Fort Hays State University
Encyclopedia
Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public, co-educational university
located in Hays
, Kansas
, United States
. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents
, with an enrollment of approximately 11,200 students (4,000 undergraduate, 1,200 graduate, and 6,000 online students).
. The institution was originally located on the grounds of Fort Hays
, a frontier military outpost that was closed in 1889. The university served the early settlers' needs for educational facilities in the new region. The first building closer to Hays was completed in 1904, at which time the university moved to its present location. The modern campus is still located on a portion of the former military reservation from the fort. FHSU was first to be founded as an agricultural based school but was then determined to be a normal school. The normal school was supposed to be supported in part by the agricultural experiment station. For years the University Dairy Unit supplied to school cafeteria with fresh milk.
During the Great Flood of 1951
a tributary of the Kansas River flooded nearly all of campus forcing a midnight evacuation.
-faced buildings. Big Creek, a winding stream that traverses the campus, not only enhances the beauty of the campus, but also serves as a natural laboratory for students in the biological sciences. The campus is located just to the west of the Hays business district, two miles (3 km) south of Interstate 70
. Several businesses in downtown Hays cater specifically to FHSU students.
, supported in part by the Elmer and Eartha Pugh Trust Fund. Topics include railroads, the cattle industry, cowboys, Native American
s and frontier life
.
The William D. Pashchal World War II
History Collection, donated by retired dentist William Paschal, contains books, declassified government documents, maps, photographs, and other materials.
The library is also the repository for the books, papers and periodicals of the Fort Hays Genealogy
Society.
exhibitions, many traveling and temporary exhibitions, an acclaimed Discovery Room, and a Museum Store. The museum houses over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of dinosaurs, fossil
s, prehistoric animals, giant sea-swimming lizards and fish that inhabited Kansas over 70-80 million years ago. The Sternberg Museum also includes more than 3.7 million specimens in collections of paleontology
, geology
, history, archaeology
, ethnology
, botany
, entomology
, ichthyology
, herpetology
, ornithology
and mammalogy
. One will find that all these major exhibits contain at least one creature/plant named after Sternberg.
The museum is the home of the famous Cretaceous
fossil Gillicus in Xiphactinus, better known as the "fish within a fish," which shows a small fossil fish inside the stomach of a larger fossil fish.
s (Arts and Sciences, Business and Leadership, Education and Technology, and Health and Life Sciences) which together have 30 departments and offer more than 60 academic major
s for undergraduates and 19 for graduate students. Students at FHSU can obtain Associate's degree
s in office technology and radiologic technology; do their preprofessional study at FHSU then transfer to a medical or law school; obtain bachelor's and master's degrees; and in some areas of the curriculum, can earn specialist's degrees.
FHSU also offers online degrees
through its "Virtual College". The "Virtual College" evolved from the Department of Continuing Education and Learning Technology in 1999. It is responsible for offering a variety of online courses and degrees to students that are not able to be on campus. The Virtual College currently offers 19 bachelor's degrees and 10 master's degrees online. It also offers endorsements and certificates online. It is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Virtual College" has strategic partnerships with the military, community colleges across the country, and universities world wide. Recently, over 5,800 students from over 27 countries, and ranging in age from 18 to over 70 were enrolled in the Virtual College.
Fort Hays State athletic teams participate in the NCAA Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), except for wrestling, which competes as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
(RMAC). The Fort Hays State basketball
program holds several national basketball titles; the men's team claimed national championships in 1984 and 1985 (NAIA
), back to back, and in 1996 (NCAA Division II) with a remarkable 34 and 0 record. The women's team also brought home the national title in 1991 (NAIA). FHSU Shooting Team won 3rd place in 2009 in the American Trap event at the National ACUI competition.
and has been the mascot of FHSU since 1914. No one knows for certain how it came to be FHSU's mascot, but the Tiger may have been the brainchild of W.A. Lewis, the president of the Western Branch Normal School (FHSU). Many tigers have represented FHSU over the years, but on April 3, 2000, the current mascot was unveiled. It is now the only acceptable image of the FHSU Tiger. At the annual TailGreat on Sept. 9, 2000, the mascot was officially named Victor E. Tiger. The costumed tiger character, Victor E. Tiger, appears at sporting and university events and is currently worn by Dawna Evers, a Senior at the university.
Students of FHSU have access to TigerTracks, Fort Hays State University's Web portal. TigerTracks provides centralized access to student Scatcat e-mail, the Blackboard course delivery system, announcements, and other FHSU Online Services through a customizable homepage.
The Online Services section of TigerTracks provides access to the TigerEnroll system, class schedules, advisor contact information, financial aid status, grades, personal contact and emergency notification information, and much more.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Hays
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents
Kansas Board of Regents
The Kansas Board of Regents is a body consisting of nine members which governs six state universities in the U.S. state of Kansas. In addition to these six universities, it also supervises and coordinates nineteen community colleges, five technical colleges, six technical schools and a municipal...
, with an enrollment of approximately 11,200 students (4,000 undergraduate, 1,200 graduate, and 6,000 online students).
History
FHSU was founded in 1902 as the Western Branch of Kansas State Normal School which is now known as Emporia State UniversityEmporia State University
Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...
. The institution was originally located on the grounds of Fort Hays
Fort Hays
Fort Hays was an important frontier outpost of the United States Army located in Hays, Kansas between 1865 and 1889. Fort Hays was the home of several well-known Indian wars regiments including the Seventh U.S. Cavalry, the Fifth U.S. Infantry, and the Tenth U.S. Cavalry, whose black troopers were...
, a frontier military outpost that was closed in 1889. The university served the early settlers' needs for educational facilities in the new region. The first building closer to Hays was completed in 1904, at which time the university moved to its present location. The modern campus is still located on a portion of the former military reservation from the fort. FHSU was first to be founded as an agricultural based school but was then determined to be a normal school. The normal school was supposed to be supported in part by the agricultural experiment station. For years the University Dairy Unit supplied to school cafeteria with fresh milk.
During the Great Flood of 1951
Great Flood of 1951
In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River and other surrounding areas. Flooding resulted in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. The damage in June and July 1951 exceeded $935 million dollars in an area covering eastern Kansas and...
a tributary of the Kansas River flooded nearly all of campus forcing a midnight evacuation.
The Campus
The main campus sits on 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of the 4160 acres (16.8 km²) owned by the state and deeded to the university. The campus property includes more than 40 limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
-faced buildings. Big Creek, a winding stream that traverses the campus, not only enhances the beauty of the campus, but also serves as a natural laboratory for students in the biological sciences. The campus is located just to the west of the Hays business district, two miles (3 km) south of Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
. Several businesses in downtown Hays cater specifically to FHSU students.
Forsyth Library
In addition to supporting the general needs of faculty, staff and students, Forsyth Library has a large collection of fiction and nonfiction material about Kansas and the American WestAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
, supported in part by the Elmer and Eartha Pugh Trust Fund. Topics include railroads, the cattle industry, cowboys, Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
s and frontier life
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
.
The William D. Pashchal World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
History Collection, donated by retired dentist William Paschal, contains books, declassified government documents, maps, photographs, and other materials.
The library is also the repository for the books, papers and periodicals of the Fort Hays Genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
Society.
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
The university's Sternberg Museum of Natural History features interactive natural scienceNatural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
exhibitions, many traveling and temporary exhibitions, an acclaimed Discovery Room, and a Museum Store. The museum houses over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of dinosaurs, fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s, prehistoric animals, giant sea-swimming lizards and fish that inhabited Kansas over 70-80 million years ago. The Sternberg Museum also includes more than 3.7 million specimens in collections of paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, history, archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, ethnology
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
, botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
, ichthyology
Ichthyology
Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This includes skeletal fish , cartilaginous fish , and jawless fish...
, herpetology
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
, ornithology
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
and mammalogy
Mammalogy
In zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous systems...
. One will find that all these major exhibits contain at least one creature/plant named after Sternberg.
The museum is the home of the famous Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
fossil Gillicus in Xiphactinus, better known as the "fish within a fish," which shows a small fossil fish inside the stomach of a larger fossil fish.
Academics
FHSU comprises four collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s (Arts and Sciences, Business and Leadership, Education and Technology, and Health and Life Sciences) which together have 30 departments and offer more than 60 academic major
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
s for undergraduates and 19 for graduate students. Students at FHSU can obtain Associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
s in office technology and radiologic technology; do their preprofessional study at FHSU then transfer to a medical or law school; obtain bachelor's and master's degrees; and in some areas of the curriculum, can earn specialist's degrees.
FHSU also offers online degrees
Online degrees
An online degree is an academic degree that can be earned primarily or entirely through the use of an Internet-connected computer, rather than attending college in a traditional campus setting...
through its "Virtual College". The "Virtual College" evolved from the Department of Continuing Education and Learning Technology in 1999. It is responsible for offering a variety of online courses and degrees to students that are not able to be on campus. The Virtual College currently offers 19 bachelor's degrees and 10 master's degrees online. It also offers endorsements and certificates online. It is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Virtual College" has strategic partnerships with the military, community colleges across the country, and universities world wide. Recently, over 5,800 students from over 27 countries, and ranging in age from 18 to over 70 were enrolled in the Virtual College.
Agriculture Department
Fort Hays State University is one of only two universities in the state of Kansas that offer agriculture as a major. The Agriculture Department is composed of two majors, the Agriculture Business major and the Agriculture major. The Agriculture major has five different options for students to choose from: Agricultural Education, Agronomy, Beef Cattle Management, General Agriculture and Animal Science. The Head of Agriculture at FHSU is Dr. John Greathouse, who also teaches a few courses offered in the Ag Department. There are also numerous clubs for students to participate in, such as: Agronomy Club, Ag Business, Block & Bridle, Livestock Judging Team, Rodeo Club, Pre-Veterinary Medicine Club, DTA and AGR. There is also a University Farm that includes dairy, sheep, swine, beef and crop units located just west of the university that is used for educational purposes and research for different classes.Docking Institute of Public Affairs
The Docking Institute is a public policy research institute whose mission is to enhance effective decision-making among governmental and non-profit leaders. The Institute has six focus areas:- Survey research, program evaluation research, public policy research, and community and economic development research
- Strategic planning and consulting
- Grants facilitation
- Economic and community development consulting
- Public administration training programs
- Public affairs programming (conferences, speakers, forums, media events, scholarly publications, etc)
Athletics
- For more information see Fort Hays TigersFort Hays TigersFort Hays State University athletic teams are known as the Tigers. The school's teams participate in the NCAA Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association , except for wrestling, which competes as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference .-Athletics department:Fort Hays...
Fort Hays State athletic teams participate in the NCAA Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), except for wrestling, which competes as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States, mostly in Colorado with some members in Nebraska and New Mexico...
(RMAC). The Fort Hays State basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
program holds several national basketball titles; the men's team claimed national championships in 1984 and 1985 (NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
), back to back, and in 1996 (NCAA Division II) with a remarkable 34 and 0 record. The women's team also brought home the national title in 1991 (NAIA). FHSU Shooting Team won 3rd place in 2009 in the American Trap event at the National ACUI competition.
Mascot
FHSU's mascot is the TigerTiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
and has been the mascot of FHSU since 1914. No one knows for certain how it came to be FHSU's mascot, but the Tiger may have been the brainchild of W.A. Lewis, the president of the Western Branch Normal School (FHSU). Many tigers have represented FHSU over the years, but on April 3, 2000, the current mascot was unveiled. It is now the only acceptable image of the FHSU Tiger. At the annual TailGreat on Sept. 9, 2000, the mascot was officially named Victor E. Tiger. The costumed tiger character, Victor E. Tiger, appears at sporting and university events and is currently worn by Dawna Evers, a Senior at the university.
Oktoberfest & Homecoming Weekend
Each year, Fort Hays State holds an annual celebration called Oktoberfest. It is a celebration of the Volga German heritage of Ellis County. It is held at Frontier Park in downtown Hays on the Friday before FHSU’s homecoming. For entertainment, there is polka music and various booths that serve a variety of German food and beer. The first keg is tapped around 11:00 a.m. which officially begins Oktoberfest. There is also a homecoming parade on Saturday morning where student organizations decorate floats or walk in the parade for FHSU spirit. The homecoming football game begins Saturday afternoon.Student Media
- Tiger's Tale is a student-produced magazine printed twice a year - at the end of both the fall and spring semesters.
- KFHS is a student-run campus music station that broadcasts non-stop from kfhs.net and on the local Hays cable channel 67 on television.
- KFHS television channel 67 is FHSU's cable televisionCable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
station, featuring student-produced and student-centered programming. - The University Leader is the official student publication of FHSU and prints on Thursdays during the fall and spring semesters.
Notable alumni
- Greg AndersonGreg Anderson (trainer)Greg F. Anderson is a former personal trainer, best known for his work with Barry Bonds, and links with BALCO.-Early life:...
, athletic trainer linked to the BALCOBay Area Laboratory Co-operativeThe Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative was an American company led by founder and owner Victor Conte, a former bass player for the soul band Tower of Power. In 2003, journalists Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada investigated the company's role in a drug sports scandal later referred to as the...
steroids scandal - Nola OchsNola OchsNola Ochs is an American college graduate. On May 14, 2007 she became a Guinness World Record holder as the world's oldest college graduate when she received her diploma at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas...
, world's oldest college graduate (95 in 2007) - Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthyKathryn O'Loughlin McCarthyKathryn Ellen O'Loughlin was a U.S. Representative from Kansas. After her election she was married to Daniel M. McCarthy, who served in the Kansas State Senate, and thereupon served under the name of Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthy. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Kansas.Born near...
, U.S. Representative from Kansas - Tim McCartyTim McCartyTim McCarty is an American college football coach. Since 2009, he is the head football coach at East Central University. His previous position was as the assistant head football coach at Kansas State University...
, East Central University football coach - Frankie NealFrankie NealFrankie Leon Neal is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for a single season in 1987...
, NFL player - Les Miller, NFL player
- Pillar (band)Pillar (band)Pillar is a Christian rock band currently located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their sixth studio album, Confessions, was released in 2009.- Formation and independent albums :...
, which formed at the university in 1998
Technology
As of December 2006, nearly all of FHSU had wireless access. The network has three tiers of access: one for faculty, one for students, and one for guests. FHSU recently began to transform itself to a "mobile computing environment," allowing students and faculty to interface via a campus-wide wireless network.Students of FHSU have access to TigerTracks, Fort Hays State University's Web portal. TigerTracks provides centralized access to student Scatcat e-mail, the Blackboard course delivery system, announcements, and other FHSU Online Services through a customizable homepage.
The Online Services section of TigerTracks provides access to the TigerEnroll system, class schedules, advisor contact information, financial aid status, grades, personal contact and emergency notification information, and much more.