Cheyney University of Pennsylvania facts for kids
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Former names
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African Institute Institute for Colored Youth Cheyney State Normal School Cheyney Training School for Teachers Cheyney State Teachers College Cheyney State College |
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| Motto | Today's Leaders, Tomorrow's Leaders |
| Type | Public historically black university |
| Established | 1837 |
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Parent institution
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Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education |
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Academic affiliations
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Space-grant |
| Chancellor | Christopher M. Fiorentino |
| President | Aaron A. Walton |
| Provost | Tara E. Kent |
| Undergraduates | 697 (Fall 2022)
627 (2020–21) |
| Location |
,
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United States
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| Campus | 275 acres (1.11 km2) |
| Colors | Blue & white |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division III - Independent |
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1837, making it the oldest of all Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States. HBCUs are schools that were originally created to serve African American students.
The university is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Students at Cheyney can earn bachelor's degrees in many different subjects. The school is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which means it meets high standards for education.
Contents
History
How the University Began
Cheyney University was started with a gift from a man named Richard Humphreys. He was a Quaker, a religious group that was against slavery. Humphreys was born on a plantation in the British West Indies but later moved to Philadelphia.
He was worried that free African Americans had a hard time getting an education and finding jobs. After hearing about a race riot in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1829, he decided to leave money in his will to start a school. He left $10,000 to create a school that would educate people of African descent and train them to become teachers.
The school first opened in February 1837 as the African Institute. A few months later, it was renamed the Institute for Colored Youth. At first, the school taught skills like farming and mechanics, which were important jobs at the time.
A New Home and New Name
In 1902, the school moved to a large farm owned by a man named George Cheyney. This farm was 25 miles west of Philadelphia. Because the school was now on the Cheyney family's land, people started calling it "Cheyney."
The school's name officially changed many times over the years. Finally, in 1983, it became Cheyney University of Pennsylvania when it joined the state's university system.
Fighting for Fair Funding
For a long time, Cheyney University has given great opportunities to students from cities like Philadelphia. In 1980, the university was part of a lawsuit against the state of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit claimed that the state was not giving Cheyney, a historically black university, as much money as other schools.
The case was settled in 1999. The state agreed to give Cheyney $35 million over five years. This money was used to build new buildings and improve the school's classes and programs.
Overcoming Challenges
In recent years, the university faced some money problems. An organization called the Middle States Commission on Higher Education checks to make sure colleges are running well. In 2015, this group put Cheyney on probation, which is like a warning to fix its problems.
The university worked hard to raise more money and improve its finances. By November 2019, the commission agreed that Cheyney had fixed the issues and fully renewed its accreditation. The school was briefly put on probation again in 2023 but had the warning lifted in 2024 after showing it was meeting all the necessary standards.
Campus Life
The university's campus is located in two townships: Thornbury Township in Chester County and Thornbury Township in Delaware County.
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
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| Black | 86% |
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| Two or more races | 7% |
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| Hispanic | 3% |
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| Unknown | 2% |
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| Asian | 1% |
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| White | 1% |
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| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income | 55% |
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| Affluent | 45% |
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Many students at Cheyney join Greek-letter organizations. All nine of the historically black groups that form the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) have chapters on campus. These groups are involved in community service and social events.
Sports at Cheyney
Cheyney University, known as the Cheyney Wolves, has a famous sports history, especially in basketball.
The men's basketball team is one of the most successful in NCAA Division II history. They have won 16 conference championships and one national championship in 1978.
The women's basketball team also made history. In 1982, they played in the championship game of the very first NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. This was amazing because Cheyney was a Division II school competing against bigger Division I teams.
For a few years, the university had some issues with NCAA rules about its athletes. This led to a probation period for the athletics program, which ended in 2019. Due to money problems, the sports teams left Division II in 2018 and now compete as an independent.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad Cheyney de Pensilvania para niños
- Lincoln University, another historically black university in Pennsylvania
