Bowie State University
Encyclopedia
Bowie State University ("Bowie State"), is a public university located on 355½ acres (1.4 km²) in unincorporated Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....

, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, north of the suburban city of Bowie
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of...

. Bowie State is part of the University System of Maryland
University System of Maryland
The University System of Maryland is a public corporation and charter school system comprising 12 Maryland institutions of higher education. It is the 12th-largest university system in the United States, with over 125,000 undergraduate, 43,000 graduate and roughly 13,000 combined full-time and...

. Bowie State is Maryland's oldest historically black university
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....

 and one of the ten oldest in the country.

Academics

BSU has 20 undergraduate majors, 20 master’s programs, two doctoral programs, 10 graduate certificate programs and 2 certificates of advanced study in disciplines as diverse as computer science, education, human resource development, organizational communication, and nursing. In partnership with the University of Maryland University College
University of Maryland University College
The University of Maryland University College is located in the unincorporated community of Adelphi in Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States. Serving over 90,000 students worldwide, UMUC is the largest 4-year public university in Maryland and one of the largest distance learning...

, 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
Pedology (children study)
Pedology is the study of children's behavior and development, not to be confused with pedagogy, which is the art or science of teaching....

. Programs include a rare doctoral degree in education leadership, a program for education administrators.

In 1995, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

 and the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...

 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 music technology and a strengthened computer science department have been added.

The university is home to The Maryland Center, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 providing community services. In partnership with the federal General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...

, the campus hosts the Bowie State University’s Telecommuting Center, which has state-of-art workstations and is opened 24 hours day, 7 days a week. The Telecommuting Center can be used by anyone.

Schools and departments


History

Bowie State's history began in 1865 when the Baltimore Association for the Moral and Educational Improvement of Colored People established the Baltimore Normal School in Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 to train African American teachers. In 1908 the school was renamed Normal School No. 3 after the state Board of Education provided funding for and assumed control of the institution.

By 1914 the school had moved to Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....

, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 and become known as the Maryland Normal and Industrial School at Bowie. From 1911 until 1921, Don Speed Smith Goodloe
Don S.S. Goodloe
Rev. Don Speed Smith Goodloe , born in Lowell, Kentucky, was a black teacher who became a pioneer for racial integration in the Unitarian church. He was the first principal of the Maryland Normal and Industrial School at Bowie for the Training of Colored Youth, also known as Maryland State Normal...

 served as principal and in 1914-15 built the Don S. S. Goodloe House
Don S. S. Goodloe House
The Don S. S. Goodloe House, a 1915–16 Colonial Revival style building veneered with brick, is significant for its association with Don Speed Smith Goodloe, the first principal of the Maryland Normal and Industrial School. The school, now Bowie State University, was Maryland's first postsecondary...

, which was added in 1988 to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. From 1921 until 1941, Dr. Leonidas S. James served as principal. It became the Maryland State Teachers College at Bowie in 1935 and Bowie State College in 1963.

In 1925, under the auspices of Dr. Leonidas S. James, a two-year professional curriculum in teacher education was created and was later expanded to a three-year program. A four-year program was created in 1935 for the training of elementary school teachers. With approval from the State Board of Education, the program was expanded in 1951 to include training for junior high school teachers. Ten years later, a teacher-training program for secondary education was established. In 1963, a liberal arts program was started.

On July 1, 1988, Bowie State achieved university status, reflecting the significant growth of the school's programs, enrollment, and service to the local area. On the same day, it also became one of the constituent institutions of the newly formed University System of Maryland.

Bowie State College was authorized to grant its first graduate degree, a Master of Education, in 1970. The school's first doctoral program was also in the field of education, with a Doctorate of Educational Leadership, earned by 16 students during the May 2005 commencement.

Around 8:00 PM on the night of Thursday, September 15, 2011, police discovered a student, 18-year-old Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 native Dominique T. Frazier, bleeding in a hallway of a dorm after allegedly being stabbed by her female roommate as the result of an argument over the choice of music playing (authorities said) that turned into a fight that escalated further. The roommate fled but then turned herself in to county police and was taken into custody by state police; because she has not yet been formally charged with murder, her identity is not being revealed. The University administration released a statement mourning the loss. Once the roommate, Alexis D. Simpson, 19, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, her name was made known. Classes were canceled on the following day, Friday, September 16, 2011, and a gathering took place at noon ET that day.

Campus and facilities

The campus comprises over 24 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
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...

 station and Metrobus
Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)
Metrobus is a bus service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . Its fleet consists of 1,480 buses covering an area of in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. There are over 300 bus routes serving 12,216 stops, including 2,398 bus shelters. In fiscal year 2009,...

 stops provide access to local transit. It is a wireless campus equipped with Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...

 and public computer labs across campus for student use.

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. The $17.6 million School of Business and Graduate Studies is the newest building on campus. Other recent additions to the campus include the Christa McAuliffe Residential Community (CMRC) apartments, the Computer Science Building, a state-of-the-art 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
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....

, and NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

's Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...

 in Greenbelt, MD.

In September 2007, the University began negotiations with Prince George's County for the transfer of 214 acre (0.86602804 km²) of land to the school. 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.

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 (1.4 km²) jurisdiction. The BSUPD is aided by the Prince George's County Police Department
Prince George's County Police Department
The Prince George's County Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States, servicing a population of over 850,000 residents and visitors within 498 square miles of jurisdiction.-History: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 acre (0.75676282 km²) of campus property. 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."

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.

The current Chief of Police/Director of Public Safety is Ernest L. Waiters. The BSUPD has a complement of:
  • 7 sworn officers (not including the Chief)
  • 3 communications dispatchers
  • 10 public safety aides (non-sworn security personnel)

Athletics

Bowie State's athletes compete in the Eastern Division of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II...

, participating in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

's Division II.

The Bulldogs play the following sports:
  • Basketball
  • Bowling
  • Cross Country
  • Football
  • Indoor Track & Field
  • Outdoor Track & Field
  • Softball
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball


They compete and/or train on-campus in Bulldog Stadium, the Leonidas James Physical Education Complex, and A.C. Jordan Arena.

Clubs and organizations

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.

NPHC Organizations

  • Alpha Phi Alpha
    Alpha Phi Alpha
    Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...

  • Alpha Kappa Alpha
    Alpha Kappa Alpha
    Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...

  • Delta Sigma Theta
    Delta Sigma Theta
    Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...

  • Kappa Alpha Psi
    Kappa Alpha Psi
    Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...

  • Omega Psi Phi
    Omega Psi Phi
    Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...

  • Phi Beta Sigma
    Phi Beta Sigma
    Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...

  • Zeta Phi Beta
    Zeta Phi Beta
    Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...

  • Sigma Gamma Rho
    Sigma Gamma Rho
    Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana...

  • Iota Phi Theta

Social Organizations

  • Groove Phi Groove
    Groove Phi Groove
    Groove Phi Groove is a social fellowship founded at Morgan State College as an alternative to mainstream Black fraternities...

  • Swing Phi Swing
  • Alpha Nu Omega
    Alpha Nu Omega
    Alpha Nu Omega is a national Greek letter organization founded in 1988 that comprises both a fraternity and sorority under one Constitution. The Constitution mandates that both branches of ANQ are Christian social Greek letter organizations.-History:...

  • Chi Eta Phi
    Chi Eta Phi
    Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc is a professional association for registered professional nurses and student nurses. Both men and women can become members. The Sorority has more than 8000 memembers. There are over 81 graduate chapters and 39 undergraduate chapters located in 26 stats, District of...

  • Black Male Agenda
  • Kappa Kappa Psi
    Kappa Kappa Psi
    Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...

  • Tau Beta Sigma
    Tau Beta Sigma
    Tau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni...


The honor societies represented at BSU include Delta Mu Delta
Delta Mu Delta
Delta Mu Delta is an international honor society that recognizes academic excellence in Baccalaureate, Master's, and Doctorate degree business administration programs at Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs -accredited schools...

, Lambda Pi Eta
Lambda Pi Eta
Lambda Pi Eta is the official communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association . As a member of the Association of College Honor Societies , Lambda Pi Eta has over 400 active chapters at four-year colleges and universities worldwide.Lambda Pi Eta was founded in 1985 at...

, and Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 800 active chapters located in Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and 1 chapter in the Middle East , with more than 1,000 faculty sponsors...

. The student newspapers, Bulldogcollegian.com and The Spectrum, along with WBSU Radio allow for students to monitor campus events and news.

The Symphony of Soul, also known as SOS, is the name of the marching/concert/pep band at Bowie State University. 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. 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
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...

. 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
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...

 and shared the stage with other recording artist such as Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...

, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

, and others. The SOS was featured in the Original Battle of the Bands held at RFK Stadium and its drumline was named as one of Showtime Magazines top ten amongst HBCU’s.

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

External links

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