Indiana State University (
ISU) is a
public universityA public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
located in
Terre Haute, IndianaTerre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The
Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
while the graduate program in nursing was recognized as among the "Top 75' in the nation by U.S. News. The magazine currently classifies Indiana State University as a tier 2 national university. The current
Carnegie classificationThe Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a framework for classifying, or grouping, colleges and universities in the United States. The primary purpose of the framework is for educational research and analysis, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly...
for ISU is Doctoral/Research University.
Indiana State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. ISU is also included in Carnegie's new Curricular Engagement and Outreach & Partnerships category that recognizes substantial commitments to both an academic approach to mutually beneficial and respectful community collaboration and extensive outreach and partnerships.
Indiana State offers 100+ majors, notably education, business, criminology, finance, insurance and risk management, nursing, athletic training, and construction technology; the university's graduate education, financial services, nursing and clinical psychology programs are nationally recognized.
Indiana State is a diverse university, with 3.8% of students attending as international students and 19.5% of students belonging to a minority. Of the 19.5% minority students, 75.4% are African American, 8.3% are
multiracialThe terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
, 8.3 percent are Hispanic and Latino American, 5.8 percent are
Asian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, and 2.1 percent are Native American.
Indiana State is the first public university in Indiana to require incoming freshmen to have a laptop. ISU offers Dell Latitude E6400 laptops to incoming freshmen with high high school GPAs of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) as part of its Laptop Initiative.
History
Indiana State University was established by the
Indiana General AssemblyThe Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
on December 20, 1865, as the
Indiana State Normal School in Terre Haute. As the State Normal School, its core mission was to educate elementary and high school teachers. The school awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1908 and the first master's degrees in 1928. In 1929, the Indiana State Normal School was renamed the
Indiana State Teachers College, and in 1961, was renamed
Indiana State College due to an expanding mission. In 1965, the Indiana General Assembly renamed the college as
Indiana State University in recognition of continued growth.
Campus
The Indiana State University main campus is located on the north side of Terre Haute’s downtown business district and covers more than 200 acre (0.809372 km²) in the heart of the city. Over 60 brick and limestone buildings and laboratories comprise the main campus. Starting in the 1960s and continuing through the 1990s, ISU lost many of its historic buildings, but efforts to beautify the campus continue: a section of Seventh Street that runs by the university has been converted into a boulevard with flower beds and antique light posts; the old power plant was razed in 2002 and replaced with a modern facility;
Stalker HallStalker Hall is the current home of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana State University. Originally named the Education & Social Studies Building upon completion in 1954, it was renamed Stalker Hall in 1966 in honor of Francis Marion Stalker, a long-member of the Faculty from...
reopened in fall 2005 after a complete renovation; Normal Hall, a Neo-Classic building erected in 1909, originally served as the library, and is line for renovation in 2011-12. In 2009, the university dedicated a more than 109000 square feet (10,126.4 m²) Student Recreation Center, financed via private funding and student fees. Also in 2009, the College of Education was relocated to the newly renovated, historic University Hall. Beginning in 2012, the College of Business will relocate to the renovated Terre Haute Federal Building, a classic Art Deco building erected in 1933.
The Indiana State University field campus is an outdoor teaching, learning, and research area designed to accommodate educational programs and services. The field campus is located on 93 acres (376,358 m²) approximately 18 miles (29 km) east of Terre Haute near
Brazil, IndianaBrazil is a city in Clay County, Indiana, United States. The population was 7,912 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Clay County. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and includes eight man-made lakes.
2010 Master Plan
On December 18, 2009; the Indiana State University Board of Trustees accepted a new Master Plan,
This plan will guide the physical growth and development of the Indiana State
University campus for the next 15 to 20 years. It provides a blueprint for campus
improvements in the near and mid-term and an overriding philosophy for the long term.
Primary components of the plan include:
• Meeting the functional needs of academic programs within the current facility square footage.
• Improving student housing choices.
• Serving as a partner and catalyst to the redevelopment of downtown Terre Haute.
• Improving vehicular and pedestrian circulation systems and wayfinding.
• Supporting the redevelopment of the Wabash Riverfront.
• Providing athletic facilities that are competitive with peer institutions
• Responding to contemporary and practical sustainable design practices.
Colleges and school
Indiana State University is organized into six academic colleges:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- containing the Departments of: African and African American Studies • Art • Biology • Chemistry and Physics • Communication • Criminology • Economics • English • Earth and Environmental Systems • History • Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics • Mathematics and Computer Science • Music • Philosophy • Political Science • Psychology • Theater
- also containing: Center for Biodiversity Studies • Criminology Institute • Center for Economic Education • Center for Governmental Studies • Sociology Research Lab (SRL) • Center for the Study of Health, Religion, and Spirituality • Science Education Center • Center for Urban and Environmental Change
- Donald W. Scott College of Business
- organized into the three Departments effective January 2011: Accounting, Finance, Insurance and Risk Management (AFIRM) • Marketing and Operations • Management, Information Systems, and Business Education (MISBE)
- also containing: Small Business Development Center • Gongaware Center for Insurance Management • NetWorks Financial Institute • Center for Public Service and Community Engagement • Center for Research, Enterprise and Economic Development (CREED) • Leadership Development Institute (LDI)http://www.indstate.edu/business
- Bayh College of Education http://coe.indstate.edu
- containing the Departments of: Communication Disorders • Counseling • Curriculum, Instruction, and Media Technology • Educational Leadership, Administration, and Foundations • Educational and School Psychology • Elementary, Early, and Special Education
- also containing: Education Student Services • Professional Development Schools (PDS) • Blumberg Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Special Education • Instructional & Information Technology Services • North Central Association (NCA)
- College of Graduate and Professional Studies
ISU offers more than 90 programs in the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Technology, and Nursing, Health and Human Services. The College of Graduate and Professional Studies offers programs that lead to doctoral and master's degrees. Students can also pursue certificates in a concentrated area of study, enroll in professional development courses, and fulfill continuing education requirements.
- College of Technology
- containing the Departments of: Applied Engineering and Technology Management • Aviation Technology • Built Environment • Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology • Human Resource Development and Performance Technologies
- also containing: Indiana Packaging Research and Development Center • Technology Services Center • Technology Student Services • Air Force ROTC • Army ROTC
Degrees
- Undergraduate baccalaureate degrees: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Music (B.M.), Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.),
- Graduate degrees: Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.), Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Education (M.E.), Master of Music (M.M.), Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
- Doctorates: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
Accreditation
Indiana State University as a whole has been accredited by
The Higher Learning CommissionThe Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Higher Learning Commission oversees the accreditation of degree-granting colleges and universities in nineteen Midwestern and South-Central states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa,...
of the
North Central Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
continuously since 1915. The College of Business is accredited by the
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of BusinessThe Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business was founded in 1916 to accredit schools of business worldwide. The first accreditations took place in 1919. The stated mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership. It is regarded...
(AACSB) and the College of Education is accredited by the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher EducationThe National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education was founded in 1954 to accredit teacher certification programs at U.S. colleges and universities. NCATE is a council of educators created to ensure and raise the quality of preparation for their profession. NCATE is recognized by the U.S....
(NCATE). The nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). The Bachelor in Social Work program is accredited by the
Council on Social Work EducationThe Council on Social Work Education is the national association for social work education in the United States of America.The CSWE sets and maintains standards of courses and accreditation of bachelor's degree's and Master's degree programs in social work.The CSWE specifies foundation social work...
(CSWE). The Undergraduate Athletic Training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The Graduate Athletic Training program is accredited by the
National Athletic Trainers' AssociationThe National Athletic Trainers' Association is a professional membership association serving certified athletic trainers and others who support the athletic training profession in the United States...
-Graduate Review Committee (NATA-PPEC). The Physical Education programs are accredited by the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher EducationThe National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education was founded in 1954 to accredit teacher certification programs at U.S. colleges and universities. NCATE is a council of educators created to ensure and raise the quality of preparation for their profession. NCATE is recognized by the U.S....
(NCATE).
Donaghy Day
Named for Fred Donaghy, graduate of the Normal School (1912) and a professor of life sciences, this tradition was initiated in 1976 as a day set aside for the community to celebrate the season and to work to help beautify the campus and surrounding community; Donaghy Day is now conducted during the first week of the fall semester and is used to acquaint new students with the university's commitment to community engagement.
Homecoming
The term Homecoming was first used in print announcements for the Alumni-Varsity Basketball Game on December 9, 1916. By 1919, this event became known as Blue and White Day and featured dances and entertainment for alumni of the Normal School. In 1921 the events were organized around a football game scheduled earlier in the autumn. A bonfire and pep rally were added to the festivities in 1922; the Blue-and-White Parade in 1923; and in 1937, Bette Whitmore (Kappa Kappa) was elected ISU¹s first Homecoming Queen.
Founders Day
Conducted in January or February of each year, this event commemorates the opening of the institution in 1870 when 23 students presented themselves to a faculty of three on the first day of classes at the Indiana State Normal School.
Mascots
The school has had two mascots. Early on in the school's history, the athletes were referred to as the "Fighting Teachers", until the students chose the name "Sycamores", from the abundance of Sycamore trees in Indiana and especially in the
Wabash RiverThe Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
Valley; though it is believed that the students voted on 'Sycamores' on a lark, never thinking it would win. During the 1950s and 60s, the sycamore tree itself was used as Indiana State's mascot. However, as a tree does not lend itself well to an athletic mascot, especially considering Indiana State's in-state rivalries with the Ball State Cardinals and Butler Bulldogs, the university created an Indian mascot named Chief Quabachi, and his Princess, in 1969. This change paid homage to the fact that ISU was the "State" university of a state named after Indians (prior to statehood Indiana was primarily inhabited by Indians). However, the university stopped using Chief Quabachi as a mascot in 1989. For six years, Indiana State did not have a mascot, until 1995, a blue-and-white "furry woodland creature" named "Sycamore Sam" was developed to replace Chief Quabachi and continues to serve as Indiana State's mascot.
Tandem
This student-organized race was first run as part of Spring Week activities in 1970. Teams are coed mixed pairs, which compete on tandem bicycles.
Trike
The
Indiana State Tricycle Derby was first run in 1963 as a 10-lap race around the sidewalks of the Quadrangle on children's tricycles. The races featured a men's and women's division (the Powder Puff Derby). The races now feature men's and women's teams racing on specially built tricycles at the new Recreation East complex at Ninth and Sycamore streets. In October 2005, the Michael Simmons Student Activity Center opened at Rec East, featuring commemorative displays chronicling the history and the participants of trike and tandem, containing bleacher seating, an all-purpose room, restrooms, an observation deck, and storage.
The Walk
The unofficial tradition during homecoming is known as "The Walk." A large number of students, typically reaching in the thousands, make the two mile (3 km) walk east on Wabash Avenue towards the Football Stadium stopping and having a drink at each bar along the way. In 2010, the university launched “SoberRide” and “Designated Walker” programs for homecoming.
The Walk can be traced back to the early 1980s when students walked from Saturday night football games back to campus, stopping for a beer at every establishment that served beer, including the Pizza Hut, on Wabash.
Fight Song
March On (You Fighting Sycamores), the university’s fight song, was authored and arranged by Joseph A. Gramelspacher, an ISU professor of music, as a pep song. It was first performed at a homecoming-eve pep rally on October 20, 1939.
Indiana State
"March On! (You Fighting Sycamores)"
- March on! March on, you fighting Sycamores, Sycamores!
- March on, you Statesmen tried and true!
- March on! March on to glorious victory
- Raise that flag of royal blue!
- March on! March on, you fighting Sycamores, Sycamores!
- Shout out that vict'ry song!
- Onward, ever onward to our goal!
- As we march on and on!
- Go Big Blue! Fight Big Blue!
- GO! STATE! WIN!
Alma Mater
Charles M. Curry, Professor of English and Literature authored
The Alma Mater. It was originally entitled, "Indiana’s Normal" and first printed in a June 1912 issue of the
Normal Advance. Dr. Curry used the music of
Annie Lisle"Annie Lisle" is the name of an 1857 ballad by Boston, Massachusetts songwriter H. S. Thompson first published by Moulton & Clark of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and later by Oliver Ditson & Co. It is about the death of a young maiden, by what some have speculated to be tuberculosis, although the...
for
The Alma Mater.
Athletics
The school's athletic teams are known as the
Sycamores. They participate in the Division I
Missouri Valley ConferenceThe Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
and
NCAAThe 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...
FCS Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Athletically, it is best known as the alma mater of basketball legend
Larry BirdLarry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
; World Champion gymnast
Kurt ThomasKurt Bilteaux Thomas is an American Olympic gymnast.While at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, Thomas became a member of the US Olympic team at the 1976 Summer Olympics. In 1978, Thomas was the first American male gymnast to win a gold medal in floor exercise in a world championship...
; and Olympic, World and Pan-American Champion free-style wrestler,
Bruce BaumgartnerBruce Robert Baumgartner is a retired American amateur wrestler and current Director of Athletics for the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania....
. The legendary basketball coach
John WoodenJohn Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
coached the Sycamores before accepting the Head Coaching position at UCLA. The Men's Basketball team won the 1950 NAIB National Champions and were National Runner-Up in 1946 and 1948. They were also the NCAA College Division (Div II) National Runner-Up in 1968 and the Division I National Runner-Up in 1979. The 1950 team comprised the core of the 1951 Pan-American Gold Medal Team. In 1971, Coach Grete Treiber led the ISU Women's gymnastics team to a National Runner-up finish at the AIAW National Championships. Kurt Thomas led the Men's Gymnastics Team to the 1977 NCAA National Championship. Indiana State University Chess Captain, Taylor Pinnick, has led the Sycamores to 9 consecutive wins in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Facilities
Hulman CenterHulman Center is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. Initially named the Hulman Civic-University Center, the facility opened on December 14, 1973. Funded by donations and bond issues after an initial $2.5 million challenge gift from philanthropist Tony Hulman and the...
, originally named
Hulman Civic-University CenterHulman Center is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. Initially named the Hulman Civic-University Center, the facility opened on December 14, 1973. Funded by donations and bond issues after an initial $2.5 million challenge gift from philanthropist Tony Hulman and the...
, is a multi-use arena that opened in December 1973. It seats 10,200 people for basketball and is home to the Indiana State University Sycamores men's and women's basketball teams of the
Missouri Valley ConferenceThe Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
. It has hosted multiple concerts and the
Missouri Valley ConferenceThe Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
men's basketball tournament title game in 1979, the year legendary
Larry BirdLarry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
helped the undefeated
SycamoresThe Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
reach the championship game of the NCAA tournament.
The baseball field is located within a mile of the main campus along the scenic Wabash River. Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium is home to the
Terre Haute RexThe Terre Haute Rex are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Terre Haute, Indiana. They are a member of the summer collegiate Prospect League....
team. Memorial Stadium, the home field for Indiana State's NCAA Football Championship Subdivision football team of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and the women's soccer team is located on Wabash Avenue, two miles (3 km) east of the main campus. Walter E. Marks Field for track and field and Ferne Price Field for softball are among the many athletic facilities located on campus.
Indiana State University has hosted seven (2002, 2004–2009) NCAA Division I cross country championships at the spectacular
LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country CourseThe LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, in Terre Haute, Indiana was dedicated October 17, 1997. This course has the distinction of being one of the few purpose-built cross-country courses in the world. The facility is part of that comprise the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center just...
. Indiana State will host the championships in 2010 and again in 2013.
The school also hosted the 10th NCAA Wrestling Championships in 1937; remarkable considering the school had yet to establish a wrestling program. The University also hosted the 1975 NCAA Gymnastics National Championships.
Men
- Baseball - Sycamore Field
Sycamore Stadium is a baseball stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana. The venue is used by both the Indiana State Sycamores baseball team of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Terre Haute Rex of the college summer Prospect League.- Field :...
- Basketball
The Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
- Hulman CenterHulman Center is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. Initially named the Hulman Civic-University Center, the facility opened on December 14, 1973. Funded by donations and bond issues after an initial $2.5 million challenge gift from philanthropist Tony Hulman and the...
- Cross Country - LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course
The LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, in Terre Haute, Indiana was dedicated October 17, 1997. This course has the distinction of being one of the few purpose-built cross-country courses in the world. The facility is part of that comprise the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center just...
, Wabash ValleyThe Wabash Valley is a region with parts in both Illinois and Indiana. It is named for the Wabash River and spans the middle to the middle-lower portion of the river and is centered at Terre Haute, Indiana...
Family Sports Center
- Football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium is the current home of Indiana State University football in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. Constructed in 1923-24 by the City of Terre Haute to seat approximately 16,000 people, the facility's initial primary use was as the home of the Terre Haute Baseball Club, aka the Terre Haute...
- Track & Field - Marks Field
Women
- Basketball - Hulman Center
Hulman Center is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. Initially named the Hulman Civic-University Center, the facility opened on December 14, 1973. Funded by donations and bond issues after an initial $2.5 million challenge gift from philanthropist Tony Hulman and the...
- Cross Country - LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course
The LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, in Terre Haute, Indiana was dedicated October 17, 1997. This course has the distinction of being one of the few purpose-built cross-country courses in the world. The facility is part of that comprise the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center just...
, Wabash Valley Family Sports Center
- Soccer - Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium is the current home of Indiana State University football in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. Constructed in 1923-24 by the City of Terre Haute to seat approximately 16,000 people, the facility's initial primary use was as the home of the Terre Haute Baseball Club, aka the Terre Haute...
- Track & Field - Marks Field
- Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- Eleanor Forsythe St. John Softball Complex
- Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- multiple (The Country Club of Terre Haute {Private}; Idle Creek {Semi-Private}, Rea Park {Public} and Hulman Links {Public} Golf Courses)
- Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- ISU Arena
External links