Emporia State University

Emporia State University, often referred to as Emporia State or ESU, is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States, east of the Flint Hills. Established in March 1863, and originally known as the Kansas State Normal School, is the third oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Emporia State one of the six public universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.

The university offers degrees in more than 80 courses of study through 4 colleges: the School of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Library and Information Management, and the Teachers College. The Teachers College is one of only four post–secondary institutions in the nation to be identified as an Exemplary Model Teacher Education program by Arthur Levine in his 2006 national study of teacher education programs.

Emporia State's intercollegiate athletic teams are known as the Hornets with the exception of the women's teams, which are known as the Lady Hornets. Emporia State competes in NCAA Division II and is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Since joining the NCAA Division II in 1991, the Lady Hornets basketball team is the only team to win a NCAA championship.

History
The university was founded in March 1863 when the Kansas Legislature passed the enabling act to establish the Kansas State Normal School. Although the university was established in 1863, the first class didn't begin until February 15, 1865.

The first president of the Kansas Normal School and its only teacher, Lyman Kellogg, taught 18 students on the second floor of the district school house. At the first commencement on June 28, 1867, the graduating class consisted of two women — Ellen Plumb and Mary Jane Watson; the first, Judge Watson’s daughter and the second from Senator Preston B. Plumb’s family. Kellogg saw to it that the Normal got off to an good start before becoming a successful lawyer, honored judge, and Attorney General of Kansas. The school's first graduating class consisted of two women — Ellen Plumb and Mary Jane Watson — in 1867, the year the first permanent building was completed.

The name "Normal" originated in France during the 17th century and was given to schools that had "model" classrooms or schools designed to educate teachers–in–training the proper practices of teaching students. The United States had many Normal schools in the 19th century and most changed their names to "Teachers College". Many later became "State Universities."

In 1876, the Kansas Legislature passed the "Miscellaneous appropriations bill of 1876". The end result was that Leavenworth Normal and Concordia Normal were closed so the state funding for normal schools could be directed to Emporia.

KSN branched out with locations in Pittsburg and Hays, Kansas. The western branch in Hays opened June 3, 1902 and is today known as Fort Hays State University. The Pittsburg branch was opened as the Manual Training Auxiliary School in 1904 and became a four–year school named Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg in 1913. Today it is Pittsburg State University.

In February 1923, the name of the school was changed to the Kansas State Teachers College. In July 1974, the name was changed to Emporia Kansas State College. On April 21, 1977, the college became Emporia State University. Even before any of the name changes were made official by the Kansas Legislature and Board of Regents, though, the school was called Emporia State unofficially by some in the public and in many news reports.

Dr. Michael Shonrock became the 16th president of Emporia State University on Jan. 3, 2012.

Academic organization


By enrollment, Emporia State is the seventh-largest university in Kansas. In the Fall 2014 semester, Emporia State set a record enrollment with 6,114 students. Emporia State University comprises four colleges: the School of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Library and Information Management, and the Teachers College.

In July 2013, Emporia State University was named a Great College to Work For by the Chronicle of Higher Education and Princeton Review included ESU among its "Best of the Midwest" institutions of higher education. Emporia State University was again named a Great College to Work For in 2014. by the Chronicle of Higher Education

Emporia State University is accredited by the The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The university offers degrees in more than 80 courses of study. Emporia State has a satellite campus in Kansas City, which is mostly online classes, but some classes are held in the building.

School of Business
The Emporia State University School of Business is a public business school located on the main campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. The School of Business was founded in 1868 and currently has more than 30 faculty members and approximately 300 students.

The School is an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) accredited school. The programs have been thoroughly reviewed and found to be of the highest quality. This distinction is found with less than 5% of business schools worldwide.

Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics
The Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics, located in the School of Business, is a center made up of classes that will focus on communication, ethics, and entrepreneurial management. The Center was funded through initial grants of $750,000 from the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation and Koch Industries.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in numerous fields, with an emphasis on health professions and related programs, biological and biomedical sciences, and social sciences. Courses are offered at the main campus, online, and at satellite campuses.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Emporia State consists of:
 * Art
 * Biological Sciences (general biology, botany, ecology and biodiversity, zoology, microbial and cellular biology, physiology, aquatic biology, wildlife biology, genetics, pre–agriculture, pre–medical, pre–medical technology, pre–dentistry, pre–optometry, pre–physical therapy, pre–veterinary, pre–physician assistant, pre–mortuary, biochemistry and molecular biology, and secondary teaching)
 * Communications and Theatre (communication, debate, theatre, speech education)
 * English, Modern Languages, and Journalism (English, creative writing, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, East Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, ESL, TESOL)
 * Math, Computer Science, and Economics
 * Music
 * Nursing
 * Physical Sciences (chemistry, earth science, physics, physical science teaching, geospatial analysis, pre–engineering, pre–medical, pre–pharmacy)
 * Social Sciences
 * Sociology, Anthropology, and Crime and Delinquency Studies

School of Library and Information Management
Founded in 1902, the School of Library and Information Management, better known as SLIM, is the oldest school of library and information studies in the western half of the United States and offers courses at six program sites in Colorado, Kansas, Oregon, and Utah. SLIM is the only program in Kansas accredited by the American Library Association, and offers a two-year, 36-credit-hour Master of Library Science that prepares students for careers as information professionals in all types of libraries and information agencies. The School Library Media Licensure program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

SLIM also offers a SLIM offers the following degrees, certificates and endorsements:
 * Master of Library Science (MLS);
 * Master of Science in Informatics;
 * Doctor of Philosophy;
 * Archives Studies Certificate
 * School Library Media Licensure.



The Teachers College
The Emporia State University's Teachers College is one of only four post–secondary institutions in the nation to be identified as an Exemplary Model Teacher Education program by Arthur Levine in his 2006 national study of teacher education programs. The other three were Alverno College, Stanford University, and University of Virginia. In 2011, The Teachers College was featured in a video produced by the U.S. Department of Education highlighting the use of professional development schools.

Jones Institute for Educational Excellence
The Jones Institute for Educational Excellence is a non-profit organization partially funded by the Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Trust of Lyon County, Kansas. Established in August 1982 and originally called the Center for Educational Research and Service, the office is part of The Teachers College at Emporia State University.

Kansas City Campus
Emporia State University–Kansas City is the branch campus of Emporia State, located in Overland Park. The campus offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Academic buildings


Most academic buildings at Emporia State University are dedicated to someone or are an important part of Emporia State's history.

Beach Music Hall, named in honor of Frank A. Beach who was a distinguished Professor of Music at the Kansas State Teachers College, is home to the Music Department. Beach Music Hall, originally constructed in 1926, was completely renovated in 1997–98. The original building houses administrative offices, classrooms, Heath Recital Hall, Hendricks Computer Laboratory, faculty studios, and practice rooms. A new addition to the north of Beach Music Hall, The Shepherd Music Center, houses the choral and instrumental rehearsal rooms, percussion studio, and the digital audio recording center.

Bruekelman–Cram Science Hall is home to the Physical Sciences Department. Inside includes classrooms for Chemistry, Physics, and Earth science. Some museums are located with in the Breuekelman–Cram Science Hall including the Johnston Geology Museum, the Richard H. Schmidt Museum of Natural History, and the Peterson Planetarium.

The Butcher Education Center is home to the Sociology, Anthropology, and Crime & Delinquency Studies Department. On the south side of the building is the ESU Center for Early Childhood Education, which is a daycare center and also serves as a preschool.

Cremer Hall is home to the School of Business. The building is named after Raymond Griffith Cremer, ESU's first business degree graduate. The building opened in 1964 and was completed in 1969. Cremer Hall is also the home of the Kansas Business Hall of Fame. The Kansas Business Hall of Fame, Inc. was formally chartered as a not–for–profit organization on May 8, 1987. Following the guidelines of the American National Business Hall of Fame, the organization became a fully accredited member in September, 1987.

The Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Building is home to the Athletics department and the student recreation center. In the HPER Building, the university's intercollegiate athletics is housed there as well as the ESU Athletics Hall of Fame. Also in the building are classrooms and gymnasiums that the teams use for practice.

Inside John E. King Hall, named after the 11th president of ESU, is the Theatre Department, and the Arts and Communication Departments. Also inside is the Karl C. Bruder Theatre, named after the man that started the summer theatre program at KSTC in 1955 and still runs today. Plumb Hall serves as the Administration building, which is the President's office, the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Vice President of Fiscal Affairs. Also in Plumb Hall is Financial Aid services, Human Resources, the Learning Center, and some classrooms. The building is named after Senator Preston B. Plumb, who was from Emporia. Also inside is Albert Taylor Hall, which is an auditorium named after the 5th president of ESU.

Roosevelt Hall, once known as a high school in Emporia, serves as the home of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Inside are classrooms primarily for the English, Modern Languages, and Journalism classes.

John E. Visser Hall is home to The Teachers College. The building is named after ESU's 12th president. The four-story building also serves as the home to the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

The William Allen White Library is home to the School of Library and Information Management. Inside is a computer lab, the Department of University Archives, and stacks of library books.

Other buildings
The Emporia State University Memorial Union is the student activity center at Emporia State University. The Union opened on February 15, 1925. The Memorial Union was erected as a memorial to the students who died in World War I (WWI); therefore the name - "Memorial Student Union" - was established. It was the first student union building west of the Mississippi River. It has undergone four building additions since its opening in 1925 (1958, 1963, 1972, & 2012). The three-level structure contains 168,000 square feet of space devoted to conference, dining, meeting, recreational, and lounge facilities. Inside the Union, the Bookstore, Admissions office, and Sodexo (Dining Services) are all located within the building.

The Earl Sauder Alumni Center houses the Emporia State University Foundation and Alumni Association. Cora Miller Hall is home to the Division of Nursing and is located next to Newman Regional Hospital. The building was named in honor of Cora A. Miller, a registered nurse who was the first superintendent of the hospital when it opened in 1922. She also directed the education and practice of the nurses and student nurses. The W.S. and E.C. Jones Nursing Skills Laboratory, the Frances Stout Auditorium, classrooms, faculty offices, two computer laboratories, and the Emporia State University Department of Nursing Library are located in Cora Miller Hall.

Housing
At ESU, all incoming freshmen students must live in the Towers Complex (North & South Towers, Singular & Trusler), unless they live within a 30 mile radius of the campus. Upperclassmen have the choice to live in Morse Hall Complex.

Morse Hall Complex consists of four wings: Northeast Morse, Central Morse, South Morse and Abigail Morse. Northeast, Central and South are all upperclassmen residence halls. South Morse is used for office purposes such as the TRIO Program and Student Wellness Center are located in South.

The Towers Complex is made up into four residence halls: North & South Towers, and Singular and Trusler Towers. Trusler went under renovation in the fall 2013, with Singular going under renovation in the spring 2014.

Greek life
ESU has eight fraternities and six sororities.


 * Fraternities
 * Alpha Kappa Lambda
 * Kappa Sigma
 * Phi Delta Theta
 * Sigma Phi Epsilon
 * Sigma Pi
 * Sigma Tau Gamma
 * Sigma Rhomeo
 * Phi Sigma Kappa (Colony)


 * Sororities
 * Alpha Sigma Alpha
 * Alpha Sigma Tau
 * Chi Omega
 * Sigma Sigma Sigma
 * Sigma Gamma Rho
 * Zeta Phi Beta

Student newspaper
The school newspaper of Emporia State University is ESU Bulletin, which was established in 1901. The Bulletin is published once a week on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge in all campus buildings. Supported by student fees and advertising, The Bulletin is written and operated by student staff members.

Student yearbook
Sunflower, the university's yearbook, is published each spring as a chronicle of the year’s events and activities. It is funded by student fees and is distributed during finals week of the spring semester. Students who choose to be included in the yearbook are photographed at no charge during the fall semester.

Athletics


Emporia State University's intercollegiate athletic teams are known as the Hornets with the exception of the women's teams, which are known as the Lady Hornets. Emporia State competes in NCAA Division II and is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Since 1893, Emporia State has belonged to six conferences: the Kansas Conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the Great Plains Athletic Conference, the Central States Intercollegiate Conference and the MIAA.

Of its varsity sports, Emporia States's women's basketball team has been the only one to claim a national title. The Lady Hornets, who was led by player Alli Volkens and head coach Brandon Schneider, won the 2010 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship, defeating the Fort Lewis College (Colorado) Skyhawks. The men's basketball team is currently coached by Shaun Vandiver, a former NBA First Round Draft Pick.

Since 1940, home basketball games have been played at William L. White Civic Auditorium, a 5,000-seat arena which is named after William Lindsay White, son of William Allen White. In addition to serving as home to the men's and women's basketball teams, the arena is used by the Lady Hornets volleyball team. In 2008, WLW Civic Auditorium received an upgrade with a new scoreboard and video board, as well as a new color scheme on the arena floor and the throughout the entire building.



The Hornets football team, is currently coached by former Hornets quarterback Garin Higgins. Since joining the MIAA in 1991, the Hornets have gone 99–126 in conference play. The Hornets have also participated in five post–season bowls in which three of those were wins.

Francis G. Welch Stadium serves as home to the Hornets football team. The stadium, who is named for long–time Emporia State football coach and athletic director Fran Welch, opened in 1947 and since then has gone under a few renovations. In 1994, the east and west side concession areas, restroom facilities, and entrances were renovated, a new scoreboard was hoisted into place at the south end of the stadium and a new landscaped fence was erected. In 1997, the Hutchinson Family Pavilion, a three–tiered facility which has enclosed theatre seating on the first floor, a president’s box and four sky–boxes on the second floor, and a game–day management and media center on the third floor was built. The current seating capacity is 10,000.

The Hornets baseball team played its first game in 1978. The team has five conference championships, and two NCAA Division II World Series appearance with a 2009 runner–up. The team had also made five appearances in the NAIA World Series, winning the 1978 World Series. Currently the team is coached by Bob Fornelli, who is 377–153 (.710) at Emporia State and 683–266 (.710) overall. The Lady Hornets softball team played its first game in 1974, four years before the baseball team. The team is currently coached by Julie LeMaire, who has a record of 129–45 (.740) while at ESU, and an overall record of 221–121 (.640) has eight regular season championships in the MIAA and eight tournament championships. The softball team played for the national championship in 2006 and 2008.

Trusler Sports Complex is home to the baseball and softball teams. The baseball team competes on Glennen Field, named after Dr. Robert E. Glennen, thirteenth president of Emporia State University. In 2009, the field was renovated with a new artificial turf that replaced the infield on Glennen Field. The Lady Hornets compete on Turnbull Field, which is named in honor of J. Michael Turnbull, president and trustee of the Trusler Foundation.

In addition, Emporia State also has a men/women's cross country/track and field team, women's soccer team, men/women's tennis,  and women's soccer.

Mascots
Corky the Hornet is Emporia State University's mascot. In the 1930s, when Emporia State University was named Kansas State Teachers College, the athletic teams were known as the "Yaps". Many people were not fond of the name, most notably legendary coach, Vic Trusler. Trusler suggested to a local writer, Cecil Carle of the Emporia Gazette, that the university's athletic teams should be called the "Yellow Jackets". However, the name changed to "Hornets" because of the lack of newspaper space.

In 1933, the Kansas State Teachers College had a student contest where students and staff could design a mascot for the college. A sophomore by the name of Paul Edwards, who graduated in 1937, designed Corky for a campus–wide logo contest. Many students sent in their drawings of a mascot, but they chose Edwards' Corky, a "human–like" hornet. Corky was published in The Bulletin, the student newspaper for Emporia State University.

In August 2014, it was announced that in January 2015, Corky will have a nephew. Buz will be a smaller, more "child friendly" hornet that will visit local schools, participate in community events and be present at ESU activities. Buz will be designed by Corky's creator Paul Edwards, who is turning 100 years old in January 2015. Buz will also debut in January 2015 at Edwards' birthday party.

Foundation
The Emporia State University Foundation was established in 1952. It was established as an independent, nonprofit corporation that exists to support Emporia State University. The Foundation raises, receives, manages, invests, and distributes private resources in support of the university’s mission in the areas of teaching, research, public service, and scholarship.

Now & Forever Campaign
In February 2013, the University announced a campaign to raise $45 million in five–to–seven years. The campaign started in February 2013, when the University turned 150. The University has a $45 million and a vision goal of $63 million – and armed with 18 Big Ideas that will propel us into our next 150 years. The $63 million and 18 Big Ideas comes from the year the University was established (1863.)

The Campaign's slogan is Silent no more. After an announcement of a donation, big or small, the University rings a bell called Silent Joe. The bell, which is located just south of Francis G. Welch Stadium, was originally rung only after a football team won at home.