Salisbury State University

Salisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland. Founded in 1925, Salisbury is a member of the University System of Maryland, with a fall 2016 enrollment of 8,748.

Salisbury University offers 42 distinct undergraduate and 14 graduate degree programs across six academic units: the Fulton School of Liberal Arts, Perdue School of Business, Henson School of Science and Technology, Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies, College of Health and Human Services, and Clarke Honors College. The Salisbury Sea Gulls compete in Division I athletics in the Capital Athletic Conference, while the football team competes in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Salisbury University is known for its rigorous Nursing Program, which consistently produces the highest pass rate for first time takers of NCLEX-RN licensure examination among baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities within the University System of Maryland, since 2015.

History

Salisbury University, originally called the Maryland State Normal School, opened on September 7, 1925, as a two-year institution to train elementary school teachers to help fill the teacher shortage in the state of Maryland. The original class of 105 students was greeted by Salisbury's first president, William J. Holloway, an experienced educator and the driving force behind the creation of the school.

The curriculum was influenced by those established at Columbia's Teachers College, alma mater of six of Salisbury Normal School's eight original faculty. During the Great Depression, Maryland extended the required course of study at normal schools from two years to three years, and to four years in 1934, paving the way for the institution to become Maryland State Teachers College one year later.

In 1935, the school's name was changed to Maryland State Teachers College, and in 1963 to Salisbury State College. Between 1962 and 1995 several master's degree programs were approved, and in 1988, the name was changed to Salisbury State University. In 2001, the name was changed to Salisbury University.

Since the early 2000s, Salisbury has grown rapidly in academic enrollment as well as campus growth. Since 2002, Henson Hall, the Teacher and Education and Technology Center, Perdue Hall, the Patricia R. Guererri Academic Commons, and Sea Gull Stadium have been constructed.

Since the appointment of university president, Janet Dudley-Eshbach, in 2000, Salisbury has experienced significant growth campus-wide: expanding with over $350 million in new facilities, increasing student enrollment by over 2,000, and with the development of the first doctorate programs in nursing practice and education.

From July 1, 2018 through July 14, 2022, the university was under the leadership of president Charles "Chuck" Wight. Wight succeeded Dudley-Eschbach, who, after 18 years as SU's president, opted to return to teaching foreign language at SU, following one year in hiatus training Wight. Carolyn Ringer Lepre, Ph.D. began her term as the 10th president of Salisbury University on July 15, 2022.

Following two incidents of racist vandalism in 2019, students asked for "the safety and inclusion of black students and other minority groups on campus". After a third incident, in 2020, the president cancelled classes. In June 2020, "Jerome K. Jackson, an African American man", confessed to having caused the vandalism.

Campus facilities

Salisbury University owns 75 buildings, with a total gross area of . The Salisbury University campus consists of .

Holloway Hall

Holloway Hall served as the original home of Maryland State Normal School at Salisbury upon its opening in 1925. The structure once served as the home for all teaching, student, and administrative functions at the school. Today, the building – renamed Holloway Hall after the retirement of Salisbury's first president, William J. Holloway – houses administrative offices, including the office of the president, the office of the provost, financial aid, registrar, public relations, student health services, and human resources.

The building also contains a number of unique, multi-purpose spaces, including the auditorium (seating capacity of 713) and the great hall (originally used as the dining hall and later as the home for the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art). The classroom space in the north wing of the structure was once the home of the Perdue School of Business.

Fulton Hall

Fulton Hall serves as home for The Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts at Salisbury University. The building serves as the north anchor of the campus's central mall. As the structure closest to Holloway Hall, Fulton Hall was built to complement Holloway's classical architecture styling.

Fulton Hall includes the main university gallery (home to temporary art exhibitions), classrooms, fine arts studios, photography lab, and a glass blowing facility. The building is also home to many of the university's performing arts facilities, including a 150-seat black box theater (featuring a flexible 50 x 50 ft performance space), scene shop, costume shop, and music rehearsal facilities.

Conway Hall

Conway Hall, formerly known as the Teacher Education and Technology Center, opened for use at the beginning of the 2008 fall semester. In 2009, the building earned silver certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system under the United States Green Building Council. The building also earned the distinction of being named one of the ten best-designed new higher education facilities by ''College Planning & Management'' magazine as part of its "2009 Education Design Showcase" issue.

The facility houses flexible classroom space, multi-purpose computer lab space, a satellite dining facility, distance-learning classrooms, integrated SMART classroom technology, and offices and support services for the Seidel School, Fulton School, and information technology. The showcase integrated media center, located on the third floor of the facility, includes both high-definition and standard-definition television production studios, twenty individual editing suites (video-audio), and audio production facilities.

The building was renamed in April 2016 for former Maryland Delegate Norman Conway, who as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee assisted SU in securing funding for the project, and is an SU alumnus.

Henson Hall

Henson Hall was dedicated on September 5, 2002, and contains classroom, support, and laboratory space for the Henson School of Science and Technology. Built at a cost of $37 million, the facility houses the departments of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science, and geography and geosciences. The building holds 12 classrooms, 32 teaching laboratories, and 20 research labs. Henson Hall also houses a satellite dining facility, which students call "the Airport" in reference to the building's namesake, test pilot Richard A. Henson.

Perdue Hall

The new building for the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business was partially funded by an $8 million gift from the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. Perdue, Inc., chairman Jim Perdue said the donation was in honor of his father, former Perdue Farms president Frank Perdue. The , $56 million facility houses classroom and office space formerly located in the north wing of Holloway Hall.

The university was awarded gold certification from the LEED certification system under the United States Green Building Council for the Perdue building. The facility includes a Business Outreach Services Suite (BOSS), a Small Business Development Center, a Perdue Museum, meeting rooms, focus-group rooms, specialized business lab space, an internet cafe, and an M.B.A. suite with case rooms.

Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic Commons

Opened in the Fall of 2016, the Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic Commons (GAC) officially opened as the largest and tallest building on campus. The facility cost $117 million and houses the student library, IT help desk, Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, writing center, center for student achievement, a math emporium, and a 3D printing lab.

The building contains 400 computers for public use, Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company and Hungry Minds Express food vendors, and 15 study rooms situated around the four-story, 221,000-square-foot academic commons. The library participates in an inter-campus loan program where students can order books from other university libraries within the University System of Maryland for temporary use.

The library was named one of the "Top 20" in the United States by the ''Princeton Review'' in their 2021 "Best 386 Colleges", alongside other higher education institutions such as Columbia University and Williams College.

Guerrieri Student Union/The Commons

The south end of campus is home to the Guerrieri Student Union (GSU) and The Commons, both buildings are joined together by an indoor walkway called the "Link of Nations". The GSU houses the office of student affairs, student activities office, two eateries ( Chick-fil-A and internet cafe Cool Beans), career services office, the center for student achievement, and a large, multi-level lounge space.

The Commons contains the campus bookstore and post office located in the basement, the main dining hall facility located on the first floor, and conference rooms located on the second floor.

Residence Halls

There are currently ten on-campus dormitory residence halls and one on-campus apartment complex at Salisbury University. Pocomoke, Nanticoke, Wicomico, Manokin, Choptank, Chester, Severn, Chesapeake, St. Martin, and Dogwood Village are the dormitory halls. Sea Gull Square is a 600-bed apartment-style complex located near GSU and is currently the newest residential building at Salisbury University.

The dormitory halls are laid out with a variety of floor plans, including cluster and suite-style. All traditional residence halls (Pocomoke, Nanticoke, Wicomico, and Manokin) underwent extensive renovations to be converted to suite-style facilities. The first completed dorm, Pocomoke Hall, opened prior to the spring 2010 semester, with renovations to the other three facilities completed by August 2011. Sea Gull Square also opened in August 2011.

According to Eric Berkheimer, Associate Vice President of Facilities and Capital Management at Salisbury University, Dogwood Village is slated to be demolished within the next several years, citing that the 15 housing units are “long past their useful life”. Berkheimer said the timeline for Dogwood Village’s eventual demolition will depend on the university’s continued need for quarantine and isolation spaces in future semesters due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Off-campus housing

Salisbury University houses approximately 40% of all students in 2,648 spaces of campus-affiliated housing, with freshmen given priority in traditional housing. In addition to the on-campus residence buildings, Salisbury has partnerships with four nearby off-campus apartment complexes and one townhome neighborhood, Seagull Village, The Flatts, The Gathering, University Orchard, and University Park, with residents of these facilities (with the exception of Seagull Village) having access to a shuttle system to the main campus. The Gathering is a townhome neighborhood located about five minutes away from the main campus.

Seagull Village was originally intended to house international students only and had been leased by the university, however, Salisbury University ultimately bought the apartment complex for $3.6 million in March 2022, allowing any students to move into Seagull Village starting in Fall 2022.

A new off-campus apartment complex, labeled "The Ross", is under construction and is slated to open in time for the Fall 2023 semester. The Ross will be the furthest off-campus complex away from the school, located six minutes away from the main campus (roughly 2.2 miles). It is expected to be one of the tallest buildings in the Delmarva peninsula.

Honors House

Honors House was established in 2000, and is located off Camden Avenue, across east campus. It is open to students in the Clarke Honors College, and includes a full kitchen, computer lab, and grand piano. The yard contains a gazebo, goldfish pond, and a Japanese garden.

Campus grounds: arboretum status

The Salisbury University campus was recognized by the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta as an arboretum in 1988. The Salisbury campus features over 2,000 species of plant life, including magnolia, rhododendron, viburnum, Japanese maple, bald cypress, and Crape myrtle. Notable areas of interest on campus include the Pergola (near the University Commons), the Holloway Hall Courtyard Garden, the Bellavance Honors Center Japanese Garden, the Link of Nations, and the Miller Alumni Garden. The campus also features a collection of figurative sculpture, including pieces by such noted sculptors as Auguste Rodin (''Coquelin Cadet''), Daniel Chester French (''Ralph Waldo Emerson''), Augustus Saint-Gaudens (''Diana''), and Carl Akeley (''Wounded Comrade'').

Academic schools and programs

There are six academic units at the university, five of which are endowed.

Salisbury University offers 42 distinct undergraduate and 14 graduate degree programs. Popular majors include biology/biological sciences, business administration and management, kinesiology and exercise science, and psychology. The school's nursing program is well known for its difficulty and selective admissions; based on recent data from the Maryland Board of Nursing, Salisbury University nursing students have the highest 10-year average pass rate among all University System of Maryland institutions on the NCLEX examinations for registered nurses, averaging at 91.6%.

The Thomas E. Bellavance Honors Program was established in 1981, and the Glenda Chatham and Robert G. Clarke Honors College was created in 2016, and endowed in 2020.

The Business, Economic, and Community Outreach Network (BEACON) is the applied research, experiential learning, and community outreach arm of the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University.

The Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE) was launched in 1999 to promote non-partisan civic engagement.

Admissions and enrollment

Admissions

Salisbury University's Office of Admissions is responsible for the processing of all admissions applications. Admissions have become increasingly more selective over recent years. For undergraduate admissions for the Fall 2016 entry term, Salisbury received 8,307 applications and Salisbury offered admission to 66% of those applicants.

SAT-optional policy

In the fall of 2006 the Faculty Senate at Salisbury University approved a plan to make the SAT an optional submission for admission to the university.

Cost

For 2017–18, tuition and fees for Maryland residents were $9,582 annually, $18,622 for non-Maryland residents. Costs for room range from $4,820 to $8,840, depending on the number of occupants and location. Costs for meal plans range from $1,000 to $4,800 per year, depending on the number of meals purchased.

Enrollment

Between 2009 and 2019, the total enrollment varied between 8,204 and 8,770; in 2019, 86.0% were Maryland residents. In 2019, there were 7,090 full-time undergraduates, 596 part-time undergraduates, 530 full-time graduate students, and 401 part-time graduate students. In 2019, the undergraduate student body was 75.5% white, 15.2% African American, 7.9% other minority, and 1.4% non-resident alien (i.e., international student). In 2019, among all students, 54.7% were from the Western Shore of Maryland, 31.3% were from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, 11.9% were from out-of-state, and 1.2% were international students.

Graduation rates and outcomes

In 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, 84% of full-time undergraduate students returned after their first year, and the six-year graduate rate was 70%. Among full-time students, 8 years after enrolling, some 69% had graduated, 26% has transferred, 4% withdrew, and 1% were still enrolled. The median annual earnings of students who received federal financial aid, 10 years after entering the university, was $50,500.

Athletics

Salisbury University has ten female and nine male Division I NCAA teams. The football team competes in the New Jersey Athletic Conference while all other sports participate in the Capital Athletic Conference. SU is well known for the success of its athletic programs, amassing 19 national championships in team sports and 24 individual national championships in track and field and wrestling.

Mascot

The university mascot is named "Sammy Sea Gull." The Sea Gull name evolved from the Salisbury State College Golden Gulls, which was chosen in a 1948 contest. In 1963, the mascot was changed to a sea gull because the school's athletic teams were often referred to as the SSC Gulls (C-Gulls), and the nickname "Sammy Sea Gull" followed in the 1970s.

Regents Cup and Charles B. Clark Cup

In addition to regular-season and tournament play, the Sea Gulls compete twice a year against other local universities. In the fall, the football team competes against Frostburg State University for the Regents Cup. In the spring, the men's lacrosse team competes against Washington College for the Charles B. Clark Cup; this annual event being known among the two institutions as the " War on the Shore", and the two schools take turns every year hosting the event.

Accomplishments

Fall

*Field hockey – Five NCAA DIII titles (1986, 2003–2005, 2009)
* Football – Two ACFC titles (2004, 2005)
*Men's cross country – Eight CAC titles (1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
*Men's soccer – Eight CAC titles (1999, 2000, 2002–2004,2007,2008,2015)
*Volleyball – Six CAC titles (1998, 2000, 2004,2007, 2008, 2009)
*Women's cross country – Six CAC titles (1996, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
*Women's soccer – 4 CAC titles (1994, 2000, 2006, 2011)

Winter

*Men's basketball - two CAC titles (1996, 2015)
*Women's basketball – four CAC titles (2000–2002, 2015)
*Men's and women's swimming
*Men's ice hockey non-varsity ACHA
*Men's track & field – one Mason-Dixon Indoor Track & Field Conference Championship (2010), Four CAC titles (2012–2015), One National Champion (Luke Campbell, 60M Hurdles 2013–2015)

Spring

*Baseball – 17 CAC/C2C titles (1995, 2000–2002, 2004, 2006–2009, 2012–2014, 2016–2017, 2021-2022); seven College World Series berths (2001, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022); one NCAA DIII title (2021).
*Men's Lacrosse – twelve NCAA DIII titles (1994, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017); NCAA record 69 consecutive wins (April 17, 2003 – May 21, 2006) The team competes in the Coastal Lacrosse Conference.
*Women's Lacrosse – four NCAA DIII titles (2010, 2013, 2014, 2021); six CAC titles (2000–2006)
* Men's rugby – Sixteen PRU Titles, ten MARFU Titles, four Division 2 National Championships (1996, 1996, 2004, 2013)
*Softball – eleven CAC titles (1995, 1997–2006)
*Men's tennis
*Women's tennis – two CAC titles (2002, 2003)
*Men's track – 16 CAC titles (1994–1996, 1998, 1999, 2004–2010, 2012–2015), 2nd at NCAA Championship 2010, 4th at NCAA Championship 2015, 6 individual national championships (Cory Beebe, 400m hurdles 2009, 2010: Brandon Fugett, shot put 2009, 2010: Delannie Spriggs, 55m dash 2010: Luke Campbell, 110m hurdles 2013–2015, 400m hurdles 2014–2015) Campbell remains the only track & field athlete through all collegiate classifications to win the 60m hurdles, 110m hurdles, and 400m hurdles in the same year, which he has accomplished twice, 2014 and 2015
*Women's track – two CAC titles (2010, 2011)

Relay For Life

The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life is the largest on-campus event at Salisbury University. SU's Relay For Life has consistently raised thousands of dollars annually, making Salisbury University one of the top Relay teams, per capita, in the nation, raising over 1.2 million dollars since its inception. The event traditionally takes place on the intramural sports fields, although during times of inclement weather the event has been moved indoors to the Maggs Physical Activity Center.

Sea Gull Century

This annual bike ride, usually held the first weekend in October, brings thousands of riders to Delmarva, in what is the largest single-day tourism event in Wicomico County. The ride has been named among the top ten century rides in the nation by ''Bicycling Magazine''. ''The Washington Post'' named it "by far the most popular local century" in the Maryland-Delaware-Virginia region. The ride starts and ends at SU, offering two routes. It is well known for its scenic halfway point at Assateague Island.

Internationalization and study abroad

Study-abroad programs

Salisbury students have the opportunity to attend study-abroad courses through the Salisbury Abroad Semester Program. This program is offered primarily during the Fall and Spring semesters, but courses are also offered during the shorter Winter term. While abroad, SU students and other international students study with local students and immerse themselves in their country of interest. In these programs, all classes are taught by local professors.

International students and English Language Institute

In the early 2010s, approximately 18 percent of the Salisbury University student population studied abroaded, slightly higher than the national undergraduate average of 14% during the 2010–11 academic year. In 2011, the U.S Department of State designated Salisbury University as an authorized participant in the J-1 Exchange Visitor program, in the categories of Student and Professor.

The university created the English Language Institute (ELI) in 2010.

International students represent 2% of the student population at Salisbury University, which is less than University of Maryland College Park (10%), Towson University (6–7%), University of Maryland Baltimore County (6–7%), and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (4–5%).

In 2010, Salisbury University established a sister-institution partnership with Anqing Teachers College, in Anhui Province, China. The first two Salisbury University undergraduate students to study there did so during the entire Fall Semester in 2010. In turn, two undergraduate students and one graduate student were the first Chinese students to come to Salisbury University from Anqing.

Greek life

Fraternities
* Alpha Sigma Pi
* Alpha Phi Alpha
*Kappa Alpha Psi
*Kappa Sigma
* Omega Psi Phi
*Pi Lambda Phi
*Sigma Tau Gamma
*Sigma Phi Epsilon
* Sigma Pi
*Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Sororities
* Lambda Theta Alpha
*Delta Xi Phi
* Alpha Kappa Alpha
* Alpha Sigma Tau
*Delta Gamma
* Delta Sigma Theta
*Phi Mu
*Zeta Tau Alpha

Notable alumni

*Eric Arndt, professional wrestler competing in WWE as Enzo Amore
* Jake Bergey, former professional lacrosse player
*Steve Bisciotti, owner of the Baltimore Ravens
*Talmadge Branch, member of the Maryland House of Delegates
* Eric M. Bromwell, member of the Maryland House of Delegates
*Norman Conway, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates
* Jeannie Haddaway, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates
* Kyle Hartzell, Premier Lacrosse League player
* Tae Johnson, director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
*Scott Krinsky, actor and comedian known for ''Chuck''
*Erica Messer, writer for ''The OC'', ''Alias'', and ''Criminal Minds''
*Dale Midkiff, actor
*Frank Perdue, former president of Perdue Farms; major contributor to Salisbury University
* Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys
*Justin Ready, member of the Maryland State Senate
* Kenneth D. Schisler, former chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission
*Mike Seidel, meteorologist
* J. Lowell Stoltzfus, former member of the Maryland State Senate
*Kris Valderrama, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates
*Kristen Visbal, sculptor known for Fearless Girl
* Byron Westbrook, football player of the Washington Commanders
*Jennifer Hope Wills, actress known for ''The Phantom of the Opera'' on Broadway
* Mary Willis (US Army officer) (born January 31, 1940), retired US Army Brigadier General

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial athletics website

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Salisbury University,
1925 establishments in Maryland
Buildings and structures in Salisbury, Maryland
Educational institutions established in 1925
Universities and colleges in Wicomico County, Maryland
Public universities and colleges in Maryland
University System of Maryland campuses