Towson University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Towson University | |
|---|---|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Established: | 1866[1] |
| Type: | Public |
| Endowment: | $31,478,143 [2] |
| President: | Robert L. Caret[3] |
| Provost: | James P. Clements[3] |
| Faculty: | 1,276[1] |
| Students: | 18,921[1] |
| Undergraduates: | 15,374[1][2] |
| Postgraduates: | 3,547[1] |
| Location: | Towson, Maryland, United States ( ) |
| Campus: | Suburban, 328 acres (1.33 km²)[4] |
| Colors: | Black and Gold |
| Nickname: | Towson Tigers |
| Mascot: | Doc |
| Athletics: | NCAA Division I[5] |
| Website: | www.towson.edu |
 |
|
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is an American public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. It is part of the University System of Maryland.
TU was originally a training school for teachers in Baltimore, and over the years it has expanded and evolved into a 4-year degree granting institution consisting of 8 colleges with over 18,000 students enrolled. Towson is also the second largest public university in Maryland, and still produces the most teachers of any university in the state.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked Towson University ninth in the Public Universities-Master’s (North) category for its 2008 America's Best Colleges issue. [6] [7]
Contents |
[edit] History
- See also: Chronology of Towson University
[edit] Maryland State Normal School
The Maryland Legislature established what would become Towson University in 1865, with the allocation of funds directed toward Maryland’s first teacher-training school, or normal school.[8] On January 15, 1866, this institution, known as the Maryland State Normal School (MSNS), officially opened its doors.[9] Located then at Red Man's Hall in Baltimore, the school originally enrolled eleven students and fostered three faculty members.[10][11] McFadden Alexander Newell served as the school's first principal as well as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and oversaw the first graduating class of sixteen students in June 1886.[9]
As time passed, the enrollment in the school grew exponentially. The school soon outgrew its facilities in Red Man's Hall and moved to a temporary location, later known as the Athenaeum Club, in 1873.[12] The following year, the General Assembly appropriated money to construct an exclusive building to house the burgeoning school. In 1876, the school moved its faculty and 206 students to this new facility located in West Baltimore on Carrollton & Lafayette Street.[10][11]
[edit] Move to Towson
The demand for qualified teachers became overwhelming by the turn of the century. The Maryland Department of Education reported an annual need for 350 new teachers, but the Maryland State Normal School was graduating less than 100.[9] The facilities in West Baltimore were now inadequate to meet state demands. Principal Sarah Richmond, one of the original eleven graduates, began a campaign to establish a campus where the school could function more appropriately.
In 1910, the General Assembly formed a committee to oversee site selection, budget, and design plans for the new campus. John Charles Linthicum was appointed president of the committee, alongside State Superintendent Dr. M. Bates Stephens and Sarah Richmond. The committee surveyed locations at Roland Park, Lutherville-Timonium, Mount Washington, Pimlico, Glencoe, and many other areas.[11] Eventually, the committee settled on an eighty-acre site in Towson and the General Assembly financed the $600,000 move in 1912.[8] Construction began in 1913 on the Administration Building, now known as Stephens Hall. In September 1915, the new campus, comprising Stephens Hall, Newell Hall, and the power plant, began classes.[12]
[edit] Name Changes
In 1934, the state decreed that new public school teachers must have baccalaureate degrees instead of two-year teaching certificates, and the school retooled its curriculum to issue Bachelor of Science degrees.[8] The following year, the school changed its name to Maryland State Teachers College at Towson.[12][9] As the name implied, the college's single purpose was to train teachers. In 1946, however, the institution established a junior college to offer two years of college work on a transfer basis. This expansion lay the foundation of what was later to become the art and sciences program. In 1958, the college offered its first graduate program leading to a Master of Education degree. In 1960, the college expanded the art and science programs into four-year courses and began awarding Bachelor degrees in these fields. Due to this change in focus, the name changed once more to Towson State College.[8][9]
Beginning in 1964, the college enrollment rates began a dramatic increase as the baby boomer generation began applying to colleges.[9] Within a decade, Towson State's enrollment climbed from 3,537 to 13,399.[8] This expansion led to the construction of the Center for the Arts, University Union, Cook Library, and many other new facilities. Under the presidency of James L. Fisher, the college expanded the courses offered to meet the demands of the growing student body. In 1976, the school's name changed again to Towson State University. In 1988, TU joined 10 other public institutions in the newly created University of Maryland System. On July 1, 1997, another name change took effect. Towson dropped the designation "state" from its name and became Towson University. The new name recognized shifts in funding and the development and growth of Towson as a metropolitan university.[11]
 |
 |
 |
[edit] Academics
Towson University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education[13] and the Maryland State Department of Education.[14] For 2007, Towson accepted about 69% of their applicants and had a yield rate of 29%.[15] The average grade point average was a 3.45 and the middle 50% of matriculating students had ACT composite scores between 20-24.[16] Towson educates undergraduate and graduate students in thirty academic departments which are subdivided into eight colleges:
| Name of College | Dean | Website |
|---|---|---|
| College of Business and Economics | Shohreh A. Kaynama | [1] |
| College of Education | Raymond Lorion | [2] |
| College of Fine Arts and Communication | Christopher Spicer | [3] |
| College of Health Professions | Charlotte E. Exner | [4] |
| College of Liberal Arts | Terry A. Cooney | [5] |
| Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics | David Vanko | [6] |
| Honors College | Maria Fracasso | [7] |
| College of Graduate Studies and Research | Chou Lu | [8] |
The university provides 64 undergraduate majors, 37 master's degree programs and 4 doctoral programs.[17] [18] Once students have determined a program of study, they become a member of the academic college administering the program.
As a side note, Towson also has a gerontology program which is one of only 100 undergraduate programs offered in the United States. They're also the only public university in the United States that offers an undergraduate degree in e-Business.
[edit] Enrollment
More than 20,000 full-time and part-time students are enrolled in the University. Their numbers include over 800 international students from 100 nations. There are more than 15,000 undergraduates; approximately 13% are minority students. Also, in 2006 Towson achieved more enrollment in its business school than any college in the state of Maryland.[19]
[edit] Student Life
[edit] Housing
About 77% of the freshman class, and over 3,573 students among all four classes, resides on campus. The University has 12 residence halls, which include apartment complexes, modern high-rise towers, and more traditional two- and three-story residential buildings.:[20]While on campus, students have access to a counseling center, an academic advising center, a health center, and a career center.
[edit] OneCard
Students get access to their meal plan, dorm buildings, and computer labs through the use of their OneCard. They can also go to all of the school sporting events (which are many times free of charge to students) and several on campus events with the use of their card. It also serves dually as identification on campus.
[edit] Transportation
TU has its own on campus shuttle system that operates free of charge to students. The on-campus shuttle travels to most sections of the school, while the off-campus shuttle travels to more remote parts of TU, including some housing complexes (University Village) that students live in that are on the outskirts of the campus. An additional shuttle makes several trips to Penn Station every day. [21] There is also direct access to the MTA Maryland buses with services connecting to the light rail.
[edit] Towson UnPlugged
Towson Unplugged is one of the largest wireless networks in the Baltimore metro area, and spans the campus’ 328 acres (except inside residence halls).
The value of the updated wired network and new wireless network is $3.2 million. Wireless coverage extends across majority of the size of the TU campus and there are 28 academic and administrative buildings that are wireless with approximately 400 access points in those buildings, with each access point having a range of 300 feet (91 m).
TU Unplugged uses 802.11 b/g standard Wi-Fi protocols with 11 Mbit/s is the approximate shared connection speed for Towson Unplugged users with 802.11b wireless adapters and 54 Mbit/s is the approximate shared connection speed for Towson Unplugged users with 802.11 g wireless networking.[22]
On April 11, 2007, Baltimore County officials announced that they may provide wireless internet access throughout the county. However, they will first pilot the program in the Towson area, using donated bandwidth from Towson University to send signals to the Towson area. [23]
[edit] Campus Police
The Towson University Police Department (TUPD) is the primary law enforcement agency servicing the students, faculty, and visitors within the campus limits and adjacent streets and roadways. The TUPD is aided by the Baltimore County Police Department as directed by authority. The current chief of police is Bernard Gerst.[24] The TUPD is divided into several units such as the Patrol Unit and the Community Crime Reduction Unit. It also includes emergency communications. [25]
[edit] Campus
[edit] Campus Master Plan
As a response to the University System of Maryland’s (USM) desire for Towson University to grow its enrollment, a new Campus Master Plan was developed for the university and approved by the USM, Board of Regents in December 2003. The university found that in the past, it has been guided by master plans that focused inward, resulting in disjointed campus development that was disconnected from the larger Towson community.
The resulting vision, called TU:2010.[26][27] addresses both University System of Maryland requirements and community concerns. It contains over 70 specific initiatives that range from growing diversity to increasing student involvement in service learning projects. Perhaps its most visible development is the creation of academic and student life buildings, as well as roads, parking, utilities and landscapes to support those buildings.[28]
As part of this vision, Towson's campus is undergoing many construction projects set into different phases with staggered completion dates.
COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
| Name of Project | Cost | Completion Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Third Floor Conference Rooms | $760,000 | August 2006 | Conversion of existing patio space on the third floor of the University Union into conference rooms for use by student organizations. |
| Cook Library Lobby Renovation and Starbucks Cafe | $1 million | September 2006 | Complete renovation of the lobby area to include new inner and outer storefronts with Starbucks Cafe replacing the vending area. |
| Burkshire Marriott Pub | $1 million | January 2007 | The patio outside of Nathan T's at the Burkshire Marriott was enclosed and the interior of Pub Smedley was renovated and expanded to create the newly named University Club. The University Club boasts new interior finishes, bar, and bathrooms. |
| Childcare Center | $4.5 million | January 2007 | Formerly housed in the Lida Lee Tall Education Building, TU's Childcare Center now has its own newly constructed building located on Auburn Drive. |
| Towsontown Garage Expansion | $10.6 million | December 2007 | Expansion of the garage to add 500 parking spaces for use by students, faculty, staff and visitors. Construction is scheduled to begin March 2007 and was completed in December 2007. |
FUTURE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
| Name of Project | Cost | Estimated Completion Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campus Memorial Garden | $200,000 | Summer 2007 | Construction of a memorial garden between the University Union and the Glen Towers, scheduled for completion summer 2007. The garden will be open to all students, faculty and staff and is designed to provide visitors with a peaceful place where the lives of members of the Towson University community may be remembered and celebrated. |
| West Village Housing - Phase I | $36 million | Fall 2008 | Delivery of 668 additional beds in the West Village sector of campus by fall 2008. |
| College of Liberal Arts - Phase I | $51.5 million | April 2009 | Design and construction of the first 100,000 square feet (9,300 m²) of the 250,000 square feet (23,000 m²) academic building that will house the College of Liberal Arts. The university broke ground on the building's construction in September 2007 with completion set for spring 2009. |
| Towson Center Arena | $30 million | Spring 2010 | Renovation of interior with upgrades to exterior plazas outside of the arena. Completion scheduled for start of 2009-2010 Basketball Season. |
[edit] Towson Tiger
Before the 1960’s, the name of the sports teams at Towson were known as the "Towson College Knights". Towson student John Schuerholz pushed for a new mascot, and the tiger was officially adopted in 1962. Now a Towson alumnus, John Schuerholz is the General Manager of the Atlanta Braves, and the baseball complex is named in his honor.[29]
According to school newspaper The Towerlight, when the Student Government Association first bought the tiger statue that sits outside Cook Library in 1996, the organization hoped to boost school spirit. Instead, it became subject to vandalism and disrepair. In March 2006, after several acts of vandalism, the statue was comepletlely removed from in front of the library.
In September 2006, the Towerlight reported that a new bronze tiger statue had been unveiled as the centerpiece of the university's "Capital Campaign" to raise $50 million dollars. The primary difference between the new statue and previous one is that the new one is made of bronze and all of the legs are on the ground and the tail is wrapped around its legs rather than raised, so it won't get damaged by vandals.[30]
The new statue is outside Stephens Hall and was unveiled on February 8, 2007 where Caret said it would be "visible to passersby on York Road as well as students".[31] [32]
[edit] "The Beach"
During the warm months in the Spring and Summer, students will often sunbathe on the grass in front of the Cook Library.
[edit] A President's Blog
Towson University is one of the first colleges in the United States to have a president who has his own blog[33] and podcast.[34]. Robert Caret created the blog and podcast to convey different messages to TU students.
[edit] Traditions
[edit] Tigerfest
Tigerfest is TU's annual spring festival that features interactive activities for students, as well as live musical entertainment. Tigerfest, which is also open to the public (not just TU students), occurs in late April and is held on Burdick Field. The event has become increasingly popular throughout its history, mainly because mainstream music acts headline Tigerfest each year. The Roots, Immortal Technique, and The Calling performed at the 2008 Tigerfest on April 26. Artists such as Third Eye Blind, Dashboard Confessional, The Used, and Yellowcard have appeared at Tigerfest in the past.
[edit] Community Outreach
[edit] The Cherry Hill Learning Zone
The initiative is a partnership among the Baltimore City Public School System, Baltimore City government, Towson University and Cherry Hill's community organizations. Together, the programs are trying to rebuild the Cherry Hill neighborhood in southern Baltimore. The program interacts with Cherry Hill’s civic leaders, community organizations and citizens, the Learning Zone hopes to serve as a resource for the academic progress of Cherry Hill’s young residents and improvement of the overall environment in the community.[35][36]
[edit] Baltimore Urban Debate League
- See also: Baltimore Urban Debate League
The Towson Speech and Debate team has close ties with the Baltimore Urban Debate League and often volunteers people from the team and the university to judge and facilitate the running of the tournaments.
The university often acts as a host for league tournaments at least once a year.
Towson also has what they call an Urban Debate Scholar award that they give to one graduating senior every year. The scholarship pays for full tuition and fees at TU. They also offer varying awards between $2,000 - $4,000 to other graduating seniors.[37]
[edit] Adopt-A-Campus
President Caret has also established a program called Adopt-A-Campus, which gives local businesses, organizations and others an opportunity to help beautify the TU campus. Every group will be assigned a certain section of the campus, and will be encouraged to pick up litter and help keep the area clean of trash and debris.[38]
[edit] Controversy
[edit] Free Speech policy
Recently the school newspaper, The Towerlight, announced that in February 2008, the school administration was planning to implement a "Free Speech Policy". Within the policy, it defines several things that would be considered free speech, and that students would be restricted to where they could assemble and have demonstrations or protests.[39] This has caused serious backlash from the students, and has solicited various protests on campus and vocal dissent from the Student Government Association as well[39]. The current SGA president, Jenny Haley, said the policy was not discussed nor negotiated with the SGA, and feels it's a mistake to exclude students from the decision making process[39]. It was also noted that during a meeting with the administration to discuss the policy, several administrators said that the only input initially solicited from students for the Free Speech policy was from a committee called the Student Leadership Council that consists of student leaders who are in charge of very large student groups. Several of the students contested that not only did they not know who was on this committee, but that most of them did not even know that kind of committee even existed.
The administration is currently reworking the policy and will rename it the Time, Place and Manner policy.[39]
[edit] Media and Publications
| Television | Radio | |
|---|---|---|
|
[edit] Student Organizations
| SGA Affiliated | Cultural Organizations | Recreation and Sport Clubs | Religious Organizations | Community Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
[edit] Greek Life
| Sororities | Fraternities | Honor and Recognition | Religious | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
[edit] Notable Attendees and Faculty
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Towson's Official website
- Towson University By Dean Esslinger, Lori Armstrong, Angie Brickhouse
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Towson At a Glance. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
- ^ a b Towson University school profile. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
- ^ a b Administration & Governance. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
- ^ Campus - Towson At a Glance. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
- ^ Athletics - Towson University. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
- ^ Universities-Master's (North): Top Schools 2007. US News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Universities-Master's (North): Top Schools 2008. US News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
- ^ a b c d e History - Towson At a Glance. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
- ^ a b c d e f Towson University. Maryland Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
- ^ a b Bridge, James (April 2002). Renovations build on history of Towson University. The Towerlight. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ a b c d Employer Profile. Chronicle Careers. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ a b c Chronology of Towson University History. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
- ^ Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ Towson University Facilities and Accreditation. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ Towson University - Facts & Figures. Peterson's. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ College Search - Towson University. College Board. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ Degree Programs. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Undergraduate Studies. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Leff, Sharon (November 2006). Increased enrollment results in 2,995 undergraduates in CBE for Fall 2006. The Towerlight. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Housing and Residence Life. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Shuttle Services. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Towson UnPlugged. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Malarkey, Jaime (April 2007). Towson gets free wireless Internet. Baltimore Examiner. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ University Police - Towson University
- ^ http://www.new.towson.edu/adminfinance/facilities/police/documents/BOLO07-00134.pdf
- ^ Video of the campus master Plan. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ TU 2010: Mapping the Future. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Campus Master Plan. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Caret, Robert. The Meaning of a Mascot. President's Caret's Blog. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Funderburk, Kristi (November 2006). Tiger Statue Debuts. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ The Future of Towson University. The Towerlight (December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Scharper, Julie (Decemeber 2007). Towson's new Tiger built to last. Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ President Caret's Blog. President Caret's Internet Blog. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ President Caret's Podcast. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ The Cherry Hill Learning Zone. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Cherry Hill Learning Zone video. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Scholarship Opportunities. Towson Speech and Debate. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Adopt-A-Campus. Towson University. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ a b c d Leff, Sharon. TU administration reworking free speech policy. The Towerlight. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
|
||||||||||||||
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||
