Peru State College

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Peru State College
Official Seal of Peru State College
Official Seal of Peru State College
Motto: "Campus of a thousand oaks"
Established: as Mount Vernon School 1865

as Peru Seminary and College 1866
as Nebraska State Normal School 1867
as Nebraska State Teachers College 1921
as Peru State Teachers College 1949

as Peru State College 1963
Type: Public
Endowment: $10.5 million[1]
President: Ben E. Johnson, Ph.D
Students: 2,159 (2005 - 2006 academic year)[2]
Location: Peru, Nebraska, USA
Campus: Rural, 104 acres
Colors: Azure Blue, White          
Nickname: Bobcats
Mascot: Bob the Bobcat[3]
Website: www.peru.edu

Peru State College is a public four-year institution located in the rural city of Peru, Nebraska, in the Midwest region of the United States. Founded by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1865, making it the first and oldest institution in Nebraska, it would undergo several name changes before receiving its current name[4].

The college is organized into three schools, each supporting a different set of majors, including a graduate program, plus an extensive online education program that is credited with the college's most recent successes[1]. It occupies over twenty buildings on a 104-acre campus[5] known as the "Campus of a thousand oaks".

Contents

[edit] History

Peru State College was originally incorporated under the name Mount Vernon School (sometimes noted as Mount Vernon Seminary or Mount Vernon College) on December 2, 1865, under the management of the Methodist Episcopal Church, after the need for a local institution was discussed November 11, 1865. The Nebraska territorial legislature chartered the school on February 12, 1866, under the name Peru Seminary and College.[4]

Presumably due to a shortage of funds, the executive committee of the school deeded the grounds to the State of Nebraska in June 1867[4], making it the first state-supported college in Nebraska on June 20, 1867, with the first classes held on October 24, 1867. The name was also changed to Nebraska State Normal School.[6] This is also considered the official date of the school's establishment.[2]

The name would change twice more before being changed to the current name of Peru State College in 1963. The name changed to Nebraska State Teachers College at Peru in 1921, and in 1949 it changed to Peru State Teachers College.[4]

During World War II, the Peru campus of the Nebraska State Teachers College hosted a unit of the US Navy V-12 officer training program, which served as an alternative military route for college students who were drafted during the war.[7]

The State of Nebraska established the Nebraska State College System by statute in 1978, and Peru State College was placed by statute under the control of the new governmental body at the same time.[8]

In 1998 the Nebraska State College System evaluated the possibility of closing Peru State College, or moving its campus to another location, among other options[9], and voted unanimously in 1999 to move Peru State to nearby Nebraska City, Nebraska[1].

In 1999 the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature introduced bill LB631, aimed at merging Chadron State College and Wayne State College into the University of Nebraska system, while turning Peru State College into a community college. A competing bill, LB650, was introduced about the same time but with the intent of funding Peru State College $7 million for renovations.[10]

In 2003 rumors spread again about the possibility of closing Peru State College as part of a set of proposals to help save money in the Nebraska education system.[11]

Peru State College has been pushing forward, and in 2007 celebrated a record 472 graduates, with student enrollment ballooning even higher. Credit was given largely to its online education programs, which it was reported funded about 30 percent of campus initiatives. This period of growth has been referred to by one college administrator as "the Renaissance".[1]

[edit] Academics

Three schools comprise Peru State College's academic offerings, providing baccalaureate and graduate degrees and certificates of achievement: School of Education, School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Professional Studies. Peru State's small campus size provides for a small student-faculty ratio.

Arguably the largest academic program at Peru State College, and also its oldest, is the education department, under the School of Education. The original role of Peru State College was that of a normal school, training individuals to become the teachers in public and private elementary and secondary schools. Until the founding of the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney, now known as the University of Nebraska at Kearney, it was the only normal school in Nebraska.

Peru's continued strong commitment to teacher education is also reflected in its accreditations and memberships. Peru State College receives accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and is a member of the National Council for Teacher Education and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

The School of Professional Studies houses Peru's Business Administration, Criminal Justice, and Psychology programs. The business administration curriculum is further broken down into accounting, computer and management information systems (CMIS), marketing, and human performance and systems management. An endorsement is also available for education majors wishing to teach business courses in secondary schools. The criminal justice program is further broken down into justice administration and justice counseling.

The School of Arts and Sciences provides Peru's arts and sciences majors: Art, Music, English, Social Sciences, Natural Science, Mathematics, and Liberal Arts. Education endorsements are provided for education majors as well.

[edit] Athletics

Peru State Bobcats logo
Peru State Bobcats logo

Peru State's sports teams are named the Bobcats. They participate in only eight sports currently, and plan to add soccer starting the fall of 2008.[2] They perform at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II level as a member of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC).[12]

In 1990 the Peru State football team won the NAIA Division II National Championship by defeating Westminster (Pa.) 17-7. Peru State's offensive player of the game was Nate Bradley. Peru State's defensive player of the game was Bob Hansen. Tom Shea was named NAIA Division II coach of the year for 1990.[13]

Peru State College also provides on-campus intramural athletics for student participation.[2] Individual and team competitions are available for meets, leagues, and tournaments.[14]

[edit] Student Life

Peru State College features many modern facilities and accommodations around campus, along with a variety of student organizations, which can be found in the Peru State College student handbook. The college does not have any fraternities or sororities.

[edit] Student Government

The Student Senate is the representative body for Peru State College students. Twenty-four (24) students comprise the Senate, with all positions eligible for election annually. The student representative to the Nebraska Board of Trustees is also considered a member of the Student Senate.

Many campus activities are arranged and funded by the student-run Campus Activities Board, or CAB as it is known by Peru State College students. CAB is funded through the activity fee paid by all students. The Student Activities Coordinator is CAB's advisor and regularly reports to the Student Senate.

[edit] Residence Life

Peru State College provides two unisex residence halls: Eliza C. Morgan Hall for women only, and W.N. Delzell Hall for men only. There is also a three-building co-educational residence hall complex called the Centennial Complex. Each building of the Centennial Complex is actually two residence halls: Nicholas and Pate, Mathews and Clayburn, Davidson and Palmer. Each building elects one representative to the Student Senate.

The Mathews building is reserved for freshman students and upper class mentors participating in the Freshmen Experience Program, known as the "Mathews Mentor" program to students on campus. The Clayburn building is reserved for honors students.

[edit] Campus Media

The Peru State Times is Peru State College's student newspaper, previously known as the Pedagogian[15], published five times per semester and funded by the publication fee paid by students and paid advertising. The Peru State College marketing department also publishes press releases on the college web site. The school does not have a radio station, though it does have an on-campus television station on which campus and local announcements are broadcast.

[edit] Campus

The 104-acre Peru State College campus is a prominent feature of the small city of Peru, Nebraska, located approximately 11 miles Northeast of nearby Auburn, NE, and approximately 70 miles South of Omaha, NE.

The names of several of the buildings reflect the campus's long history in Nebraska. The T.J. Majors Building, which houses the School of Education and School of Professional Studies, is named in honor of Lt. Col. Thomas Jefferson Majors. The A.D. Majors building, which previously served as a residence hall, is named in honor of his nephew. It is also planned for demolition.[16] These are the only two buildings on campus bearing the name of a person who was never employed by the college. T.J. and A.D. Majors served on the state normal board.

In 2003, the J.F. Neal Hall, named for one of the original pioneers of Peru State College[17], was leased to nearby Cooper Nuclear Station.[18]. It is currently inaccessible to everyone except authorized personnel.

In more recent years, Peru State College underwent massive renovations. These included renovations on the Eliza Morgan women's-only residence hall, providing for more modern amenities for residents. The buildings that previously served as the library and gymnasium were renovated and converted into a modernized library and an Academic Resource Center (ARC). The two buildings are also connected by a skywalk known as the "Bobcat Walk". Other renovations are still planned.

[edit] Notable Alumni

Nebraska State Teachers College

Peru State Teachers College

[edit] Notes and References

  1. ^ a b c d Lee, Melissa. "Peru State College rebounds with record enrollments", Lincoln Journal Star, 2007-10-01. Retrieved on 2007-11-08. 
  2. ^ a b c d Peru Fast Facts. Peru State College.
  3. ^ Images and Logos. Peru State College. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
  4. ^ a b c d Nebraska State Historical Society. Finding Aids for State Records: Peru State College. Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
  5. ^ America's Best Colleges 2008: Peru State College. US News & World Report. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
  6. ^ Nebraska State Historical Society (June 4, 2004). "Peru State College". Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
  7. ^ U.S. Naval Activities, World War II, by State [Nebraska]. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
  8. ^ Nebraska Revised Statutes 85-949
  9. ^ Minutes of November 11-12, 1998 Meeting. [Nebraska State College System] (1998-11-12). Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  10. ^ Fargen, Jessica (1999-01-20). Two colleges may augment NU system. Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  11. ^ Hord, Bill. "NU eyes more out-of-state recruitment", Omaha World-Herald, 2003-08-08. Retrieved on 2007-11-08. "They could include such perennial proposals as eliminating Peru State College, one of the state's three state colleges..." 
  12. ^ 2007-08 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Qualification Plan (PDF). National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (2007-09-14).
  13. ^ NAIA Football Championship History (PDF). National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (2007-08-22).
  14. ^ Peru State College Student Handbook. Peru State College. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
  15. ^ 2006 BB Media Guide. Peru State College. Retrieved on 2007-12-04. ““Baldy” Wilcox, the sports editor of the Pedagogian, the school’s newspaper...”
  16. ^ Transforming Vision for the Future of Peru State College. Peru State College. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
  17. ^ Andreas, A.T. (1882). History of the State of Nebraska Nemaha County, Part 11. Chicago: The Western Historical Company. 
  18. ^ Board of Trustees Meeting, September 11-12, 2003, Chadron State College (PDF). Nebraska State College System (September 12, 2003). Retrieved on 2007-10-29.

[edit] External links

Peru State College

Affiliations and Accreditations

Athletic Affiliations

v • d • e
Nebraska State College System

Chadron State College • Peru State College • Wayne State College
v • d • e
Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference

Park University • Peru State College • York College