Indiana University of Pennsylvania facts for kids
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Former name
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Indiana Normal School (1875–1927) State Teachers College at Indiana (1927–1959) Indiana State College (1959–1965) |
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| Type | Public research university |
| Established | 1875 |
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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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Keystone Library Network |
| Endowment | $60.6 million (2020) |
| President | Michael Driscoll |
| Provost | Lara Luetkehans (interim) |
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Academic staff
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700 (Fall 2009) |
| Students | 9,308 |
| Location |
,
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United States
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| Campus | Rural, small town, 350 acres (1.4 km2) |
| Colors | Crimson and Slate |
| Nickname | Crimson Hawks |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division II – PSAC |
| Mascot | Norm |
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Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public university located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It's a place where students can learn and do research. As of 2021, about 9,000 students were studying there.
IUP is about 55 miles (88 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. It has other smaller campuses in Punxsutawney, Northpointe, and Monroeville. The university is officially recognized by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which means it meets high standards for education.
Contents
History
How IUP Started
IUP began in 1871 as the Indiana Normal School. A "normal school" was a special type of school that trained teachers. It opened its doors in 1875 with 225 students. At first, everything happened in one building, which also had a special classroom for practicing teaching.
Becoming a University
Over time, the school grew and changed. In 1920, the state of Pennsylvania took over ownership. In 1927, it became the State Teachers College at Indiana, and it could start giving out college degrees. The name changed again in 1959 to Indiana State College. Finally, in 1965, it became Indiana University of Pennsylvania, or IUP, as we know it today.
Recent Times
IUP had its highest number of students in 2012. Since then, the number of students has changed. To adapt to these changes, the university has made some adjustments to its plans and how it operates. For example, in 2023, IUP made changes to some leadership positions to help the university run more smoothly.
Academics
IUP offers many different study programs. Students can choose from over 140 bachelor's degrees, more than 70 minors, and over 35 special certificates. There are also 70 graduate programs for students who want to continue their studies after college. These programs are offered through eight different colleges and schools.
- Eberly College of Business
- College of Education and Communications
- College of Health and Human Services
- School of Graduate Studies and Research
- College of Arts and Humanities
- College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- University College
The Robert E. Cook Honors College is a special program for students who want to learn in a unique way. It focuses on discussions and deep thinking.
Student Achievements
IUP students have won many important awards and scholarships. These include the Fulbright Scholar award, which helps students study abroad. Other awards like the Goldwater Scholar and McNair Scholar recognize students for their excellent academic work.
The Penn Newspaper
The Penn is the official student newspaper at IUP. It started in 1924. This newspaper has won several awards for its great reporting and writing.
University Rankings
Different groups rank universities based on many factors. In 2020, Washington Monthly College Rankings placed IUP as 193rd out of 388 national universities.
Campus
IUP's main campus is about 374 acres (1.5 km²) in size. It has 62 buildings, both old and new, mostly made of red brick. The very first building, John Sutton Hall, used to hold the entire school. Today, it's a historic building and holds many university offices. It's even listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's very important to history. Breezedale Alumni Center, a beautiful old mansion, is also on this list.
The campus has many cool places for students. There's a planetarium where you can learn about stars, a museum, and a black box theater for plays. The Hadley Union Building (HUB) is a central spot for students. The Stapleton Library has over 900,000 books!
At the center of campus is the Oak Grove, a lovely green area. A group is working to fill the Oak Grove with plants that are native to the area. IUP also has special academies. It runs a Culinary Arts academy in Punxsutawney, where students learn to cook. It also has a police academy on the main campus.
The university also owns College Lodge, a few miles from campus. It's a great place for outdoor activities like skiing, biking, hiking, and disc golf. Students can also go boating there.
IUP has been updating its student housing. Many of the older dorms have been replaced with modern suite-style rooms. This project finished around 2010, giving students comfortable new places to live.
Athletics
IUP has 19 different sports teams, including 8 for men and 11 for women. They also have club sports like ice hockey and rugby. The teams are called the Crimson Hawks. They compete in NCAA Division II as part of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
IUP teams often do very well in competitions. Many teams and individual athletes go on to compete in NCAA postseason events. For example, in the 2004–05 school year, 12 different sports teams or athletes competed at the national level.
The IUP football team has played in the NCAA Division II national championship game twice, in 1990 and 1993. The men's basketball team also reached the NCAA Division II national title game twice, in 2010 and 2015.
The IUP rugby team finished 3rd in the Division I national championship in 2000. The men's ice hockey team has also had great success, winning championships in their league and earning bids to the ACHA National Tournament. The men's lacrosse team won the Three Rivers Conference Championship in 2018 and 2019.
People
Many interesting people have studied or worked at IUP. Here are a few:
- Nellie Bly, a famous journalist.
- Chad Hurley, who helped start YouTube.
- John Murtha, a former U.S. Representative.
- Patricia Robertson, a NASA astronaut.
- Art Rooney, who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.
- Jim Haslett, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Indiana de Pensilvania para niños
