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Pennsylvania State University

Coordinates: 40°47′46″N 77°51′46″W / 40.79611°N 77.86278°W / 40.79611; -77.86278
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The Pennsylvania State University
MottoMaking Life Better
Type • State-related
 • Flagship
 • Land-grant
 • Sea-grant
 • Space-grant
 • Sun-grant
 • Multi-campus
Established1855
Academic affiliations
Endowment$3.64 billion (2015, systemwide)[1]
 • $1.81 billion (2015, University Park)[2]
Budget$3.602 billion (2016)[3]
PresidentEric J. Barron[4]
ProvostNicholas P. Jones[5]
Academic staff
8,864[6]
Students99,133[7]
 • 47,307 (University Park)
Undergraduates84,686[7]
 • 40,742 (University Park)
Postgraduates14,477[7]
 • 6,565 (University Park)
Location
State College
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States

40°47′46″N 77°51′46″W / 40.79611°N 77.86278°W / 40.79611; -77.86278
CampusRural/College town, 7,343 acres (29.72 km2)
ColorsBlue and white[8]
   
NicknameNittany Lions
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division I – Big Ten
MascotNittany Lion
Websitewww.psu.edu
Official nameAg Hill Complex
TypeBuilding
CriteriaEvent, Architecture/Engineering
DesignatedJanuary 22, 1979[9]
Reference no.79002191
Official nameFarmers' High School
TypeDistrict
CriteriaEvent, Architecture/Engineering
DesignatedSeptember 11, 1981[10]
Reference no.81000538
Official namePennsylvania State University, The
TypeRoadside
DesignatedApril 30, 1947[11]

Pennsylvania State University is a university in the state of Pennsylvania. The main campus is in the city of State College, Pennsylvania and it has branch campuses around the state.[12] It was founded in 1855. In 1863, the Pennsylvania state legislature picked the school to be the state's only land grant college.[13] Its purpose is to do teaching, research, and public service. It teaches[14] undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education students both in classrooms and online.

Penn State University Park is ranked among the top-fifteen public universities in the United States.[15][16][17] Annual enrolment at the main campus is more than 44,000 graduate and undergraduate students, making it one of the largest universities in the United States. It has the world's largest dues-paying alumni association.[18]

The university's total enrolment in 2009–10 was about 94,300 across its 24 campuses[19] and online through its World Campus.[20] The university offers more than 160 majors among all its campuses[21] Penn State has a US$1.52 billion (as of April 30, 2010) endowment.[22] The university's research budget was more than $765 million for the 2009-2009 fiscal year.[23] In fiscal year 2008, the National Science Foundation ranked Penn State 11th among U.S. universities in research income.[24]

It is a school known for its football team. It is a member of the Big Ten Conference.

Organization and administration

[change | change source]

It is a "state-related" university, part of Pennsylvania's Commonwealth System of Higher Education. It receives money from the Commonwealth. The state appoints 10 out of 32 people on its board of trustees.[25] It is independent and not subject to the state's direct control. For the 2006–2007 fiscal year, the university received 9.7% of its budget from the state.[26] As Pennsylvania's land grant college, the state and federal governments provide matching funds for research and cooperative extension in agriculture, home economics and related fields.

Old Main, the main administrative building of Penn State, at University Park.

The board of trustees selects a president of the University. The president controls the university, including day-to-day management. In practice, the president gives power to other departments of the administration, to the faculty, and to the student body.[27] Provost Rodney Erickson became interim President on November 9, 2011, after President Graham Spanier was fired.[28]

The executive vice president and provost is the chief academic officer of the University.

Scandal

[change | change source]

The football team was led by coach Joe Paterno for 45 years. He was fired in 2011 along with the University President because they failed to report child abuse by a former assistant football coach.[29] Former coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on child abuse charges for the period 1994 to 2009. Both the Athletic Director and the vice president for business and finance were charged with perjury and resigned.[28] The next day about 2,000 students rioted in protest, supporting coach Paterno.[30] On November 11, the school staged a vigil to show support for the victims of child abuse.

The Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that colleges and universities have "a legal and moral responsibility to protect children", and that Penn State's failure to report the alleged abuse was a "tragedy".[31] The NCAA considered sanctions against Penn State.[32] Moody's Investors Service reviewed Penn State's bond ratings for a possible downgrade.[32] On November 14, 2011, the Big Ten Conference announced that its Championship football trophy will no longer be named for Paterno.[33] On November 13, 2011, President Barack Obama said, "It's a good time for us to do some soul searching – every institution, not just Penn State – about what our priorities are, and making sure that we understand that our first priority is protecting our kids."[34]

Sandusky denied all charges against him,[35] although he was convicted of all charges in October 2012 and sentenced to 30–60 years in prison.[36]

Sports

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Penn State's sports teams are nicknamed Nittany Lions, except for the women's basketball team, which is known as the Lady Lions. Almost all teams play in the Big Ten Conference. The women's ice hockey team plays in College Hockey America and the men's volleyball team in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ NACUBO. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Endowment Market Value and Change* in Endowment Market Value from FY2014 to FY2015" (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers. NACUBO. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 25, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Pennsylvania State University--University Park - Profile, Rankings and Data - US News Best Colleges". Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2016 Endowment Market Value and Change* in Endowment Market Value from FY2015 to FY2016". NACUBO. February 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 25, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Office of the President". President.psu.edu. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  5. ↑ Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost Archived 2014-01-22 at the Wayback Machine. Psu.edu (July 2, 2013). Retrieved on April 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Penn State Factbook – Faculty & Staff". Budget.psu.edu. Archived from the original on September 4, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Undergraduate and Graduate/First Professional Fall Enrollment 2016 and 2015". Budget.psu.edu. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  8. ↑ "PSU Visual Identity Standards". psu.edu. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Asset Detail". focus.nps.gov.
  10. ↑ "NPGallery Asset Detail".
  11. ↑ "PHMC Historical Markers Search". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on March 21, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Penn State University– Campuses and Colleges". Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Penn State - Pennsylvania's Land-Grant University". Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Penn State's Mission and Public Character". About Penn State – Penn State University. Archived from the original on 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  15. ↑ "Top Public Schools– Rankings– Top National Universities". U.S. News & World Report Rankings. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  16. ↑ Greene, Howard; Greene, Matthew W. (2001). Greenes' Guide to Educational Planning:The Public Ivies. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-093459-X.
  17. ↑ "Public Ivy Schools". Ivy League Online. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  18. ↑ Cooke, Kristina; Honan, Edith; Berkowitz, Ben (November 12, 2011). "A Long History in Penn State Child Abuse Case" Archived 2014-11-26 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Penn State Factbook– Table of Contents". Budget Office– Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  20. ↑ "Penn State World Campus". Pennsylvania State University.
  21. ↑ "Office of the University Registrar– Programs and Majors". Pennsylvania State University.
  22. ↑ "Endowment Reports". Office of Investment Management at Penn State. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
  23. ↑ "Organized Research by Fund Source". University Budget Office at Penn State. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  24. ↑ "R&D Expenditures at Universities and Colleges for FY 2008" (PDF). National Science Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  25. ↑ "Membership Selection". Penn State Board of Trustees. Archived from the original on July 6, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  26. ↑ Horan, Kevin (March 1, 2006). "Spanier Testifies for More Funding". The Daily Collegian. Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  27. ↑ "Role of the Board of Trustees in University Governance". Penn State Board of Trustees. Retrieved August 2, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Graham Spanier Ousted as Penn State President in Wake of Jerry Sandusky Scandal". The Patriot-News. November 9, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Graham Spanier ousted as Penn State president in wake of Jerry Sandusky scandal". The Patriot-News. November 9, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  30. ↑ Weiss, Dick (November 10, 2011). "Nebraska asks Penn State for safety assurances". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on November 13, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  31. ↑ Weinger, Mackenzie. Penn State to be investigated by Department of Education. The Politico, 2011-11-09.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "Campus Braces for Emotional Game". Wall Street Journal. November 12, 2011. p. A3.
  33. ↑ Armstrong, Kevin (November 14, 2011). "Construction on chapel that bears name of Sue Paterno, wife of fired Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, continues". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  34. ↑ Wallsten, Peter (November 15, 2011). "Obama calls for 'soul searching' in college sports". Washington Post. p. A4.
  35. ↑ "Jerry Sandusky, ex-coach at Penn State, breaks his silence". New York Daily News. November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  36. ↑ News, U. S. "Jerry Sandusky gets 30 to 60 years for child sex abuse". U.S. News. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
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