Penn State Berks is a

commonwealth campus The Pennsylvania State University is a geographically dispersed university system with campuses located throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. While the administrative hub of the university is located at its flagship campus, University Pa ...

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

located in Spring Township in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

History

First known as Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Penn State Berks became part of the

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

system in 1958. The Berks campus has experienced many changes since then. WPI occupied the original Sacred Heart Church building on Hill Road, where the McDonald's Restaurant now stands, from 1930 to 1958. Its facilities were offered to

to establish Penn State Wyomissing Center. It moved to its present Spring Township location in 1972. Dormitories were first added in 1990 with additional dorms in 2001, which made Berks a commuter as well as a residential campus. Gaige Building at Penn State Berks

Student enrollment at Penn State Berks has increased steadily since 1972, when approximately 500 students attended. Today, there are an estimated 2,800 students enrolled. The campus currently has 15 buildings on 241 acres (1 km²) of land. There are 100 full-time and 70 part-time faculty members. While being a commonwealth campus of the state

land-grant university A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Morrill Acts of 1862 and ...

, since 1997 it has offered baccalaureate degrees independently from The

University Park campus in partnership with a neighboring campus under the title of Berks and Lehigh Valley College. Under a university-ordered reconstruction, Penn State Berks and Penn State Lehigh Valley were split in 2005. Penn State Berks became a stand-alone college in the Penn State system and Penn State Lehigh Valley became a part of the University College system.

Student life

Penn State Berks has over 50 active clubs.Penn State Berks - Student Life
/ref> All student organizations are overseen by th
Student Government Association
which requires that all clubs complete 24 hours of community service per semester in return for providing funds.

Housing on campus

Athletics

Penn State–Berks, known athletically as the Nittany Lions, compete at the NCAA Division III level; which is also a member of the

North Eastern Athletic Conference The United East Conference (UEC), formerly known as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC), is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the Mid-Atlantic region of th ...

(NEAC). Penn State–Berks fields 12 varsity sports:

Men's

* Baseball * Basketball * Cross Country * Golf *

Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

* Tennis

Women's

* Basketball * Cross Country *

* Softball * Tennis * Volleyball

Club Sports

Penn State–Berks also fields a number of competitive club sports that have no affiliation with the NCAA or NEAC. Club programs include: * Ice hockey * Lacrosse *

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

* Track and field * Bowling * Cheerleading * Track and field * Equestrian

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control Pennsylvania State University colleges Educational institutions established in 1958 Universities and colleges in Berks County, Pennsylvania 1958 establishments in Pennsylvania United East Conference schools Berks