Kutztown University
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a
public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...
in
Kutztown, Pennsylvania Kutztown (Pennsylvania German: ''Kutzeschteddel'') is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located southwest of Allentown and northeast of Reading. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 5,012. Kutztown ...
. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. First established in 1866, Kutztown University began as the Keystone
Normal School A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...
based out of the presently-named Old Main Building and specializing in teacher education; in 1928, its name was changed to Kutztown State Teachers College. Eventually, the school expanded its programs outside education to be christened Kutztown State College in 1960 and finally, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 1983. Between four
undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
colleges and graduate studies, Kutztown University now offers programs in the
liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...
and sciences, the visual and performing arts, business, education, and certain graduate studies. Eight intercollegiate men's sports and thirteen women's sports compete within the
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
and the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The conference was originally formed in 1951 as the State Teachers C ...
(PSAC).


History

On September 15, 1866, the Keystone State Normal School was established on what is now the site of Old Main. The needs of a burgeoning industrialization in the region placed more and more demands on teacher preparation, and in 1928, the institution was designated Kutztown State Teacher's College and authorized to confer the bachelor's degree. Eventually, the area's need for liberally educated personnel to staff its industries outstripped the need for teachers. In 1960, the Department of Education changed the institution's name to Kutztown State College and diversified its goals toward "A center for learning for the best possible education of the youth of Pennsylvania in the arts and sciences and preparation of able and dedicated teachers." On July 1, 1983, the institution became Kutztown University of Pennsylvania of the State System of Higher Education. As of Fall 2018, the university enrollment was approximately 8,300 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students.


Academics

Degrees offered included
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
in 24 subjects,
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in 30, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in five, Bachelor of Science in Education in five, Bachelor of Social Work, Bachelor of Science in Leisure & Sport Studies, Bachelor of Science in Library Science, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in three subjects. Master's degrees are offered in 18 subjects. The university offers a Doctorate of Social Work. In addition, the university reaches out to the community with credit and non-credit lifelong learning courses.


College of Visual and Performing Arts

Situated in the Sharadin Arts Building, the College of Visual and Performing Arts offers the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. The college also offers master's degrees. The Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery displays exhibitions of both student and outside artists, often sponsored by Third Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts. In addition, student work is featured weekly within the Student Union Art Gallery in the David E. McFarland Student Union Building. Music and theatrical performances conducted by KU Presents make regular appearances in Schaeffer Auditorium throughout the academic year, and both student and faculty recitals are held by the Department of Music.


College of Business

Held primarily within the Italo deFrancesco Building, the College of Business provides Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, and Master of Business Administration degrees. The college is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The Kutztown University Small Business Development Center helps counsel small business located in surrounding counties, including one-on-one business consulting, professional development seminars on increasing profitability, producing business publications for self-instruction.


College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences employs an on-campus observatory and ecoplot for environmental studies, and independent faculty research projects, geared at providing additional educational and publication opportunities.


College of Education

Based from the Beekey Education Building, the College of Education offers Bachelor of Science in Education degrees and certifications.


Interdisciplinary programs

While officially housed in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Bachelor of Science in Social Media Theory and Strategy (SMS), one of the first in the United States, spans three of the four colleges at Kutztown University: College of Visual and Performing Arts, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Business. The Social Media Theory and Strategy degree blends elements of content creation and ethics, digital marketing and business strategy, and data science and analytics. The SMS program is enhanced by the Social Media Analytics Strategic Hub (SMASH), which is a dynamic space for analyzing social media content.


Graduate studies

Kutztown's counseling programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs ( CACREP) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling, and School Counseling.


Library science

Kutztown has three undergraduate library science programs. There is a special emphasis placed on school librarian programs; a dual major of a Bachelor's in Library Science and Elementary Education certification is a popular program as well as a Bachelor's in Education in library science. Students must complete a 30-hour field observation, professional semester, and clinical experience/student teaching in order to successfully complete the program. The department also provides a Bachelor's in Library Science.


Special programs

Special programs include Undergraduate Honors Program, Freshmen seminars, Independent study, Internships and ESL Transition Program. There are seventeen international exchange and study abroad programs. The Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Epsilon Lambda national honor societies are active here.


Campus

Kutztown University is a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
in Maxatawny Township just outside the borough of Kutztown and makes up the main population of the university. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,918 residents.


Enrollment

Enrollment at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is approximately 8,300 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. Most are Pennsylvania residents, but 28 states and 40 nations are represented in the student body. Division of gender is roughly 55% women, 45% men.


Student life

The approximately 170 student organizations at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania include advisory councils, academic, campus media, diversified interest, Greek Life, performing arts, public service, residency issues, social justice, spiritual, special interest, sports (club and recreation), vegetarianism, and visual arts affiliates; plus musical entertainment, dances, lectures, comedy, excursions, and cultural events. The McFarland Student Union houses the bookstore, movie theater, game room, cafeteria, TV lounge, coffeehouse, financial center, and cyber lounge. Kutztown University has a free shuttle bus service that serves the campus and the adjacent town when school is in session, consisting of four routes operating at different times and to different locations.


University facilities

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania has many special facilities, including a gallery, planetarium, observatory, LGBTQ Center, TV production facilities, a student-operated radio station, 15 student-accessible computer labs containing nearly 500 systems, cartography lab, early learning center, curriculum materials center, Pennsylvania German Heritage Center, and the Wallops Island marine science consortium facility in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. The newly constructed Academic Forum within the north campus, opened January 2007, spans and holds seven "smart" classrooms for a miscellany of courses – seating from between 85 and 200 students each – and features a central dining area. Approximately 3 percent of classes (70 sections of 2,200) offered at the university are taught within the Academic Forum. Numerous additional renovations to academic buildings and current residence halls attempt to accommodate the rapid expansion of attendance, which has seen an increase of "30 percent from 7,843 in 1996 to a record 10,193 students in the Fall of 2006." The addition to Schaeffer Auditorium is a prime example of one of the many renovation projects.


Residence halls

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania maintains fourteen residence halls (six coed, one single gender, 2 modified single gender), three apartment-style coed complexes, and one suite-style hall, which accommodate 4,400 students (approximately 49% of full-time undergraduates). All residence halls are wired for cable TV, telephone, and Internet and campus network access. Cable TV, telephone, and Internet–Network access were introduced via one "drop-down" box in 1998. Telephone and Internet are under the Control of the Information Technology department, and Cable TV is provided by the local
Service Electric Service Electric is a group of affiliated cable television companies serving eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. Service Electric also offers broadband Internet and telephone services through two partner companies, PenTeleData and Alianza ...
company. Due to rising growth in enrollment a new residence hall was completed in fall 2008 to accommodate the growing number of incoming freshmen. The F. Eugene Dixon residence hall, officially the "largest residence hall in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education" at approximately , gross, houses 857 beds and 14 efficiency apartments.


Athletics

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania sponsors eight men's and 13 women's intercollegiate sports. Kutztown University is a member of
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
and competes in the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The conference was originally formed in 1951 as the State Teachers C ...
(PSAC). Kutztown won the Dixon Trophy in 2006, which is awarded to the PSAC school with the best overall athletic program that year. Kutztown had placed second in the PSAC rankings in the 2003–04 and 2004–05 school years. Famous former athletes from Kutztown include football stars Andre Reed (Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2005), John Mobley,
Bruce Harper Bruce Harper (born June 20, 1955) is a retired American football running back and kick returner for the New York Jets of the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kutztown by the Jets in 1977. Bruce Harper is the all-time kick ...
and Doug Dennison and baseball standout
Ryan Vogelsong Ryan Andrew Vogelsong (born July 22, 1977), nicknamed "Vogey", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates and in Nippon Professional Baseball (N ...
. In 2007–08, Kutztown University added women's lacrosse and women's bowling to the list of varsity sports that it offers. Also, at the end of the 2008–2009 school year, President Cevallos announced that Kutztown University would discontinue its men's soccer and men's swimming programs effective immediately. In January of 2020, the university revealed it
$250,000 Esports arena
It hosts 14 high-end gaming setups and 6 Nintendo Switches. Since the clubs inception, the club has become the largest sport and student run club in university history hosting a peak of 163 registered members. The university provides a large array of intramural and club sports programs for the student body. Leagues and tournaments are organized by the Recreational Services department every semester and range from badminton tournaments to rock climbing competitions.


Golden Bears

From the mid-1930s up until 1961, Kutztown's sports teams were known as the Golden Avalanche. In 1961, Kutztown replaced the Golden Avalanche nickname with the Golden Bears as the university's nickname. In later years, Golden Bear mascots came into play. Before 2005, Goldie and Griz served as the KU Golden Bear mascots. However, they were both "graduated" to make way for a new mascot. The Raymond Entertainment Group of Newark, Delaware, helped KU create the new mascot. On October 1, 2005, at Kutztown's football game versus West Chester University, Kutztown University unveiled Avalanche as the school's new mascot. Avalanche is so named to honor Kutztown State College during the time of the Golden Avalanche sports teams. The Golden Bears can be seen in more places than the sports fields. Golden Bear statues are located near the basketball courts on South Campus and on North Campus near the Boehm Science Building. Along with the statues, several residential areas are named after the Golden Bear. Golden Bear Village South behind University Place and Golden Bear Village West next to Rothermel Hall are student apartments which hold the Golden Bear moniker.


Notable alumni

* A. J. Petrucci, former professional wrestler * Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. Member of Professional Football Hall of Fame * Arenda Wright Allen, United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia * Arthur Granville Dewalt, former U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania *
Bill Beckley Bill Beckley (born February 11, 1946) is an American narrative/conceptual artist. Early life Born in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, a small farming town in the Amish countryside, Bill Beckley attended college at Kutztown University from 1964 to 1968 an ...
, conceptual artist *
Bill DeMott William Charles DeMott II (born November 10, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler and road agent and trainer. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Hugh Morrus and World Wrestling Federatio ...
, former professional wrestler * Bob Cesca, columnist for Salon *
Brian Nichols Brian Gene Nichols (born December 10, 1971) is a rapist and murderer known for his escape and killing spree in the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 11, 2005. Nichols was on trial for rape when he escaped custody and murde ...
, criminal notable for his escape and killing spree in the
Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...
courthouse in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
*
Bruce Harper Bruce Harper (born June 20, 1955) is a retired American football running back and kick returner for the New York Jets of the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kutztown by the Jets in 1977. Bruce Harper is the all-time kick ...
, former professional football player, New York Jets * Craig Reynolds, professional football player * Craig Rivera, journalist, producer and correspondent for Fox News Channel *
Don Everhart Donald Nelson Everhart II (born August 19, 1949 in York, Pennsylvania) is an American coin and medal engraver-medalist, and sculptor who has worked for the private Franklin Mint, as a freelance designer, and since 2004 has worked for the United S ...
, coin and medal engraver-medalist for
United States Mint The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. It does not produce paper money; tha ...
* Doug Dennison, former running back for the NFL's
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
; also played in the now-defunct
United States Football League The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
*
Eric D. Schaeffer Eric D. Schaeffer is an American theater director and producer based in Arlington, Virginia. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of Signature Theatre., and is well known nationally for his re-invention of large American musicals for ...
, theater director and producer * Gary G. Lash, United States geologist * George S. Messersmith, United States ambassador to Austria, Cuba, Mexico and Argentina, United States Assistant Secretary of State * Gus Yatron, former U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania * Guy L. Moser, former U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania * Harry Hoch, former Major League baseball pitcher *
Isaac Hoffer Doutrich Isaac Hoffer Doutrich (December 19, 1871 – May 28, 1941) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was born on a farm near Middletown, Pennsylvania. He moved to Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, wit ...
, former U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania * James Delgrosso, Mayor of
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19, ...
(2003–2004) * Jeremy Culver, film director, screenwriter and producer * Joe DeRosa, comedian and actor *
Joe Emrick Joseph Emrick is a politician from the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great ...
, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * John Gabriel, executive in the NBA *
John Linder John Elmer Linder (born September 9, 1942) is an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2011. His district was numbered the from 1993 to 1997, the from 1997 to 2003, and the from 2003 u ...
, Mayor of
Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester i ...
(2012–2016) * John Mobley, former professional football player,
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
. *
Jordan Morgan (American football) Jordan Morgan (born May 13, 1994) is a former American football guard. He played college football at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Morgan was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. College career Jordan pl ...
, NFL offensive lineman *
José Lorenzo Pesquera José Lorenzo Pesquera (August 10, 1882 – July 25, 1950) was a Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. Early life Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Pesquera was graduated from Provincial Institute of Puerto Rico in 1897. He attended the Key ...
, former Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico * Karen TenEyck, scenic and graphic designer * Linda Grace Hoyer Updike, author, mother of John Updike *
Mark Gillen Mark M. Gillen (born November 6, 1955) is an American politician and member of the Republican Party. In 2010, he was elected to represent the 128th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The seat had been vacated by Republican Sam ...
, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives *
Mark Rozzi Mark Rozzi (born April 30, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving since January 2, 2013. He represents the 126th district. In addition to serving as a ...
, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Mark Ruwedel, landscape photographer * Mark Schultz, writer and illustrator *
Matt Swarmer Matthew Lee Swarmer (born September 25, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cub ...
, Major League Baseball pitcher *
Matthew McGurk Matthew McGurk (born June 6, 1980) is an American talent manager, music producer, and artist.Article foKU Alumnus Matthew McGurk Sponsors Holiday Bash Ft. Asher Roth/ref> He is known for the initial discovery of artists such as Asher Roth (Def Jam ...
, United States Army Officer, American Talent Manager and
Music Producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
*
Paul Frederick Berdanier Paul Frederick Berdanier (1879–1961) was an American illustrator and cartoonist whose work is represented in the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Early life and education Berdanier was b ...
, illustrator and cartoonist *
Paul R. Wieand Paul Richard Wieand (March 3, 1907 – May 3, 1993) was a Pennsylvania German artist, playwright, folklorist, and linguist. He was born in Guths Station, Pennsylvania, and earned a bachelor's degree from Kutztown State Teachers College in 1940. ...
, folklorist, Pennsylvania German playwright, and radio broadcaster * Peter Zug, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. *
Rick Vito Richard Francis (Rick) Vito (born October 13, 1949, in Darby, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American guitarist and singer. He was part of Fleetwood Mac between 1987 and 1991. Vito took over as lead guitarist after Lindsey Buckingham left t ...
, guitarist and singer, formerly with Fleetwood Mac * Robert Gibb, winner of National Poetry Series Award * Robert Donchez, former mayor of
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19, ...
*
Roy C. Afflerbach Roy C. Afflerbach (born February 6, 1945 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American lobbyist and former Pennsylvania State Senator and Representative. He was Mayors of Allentown, Pennsylvania, mayor of Allentown, Pennsyl ...
, former mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania *
Ruth Mountaingrove Ruth Mountaingrove (February 21, 1923 – December 18, 2016) was an American lesbian-feminist photographer, poet and musician, known for her photography documenting the lesbian land movement in Southern Oregon. Early life and education She ...
, photographer, poet and musician *
Ryan Vogelsong Ryan Andrew Vogelsong (born July 22, 1977), nicknamed "Vogey", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates and in Nippon Professional Baseball (N ...
, Major League and Japanese league baseball pitcher * Ryat (Christina McGeehan), musician * Scott Menzel, film critic and chairperson of Hollywood Critics Association * Stephen Dennis (born 1987), basketball player for Bnei Herzliya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League *
Susan Daigle-Leach Susan Daigle-Leach (born 1960), also known as Susan F. DaigleSusan Daigle-Leach
on the Thomas J. Hylton, winner of 1990
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing is one of the fourteen American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Journalism. It has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style ...
* Tom Warburton, creator of the animated television series, Codename: Kids Next Door * Tyler Lepley, class of 2010, American actor * Vicki DaSilva, light painter and graffiti artist * William Martin Croll, former U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania


Notable faculty/staff

* David Cullen, Grammy Award-winning guitarist, former faculty * F. Javier Cevallos, former university president * Irv Mondschein, former assistant track coach * John Bernard Riley, Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer *
Kenneth Hawkinson Kenneth S. Hawkinson is an American academic administrator and Communication studies, communication scholar serving as the 12th president of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He assumed office on July 1, 2015. Early life and education Hawkin ...
, current university president * Tim D. Seip, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, faculty


References


External links


Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1866 Universities and colleges in Berks County, Pennsylvania 1866 establishments in Pennsylvania Public universities and colleges in Pennsylvania