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Worcester State University

Coordinates: 42°16′03″N 71°50′38″W / 42.267586°N 71.843760°W / 42.267586; -71.843760
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For other "Worcester Colleges," see Worcester College (disambiguation).
Worcester State University
TypePublic
Established1874
Endowment$22.998 million (2014)[1]
PresidentBarry M. Maloney
ProvostLois Wims
DeanLinda Larrivee (Dean of the School of Education, Health, and Natural Sciences), Jane O’Brien Friederichs (Interim Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences), Roberta Kyle (Dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education), Julie Kazarian (Dean of Students and Chief Student Affairs Officer)
Academic staff
211 full-time, 306 part-time
Undergraduates5,563
Postgraduates787
Location
Worcester
,
MA
,
US

42°16′03″N 71°50′38″W / 42.267586°N 71.843760°W / 42.267586; -71.843760
CampusUrban, 58 acres (0.2 km²)
Colors  Royal Blue   Gold
AffiliationsAAC&U, AASCU, NEASC, NCAA Division III, MASCAC, NEFC, Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts
MascotLancers
Websitewww.worcester.edu/

Worcester State University is an American liberal arts and sciences university located in Worcester, Massachusetts.

History

In 1874, The Worcester Normal School was founded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a teacher-training school. The school started offering Bachelor of Science in Education degrees in 1921. In 1932, the name was changed to Worcester State Teachers College and relocated to its present location on Chandler Street. The university offered its first graduate degree, the Master of Science in Education, in 1952. In 1963, its name was changed to Worcester State College since it had transitioned to include studies in liberal arts and sciences.[2] Worcester State's Graduate School was founded in 1974, and today it offers 27 master's degrees, post-baccalaureate certificates, and advanced graduate study certificates. In July 2010, both the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate voted to grant the school state university status and change its name to Worcester State University. The measure was signed into law by former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on July 28, 2010. In January 2010, the University was divided into two schools: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of Education, Health and Natural Sciences.

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences comprises the departments of Business Administration and Economics, Communication, Criminal Justice, English, History and Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Urban Studies, Visual and Performing Arts, and World Languages. The School of Education, Health and Natural Sciences comprises the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Computer Science, Education, Health Science, Mathematics, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Physical and Earth Sciences.

Campus Buildings

Shaughnessy Administration Building: The Helen G. Shaughnessy Administration Building, built in 1932, houses the Academic Success Center, Admissions Office, Academic Affairs Office, Bursar’s Office, Financial Aid Office, Academic Success Center, One Card Office, President’s Office, and additional administrative offices. It received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It was named for Helen G., Class of 1943, who was an active and loyal member of the university community for more than 60 years.

Ghosh Science and Technology Center: The Ghosh Science and Technology Center, opened in 2000, features offices, labs and classrooms for the health sciences, natural sciences, and computer science programs. Labs are equipped with cellular and molecular biology instrumentation, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscope, robots, GIS, centrifuges, a Cary UV-VIS spectrophotometers, Nicolet IR spectrophotometers, HPLC, Bruker 300 MHz NMR, gas chromatography, Varian GC-MS spectrophotometer, magnetic susceptibility balance, Perkin Elmer atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and analytical and preparative balances. The building also houses The Gallery at Worcester State University. It was named for Dr. Kalyan K. Ghosh, the university's ninth president.

Sullivan Academic Center: The Sullivan Academic Center, first opened in 1965 and renovated in 1980, houses a number of academic departments and classrooms. It was rechristened the Dr. Eugene A. Sullivan Building in 1980 in honor of the university's fifth president.

Student Center: The Student Center is a place for the entire campus community to go. The first floor has a Snack Bar and dining area, a bookstore, information desk, and a print center. It also has places for meetings and programs such as North/South Auditorium, Blue Lounge, Exhibit Area, and One Lancer Place. The second floor has the Student Center/Student Activities office, Commuter Services/Weekend Programming, and Disability Services. It also has small meeting rooms like; WSUR Radio Station, the main commuter lounge, and The Living Room. The third floor has multiple Student Affairs offices including the vice president of Student Affairs, Career Services, Counseling Office, Dining Services, Judicial Affairs, and Multicultural Affairs. Student organization offices are also on this floor and the main cafeteria is also there.

Learning Resource Center: The Learning Resource Center (library), completed in 1971, is the central repository of reference and research materials and includes a café and study areas. The library has flexible hours during the week, and shortened hours on the weekend. Students can access the library’s catalog from home, and from anywhere on campus, making it easier to find books and information for research. Its drum shape was touted as providing a "spokes of a wheel" design for reference and borrowed material. The first floor of the library was renovated in 2010 and construction of a new metal overclad to the building's exterior was completed in 2013.

Residence Halls: WSU’s residence halls – Dowden Hall, Chandler Village, Sheehan Hall, and Wasylean Hall – house 1,600 students.

  • Dowden Hall is a residence hall consisting of mostly first-year students and a very small number of transfer students. An addition with single and double rooms was completed in 2010. It also has a convenience store, known as the C-Store in the lobby, a game room, expanded laundry facility and community meeting room. It is named for the late Vera Dowden Baldwin, Class of 1934, whose connection with Worcester State spanned more than seventy years.
  • Chandler Village, constructed in 1972, is an "apartment style" residence hall with many different layouts. Each apartment can range from 4, 8, 10 or 11 students. The 4-person apartments have 1 full bathroom, living room, and kitchen. The 8-, 10-, or 11-person apartments consists of multiple bedrooms, full living room, kitchen and two full baths.
  • Sheehan Hall is WSU's newest residence hall that houses 400 students, both first-year and upper-class students, and features the main campus dining hall with 2-story windows overlooking the John F. Coughlin Field. Each suite consists of 2 double or 4 single rooms sharing a private bathroom. In addition to housing students, this residence hall houses Health Services, the Office of Residence Life and Housing, a multifunctional room, a game room, student lounges, and a communal kitchen. A small fitness center, laundry room, and mailboxes for Sheehan Hall residents are located on the 2nd floor. It is named for Lt. Col. James F. Sheehan, USMC (ret.), Class of 1955, who has provided more than $4 million in support to Worcester State, including a $3 million bequest, which underwrites scholarship and other support of students exhibiting academic excellence, and includes pledged support for a new Honors College and support of international study.
  • Wasylean Hall is a residence hall consisting of suite style living. Each suite consists of typically 6 students, each with 2 full baths and 4 bedrooms. There are also a small number of 4-student suites in the building. Java Junction is a coffee shop located in the lobby. The AIA Central Massachusetts awarded its Honor Award for Design Excellence to Wasylean Hall in 2005. It is named for Phillip M. Wasylean II, Class of 1963, who is one of Worcester State’s most generous and reliable benefactors, donating more than $1 million to benefit students.

Sagamore Campus: WSU's visual art classes are held in studios at the Sagamore Campus, also known as the Worcester Center for Crafts.

Wellness Center: The university is building a wellness center to replace its old gym built in 1958. It is anticipated to be open in Spring 2016. The new complex will feature a competition gymnasium, two-court, multi-purpose gymnasium, walking track, two-floor fitness center, three multi-functional exercise rooms, golf simulator and community space.

Athletics

Worcester State University Athletics is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC).

The Worcester State University athletic department currently sponsors men's intercollegiate baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, indoor and outdoor track and field, and soccer, and women's intercollegiate basketball, cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, indoor and outdoor track and field, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. Intramural sports offered at WSU include coed soccer, coed flag football, street hockey, dodgeball, wiffle ball, floor hockey, stickball, indoor soccer, ultimate, and softball.

Awards

  • Worcester State University was named a "Best Northeastern College" by The Princeton Review for 2015. It also made their list in many previous years.[3]
  • WSU made the President's Community Service Honor Roll for Higher Education in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013.
  • WSU was ranked a Best Regional University, 1st Tier (North) in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges: 2014 Edition.
  • WSU was named A Most Environmentally Responsible College by The Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges in 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015.
  • WSU was voted "Best College in Worcester" by Worcester Magazine from 2006-2015.
  • WSU was voted Best Local College in The Landmark Readers' Choice poll in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
  • WSU was named one of "America's Best Value Colleges" by The Princeton Review in 2007, 2013, and 2014.

Notable alumni

  • Tyler Boudreau, Class of 1997, is an American author who writes about his experiences in the Marine Corps and in the Iraq War, especially the impact the war had on himself and the other Marines. Boudreau served for twelve and a half years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps.
  • Lieutenant General Kevin T. Campbell (ret.), Class of 1973, was the commanding general of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command; commanding general of the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense; and interim commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Command. He assumed command of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command on December 18, 2006, replacing Lieutenant General Larry J. Dodgen. He retired from the Army in 2011.
  • Mark J. Carron, (attended), member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1999 - 2007)
  • John Dufresne is an American author of French Canadian descent born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Worcester State College in 1970 and the University of Arkansas in 1984. [1] He is a professor in the Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing program of the English Department at Florida International University.
  • Mary Fell, Class of 1969, is an American poet and academic.
  • Daniel Garvey, Class of 1973, is an American academic and administrator. He is president of Prescott College in Arizona.
  • Todd J. Leach '83, Class of 1983, is the chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire. He received a Distinguished Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Education Award from Worcester State University in 2012.
  • Raymond Mariano, better known as Ray Mariano, Class of 1973, is the current Executive Director of the Worcester Housing Authority. Prior to his service as Executive Director of the WHA, Ray served as Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts.
  • Don Nardo, historian, composer, and writer.
  • Brian Skerry, Class of 1985, is a photojournalist who works all over the world, mainly with National Geographic.
  • Geoffrey Zakarian, Class of 1981, is a world-famous chef who has made a name for himself in American cuisine at New York City restaurants like Town and Country, The Lambs Club, and The National, and Borgata in Atlantic City. He is an Iron Chef, a regular judge on Chopped, and the host of Sirius XM’s Food Talk radio show.

References

  1. ^ "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Endowment Market Value and Change* in Endowment Market Value from FY2013 to FY2014" (PDF).
  2. ^ http://worcester.edu/About/
  3. ^ http://www.worcester.edu/awards
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