Southern Connecticut State University

Southern Connecticut State University (alternately SCSU or Southern) is one of four state universities in Connecticut, and is located in the West Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1893, it is the third-oldest campus in the Connecticut State University System.

SCSU is part of the Connecticut State University System. Its sister schools are Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Western Connecticut State University. The state universities are governed by the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education.

History
Life began for Southern Connecticut State University on September 11, 1893, when three teachers and 84 students met at the old Skinner School in New Haven to create a two-year teacher training school, New Haven State Normal School. By 1937, Southern had grown into a four-year college with the power to grant bachelor's degrees. Ten years later, Southern teamed up with Yale University's Department of Education to offer a master of science degree. In 1954, the State Board of Education authorized the institution—then known as New Haven State Teachers College—to assume complete responsibility for this graduate program.

In 1959, six years after the institution had moved to its present location on Crescent Street, state legislation expanded Southern's offerings to include liberal arts programs leading to bachelor's degrees in the arts and sciences. At the same time, New Haven State Teachers College became Southern Connecticut State College.

For the next 24 years, Southern grew, modernized, and diversified, expanding its undergraduate and graduate programs and opening up entirely new fields of study and research. But March 1983 brought even greater changes: Southern Connecticut State College was rechristened Southern Connecticut State University, and made part of the Connecticut State University System, along with Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury.

Present
Southern hosts lectures, workshops in literature and dance, art exhibits, performances by professional and student artists, conferences, and institutes on a variety of topics. Figures that have given lectures on Southern's campus include astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, comedian and educator Bill Cosby, and writer Jeffrey Zaslow, a co-author of the The Last Lecture and columnist for the Wall Street Journal before his death.

Campus
Southern has one campus in New Haven, bordering parts of Hamden, Connecticut. Fitch Street separates the academic and residential parts of campus.

Founders Gate, between Lyman Center and Engleman Hall, is a physical link to Southern's early Howe Street campus. The gate was restored and moved to the Crescent Street campus, and dedicated during Homecoming in 1987.

Recent construction
During the summer of 2013 two new construction projects broke ground on the campus. The renovation of the old Buley Library building began, and a new Academic Science building started in what was the parking lot in front of Jennings Hall. Both projects are on track to be completed in 2015.

Academic

 * Engleman Hall (Administration, classrooms and offices)
 * Morrill Hall (Earth Science, Geography, Journalism, classrooms)
 * Jennings Hall (Science Building)
 * Davis Hall (School of Education)
 * The School of Business
 * Buley Library (School of Information and Library Science)
 * Earl Hall (Fine Arts, Music, Video Production)[[Image:Earlhall-20081113.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Earl Hall as seen from the campus center.]]
 * Pelz Gym
 * Nursing Classroom Building (offices/classrooms)
 * Lyman Center (Theater Department)

Residence halls
Freshman and sophomore traditional residence halls:
 * Chase Hall
 * Farnham Hall
 * Hickerson Hall
 * Neff Hall
 * Wilkinson Hall
 * West Campus Residence Complex offers double or triple rooms and single rooms in suites.

Upperclassmen halls:
 * Brownell Hall is a blend of traditional residence hall and upperclassman housing.
 * Schwartz Hall offers 2, 4 or six person apartments for sophomore and junior students.
 * North Campus Midrise Complex and Townhouses for seniors with 100+ credits and graduate students.

Administrative

 * Wintergreen Building (offices)
 * Ethnic Heritage Center
 * Admissions House
 * Lang Social Work House
 * Orlando Public Health Building

Other

 * Lyman Center for the Arts
 * Michael J. Adanti Student Center
 * Connecticut Hall (food service)
 * Granoff Student Health Center (campus police and health center)
 * Moore Fieldhouse (athletics)
 * Jess Dow Field (athletics)
 * Facilities and Operations Building

Teacher education
In keeping with its origins as a teachers' college, Southern Connecticut State University remains a center for teacher education. It produces more teachers, principals, and school superintendents than any other Connecticut institution. Southern is the only school in Connecticut to offer a master's degree concentration in autism spectrum disorders. The university received approval for its first doctoral program, an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership.

Nursing
NCLEX passing rates for Southern students hover between 90 and 100 percent in the past three decades.

Athletics
SCSU's sports teams are nicknamed The Owls.

There have been 10 NCAA National Championship Teams at Southern, as well as 75 NCAA Individual Champions in the sports of Track and Field, Swimming and Gymnastics.

Soccer
SCSU's men's soccer team won titles in 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998, 1999. The six titles are the most for any Division II men's soccer team in the country. The program has appeared in 32 NCAA Division II Tournaments, 17 NCAA Final Four appearances, and has produced 52 All-Americans, 15 Senior Bowl Players, 4 National Player of the Year Award Winners, and 1 Golden Boot Award (Top Goalkeeper in any NCAA Division) winner.

Basketball
On March 24, 2007, the women's basketball team won the NCAA Division II championships. In a 61–45 victory, SCSU beat the previously undefeated Florida Gulf Coast.

Gymnastics
The street circle in front of the Moore Fieldhouse is named in honor of former Olympian Abie Grossfeld, former head gymnastics coach at the university.

Swimming
The swimming and diving team scored their highest at the NCAA championship meet in March for the years 2007 and 2008.

Football
SCSU's football program has produced coaches and players who went on to the National Football League.

WSIN1590 AM radio station
WSIN1590 AM is formerly known as WOWL and WSCB. A student-run radio station, WSIN can be streamed online from its website. WSIN stands for "Southern Independent Network." Shows are broadcast live from the Michael J. Adanti Student Center. All SCSU students are allowed to sign-up for a time slot to broadcast over the airwaves. Diverse news, music, and talk shows compose SCSU's current programming. In 2007 a group of students from WSIN traveled to the NCAA DII Championchips to broadcast the games when the Women's Basketball team was in the final rounds of the tournament.

Southern News student newspaper
The Southern News is a weekly newspaper covering news, opinions, arts, entertainment and sports. The publication consists of 14 paid staff members. The Southern prints work from staff members, journalism students, and non-journalism majors.

Fraternities

 * Alpha Phi Delta fraternity
 * Lambda Alpha Upsilon fraternity inc.
 * Phi Beta Sigma fraternity inc.
 * Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity(/Tau Eta Chapter)

Sororities

 * Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority
 * Delta Phi Epsilon (social) sorority
 * Sigma Gamma Rho sorority inc.
 * Zeta Phi Beta sorority inc.

Local

 * Beta Mu Sigma fraternity
 * Omega Zeta Pi sorority

Notable alumni

 * Timothy I. Ahern – U.S. Air Force general
 * Tony Amendola – actor, graduated in 1974
 * Kevin Anderson – head men's soccer coach at Columbia University
 * Joe Andruzzi – player with the New England Patriots
 * Lynn Austin – Christy Award-winning author
 * John Ball (soccer) – former professional soccer player
 * Brian Bliss – former professional soccer player
 * Shawn Boney – former player with the Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
 * Steve Bush – former professional football player
 * Jacques Cesaire – former American football defensive end with the San Diego Chargers
 * John DeBrito – former professional soccer player
 * James Economou – arena football player with the Iowa Barnstormers
 * Anthony Fantano – host of WNPR The Needle Drop music program
 * Ancil Farrier – professional soccer player
 * Kevin Gilbride – New York Giants offensive coordinator
 * Marilyn Giuliano – Connecticut State Representative
 * Tim Holt – former college and professional football coach
 * Chris Houser – former professional soccer player
 * Gilbert Jean-Baptiste – former professional soccer player
 * Mike Katz – professional bodybuilder and former professional football player with the New York Jets, graduated in 1966
 * George Kiefer – head men's soccer coach at the University of South Florida
 * Dan Lauria – actor, graduated in 1970
 * Bonaventure Maruti – professional soccer player
 * Nangolo Mbumba – Namibian politician
 * Scott Mersereau – former defensive end for the New York Jets
 * Nick Nicolau – former college and professional football coach
 * Olivier Occéan – professional soccer player
 * Andrew Olivieri – former professional soccer player
 * Bo Oshoniyi – former professional soccer player
 * Juan Carlos Osorio – former professional soccer player
 * Paul Oyuga – former professional soccer player
 * Chris Palmer – former professional football coach
 * Rob Parker – professional television journalist [Detroit, Mich.]
 * Mike Petke – former professional soccer player
 * Neil Thomas Proto – lawyer, teacher, lecturer, and author
 * Ray Reid – head men's soccer coach at the University of Connecticut
 * Carlos Rocha – professional soccer player
 * Jordan Russolillo – former professional soccer player
 * Cristian da Silva – former professional soccer player
 * Parrish Smith – Member of hip-hop group EPMD and also former tight-end for Southern Connecticut State University Football team
 * Victoria Leigh Soto – teacher killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
 * Jeff Stoutland – Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line coach
 * Andy Talley – Villanova University head football coach
 * Heidi Alice Voight – Miss Connecticut 2006
 * Stephen L. White – Author, former Episcopal Chaplain at Princeton University; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, graduated 1971
 * Norby Williamson – ESPN vice president of studio and remote production, graduated in 1984
 * Daniel Trust - Rwandan Genocide survivor, motivational speaker and founder of The Daniel Trust Foundation, graduated in 2013