Delaware State University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Delaware State University

Former names	Delaware College for Colored Students (1891–1893) State College for Colored Students (1893–1947) Delaware State College (1947–1993) Wilmington Conference Academy (1873-1918) Wesley Collegiate Institute (1918–1941) Wesley Junior College (1941–1958) Wesley College (1958–2021)
Motto	"Enter to Learn, Go Forth and Serve"
Type	Privately governed, state-assisted historically black land-grant research university
Established	May 15, 1891; 134 years ago (1891-05-15)
Accreditation	MSCHE
Academic affiliation	TMCF
Endowment	$43 million (2021)
President	Tony Allen
Academic staff	600
Students	6,451
Location	Dover , Delaware , United States
Campus	Small city, 706 acres (2.86 km2)
Other campuses	Georgetown Wilmington
Newspaper	The Hornet
Colors	Blue and cherry red
Nickname	Hornets
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FCS – MEAC NEC ASUN ECAC
Mascot	Too Fly

Delaware State University (often called DSU or Del State) is a special kind of university in Dover, Delaware. It's known as a historically black university, which means it was first set up to provide higher education for African American students. It's also a land-grant university, which means it gets support from the state to teach things like agriculture and science.

DSU has its main campus in Dover. It also has two smaller campuses in Wilmington and Georgetown. Students can study many different subjects here, from their first year of college to advanced degrees.

History of DSU

How it Started

Delaware State University began on May 15, 1891. It was first called the Delaware College for Colored Students. This college was created by the government of Delaware.

Just two years later, in 1893, its name changed to the State College for Colored Students. This was to make sure people didn't confuse it with another college in Delaware. The first students graduated from the college in 1898.

Becoming a University

In 1948, the college's name changed again to Delaware State College. Later, on July 1, 1993, it officially became Delaware State University. This was a big step for the school.

DSU was one of the first historically black universities to have a rule against smoking. In 2015, they started to limit smoking on campus. By August 2015, the campus became completely tobacco-free. This means no smoking or tobacco products are allowed anywhere on campus.

Recent Milestones

In 2020, a very generous person named MacKenzie Scott gave Delaware State University $20 million. This was the largest gift the university had ever received!

A big change happened on July 1, 2021. Delaware State University officially took over Wesley College. Wesley College was a private school that had been around for 157 years. This was a historic moment because DSU became the first historically black university to acquire a college that was not also a historically black college.

The old Wesley College campus is now called "DSU Downtown." It's close to the center of Dover. Many of DSU's health and science programs have moved to this new campus. They even renamed that part of the university the "Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences" to remember Wesley College's history.

Explore the Campus

Delaware State University's Wellness and Recreation Center

The main campus of Delaware State University is in Dover, the capital of Delaware. It covers about 400 acres. You can drive to big cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. in about two hours. New York City is about three hours away.

Besides the main campus, DSU also has smaller campuses in Wilmington and Georgetown.

The main campus in Dover has many buildings, including:

Students can live in different places on or near campus. There are five traditional dorms and three apartment-style dorms for older students. There are also apartments and a dorm off-campus. Plus, two dorms at DSU Downtown (the former Wesley College campus) are now open for students.

Some of the places students can live include:

There are two dining halls where the more than 1,500 students living on campus can eat.

DSU has many computer labs and fast internet access. Students get their own internet port, phone, email, and cable TV in their dorm rooms. Most buildings also have Wi-Fi.

DSU is recognized as a "Tree Campus USA" because it takes good care of its trees. The university also owns two farms and has a special program for students who want to learn about flying planes.

Who Leads DSU?

Tony Allen became the president of Delaware State University in February 2020. Before that, he was a vice president at the university.

Soon after he became president, the COVID-19 pandemic started. President Allen and the university quickly moved classes online to keep everyone safe. They also raised money to help students who were struggling because of the pandemic. Even though the pandemic continued, the university reopened its dorms in Fall 2020, allowing many students to live on campus again, even if most classes were still online.

The university is guided by a group called the board of trustees. These are people who help make important decisions about how the university is run.

What Can You Study?

Then U.S. vice president Joe Biden delivering the commencement speech in May 2016

Delaware State University has four main colleges where students can study different subjects:

• College of Agriculture, Science & Technology
• College of Humanities, Education & Social Sciences
• College of Business
• College of Health & Behavioral Sciences

DSU offers many different degrees. You can choose from 46 undergraduate degrees (your first college degree), 21 graduate degrees, and six doctoral degrees (the highest level of degree).

Classes at DSU are usually small, with about 13 students for every one teacher. This means students can get a lot of personal attention. Many first-year students receive financial help to pay for college.

DSU also has special programs for students who want to do research in science.

Learn to Fly!

DSU has an amazing Aviation Program. This program teaches students everything they need to know to work in the aviation industry. You can earn a degree in Aviation Management or become a Professional Pilot.

If you want to be a pilot, you'll learn how to fly and get all the necessary licenses. Delaware State has the only full-service flight school run by a university in the mid-Atlantic area.

Research at DSU

DSU is doing more and more research. This means professors and students work together to discover new things. They have special centers for research in areas like:

• Applied Mathematics
• Optics (the study of light)
• Science and Applied Computation

University Rankings

Delaware State University is ranked among the top historically black colleges and universities. In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked DSU 8th among these schools.

Global Connections

DSU has connections with over 30 universities in other countries. These include places like China, Cuba, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, and the UK. These partnerships allow students and teachers to work together on projects and even exchange students.

Student Life and Fun

Sports at DSU

Delaware State University's Student Center

DSU has many sports teams, called the Delaware State Hornets! They compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). This is the highest level of college sports. The Hornets are part of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, or MEAC.

The university also has intramural sports. These are fun, friendly games and activities for all students, teachers, and staff who want to play.

Student Groups

There are over 60 different student groups and clubs at Delaware State. You can join the Student Government Association (SGA), a gospel choir, or even the marching band, called The Approaching Storm Marching Band. There's something for everyone!

Famous People Who Went to DSU