Central Michigan University facts for kids
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Former name
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Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute (1892–1895) Central Michigan Normal School (1895–1959) |
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Motto | Sapientia, Virtus, Amicitia (Latin) |
Motto in English
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"Wisdom, Virtue, Friendship" |
Type | Public research university |
Established | 1892 |
Accreditation | HLC |
Endowment | $246.1 million (2021) |
President | Neil MacKinnon |
Provost | Paula Lancaster |
Academic staff
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1,017 |
Administrative staff
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1,441 |
Students | 14,423 (fall 2023) |
Undergraduates | 10,079 |
Postgraduates | 4,344 |
Location |
,
,
United States
43°35′23″N 84°46′39″W / 43.5898°N 84.7775°W |
Campus | Distant town, 480 acres (1.9 km2) |
Other campuses | |
Newspaper | Central Michigan Life |
Colors | Maroon and gold |
Nickname | Chippewas |
Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I FBS – MAC |
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Central Michigan University (CMU) is a large public university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It started in 1892 as a private school for teachers. In 1895, it became a state-run institution. CMU is one of Michigan's eight research universities. It has over 14,000 students on its main campus. The university offers more than 200 different study programs. These include degrees for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. The sports teams, called the Central Michigan Chippewas, compete in NCAA Division I sports.
Contents
University History
Central Michigan University first opened in 1892. It was called the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute. A professor named Charles F. R. Bellows was the first principal.
In its first year, 31 students attended classes in downtown Mount Pleasant. Professor Bellows helped plan and build the first main school building. This building opened in September 1893. Within two years, land was bought, and a $10,000 school building was finished.
In 1895, the Michigan State Board of Education took over the school. They changed its name to Central Michigan Normal School. A "Normal School" was a place that trained teachers. Professor Bellows left the school the next year.
By 1918, the campus had 25 acres and five buildings. On June 1, 1959, the school had grown a lot. It had 40 buildings on 235 acres and 4,500 students. At this time, it was renamed Central Michigan University. This new name showed how much the school had grown. It also showed how many more types of classes it offered. Student numbers tripled over the next 10 years.
In 2010, CMU opened its medical school. This was to help train doctors for rural areas.
University Presidents
- Charles F. R. Bellows (1892–1896)
- Charles McKenny (1896–1899)
- Charles Grawn (1900–1918)
- E. C. Warriner (1918–1939)
- Charles L. Anspach (1939–1959)
- Judson Foust (1959–1968)
- William Beaty Boyd (1968–1975)
- Harold Abel (1975–1985)
- Arthur Emmett Ellis (1985–1988)
- Edward B. Jakubauskas (1988–1992)
- Leonard E. Plachta (1992–2000)
- Michael Rao (2000–2009)
- Kathy Wilbur (2009–2010)
- George Ross (2010–2018)
- Robert Davies (2018–2024)
- Neil J. MacKinnon (2024-present)
How the University is Run
Central Michigan University is managed by a board of trustees. This board has eight members. The Governor of Michigan chooses these members. They serve for eight years. The board selects the university's President. Currently, Neil J. MacKinnon is the President.
What Students Can Study
Admissions statistics | |
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2021 entering
class |
|
Admit rate | 77.1% |
Yield rate | 13.4% |
Test scores middle 50% | |
SAT Total | 1010–1223 (among 57% of FTFs) |
ACT Composite | 19–26 (among 10% of FTFs) |
CMU is known for being "selective" when choosing students. For the class that started in fall 2021, CMU accepted about 77% of students who applied. Out of those accepted, about 13% chose to attend. This is called the "yield rate." About 77% of new students stay for their second year. Also, about 61.7% of students graduate within six years.
Some students take the SAT or ACT tests. For those who submitted scores, the middle range for SAT scores was 1010–1223. For ACT scores, the middle range was 19–26.
Central Michigan University has seen fewer students enroll in recent years. Between 2012 and 2022, the total number of students dropped by 46%.
2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Applicants | 18,517 | 19,396 | 16,411 | 17,858 | 19,021 |
Admits | 14,273 | 13,320 | 11,408 | 12,293 | 12,887 |
Admit rate | 77.1 | 68.7 | 69.5 | 68.8 | 67.8 |
Enrolled | 1,909 | 2,088 | 2,473 | 2,732 | 3,076 |
Yield rate | 13.4 | 15.7 | 21.7 | 22.2 | 23.7 |
ACT composite* (out of 36) |
19.25–26 (10%†) |
20–26 (19%†) |
20–26 (23%†) |
20–27 (24%†) |
20–27 (43%†) |
SAT composite* (out of 1600) |
1010–1223 (57%†) |
1010–1210 (93%†) |
990–1190 (89%†) |
1000–1200 (86%†) |
1010–1200 (78%†) |
* middle 50% range † percentage of first-time freshmen who chose to submit |
Academic Colleges and Programs
USNWR National University | 259 (tie) |
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Washington Monthly National University | 206 |
Forbes | 408 |
CMU has eight main academic colleges:
- College of Business Administration
- College of the Arts and Media
- College of Education and Human Services
- Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions
- College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
- College of Medicine
- College of Science and Engineering
- College of Graduate Studies
The Central Michigan University Libraries help students with their studies and research. The university also has its own Brooks Astronomical Observatory.
In 2013, the university's neuroscience program was named the best undergraduate program of the year. This award came from the Society for Neuroscience.
Some of the most popular majors for undergraduate students in 2021 were:
- Psychology
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology
- Community Organization and Advocacy
- Marketing/Marketing Management
- Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
- Child Development
The College of Graduate Studies offers over 70 different graduate degree programs. These include Master's, Specialist, and Doctoral degrees.
As of 2024, the university supports 69 public charter schools across Michigan. These schools serve 29,000 students.
Research at CMU
In 2018, CMU spent $15.6 million on research and development. This information comes from the National Science Foundation.
Special Lecture Series
CMU hosts several special lecture series. These bring important speakers to campus.
- The Harold Abel Endowed Lecture Series focuses on big historical events. It covers topics like dictatorships, democracies, and genocides.
- The Fleming Lecture Series invites famous mathematicians to speak. Some speakers have won very important math awards.
- The Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series is about honesty in politics. It encourages students to think about different ideas in politics.
- The William B. Nolde Lecture Series brings discussions for future leaders. It is named after a U.S. Army Colonel.
Student Life at CMU
Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|
White | 75% | ||
Black | 11% | ||
Hispanic | 5% | ||
Other | 5% | ||
Asian | 1% | ||
Foreign national | 1% | ||
Native American | 1% | ||
Economic diversity | |||
Low-income | 36% | ||
Affluent | 64% |
Where Students Live
Central Michigan University has 21 residence halls on campus. These are grouped into four areas. In 2019, Barnes Hall, the oldest residence hall, was taken down. In 2022, the university closed the North Residence Halls.
The residence halls are:
- North Residence Halls (closed in 2022): Larzelere, Trout, Calkins, Robinson
- South Residence Halls: Beddow, Merrill, Thorpe, Sweeney
- East Residence Halls: Saxe, Herrig, Woldt, Emmons; Celani and Fabiano
- The Towers: Carey, Cobb, Troutman and Wheeler ("The Original Towers"), Campbell, Kesseler and Kulhavi ("The New Towers")
Most CMU residence hall rooms are suites for 4 or 5 people. Some of the Towers have one-bedroom suites for three or four people. The New Towers, Fabiano, and Celani are mostly for older students.
Each area has a dining hall for meals. There are also snack shops for after-hours.
Some residence halls are "Living Learning Communities." This means students who live there are often studying similar subjects. This helps them study and work together.
- Beddow Hall – Business
- Herrig Hall – Music
- Emmons Hall – Health Professions
- Woldt Hall – Science and Engineering
- Sweeney Hall – Education and Human Services
- Thorpe Hall – Honors Program
- Calkins Hall – Leader Advancement Scholars & Public Service Residential Community
- Troutman Hall – Multicultural Advancement/Cofer Scholars
- Cobb Hall – Public Service
- Kulhavi Hall – Transfer Students
All CMU residence halls are co-ed, meaning both male and female students live there.
Student Groups and Clubs
CMU has many student groups, including academic, social, and professional Greek organizations. These groups follow university rules, including rules against hazing. There are 9 fraternities and 11 sororities for social activities. Other groups focus on honors, specific degrees, or different cultural backgrounds. These groups offer great ways for students to connect.
Campus Safety
In March 2018, a sad event happened on campus. A student caused harm to his parents. The campus was put on lockdown for safety. Police arrested the student later. This event affected student travel and campus activities for a few days. The student was later found not responsible due to mental health issues and was placed in a special facility.
Campus Media
Central Michigan Life is the student-run newspaper. It is published every Thursday during the school year. Its website, www.cm-life.com, is updated daily. CM Life has won many awards. It was named one of the top non-daily newspapers in the nation several times. It also won the National Pacemaker Awards many times.
There are also two student-run radio stations, FM 91.5 WMHW-FM and FM 101.1. Students also produce a newscast called News Central 34 and run a TV station called MHTV. In 2005, students started a music label called Moore Media Records (MMR).
The university also owns and runs WCMU-TV, a PBS station. It also operates WCMU-FM, an NPR station. These stations serve much of Northern Michigan.
In 2003, White Pine Music was started. This is the recording label for the CMU School of Music.
In 2008, Central Michigan University launched Grand Central Magazine. This is an online magazine run by the Journalism Department. It features stories on sports, entertainment, style, technology, and travel.
In September 2022, the Fashion Merchandising and Design Department launched Verge Magazine. This fashion and lifestyle magazine is entirely run by CMU students. It is available online and in print.
Sports at CMU
CMU's sports teams are part of NCAA Division I. Most teams compete in the Mid-American Conference. The women's lacrosse team joined the MAC in 2021.
The football team has produced famous players like Antonio Brown and Joe Staley. Before joining Division I, the football team won a national championship in 1974. In Division I, they won the MAC Football Championship Game in 1994, 2006, 2007, and 2009. In 2009, they finished the season ranked in the Top 25 for the first time. Since 2014, the football team has played in a college bowl game every year.
CMU's wrestling team has been very successful. They often beat teams from bigger universities like Michigan and Michigan State. In 2008, they won their 10th straight MAC championship. They also tied for seventh place at the NCAA Championships.
The women's basketball team has also done very well. In 2018, they reached the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. They beat LSU and Ohio State before losing to Oregon.
In 1958, the men's swimming and diving team was runner-up at the national meet.
In May 2020, the university stopped its men's track and field program. This was due to budget cuts.
Famous People Who Went to CMU
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U.S. representative Brenda Lawrence
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Former governor of Kentucky Matt Bevin
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Míchigan Central para niños