RSU also has a competitive rodeo team that is a member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. It has plans to add other sports, including golf.

The University's current athletic director and head men's basketball coach is Wren Baker. The senior women’s athletic department administrator and head softball coach is Dawn Reed.

[edit] Miscellany

  • The university is named after the county the main campus is located in, Rogers County, Oklahoma[9]. Rogers County is in turn named in honor of Clement Vann Rogers[10], not, as commonly thought, Clem's son, Will Rogers.
  • Oklahoma Broadcasting and Promotions legend Davit Souders hosts The Local Flavors Show, a weekly program on KRSC-FM, RSU's radio station, featuring independent music from the region.

[edit] References

[edit] External links