Humboldt State University
Encyclopedia
Humboldt State University (HSU) is the northernmost campus of the California State University
system, located in Arcata
within Humboldt County
, California
, USA. The main campus, nestled at the edge of a coast redwood forest, is situated on Preston hill overlooking Arcata and with commanding views of Humboldt Bay
and the Pacific Ocean
. Its location 8 miles (12.9 km) north of Eureka
and 279 miles (449 km) north of San Francisco
on the North Coast
of California
is notable for its natural beauty.
. The cities of Arcata
and Eureka
competed with one another to host the new campus. It opened on April 6, 1914 in the former Arcata Grammar School building with 78 students and 5 faculty. The school was put under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Education
, renamed Humboldt State Teacher's College and Junior College, and moved to its current location in 1921. In 1924, the Associated Students and the Alumni Association were organized and The Foghorn, the first student newspaper, was published. Bachelor's degrees began being offered in 1927. The school was renamed Humboldt State College in 1935 and the next year the Lumberjack
was adopted as its mascot. In 1937, the students opened a cooperative bookstore and soda fountain, which would exist for the next 40 years as the center of student life.
During World War II
, Founder's Hall, which is visible from Humboldt Bay
, was painted camouflage
so Japanese submarines
would not use it as a navigational aid. An air observation post was also set up atop the art shop to watch for Japanese air strikes. The observation post was primarily staffed by wives of faculty members. The post was removed in 1953.
Graduate programs
began being offered in 1947. The same year, KHSC, the first state college radio station in California, was established (later to become KHSU). In 1960, the college joined the newly-formed California State College system. The junior college program, terminated at HSU in 1962, was re-established in 1964 at College of the Redwoods
(CR) located at the southern edge of Eureka
. Located only seventeen miles south of HSU, both institutions maintain a close working relationship, with many students transferring to HSU following graduation from CR.
Student activism on campus rose through the 1960s and early 1970s, peaking in a protest against the Vietnam War
with about 800 students (out of 3,600) participating on October 15, 1969. This was followed by another protest with nearly 3,000 students who planned a strike after the Cambodian Incursion
. With similar events across the state, Governor Reagan
shut down the CSC system in May 1970 for the rest of the year. The 1970s also saw the rise of feminist, cultural, and LGBT
groups, and though the Women's Center would be the only one to survive through the 1980s, most groups would reappear by the mid 1990s. The campus currently hosts a United Students Against Sweatshops
group that is active in lobbying for ethical products and services on campus.
In 1967, the Humboldt Film Festival
started and it is now the oldest surviving student-run festival in the world. In 1996 the annual Explorations in afro-cuban dance and drum
workshop began being held on the campus every July. The workshop is the largest assemblage of Afro-Cuban folkloric masters in the United States, drawing students from across the country and around the world.
In 1972, the college was renamed California State University, Humboldt, and was further renamed Humboldt State University two years later. Enrollment first reached 7,500 in 1974, a level at which it has remained. Through the 1980s, mature students became a large part of Humboldt State's student body, and in 1986 40% of the students were over the age of 25. The number has since decreased to 30%.
The university is divided into three colleges: the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the College of Natural Resources and Sciences; and the College of Professional Studies. There are 49 undergraduate majors and 85 minors. The two largest majors are Biology
and Art
, both with over 20 faculty members and extensive facilities on- and off-campus. There are several credential programs and twelve Master's programs
, of which Natural Resources
and Social Work
are the largest. The new Energy, Environment, and Society graduate program is unique to the CSU, and provides graduates with interdisciplinary training in engineering, economics, and climate policy.
Humboldt State is one of only two universities in California to offer a major in Botany
, the other being Cal Poly Pomona
. Its botany program is the nation’s largest undergraduate program. Humboldt State is the only university in California to offer a degree in Rangeland Resources and Wildland Soils. The Native American Studies
major and the Oceanography
major are also unique to the California State University system. The university offers unique minors including Multicultural Queer Studies, Scientific Diving, and Appropriate Technology
.
The university's location on the North Coast
provides access to the Pacific Ocean
, lagoons, marshes, estuaries, and the Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory, which provides opportunities for "hands-on" experiences and research for the sciences.
Humboldt State University is one of the few universities in the nation with a state-of-the-art fire lab. Its fire science program teaches modern techniques for managing wildfire, and an advanced training program is offered for Forest Service employees and similar professionals.
Humboldt State University has an International student population that has quadrupled in the last five years.
The International English Language Institute has worked alongside HSU for 22 years to help international students gain academic English language skills to further their academic pursuits and business careers.
The Office of Extended Education (OEE) is a self-supporting outreach department of Humboldt State University that provides a variety of academic, professional development and personal enrichment opportunities. While OEE programs are open to most everyone, there is an emphasis on providing access to those community members who are not matriculated students at the university. Non-matriculated students may take some regular university courses through the OEE Open University program. High school students may take regular HSU courses through the OEE High School Concurrent Enrollment Program. Also, those aged 60 and over may take regular HSU classes through the Over 60 Program. OEE also offers a wide range of diverse and eclectic programs. Examples include music and art programs for children, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
for those aged 50 and over, foreign language classes, travel-study programs, continuing education for teachers, MFT/LCSW, nurses, and law enforcement, to name a few.
In 1998 Humboldt State University opened the HSU First Street Gallery in Old Town Eureka, expanding community access to the university’s cultural and fine arts programs. In 2007, the university further expanded its presence in Eureka with the opening of the HSU Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, a $4.5 million aquatic facility on the bay in Old Town Eureka
. Future plans include a new HSU Bay and Estuarine Studies Center. This new facility will be closer to the Coral Sea (now docked at Woodley Island, Eureka), which is the only vessel in a US educational institution solely dedicated to undergraduate research. The new facility would be considerably larger than the other existing facility, the Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory in Trinidad, twenty miles (32 km) north.
Humboldt State University Professor Steve Sillett has conducted groundbreaking research on redwood
forest canopies and was featured in a 2009 cover story in National Geographic. He holds the Kenneth L.
Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology, the only endowed chair in the world dedicated to a single tree species.
Humboldt state has the highest proportion of Native American students in the CSU system.
Humboldt State's student population has stayed consistently around 7,500 for several decades. This is equal to approximately half of the population of Arcata, though students are dispersed all over the region. Eighteen percent of students live in the residence halls
, usually new freshmen and transfer students. The university's student body's average age is 26, one of the highest in the country.
Humboldt State is well known for its environmental
awareness and activism
. The Humboldt Energy Independence Fund (HEIF) is unique to the CSU, and uses student fee monies to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus. HEIF provides a rare opportunity for students, faculty, and plant operations staff to work together collaboratively towards a goal of a lower-carbon and energy-independent future. Compost
and recycling
bins are more common on campus than trash cans and many events are encouraged to be zero waste
. The Associated Students fund the Campus Recycling Program, the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology, and the Sustainable Living
Arts and Music Festival (SLAM fest).
Humboldt State University built the first building in the CSU system to be LEED-gold certified for its eco-friendly features. The Behavioral and Social Sciences Building has rainwater collection, sustainably harvested wood native-plant landscaping, and more.
The location of HSU affords students the potential for outside activities in local parks and public lands, which include miles of accessible, undeveloped coastline. Rivers and streams, forests, and extraordinary terrain are just outside the classroom door.
of Humboldt State University and is funded through the sales of advertisements supplemented by the Instructionally Related Activities fee. It covers news relevant to the students and faculty of Humboldt State and major news relevant to the residents of Humboldt County
. This includes coverage of university issues, protests, rallies, athletics, the local music scene, and sometimes, quirky events from the local police log. Stories of statewide significance, especially those that concern CSU students, are sometimes reported on as well. In 2010, the Lumberjack won second place for Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper at a 4-Year College or University, and second place breaking news photo from the Society of Professional Journalists. To be on the Lumberjack, students must enroll in JMC 327: The Newspaper Lab.
The Osprey is the university's student-run magazine, published twice annually. It has won first-place awards in major regional competitions, including the Society of Professional Journalists' "Mark of Excellence" Awards and the California Intercollegiate Press Association awards.
KRFH.NET 610 AM is a student-run radio station
founded in 1990 by Dr. Gary Melton. KRFH stands for "Radio Free Humboldt" and was originally only received in the Sunset and Redwood Residence Halls. KRFH's purpose is to provide broadcast experience to students while also approximating the structure of a commercial radio station. Students enroll in JMC 155 or JMC 355 in order to become DJs, committing to weekly shows of one to two hours respectively.
of the university. It performs in the scatter band style often associated with ivy league
schools, using humorous routines and scripts during its half-time field shows in Redwood Bowl.
. Humboldt State currently sponsors 12 intercollegiate sports programs
—
men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country
, Cheerleading, volleyball
, football
(in which it competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference), men’s and women’s basketball
, men’s and women’s track and field
, softball
and women’s rowing
. Their football team lost 74-0 to Boise State during their first home opener on their blue turf.
Recently the men’s basketball achieved its first-ever West Region title and advancement to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II for the first time in the program’s 81-year history. HSU's softball team has qualified for the NCAA post-season 18 times between 1990 and 2008, capturing the national championship in 1999 and in 2008. The women’s rowing program advanced both its Varsity 4 and Varsity 8 boats to the NCAA Championships in 2004, with the Varsity 4 earning the individual boat national title and the Varsity 8 placing second at nationals. Also, the Lumberjacks have produced national champions and All-Americans in cross country and track and field. In 1980, the school’s first year in Division II, the HSU men’s cross country team claimed a national title. A year later, cross country runner Mark Conover earned the individual crown and later represented the USA as a marathoner in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games.
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
system, located in Arcata
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
within Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA. The main campus, nestled at the edge of a coast redwood forest, is situated on Preston hill overlooking Arcata and with commanding views of Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Its location 8 miles (12.9 km) north of Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
and 279 miles (449 km) north of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on the North Coast
North Coast, California
The North Coast of California is a region which commonly includes Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
is notable for its natural beauty.
History
Humboldt State Normal School was established as a teacher's college on June 16, 1913, by then-California Governor Hiram JohnsonHiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
. The cities of Arcata
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
and Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
competed with one another to host the new campus. It opened on April 6, 1914 in the former Arcata Grammar School building with 78 students and 5 faculty. The school was put under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Education
California Department of Education
The California Department of Education is a California agency that oversees public education. The department oversees funding and testing, and holds local educational agencies accountable for student achievement...
, renamed Humboldt State Teacher's College and Junior College, and moved to its current location in 1921. In 1924, the Associated Students and the Alumni Association were organized and The Foghorn, the first student newspaper, was published. Bachelor's degrees began being offered in 1927. The school was renamed Humboldt State College in 1935 and the next year the Lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
was adopted as its mascot. In 1937, the students opened a cooperative bookstore and soda fountain, which would exist for the next 40 years as the center of student life.
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...
, Founder's Hall, which is visible from Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
, was painted camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
so Japanese submarines
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
would not use it as a navigational aid. An air observation post was also set up atop the art shop to watch for Japanese air strikes. The observation post was primarily staffed by wives of faculty members. The post was removed in 1953.
Graduate programs
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
began being offered in 1947. The same year, KHSC, the first state college radio station in California, was established (later to become KHSU). In 1960, the college joined the newly-formed California State College system. The junior college program, terminated at HSU in 1962, was re-established in 1964 at College of the Redwoods
College of the Redwoods
College of the Redwoods is a public two-year community college whose main campus, comprising , is located on the southernmost edge of Eureka in Humboldt County, California. This sprawling site is spacious and distinctive in its modernistic use of massive, exposed wooden support beams in each...
(CR) located at the southern edge of Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
. Located only seventeen miles south of HSU, both institutions maintain a close working relationship, with many students transferring to HSU following graduation from CR.
Student activism on campus rose through the 1960s and early 1970s, peaking in a protest against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
with about 800 students (out of 3,600) participating on October 15, 1969. This was followed by another protest with nearly 3,000 students who planned a strike after the Cambodian Incursion
Cambodian Incursion
The Cambodian Campaign was a series of military operations conducted in eastern Cambodia during mid-1970 by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. These invasions were a result of policy of President Richard Nixon whose decision it was to invade...
. With similar events across the state, Governor Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
shut down the CSC system in May 1970 for the rest of the year. The 1970s also saw the rise of feminist, cultural, and LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
groups, and though the Women's Center would be the only one to survive through the 1980s, most groups would reappear by the mid 1990s. The campus currently hosts a United Students Against Sweatshops
United Students Against Sweatshops
United Students Against Sweatshops is a student organization with chapters at over 250 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In April 2000, USAS founded the Worker Rights Consortium , an independent monitoring organization that investigates labor conditions in factories that...
group that is active in lobbying for ethical products and services on campus.
In 1967, the Humboldt Film Festival
Humboldt Film Festival
The Humboldt Film Festival is a short film festival held annually each spring in Arcata, California.The Humboldt Film Festival has been bringing independent and alternative short films to Humboldt County for forty-four years...
started and it is now the oldest surviving student-run festival in the world. In 1996 the annual Explorations in afro-cuban dance and drum
Explorations in afro-cuban dance and drum
The annual Explorations in Afro-Cuban Dance & Drum workshops are hosted by the Humboldt State University Office of Extended Education in Arcata, California...
workshop began being held on the campus every July. The workshop is the largest assemblage of Afro-Cuban folkloric masters in the United States, drawing students from across the country and around the world.
In 1972, the college was renamed California State University, Humboldt, and was further renamed Humboldt State University two years later. Enrollment first reached 7,500 in 1974, a level at which it has remained. Through the 1980s, mature students became a large part of Humboldt State's student body, and in 1986 40% of the students were over the age of 25. The number has since decreased to 30%.
Academics
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, both with over 20 faculty members and extensive facilities on- and off-campus. There are several credential programs and twelve Master's programs
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, of which Natural Resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
and Social Work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
are the largest. The new Energy, Environment, and Society graduate program is unique to the CSU, and provides graduates with interdisciplinary training in engineering, economics, and climate policy.
Humboldt State is one of only two universities in California to offer a major in 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...
, the other being Cal Poly Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
. Its botany program is the nation’s largest undergraduate program. Humboldt State is the only university in California to offer a degree in Rangeland Resources and Wildland Soils. The Native American Studies
Native American Studies
Native American Studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that examines the history, culture, politics, issues and contemporary experience of Native peoples in North America, or, taking a hemispheric approach, the Americas...
major and the Oceanography
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
major are also unique to the California State University system. The university offers unique minors including Multicultural Queer Studies, Scientific Diving, and Appropriate Technology
Appropriate technology
Appropriate technology is an ideological movement originally articulated as "intermediate technology" by the economist Dr...
.
The university's location on the North Coast
North Coast, California
The North Coast of California is a region which commonly includes Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties...
provides access to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, lagoons, marshes, estuaries, and the Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory, which provides opportunities for "hands-on" experiences and research for the sciences.
Humboldt State University is one of the few universities in the nation with a state-of-the-art fire lab. Its fire science program teaches modern techniques for managing wildfire, and an advanced training program is offered for Forest Service employees and similar professionals.
Humboldt State University has an International student population that has quadrupled in the last five years.
The International English Language Institute has worked alongside HSU for 22 years to help international students gain academic English language skills to further their academic pursuits and business careers.
The Office of Extended Education (OEE) is a self-supporting outreach department of Humboldt State University that provides a variety of academic, professional development and personal enrichment opportunities. While OEE programs are open to most everyone, there is an emphasis on providing access to those community members who are not matriculated students at the university. Non-matriculated students may take some regular university courses through the OEE Open University program. High school students may take regular HSU courses through the OEE High School Concurrent Enrollment Program. Also, those aged 60 and over may take regular HSU classes through the Over 60 Program. OEE also offers a wide range of diverse and eclectic programs. Examples include music and art programs for children, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes offer noncredit courses with no assignments or grades to “seasoned” adults over age 50. Since 2001 philanthropist Bernard Osher has made grants from his foundation to launch OLLI programs at over 120 universities and colleges in 49 states and the District of...
for those aged 50 and over, foreign language classes, travel-study programs, continuing education for teachers, MFT/LCSW, nurses, and law enforcement, to name a few.
In 1998 Humboldt State University opened the HSU First Street Gallery in Old Town Eureka, expanding community access to the university’s cultural and fine arts programs. In 2007, the university further expanded its presence in Eureka with the opening of the HSU Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, a $4.5 million aquatic facility on the bay in Old Town Eureka
Old Town Eureka
Old Town Eureka in Eureka, California, is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. This Historic district is a area containing 154 buildings mostly from the Victorian era...
. Future plans include a new HSU Bay and Estuarine Studies Center. This new facility will be closer to the Coral Sea (now docked at Woodley Island, Eureka), which is the only vessel in a US educational institution solely dedicated to undergraduate research. The new facility would be considerably larger than the other existing facility, the Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory in Trinidad, twenty miles (32 km) north.
Humboldt State University Professor Steve Sillett has conducted groundbreaking research on redwood
Redwood
-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...
forest canopies and was featured in a 2009 cover story in National Geographic. He holds the Kenneth L.
Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology, the only endowed chair in the world dedicated to a single tree species.
Statistics
| Undergraduate | |
|---|---|
| African American African American African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States... |
3.8% |
| Asian American Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,... |
4.0% |
| White American White American White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa... |
54.7% |
| Hispanic American | 10.6% |
| 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... |
2.5% |
| International International ----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries... |
0.7% |
| Ethnicity unreported/unknown | 23.7% |
- Average High School GPA: 3.13
- SAT Middle 50%: 450-570 Reading, 440-570 Math
- ACT Composite Middle 50%: 18-24
- Average Undergraduate Class Size: 25
- Average Graduate Class Size: 8
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 19.3 for the 06-07 Academic Year
Student demographics (for fall 2007)
Source: HSU Analytic Studies - University Statistical Profile- Number of enrolled students: 7773 (7189.6 full-time equivalent studentsFull-time equivalentFull-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
) - Gender:
- 30.100% Male
- 60.03% Female
Humboldt state has the highest proportion of Native American students in the CSU system.
Ranking
- Best Western Colleges. Chosen because it stands out in its region, HSU is one of the 123 colleges named a Best Western College by The Princeton Review. Other CSU campuses chosen for the list were Cal State Long Beach, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Sonoma State.
- Colleges With a Conscience. HSU is one of the colleges profiled in The Princeton Review's book, Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement. The school was selected because of its record of having excellent service-learning programs and its blending of academics with community work.
- Universities-Master's (West): Top Schools. US News and World Report chose HSU as a 2010 Top Master'sMaster's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
Level University in the Western United StatesWestern United States.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
.
- First Tier of Western Universities (Top 15). In a Saludos Hispanos survey, the university merited this multicultural listing because approximately 8% of the student body is Hispanic (only schools with at least 7% Hispanic students qualified). Factors that led to placement as number 9 of the top 15 schools in the West included reasonable tuition, both in and out of state, and the fact that HSU students record the highest passing scores among the 23-campus CSU system on the CBESTCBESTThe California Basic Educational Skills Test is a standardized test administered throughout the state of California and Oregon for individuals who want to teach at public schools and gain a credential. The test is designed to provide information about basic proficiency in reading, mathematics,...
(the California Basic Educational Skills Test). The CBESTCBESTThe California Basic Educational Skills Test is a standardized test administered throughout the state of California and Oregon for individuals who want to teach at public schools and gain a credential. The test is designed to provide information about basic proficiency in reading, mathematics,...
measures reading, mathematics skills and expository writing and is required of new teachers, administrators, counselors, psychologists and librarians.
- Top 10 Counterculture Colleges. The High Times magazine placed HSU in the number eight slot for 2008. The magazine ranks the nation’s institutions of higher education from the cannabis community’s point of view. This year the guide placed an emphasis on campus activism and academic excellence. Editors of the magazine wrote, "Humboldt is consistently cited as being in the "Top 10%" of all US colleges and universities for academic quality."
Student life
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
, usually new freshmen and transfer students. The university's student body's average age is 26, one of the highest in the country.
Humboldt State is well known for its environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
awareness and activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
. The Humboldt Energy Independence Fund (HEIF) is unique to the CSU, and uses student fee monies to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus. HEIF provides a rare opportunity for students, faculty, and plant operations staff to work together collaboratively towards a goal of a lower-carbon and energy-independent future. Compost
Compost
Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At its most essential, the process of composting requires simply piling up waste outdoors and waiting for the materials to break down from anywhere...
and recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
bins are more common on campus than trash cans and many events are encouraged to be zero waste
Zero waste
Zero waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. Any trash sent to landfills and incinerators is minimal. The process recommended is one similar to the way that resources are reused in nature...
. The Associated Students fund the Campus Recycling Program, the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology, and the Sustainable Living
Sustainable living
Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and his/her own resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet...
Arts and Music Festival (SLAM fest).
Humboldt State University built the first building in the CSU system to be LEED-gold certified for its eco-friendly features. The Behavioral and Social Sciences Building has rainwater collection, sustainably harvested wood native-plant landscaping, and more.
The location of HSU affords students the potential for outside activities in local parks and public lands, which include miles of accessible, undeveloped coastline. Rivers and streams, forests, and extraordinary terrain are just outside the classroom door.
Student media
The Lumberjack is the weekly student-run newspaperStudent newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
of Humboldt State University and is funded through the sales of advertisements supplemented by the Instructionally Related Activities fee. It covers news relevant to the students and faculty of Humboldt State and major news relevant to the residents of Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
. This includes coverage of university issues, protests, rallies, athletics, the local music scene, and sometimes, quirky events from the local police log. Stories of statewide significance, especially those that concern CSU students, are sometimes reported on as well. In 2010, the Lumberjack won second place for Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper at a 4-Year College or University, and second place breaking news photo from the Society of Professional Journalists. To be on the Lumberjack, students must enroll in JMC 327: The Newspaper Lab.
The Osprey is the university's student-run magazine, published twice annually. It has won first-place awards in major regional competitions, including the Society of Professional Journalists' "Mark of Excellence" Awards and the California Intercollegiate Press Association awards.
KRFH.NET 610 AM is a student-run radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
founded in 1990 by Dr. Gary Melton. KRFH stands for "Radio Free Humboldt" and was originally only received in the Sunset and Redwood Residence Halls. KRFH's purpose is to provide broadcast experience to students while also approximating the structure of a commercial radio station. Students enroll in JMC 155 or JMC 355 in order to become DJs, committing to weekly shows of one to two hours respectively.
Greek life
- Beta Sigma Epsilon
- Chi Phi
- Delta Phi Epsilon
- Gamma Alpha OmegaGamma Alpha OmegaGamma Alpha Omega is a Latina-founded Greek letter intercollegiate sorority founded on January 25, 1993 on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona....
- Lambda Theta Alpha
- Lambda Theta Phi
Marching Lumberjacks
The HSU Marching Lumberjacks (sometimes referred to as the "Banned") is the official student-run marching bandMarching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
of the university. It performs in the scatter band style often associated with ivy league
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
schools, using humorous routines and scripts during its half-time field shows in Redwood Bowl.
Intercollegiate athletics
The Lumberjacks’ program is affiliated with the NCAA on the Division II level and is a member of the California Collegiate Athletic AssociationCalifornia Collegiate Athletic Association
The California Collegiate Athletic Association or CCAA is an intercollegiate athletic conference in the Division II of the NCAA. All of its current members are public universities, and all except for UC San Diego are members of the California State University system.It was founded in December 1938...
. Humboldt State currently sponsors 12 intercollegiate sports programs
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
—
men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, Cheerleading, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
(in which it competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference), men’s and women’s 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...
, men’s and women’s track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and women’s rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
. Their football team lost 74-0 to Boise State during their first home opener on their blue turf.
Recently the men’s basketball achieved its first-ever West Region title and advancement to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II for the first time in the program’s 81-year history. HSU's softball team has qualified for the NCAA post-season 18 times between 1990 and 2008, capturing the national championship in 1999 and in 2008. The women’s rowing program advanced both its Varsity 4 and Varsity 8 boats to the NCAA Championships in 2004, with the Varsity 4 earning the individual boat national title and the Varsity 8 placing second at nationals. Also, the Lumberjacks have produced national champions and All-Americans in cross country and track and field. In 1980, the school’s first year in Division II, the HSU men’s cross country team claimed a national title. A year later, cross country runner Mark Conover earned the individual crown and later represented the USA as a marathoner in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games.
Alumni
- Raymond CarverRaymond CarverRaymond Clevie Carver, Jr. was an American short story writer and poet. Carver is considered a major American writer of the late 20th century and also a major force in the revitalization of the short story in the 1980s....
— American short story writer and poet - Trevor DunnTrevor DunnTrevor Roy Dunn is an American composer, bass guitarist and double bassist.Dunn came to prominence in the 1990s with the experimental band Mr. Bungle. He has since worked in an array of musical styles, notably with singer and Mr...
— Bassist for Mr. BungleMr. BungleMr. Bungle was an experimental band from Northern California. The band was formed in 1985 while the members were still in high school and was named after a children's educational film. Mr. Bungle released four demo tapes in the mid to late 1980s before being signed to Warner Bros. Records and...
, FantomasFantômas (band)Fantômas is an avant-garde metal supergroup formed in 1998 in California, United States. The band is named after Fantômas, a supervillain featured in a series of crime novels popular in France before World War I and in film, most notably in the 60s French movie series.-History:Fantômas began just...
, etc. - Jack FimpleJack FimpleJohn Joseph Fimple is a former Major League Baseball catcher.Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 29th round of the 1980 MLB amateur draft, Fimple made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 30, 1983, and appeared in his final game on October 4, 1987...
— former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher - Ken Fisher — billionaire CEO of Fisher Investments, long-time ForbesForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
columnist, and author of books on investing - Harrell FletcherHarrell FletcherHarrell Fletcher is an American artist in Portland, Oregon who creates socially engaged interdisciplinary projects.-Early work:While completing his degree at California College of Arts and Crafts, Fletcher began collaborating with artist Jon Rubin...
— socially engaged interdisciplinary American artist http://www.harrellfletcher.com/ - Wendell HayesWendell HayesWendell Hayes is a former Professional Football running back. Wendell played college football at Humboldt State University...
— former NFL running back - Danny Herrera — former powerlifter
- Stephen HillenburgStephen HillenburgStephen McDannell Hillenburg is an American animator, writer, producer, actor, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. He currently owns his own production company, United Plankton Pictures...
— creator of NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
's SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"... - John KiffmeyerJohn KiffmeyerJohn Kiffmeyer , was born on July 11, 1969. He was the first drummer of the punk rock/alternative rock band Green Day. He was given his nickname in reference to his hometown, El Sobrante.-Biography:...
— the original drummer for the rock band Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool... - Martin WongMartin WongMartin Wong was a U.S. painter of the late twentieth century.-Early years:Wong was born in Portland, Oregon and raised in the Chinatown district of San Francisco, California. He studied ceramics at Humboldt State University, graduating in 1968...
— American painter and ceramist - Kyle Ryan — American visual and performing artist dealing with social and contemporary issues
- Taylor Boggs — Current NFL Center; New York Jets
Faculty
- Stephen FoxStephen Fox (author/educator)Stephen Fox is an author and emeritus professor of history at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.He wrote, The Unknown Internment: An Oral History of the Relocation of Italian Americans during World War II ISBN 0805791086. Published in 1990, the work describes World War II US...
(emeritus) — historian, author, and educator - Robert A. GearheartRobert A. GearheartRobert A. Gearheart is an emeritus professor of Environmental Engineering at Humboldt State University, in Arcata, California.Dr...
(emeritus) — environmental engineer - Steven C. HackettSteven C. HackettProfessor Steven C. Hackett began his career at the rank of Assistant Professor at Indiana University in Bloomington in 1989. He currently holds the rank of Professor of Economics at Humboldt State University ....
— economist - Roscoe E. PeithmanRoscoe E. PeithmanRoscoe “Rocky” E. Peithman is an emeritus professor at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.Dr. Peithman was a physical sciences and physics professor at Humboldt State from 1946 to 1977. He would be influential in the development of the physical sciences at the university.He was born...
(emeritus) — physical scientist - Eric RofesEric RofesEric Rofes was a gay activist, feminist, educator, and author who wrote or edited 12 books.-Life and works:Rofes grew up in Commack, New York and he graduated from Harvard University...
(deceased) — gay activist, feminist, educator, and author - Stephen C. SillettStephen C. SillettStephen C. Sillett is a botanist specializing in old growth forest canopies. As the first scientist to enter the redwood forest canopy, he pioneered new methods for climbing, exploring, and studying tall trees...
— botanist - Dr Eugene Novotney — Music Teacher, Leader of Calypso Band, Winner of Wang Award, a $20,000 prize for excellent teaching at a CSU.
See also
- List of forestry universities and colleges
- Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT)Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT)The Campus Center for Appropriate Technology is a student-run sustainability organization located at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California...