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Indiana University of Pennsylvania

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Indiana University of Pennsylvania (or IUP) is a public university located in the Borough of Indiana, Pennsylvania northeast of Pittsburgh. IUP is the commonwealth's fifth largest university. It is governed by a local Council of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). IUP has branch campuses in Punxsutawney and Northpointe located in Freeport, Pennsylvania serving suburban Pittsburgh.

Contents

History

IUP was founded in 1875 as a normal school by investors in Indiana County. When it opened its doors it enrolled 225 students. All normal school events were held within a single building which also contained a laboratory school for model teaching.

In 1927 it became Indiana State Teachers College. In 1965, the institution achieved university status and became Indiana University of Pennsylvania, or IUP. [link]

Today IUP is the flagship of the 14 comprehensive universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. With a total enrollment of over 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students, IUP is the largest school in the system and the only one elevated to doctoral granting status in PASSHE's enabling legislation Pennsylvania Act 188 of 1982. Today IUP is classified as a Carnegie Doctoral/Research-Intensive university and is accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Universities, NCATE, and AACSB.

Colleges

IUP offers over 100 undergraduate degree programs and 40 graduate degree programs. The university is organized into 7 colleges/schools. They are: [Eberly College of Business and Information Technology], [College of Education and Educational Technology], [College of Fine Arts], [College of Health and Human Services], [College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics], [School of Continuing Education], [College of Humanities and Social Sciences].

Also, IUP offers the Robert E. Cook Honors College [link] for exceptionally talented students. This college replaces regular liberal studies classes with more difficult "Honors Core" classes. This college was made possible through donations of Robert E. Cook, an IUP mathematics alumnus.

Main Campus

left IUP's main campus is a mix of old and new red brick structures. Its original building, a Victorian structure named John Sutton Hall housed the entire school (see postcard image). Today Sutton Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at the heart of campus--there was a fight to preserve it in 1974 when the administration scheduled it for demolition. [link] Today it is home to many administrative offices and reception areas. Breezedale Alumni Center is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Victorian mansion was once home to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice.

The campus boasts a planetarium, University Museum, black box theater, recently renovated student union, extensive music library, and a newly remodeled Cogswell Hall for the university's music community. At the heart of campus is the Oak Grove. Many alumni recall this spot because of its centrality and the many events that occur there. In January 2000 former President Lawrence K. Pettit created a board to create the Allegheny Arboretum at IUP. This group works to furnish the Oak Grove with plants native to the region.

The university's Student Cooperative Association also owns College Lodge several miles from campus. It provides skiing, biking, and hiking opportunities. Boat access is also made available through the Cooperative Association.

Current president Tony Atwater announced a bold initiative to demolish many of the 1970 era dormitories on campus. Demolition is set to begin during summer 2006 and facilities will be replaced with state of the art residences.

Name confusion

Interestingly, Western Pennsylvania has two boroughs with the same names as states that have universities, Indiana and California. California University of Pennsylvania is distinguished since all of the actual California state public universities have unique names such as "UCLA", "UC Santa Cruz", or "Berkeley." On the other hand, Indiana University of Pennsylvania is often confused with Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

The university's mascot and nickname are also the cause of some consternation. The NCAA recently rejected IUP's final appeal to maintain the nickname Indians. NCAA ruled it was a "hostile or abusive" to the American Indian. The university, along with the University of North Dakota, must change its nickname in order to host NCAA playoffs. The nickname has a troubled history since the early 1990s. Following the abolition of the Indian mascot, IUP went without a character for nearly a decade. President Pettit introduced Cherokee the bear as a compromise. The issue remains unsettled among politically active students, nostalgic alumni, and the NCAA.[link]

Campus Issues

In recent years, similar to many universities of comparable size, IUP has been featured in local news stories regarding several students' actions. The university lost one student in Spring 2005; his death was due to a drug overdose [link]. The spring 2005 death caused the university to rework its drug and alcohol policy, creating harsher sanctions. Later that year, at the start of the fall term, another student took his life because of personal problems that led to depression [link]. Several weeks later, the university suspended the entire cheerleading squad over violations of university policy with regards to hazing. This suspension was in reference to an intoxicated female cheerleader caught returning to her dormitory after an initiation party [link]. And a university-related institution, the Research Institute, a grant-processing arm created to get around the strict financial rules the state imposes on its state-owned universities, was the center of controversy over charges of mismanagement. The institute has declined to divulge its financial records, saying that it is a private organization separate from the university, even though it uses university property for its offices and has a cooperation agreement with the university [link].

University President Dr. Tony Atwater's new policies include a year's suspension for a student caught providing alcohol to minors. This punishment is imposed even if the student is not convicted of an offense. In October 2005 the campus erupted in protest following Dr. Atwater placing all Greek organizations on temporary probation during homecoming festivities. These protests caused Dr. Atwater to lift the probation after just one day.

In addition to a party culture based on alcohol, the university has experienced tension over academic issues. Former president Lawrence Pettit and Provost Mark Statskiewicz experienced an overwhelming vote of no confidence from the faculty in December 2001.[link] Much of the debate centered around safety, curricular irregularities, and shared governenace. The faculty union of PASSHE has twice come close to striking, once in 1999 and 2004.

Tensions have also existed between the universities Student Government Association, faculty union, and PASSHE Chancellor Judy Hample. [link][link] Much of this tension seems to have dissipated since Dr. Atwater assumed the presidency.

Greek Life

Fraternities

Acacia, Alpha Chi Rho, Chi Phi, Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Tau Delta, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Tau, Phi Mu Delta, Pi Lambda Phi, Sigma Chi, Sigma Pi, Sigma Tau Gamma, Theta Chi

Sororities Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Sigma Tau, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Phi Epsilon, Delta Zeta, Sigma Kappa, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Theta Phi Alpha, Zeta Tau Alpha

Accolades

IUP faculty won a total of 52 Fulbright Exchange Awards between 1959 and 2000, enabling them to study and conduct research in 27 countries. In addition, the university's John P. Murtha Institute of Homeland Security is training first responders and members of the military to prevent potential terrorist acts.

Arts are a big part of IUP culture as evidenced by continual theatrical appearances at annual competitions at the Kennedy Center and IUP's marching band known as "the beast of the east."

Athletics

IUP's athletic department sponsors 19 varsity sports, including 8 for men and 11 for women. IUP competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and is an NCAA Division II member.

Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, swimming and indoor and outdoor track and field. Women’s sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball.

IUP annually produces teams and individuals that compete for championships on the conference, regional and national levels. The 2004-05 school year saw 12 sports either send their teams or individuals to NCAA postseason competition. Periodic discussion has been made to move IUP to division I football. [www.iup.edu/athletics]

Notable alumni

There are more than 80,000 people around the world who call IUP their alma mater. Notable alumni include:

External links

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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