Bowie State University

Bowie State University ("Bowie State") is a public university located on 355½ acres (1.4 km²) in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, north of the suburban city of Bowie. Bowie State is part of the University System of Maryland. Bowie State is Maryland's oldest historically black university^[1] and one of the ten oldest in the country.^[2] Bowie State is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

History

Bowie State University is the oldest HBCU in Maryland.^[3] It was founded in 1865 by the Baltimore Association for the Moral and Educational Improvement of Colored People as a teaching school.^[4][5] The school first used space at the African Baptist Church at Calvert Street and Sarasota Street, in Baltimore, Maryland.^[5] In 1867, a dedicated facility was purchased nearby at Sarasota Street and Courtland Street, and the school was formally named the Baltimore Normal School for Colored Teachers.^[4][6] After being reorganized in 1883 as the Baltimore Normal School, it educated African Americans to be teachers for African American students until 1908.^[5] At that time, the school became a state institution of teaching under the Maryland State Department of Education and was redesignated as a Normal School No. 3.^[4][5]

Shortly thereafter, in 1910, the school moved from its insufficient Baltimore building to the Jericho Farm, a 187-acre campus in Prince George’s County.^[4][5] About 60 students lived in the old farmhouse.^[3] The school was renamed in 1914 as the Maryland Normal and Industrial School at Bowie.^[4][5] Over the subsequent years the school’s curriculum expanded significantly: a two-year professional degree was added in 1925, a three-year program in 1931, a four-year program for elementary school teachers in 1935, a four-year program for junior high school teachers in 1951, and a four-year program for secondary school teachers in 1961.^[4] In recognition, the school was renamed in 1935 as Maryland Teachers College at Bowie.^[4] The college also offered increasing courses in the liberal arts.

In 1963, Bowie State College was officially named a liberal arts school – with additional majors in English, history, and social science – although emphasis remained on teacher education.^[4] A Master's degree in education was added in 1969.^[4]

The school was renamed Bowie State University in 1988, as a member of the University System of Maryland.^[4] In the subsequent decades, Bowie continued to reorganize and expand, especially in professional and STEM fields.^[4][5] In 1992, Bowie State became the first HBCU to expand overseas, with graduate programs for military personnel stationed abroad.^[1] By 2017, the school offered 20+ undergraduate majors and 30+ advanced degrees or certificate programs.^[4]

Academics

BSU has 22 undergraduate majors, 19 master’s programs, two doctoral programs, and 14 certificate programs in disciplines as diverse as computer science, education, human resource development, organizational communication, and nursing.^[7] In partnership with the University of Maryland University College, Bowie State University became the first historically black university to include overseas studies. It was also the first university in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in pedology. Programs include a rare doctoral degree in education leadership, a program for education administrators.^[8]

In 1995, NASA and the National Science Foundation awarded $27 million as one of only six schools in the nation declared Model Institutions for Excellence in science, engineering, and mathematics. This led to a strengthening of the already growing computer science program; in 1999, the Maryland Higher Education Commission approved the school's additional focus in computers and technology. Since then new technology related programs including visual communication and digital media arts (VCDMA), music technology and a strengthened computer science department have been added. Recently the university added concentrations in fashion design, advertising design, animation, digital filmmaking and more.

The university is home to The Maryland Center,^[9] a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 providing community services. In partnership with the federal General Services Administration, the campus hosts the Bowie State University Telecommuting Center, which has workstations and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Telecommuting Center can be used by anyone.^[10]

Bowie State University offers an honors program for academically talented and ambitious undergraduate students.^[11]

Schools and departments

College of Arts and Sciences^[12]

• Communications
• Computer Sciences
• English and Modern Languages
• Fine and Performing Arts
• History and Government
• Mathematics
• Military Science
• Natural Sciences

College of Business^[12]

• Accounting, Finance, and Economics
• Management Information Systems
• Management, Marketing, and Public Administration

College of Education^[12]

• Counseling
• Educational Leadership
• Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development

College of Professional Studies^[12]

• Behavioral Sciences and Human Services
• Nursing
• Psychology
• Social Work

Campus and facilities

Martin Luther King, Jr. Communications Art Center

The campus comprises 23 buildings with more than 988,897 square feet (92,000 m²) of space. The campus is located in Bowie, Maryland between the metropolitan areas of Baltimore (25 miles) and Washington D.C. (17 miles). An on-campus MARC Train station and Metrobus stops provide access to local transit. It is a wireless campus equipped with Wi-Fi and public computer labs across campus for student use. ^[13]

Twenty-three percent of students live on campus in seven residence halls. Cultural performances, lectures and sporting events are among the frequent on campus events. Built in 1921, the oldest building still in use is Harriet Tubman Hall. Inaugurated in Fall of 2013, the newest addition to the Bowie State University campus is the 85,000 square foot (7,900 m²) Student Union Building, which replaced the old Wiseman Center.^[14] Other recent improvements to the campus have been the construction (and opening) of the $71 million Fine & Performing Arts Center, which boasted 123,000 square feet for art, music, dance, and theater programs.^[15] The construction of the massive facility has reduced congestion within its former home, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Arts Center.

The $17.6 million School of Business and Graduate Studies building is another facility that houses the Business, Accounting, Finance, Economics, and Management Departments, among others.^[16] The campus boasts several other excellent facilities such as the campus include the Christa McAuliffe Residential Community (CMRC) apartments, the Computer Science Building, a facility serving the computer science and computer technology programs, and the $6.5 million Center for Learning Technology (CLT), serving the College of Professional Studies.

On campus, the Bowie State Satellite Operations Control Center (BSOCC) is an orbiting satellite operation and control center allowing students to gain hands-on experience in such a facility. In 2003, the center went fully operational. It is a joint venture operated by the university, the Honeywell Corporation, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.^[17]

In September 2007, the University began negotiations with Prince George's County for the transfer of 214 acres (0.87 km²) of land to the school.^[18] According to county documents, the land, valued at $1.3 million, would cost the University nothing if used "for educational uses including facilities that benefit the welfare of students and faculty in their educational experience at the University." The addition of this land would increase the size of the university by 63%. The main focus for the land is the development of additional student dorms. The land will also be used to establish several retail businesses that will cater to students and the community.^[18]

Organization

Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety (BSUDPS, BSUPD or Campus Police) is the primary law enforcement agency for the university and is charged with the protection of life and property in its 338.5 acres (1.370 km²) jurisdiction. The BSUPD is aided by the Prince George's County Police Department for major felonies and other incidents deemed appropriate by authority.

The BSUPD started its tenure as a security force at the university's conception on April 8, 1908, at the "Maryland Normal and Industrial School in Bowie" with an initial endowment of 187 acres (0.76 km²) of campus property.^[19] All officers under the authority of the BSUDPS are "vested with full police authority under provisions of Title 13, Subtitle 6, Section 13-601, Educational Article, and Annotated Code of Maryland. In addition, police officers are granted additional jurisdictional authority as prescribed in the Criminal Procedure Act, Title 2, Subtitle 1, Section 2-102."^[20]

The Department of Public Safety reports directly to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life. In addition to enforcing laws of the State of Maryland and statutes of Prince George's County, the BSUPD is charged with enforcing regulations of the University and, as such, regulations are enforced internally and handled by the Dean.^[21][22]

The current Chief of Police/Director of Public Safety is Ernest L. Waiters. As of 2008, the BSUPD has a complement of:^[23]

• Chief of Police
• 7 sworn officers
• 3 communications dispatchers
• 10 public safety aides (non-sworn security personnel)

Athletics

Official athletics logo.

Bowie State's athletes compete in the Northern Division of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, participating in the NCAA's Division II. They compete and/or train on-campus in Bulldog Stadium, the Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex, and the A.C. Jordan Arena.^[24] The Bulldogs play the following sports:^[25]

• Basketball
• Bowling
• Cross Country
• Football
• Indoor Track & Field
• Outdoor Track & Field
• Softball
• Tennis
• Volleyball

In addition, BSU sponsors athletic clubs for students at the intramural and recreational levels.^[26] The Fitness Room in the Leonidas James Physical Education Complex also has open hours for students, faculty, and staff.^[26]

Student life

Bowie State has many academic clubs, fraternities, honor societies, organizations, sororities, and student associations on-campus. The computer, education, French, and history clubs are examples of the academic clubs. The art guild, concert and marching bands, jazz and brass ensembles, and others allow students to explore the fine and performing arts.

Fraternities and sororities

National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations

• Alpha Phi Alpha
• Alpha Kappa Alpha
• Delta Sigma Theta
• Kappa Alpha Psi
• Omega Psi Phi
• Phi Beta Sigma
• Zeta Phi Beta
• Sigma Gamma Rho
• Iota Phi Theta

Social organizations

• Groove Phi Groove
• Swing Phi Swing
• Alpha Nu Omega
• Chi Eta Phi
• Kappa Kappa Psi
• Tau Beta Sigma
• Lambda Lambda Lambda

Honor societies The honor societies represented at BSU include:

• Delta Mu Delta
• Lambda Pi Eta
• Sigma Tau Delta

Media

As of 2017, Bowie State has one student newspaper: The Spectrum.^[27]

BSU-TV Channel 74 is a cable television station that broadcasts around the clock for the BSU community.^[28] The Bowie State radio station is WBSU.^[28] Both stations are operated under the aegis of the Department of Communications.^[29] They have converted from analog to digital technology.^[28]

Music

The Symphony of Soul, also known as SOS, is the name of the marching/concert/pep band at Bowie State University.^[30] Adolph E. Wright is the Director of Bands at Bowie State University, where he has successfully built the SOS from 30 members, upon his arrival at BSU in 1998, to 185 members by the fall of 2001.^[30] Under the leadership of Mr. Wright the Symphony of Soul has received rave reviews following collegiate performances, as well as when representing the University abroad. Each year, the SOS takes a trip to Montreal, Canada, to perform for the Montreal Alouettes. During the fall, students always expect the usual impromptu parade through the campus by the SOS. They were also a part of the NFL 2007-2008 season opener as they performed the National Anthem with Aretha Franklin and shared the stage with other recording artist such as Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and others.^[30] The SOS was featured in the Original Battle of the Bands held at RFK Stadium. The SOS drumline was named as one of Showtime Magazine's top ten amongst HBCU’s.

Notable alumni

• Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, attended 2004 but not graduated – rapper, stage name Wale
• Joanne C Benson, B.S. 1961 – Maryland State Delegate ^[31]
• Toni Braxton, attended but not graduated – singer, songwriter ^[32]
• Towanda Braxton – singer, songwriter, and member of the singing group The Braxtons ^[33]
• Gwendolyn T. Britt, B.S. 2004 – Maryland State Senator ^[34]
• Henry Frazier, III, B.S. 1993, M.A. 1999 – head football coach at Bowie State University, Prairie View A&M University, and North Carolina Central University ^[35]
• Delano Johnson – football player in the NFL and CFL ^[36]
• Christa McAuliffe, M.A. 1978 – Teacher-astronaut killed in Challenger space shuttle accident ^[37]
• Isaac Redman – football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers ^[38]

Notable faculty

References

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website

Colleges and universities in Maryland
Public institutions	Bowie State University Coppin State University Frostburg State University Morgan State University St. Mary's College of Maryland Salisbury University Towson University United States Naval Academy University of Baltimore University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science University of Maryland Eastern Shore University of Maryland University College University of Maryland, Baltimore University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Maryland, College Park University System of Maryland at Hagerstown Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Private institutions	Baltimore International College Capitol Technology University Goucher College Hood College Johns Hopkins University Loyola University Maryland Maryland Bible College & Seminary Maryland Institute College of Art McDaniel College Mount St. Mary's University Yeshivas Ner Yisroel Notre Dame of Maryland University St. John's College St. Mary's Seminary and University Stevenson University TESST College of Technology Washington Adventist University Washington College
Community colleges	Allegany College of Maryland Anne Arundel Community College Baltimore City Community College College of Southern Maryland Community College of Baltimore County Carroll Community College Cecil College Chesapeake College Frederick Community College Garrett College Hagerstown Community College Harford Community College Howard Community College Montgomery College Prince George's Community College Wor–Wic Community College
Defunct institutions	Asbury College Baltimore College Baltimore Hebrew University Calvert College Cokesbury College Eastern Christian College Mount Hope College Mount Saint Agnes College National Labor College National Park Seminary New Windsor College Newton University Sojourner–Douglass College St. Charles College Saint Joseph College Washington University Woodstock College

Coordinates: 39°01′18″N 76°45′25″W / 39.02158°N 76.75684°W / 39.02158; -76.75684