University of Southern Indiana

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University of Southern Indiana
Motto Knowledge for Life
Type Public
Established 1965
Endowment US $66 million[1]
President Linda L. M. Bennett
Academic staff
 821
Students 9,364
Undergraduates 8,414
Postgraduates 950
Location
Vanderburgh County
,
Indiana
,
USA
Campus Suburban: 1,400 acres (6 km2)
Athletics 17 Division II NCAA teams,
called Screaming Eagles
Colors red, white, and blue
Mascot Archibald Eagle (Archie)
Website www.usi.edu, [3]

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The University of Southern Indiana (USI) is a public university located just outside Evansville in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1965, USI enrolls approximately 9,500 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in 80 majors. USI offers programs through the College of Liberal Arts, Romain College of Business, College of Nursing and Health Professions and the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education. USI is a Carnegie Foundation Community Engaged University[2] and offers continuing education and special programs to more than 15,000 participants annually through Outreach and Engagement.

USI athletic teams participate in Division II of the NCAA and are known as the Screaming Eagles. USI is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The university is home to an extensive student life, with more than 140 student organizations.

History

File:Ricelibrary.jpg
Rice Library.

The University of Southern Indiana began in 1965 as a regional branch of Indiana State University, which is located in Terre Haute. Classes were originally held in a former elementary school on the west side of Evansville known as Centennial School – denoting the year it was built in 1876. The property was leased from Bristol-Myers Squibb, which still has a large facility nearby. In 1971, the school moved to its current campus in western Vanderburgh County. The first buildings constructed were the Science Center and the Wright Administration Building. Slowly the school built facilities, as funding became available during the Indiana State University-Evansville period.

The relationship with Indiana State University was an awkward one from the start. Local leaders, who were not pleased with the level of support, contended that if the campus was to thrive it would need to gain independent status.[3] A coordinated effort was made to establish the campus as an independent state university.

Opposition came immediately from Indiana State University along with Indiana University and Purdue, which were concerned that granting the campus independence would set a precedent for other small branch campuses around the state.[3] However, the local campus continued to rally support from state legislators, business leaders, and local groups.

In 1985, independence was finally granted when Governor Robert D. Orr, an Evansville native, signed the school's charter and started a new chapter as the University of Southern Indiana. Since gaining its independence, USI's growth has continued to where it is now the fastest growing comprehensive university in the state.[4] The university established student housing, diversified the programs offered, and enrollment has more than doubled since gaining its independence. In October, 2006, the university completed a master plan that provides the framework to double the size of the school and support a campus of over 20,000 students. The master plan features key planning principles to guide the university and help it create a cohesive campus as it continues to grow.[5]

Academics

The Quiet Room in Rice Library at the University of Southern Indiana

Academic Units

USI offers over 70 undergraduate majors, 10 master's programs, and one doctoral program. Divisions of the University include the Romain College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, University Division, and Division of Outreach and Engagement.[6] Each college is led by a dean who reports to the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. USI employs 652 full-time faculty, lecturers, and academic administrators, and 239 part-time faculty.[7]

The Indiana University School of Medicine - Evansville Center, housed in the Health Professions Center, is one of eight regional divisions throughout the state. The center provides classes for first- and second-year medical students. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and carries several discipline-specific accreditations as well.

Rankings

  • Online graduate degree nursing program was ranked 15th in the categories of Admissions Selectivity and Faculty Credentials and Training in the 2012 U.S. News & World Report rankings.[8]
  • Online graduate degree nursing program ranked 25th for Student Engagement and Accreditation.[8]
  • Online graduate degree nursing program ranked 71st for Student Services and Technology.[8]
  • Online graduate degree nursing program overall ranking was 127th out of more than 500 online graduate nursing programs.[8]
  • The Master of Science in Health Administration degree received a Top 5 ranking from GetEducated.com, a consumer group that reviews and ranks online degrees for cost, quality, and credibility.[9]

Student life

USI's University Center
Trees on USI's campus
Fountain and plaza area.

Enrollment

Over 10,500 students enrolled at USI in the fall of 2009. Although the student population is largely local and regional, the international student population is growing each year.[10] The university reported students came from 90 Indiana counties, 36 other states, and 42 other nations for the 2006-2007 academic year. Additionally, more than 15,000 people participate annually in continuing education courses and special programs sponsored by the Division of Extended Services.[11]

Over 36,000 students have graduated since 1971. About 74% of USI's graduates remain in Indiana. The university serves an additional 9,000 persons annually through comprehensive noncredit programs of short duration.

Housing

Nearly all students who live on campus (with the exception of some freshmen who are housed in modern suite-style facilities) are assigned apartments with full kitchens. USI's four Residence Halls (Newman, Governor's, O'Bannon, and Ruston), located on the South side of campus, are freshmen-only modern suites. The apartments, located on the Northeastern side of campus, accommodate all other campus residents (including freshmen).

Greek life

Fraternities:

Sororities:

Former Fraternities and Sororities:

Campus

In 1967, the Southern Indiana Higher Education, Inc., (SIHE) acquired 1,400 acres (6 km2). Since September 1969, the university has occupied 300 acres (1.2 km2), most of which was donated by SIHE. Southern Indiana Higher Education, Inc. still owns 1,100 acres (4 km2) for development of higher education opportunities.

The number of classrooms has more than doubled since the campus was first opened, but the university is still planning for continued growth. A new building for the School of Business opened in 1990 and was named the Orr Center in honor of Governor Robert D. Orr, an Evansville native. Since then, four other large buildings have been built for the Liberal Arts, Nursing, and Education divisions, as well as a large fitness center for students and faculty.

The David L. Rice Library opened in the fall semester of 2006. The building is five stories and features computer access, study tables/rooms, and copy machines located on each floor. A new Business and Engineering Center opened in 2010 and an expanded and renovated University Center opened in 2011. A new theater will be directly connected to the University Center when it opens in the fall of 2014.

Media

USI is home to the Southern Indiana Review, a national literary journal. Stories published in the Southern Indiana Review have been anthologized in the Best American Short Stories and the Best American Essays.

The university contains within it three media outlets including the award-winning radio station, The Edge/WSWI, SETV12 the student-run television station, and the two-time "Division II Newspaper of the Year" student newspaper, The Shield. All programs are completely student-run entities within the campus that deal with student and community related topics and discussions.

Athletics

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Main article: Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
USI's Physical Activities Center. Known also as "PAC Arena" or simply "The PAC"
Display case at the Ford Center in Downtown Evansville, honoring USI's national championship in basketball

The athletic teams of USI are known as the Screaming Eagles. The university competes at the NCAA Division II level as members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. USI sponsors 17 varsity intercollegiate sports. The school has won three NCAA national championships (men's basketball, 1995; baseball, 2010 and 2014), finished three times as the national finalist (men's basketball, 1994 and 2004; and women's basketball 1997), and earned two third-place finishes (men's cross country, 1982; baseball, 2007). The men's and women's cross country/track teams have produced five individual national championships since 1997.

Notable alumni

Outreach

Historic New Harmony

In cooperation with the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, USI manages programs and properties in Historic New Harmony, site of two historic communal societies of the early 19th century, the Harmony Society and the Robert Owen/William Mclure communal experiment.[12]

Center for Communal Studies

The USI Center for Communal Studies is a clearinghouse for information, a research facility, and a sponsor of activities related to historic and contemporary intentional communities. The center encourages and facilitates meetings, classes, scholarships, publications, networking and public interest in communal groups past and present, here and abroad. The center archives contain primary and secondary materials on more than 100 historic communes and several hundred collective, cooperative, and co-housing communities founded since 1965. Noted communal scholars have donated their private collections and their extensive research notes and papers to the center archives.

The New Harmony Theatre

The New Harmony Theatre is a professional theatre operating under an agreement with Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

In fall 2007, USI Theatre partnered with The New Harmony Theatre on The Repertory Project, which allows top Theatre students to perform with Equity actors. Student actors and stage managers involved in The Repertory Project earn points toward joining the union, a membership that is considered the “gold standard” for theatre professionals.

Historic Southern Indiana

Historic Southern Indiana (HSI) is an outreach organization dedicated to preserving, enhancing, and promoting the abundant historical, natural, and recreational resources of southern Indiana. As a community outreach program of the University of Southern Indiana, HSI hosts workshops, produces publications, conducts visitor research, and facilitates and coordinates with many groups and agencies with the goal of creating a sense of regional identity and pride.

The Heritage Area contains numerous sites of historical significance, including Vincennes, Corydon, New Harmony, Madison, and Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home. Forests, caves, rivers, and lakes offer scenic beauty and recreational activities.

Center for Applied Research

The Center for Applied Research (CAR) works with businesses and organizations throughout the region to conduct research, consulting, and other applied projects.

References

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External links

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