Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro University is a public university in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It has more than 4,600 enrolled students spread between the main campus and the Porreco College in Erie, Pennsylvania.[1]
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Other name | Edinboro University of Pennsylvania |
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Former name |
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Type | Public |
Established | 1857 |
Academic affiliation | PASSHE |
Endowment | $26.4 million |
President | Guiyou Huang |
Provost | Michael J. Hannan |
Academic staff | 346 |
Administrative staff | 392 |
Students | 4,646 |
Undergraduates | 3,572 |
Postgraduates | 1,262 |
Location | , , United States 41°52′12″N 80°07′19″W |
Campus | 585 acres (237 ha) |
Fight song | Scotland the Brave |
Colors | Red and White |
Athletics | NCAA Division I – MAC NCAA Division II – PSAC |
Nickname | Fighting Scots |
Sports | 1 Division I 13 Division II |
Mascot | MacCato, The Fighting Scot |
Website | www.edinboro.edu |
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History
Edinboro University was founded as the Edinboro Academy, a private training school for Pennsylvania teachers in 1857, by the region's original Scottish settlers. It is the oldest training institution west of the Allegheny Mountains and the second oldest in all of Pennsylvania. In the beginning, Edinboro modestly consisted of one two-story building, six classrooms, three instructors, 110 students and a principal. That original building Academy Hall is currently used as the undergraduate admissions office. In 1861, the Edinboro Academy affiliated with the state government of Pennsylvania to become the second State Normal School in Pennsylvania, occasionally known as the Northwest State Normal School. (Normal schools are teachers colleges.) In 1914, the state purchased the school from the original stockholders and renamed it the Edinboro State Normal School. By 1927, the advancement of academic programs to include liberal arts study required the school to rename itself Edinboro State Teachers College. Further development of the liberal arts to include degree programs outside the field of education resulted in Edinboro becoming Edinboro State College in 1960. Continued development of undergraduate liberal arts programs and advanced graduate degrees earned Edinboro university status in 1983.[2]
Scottish heritage and traditions
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As of Spring 2020, Edinboro is the first school in the world to offer a music education degree (BAME) that is open to students with a focus in bagpiping. The university and town that share the Edinboro name were founded by Scottish immigrants. Holding to its tradition, Edinboro University has a pipe band (a band that consists of bagpipes, snare drums and a bass drum) that performs alone and also with the "Spirit of the Scots" marching band for school related functions. Each year, Edinboro hosts a three-day highland games festival complete with Scottish heavy athletics; dancing; bagpipe band; Celtic harp; and other competitions. The University's fight song is a version of Scotland the Brave.
Campuses
The main campus is located 18 miles (29 km) from Erie, Pennsylvania and within 5 miles (8.0 km) of the educational and population centers of McKean, Waterford, and Albion. The main campus has 42 buildings on a 585-acre (2.37 km2) campus which includes a 5-acre (20,000 m2) lake, open fields and woods, 11 on-campus residence halls (Highlands 1~8, Rose Hall and Earp Hall (used for summer sports camps) and Towers (only one being used currently)) for approximately 2,500 students, and the seven-story Baron-Forness Library. Edinboro University offers 150 degree programs and 57 minors. The student-faculty ratio is 18:1.
Edinboro students may also choose to complete coursework toward workforce-related associate degrees at the Porreco College in Erie. The Porreco College sits on the former Louis Porreco farm and estate in Millcreek Township and allows local students to complete a community college-like education. The Porreco College consists of 10 buildings in a farm-like setting.
Athletics
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Edinboro University offers 17 varsity sports: women's basketball, cross country, lacrosse, volleyball, swimming, soccer, softball, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field, and men's football, wrestling, cross country, basketball, swimming, tennis, wheelchair basketball and outdoor track and field. All but the wrestling and wheelchair basketball are NCAA Division II programs and members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Wrestling competes on the NCAA Division I level, and as of the 2019 season will no longer actively compete against Division II level PSAC wrestling programs as a result of their new affiliation with the Mid-American Conference in wrestling. Its wheelchair basketball team competes in the NWBA Intercollegiate Division.
Student life
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Edinboro University has more than 100 student organizations encompassing academic clubs and honor societies, professional organizations, general student interests, music and theater organizations, and Greek Life. Edinboro's Student Government Association manages a budget of over $1 million, and provides many student services. The student activity fee provides funding for student organizations, athletic programs, and campus programming. The University Programming Board plans and contracts for student activities such as sightseeing and shopping trips, free movies, concerts and comedians, notable guest speakers, and activities in the University Center.
Fraternities and sororities
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Social fraternities and sororities at Edinboro include:
- Alpha Gamma Delta (sorority)
- Alpha Sigma Alpha (sorority)
- Alpha Sigma Tau (sorority)
- Delta Zeta (sorority)
- Kappa Delta Rho (fraternity)
- Lambda Chi Alpha (fraternity)
- Phi Kappa Psi (fraternity)
- Phi Mu Alpha (fraternity)
- Sigma Sigma Sigma (sorority)
- Zeta Tau Alpha (sorority)
Edinboro is also home to many Greek honors, service, and professional organizations. All of these organizations, with the exception of Sigma Alpha Iota, are co-ed. Edinboro's academic honorary and professional Greek letter organizations and clubs include:
- Alpha Chi - Honors Society
- Alpha Kappa Psi - Business and Professional Society
- Alpha Phi Omega - Service Organization
- Alpha Phi Sigma - National Criminal Justice Honor Society
- Alpha Psi Omega - Theatre Honor Society
- Alpha Sigma Lambda - Honor Society for Non Traditional Students
- Beta Beta Beta - Biological Sciences Honor Society
- Chi Alpha Epsilon - Honor Society
- Delta Alpha Pi - Honor Society for Students with Disabilities
- Delta Mu Delta - Business Honor Society
- Iota Iota Iota - Women's Studies Honor Society
- Kappa Delta Pi - Education Honor Society
- Kappa Kappa Psi - Honorary Band Service Organization
- Lambda Pi Eta - Communication Studies Honor Society
- Phi Alpha - Social Work Honor Society
- Phi Alpha Theta - History Honor Society
- Phi Epsilon Kappa -
- Phi Sigma Iota - Foreign Language and Literatures Honor Society
- Phi Sigma Pi - Honor Fraternity
- Pi Mu Epsilon - Mathematics Honor Society
- Psi Chi - Psychology Honor Society
- Sigma Alpha Iota - Women's Music Fraternity
- Sigma Alpha Pi - Honors Society
- Sigma Gamma Epsilon - Earth Sciences Honor Society
- Sigma Tau Delta - English Honor Society
- Upsilon Pi Epsilon - Honor Society for Computing and Information Disciplines
Notable alumni
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- Jack R. Anderson, former director of the University of Pittsburgh bands
- Leo Bemis, former head coach of the University of Pittsburgh men's soccer team, 1954-1983
- Ryan Bizzarro, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 2013–present
- Jim Booros, an American professional golfer who played full-time on the PGA Tour for nine years
- Karl Boyes, former member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1981-2003
- Samuel Myron Brainerd, U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania, 1883-1885
- Shawn Bunch, All-American wrestler and MMA fighter
- Robert Carothers, President of University of Rhode Island, 1991-2009
- Henry Alden Clark, U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania, 1917-1919
- Mark Corey, professional baseball player
- Kathy Dahlkemper, U.S. Congresswoman from Pennsylvania, 2009-2011
- Denayne Davidson-Dixon, former Arena Football League player
- Jakim Donaldson (born 1983), basketball player in the Israeli National League
- Mari K. Eder, United States Army Major General (retired)
- John Evans, former sportscaster at WJET-TV in Erie, PA, former representative in Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- Dave Filoni, American film writer, and animator; director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and series
- Teresa Forcier, member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1991-2006
- LaToya Ruby Frazier, photographer, Guggenheim Fellow, MacArthur Fellow
- Gregor Gillespie, NCAA Champion wrestler; professional Mixed Martial Artist in the UFC[3]
- David Green, former NFL and CFL football player
- Trevor Harris, former NFL player for the Jacksonville Jaguars and starting quarterback in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos
- James T. Harris III, President of University of San Diego, former president of Widener University and Defiance College
- Merritt Eldred Hoag, former president of University of North Georgia
- Richard Holmes, professional football player
- Chris Honeycutt, All-American wrestler; professional MMA fighter for Bellator MMA
- Josephine Brawley Hughes, early women's rights advocate
- L. C. Hughes, newspaper editor, lawyer, union organizer, and politician who served as the eleventh Governor of Arizona Territory
- Bill Jacobs, biologist who made genetic engineering of mycobacteria including tuberculosis possible.
- Kenneth Jadlowiec, member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1987-2002
- Mike Kelly, football coach for numerous NCAA, CFL, and NFL teams
- Miles Brown Kitts, Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania (1916-1924), Pennsylvania State Senator 1924-1932
- Josh Koscheck, NCAA D-1 Wrestling Champion; professional mixed martial artist, former UFC Welterweight Contender[4]
- Pat Monahan, lead singer of alternative-rock band Train
- Andrew Muldoon, retired professional pair skater
- Sean O'Brien, member of Ohio House of Representatives, 2011–Present
- Jeremy O'Day, General Manager & Vice President of Football Operations, Saskatchewan Roughriders, former Canadian Football League player, Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Joseph Newton Pew, founder of Sun Oil Company, now Sunoco
- Frank Polaski, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1964-1970
- Tara Seibel, cartoonist, graphic designer, and illustrator
- R. Tracy Seyfert, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 1997-2000[5]
- Milton William Shreve, U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania, 1913-1915,1919-1933
- Keith Skelton, former member of Oregon House of Representatives, 1957-1973
- Danny Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers' Special Teams Coordinator
- David Steadman, curator of ornithology at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida
- Sharon Stone, actress (attended briefly; honored with honorary degree in 2006)
- Vicki Van Meter, Youngest female pilot to cross the continental United States
- Justin Wilcox, professional mixed martial artist formerly competing in Strikeforce, currently fighting for Bellator[6]
- John Williams, CFL football player
- Mike S. Zafirovski, former CEO of Nortel Networks and former President of Motorola
References
- Edinboro University, "Edinboro University Fact Sheet", www.edinboro.edu, 2019-2020
- Edinboro University, "Edinboro University History", www.edinboro.edu, 2019-2020
- http://www.ufc.com/fighter/gregor-gillespie
- "Josh Koscheck UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
- "Tracy Seyfert (Republican)". Official Pennsylvania House of Representatives Profile. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2000-03-03.
- "Justin Wilcox MMA Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.