Missouri State University
Encyclopedia
Missouri State University (MSU or Mo State formerly Southwest Missouri State University) is a public university
located in Springfield
, Missouri
, United States
and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011. In 2011 students represented 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and 83 countries. The Springfield campus is one of two degree granting institutions within the Missouri State University System
, the other being a two-year campus in West Plains, Missouri
. A bachelor of science in business from MSU is offered at the Missouri State University Branch Campus Dalian
in the People's Republic of China. In addition to its main campus, MSU maintains a fruit research station in Mountain Grove
and the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies program housed in Fairfax, Virginia
. The school is classified by the Carnegie foundation
as one of six master's colleges and universities in Missouri. The school was ranked 53rd of the Midwestern regional universities by the 2012 U.S. News and World Report, down one spot from 2011. In this category, MSU is the second highest ranked public school in Missouri and fifth overall for undergraduates.
s of the day, the school's primary purpose was the preparation of teachers for the public school system.
The first class, totaling 543 students, started classes on June 11, 1906, in an off-campus facility. The first permanent campus building was Academic Hall. Its cornerstone was laid on August 10, 1907 and construction was completed in January 1909. The building is now known as Carrington Hall, named after William T. Carrington, the first president of the State Normal School. It serves as the University's administrative center.
The Fourth District Normal School became Southwest Missouri State Teacher's College in 1919 to reflect its regional and academic emphasis. Throughout the interwar period
, the College's programs expanded to include liberal arts
and sciences in the curriculum, thus facilitating a name change to Southwest Missouri State College in 1945. A burgeoning student population throughout the 1950s and 1960s resulted in the establishment of residence halls, accompanied by a growth in post-graduate studies. This led to a third name change in 1972, to Southwest Missouri State University. In 1973, enrollment surpassed 10,000 students for the first time.
By 1985, SMSU had grown into the second-largest public university
in the state, leading administrators to support a bill to change the name to Missouri State University, which eventually died in committee in the Missouri General Assembly
. In 1990, enrollment surpassed 20,000 students for the first time, but further attempts to rename the school throughout the 1990s and early 2000s also failed. However, the state legislature did grant the university a statewide mission in Public Affairs
in 1995.
In 2004, with the election of Springfield native Matt Blunt
to the governorship and the approaching centennial of the university's founding, new support developed for the name change. It was opposed by the University of Missouri System (which operates the four campuses of the University of Missouri), which feared that the name change would lead to duplication of academic programs and ongoing battles for students and state funding. In addition, "Missouri State University" is also a historic name of the Columbia campus, used in the late 19th century. In 2005 the name-change bill was passed, following a late-night compromise between University of Missouri System President Elson Floyd and then-Southwest Missouri State President John Keiser, stating that Missouri State University would not duplicate certain professional programs offered by the University of Missouri. The bill to rename the University finally passed the Missouri Senate (25–7). On March 1, 2005, after more than seven hours of debate, the bill passed the Missouri House (120–35). Governor Blunt signed it into law on March 17, 2005—the centennial anniversary of the University—at the Plaster Student Union where several student leaders and state leaders were present.
The University offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and over 45 graduate programs. For the 2009 fiscal year the University awarded 4,093 degrees. The Springfield campus had 721 full-time instructional faculty in fall 2009, of which 46 percent were female and 60 percent were tenured. The student-faculty ration is 20-to-1. Nearly 90 percent of full-time ranked faculty members have the most advanced degree available in their field. During its 2009 fiscal year, MSU received 196 grants totalling $20,901,035. Freshmen entering for the fall 2010 semester had an average ACT
score of 24.1 (well above both the state and national averages) and a high school grade point average of 3.60.
CEO David Glass. Not only has the COBA received the highest level of accreditation available, but all programs in the College of Business are fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Among colleges and universities in the nation offering business degrees, only 10 percent have been granted this status.
of the People's Republic of China to establish the Missouri State Branch Campus Dailan
(LNU-MSU College of International Business) on the campus of LNU. As an educational cooperation project between the two universities, the Branch Campus received formal approval from the governing bodies of both universities, the Missouri State Board of Governors and the Bureau of Education of Liaoning Province, China.
The mission is stated as having three broad themes: Ethical Leadership, Cultural Competence and
Community Engagement. The goal of the Ethical Leadership component has been articulated by MSU as "students will articulate their value systems, act ethically within the context of a democratic society, and demonstrate engaged and principled leadership." The stated objective of the Cultural Competence component is "students will recognize and respect multiple perspectives and cultures." Two goals have been articulated for the Community Engagement portion of the mission. They are that "students will recognize the importance of contributing their knowledge and experiences to their own community and the broader society" and "students will recognize the importance of scientific principles in the generation of sound public policy." The public affairs mission is emphasized and enhanced by designated Public Affairs Professorships and a Provost Fellow for Public Affairs, special scholarship programs, grant program, Excellence in Community Service Awards, a yearly week-long Missouri Public Affairs Academy for high school students, a campus-wide public affairs emphasis week and the annual MSU Public Affairs Conference which brings together a diverse group of speakers and panelist for public discussions of various aspects of the public affairs mission. Past conference speakers have included Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
, Nawal El Saadawi
, Les Garland
, John Edwards
and Frances Hesselbein.
style and newer buildings displaying a mix of Modern
styles including International
, Brutalist, Bauhaus
and High-tech
, unified through the use of light-colored stone and concrete exterior materials.
Facing National Avenue is the "Historic Quadrangle," containing Carrington Hall (1908), Hill Hall (1923) and Siceluff Hall (1927), as well as Cheek Hall (1955) and Ellis Hall (1959). South of that area is Pummill Hall (1957), Karls Hall (1958) and Craig Hall (1967), which contains the Coger Theater and is the site of an annual outdoor summer tent theatre program.
In the center of campus is the Duane G. Meyer Library
, constructed in 1980 and named after a former president of the University. It contains over 877,000 books, subscriptions to over 3,500 periodicals and newspapers with back issues on microfilm, microfiche, and microcard, and full text electronic access to over 20,000 periodicals. In addition, the library contains over 934,000 state, federal and United Nations government documents. The Meyer Library was renovated and expanded in 2002, and included the addition of the Jane A. Meyer Carillon
, one of only 164 such instruments in the United States. In front of Meyer Library is the five-level, multi-jet John Q. Hammons
Fountain (named for the MSU alumnus and hotel developer).
Other major academic buildings are located south and west of the Meyer Library. These include Temple Hall (1971), Kemper Hall (1976), Glass Hall (1988) and Strong Hall (1998). The majority of the north side of the campus is dedicated to student residences and recreational areas; however, Greenwood Laboratory School, a fully functioning K-12 school, is also located in this area.
, a prestigious bell making firm from the Netherlands
. The carillon plays the standard Westminster chime sequence every 15 minutes, with the first of the hourly bells marking the exact start of each hour. The department of music also coordinates and presents special concerts throughout the year.
is a 2,220-seat center located in the northwest corner of the campus. Juanita K. (as referred to by locals) not only hosts the University's music, dance and theatre department performances, it is home to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. It is the Springfield area’s major performance hall and presents a regular schedule of national touring companies and prominent individual performers. The hall includes multi-level boxes and moveable orchestra pit; spacious backstage facilities with individual, crew and chorus dressing rooms, cast lounge, green room, loading dock and break areas; an expansive multi-level lobby; public and private reception areas; full-service front-of-house, technical and support staff offices; an on-site computerized box office; and a 5-level parking garage adjacent to the building.
. Originally built in 1930, the athletic field became the stadium in 1941 and was known for many years as Briggs Stadium in honor of Coach A. W. Briggs, longtime head of Missouri State's athletic department. The facility was renamed after a major expansion and renovation in the 1980s that included installation of an artificial playing surface, an all-weather track, a second level of seating, twelve racquetball courts, men's and women's locker rooms, five classrooms, and a fitness center. Immediately north of Plaster Sports Complex is McDonald Arena, built by WPA
labor in 1940. It served as the university's central indoor arena until construction of the John Q. Hammons Student Center on the campus' north-west edge in 1976. That venue was in turn replaced as the primary indoor sporting venue by construction of the adjacent 11,000-seat JQH Arena
in 2008.
. Brick City, located at 305 West Mill Street, was renovated for the Fall 2008 semester to house several elements of the MSU Art and Design department. Missouri State University won the University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) 2009 Award of Excellence for their work on IDEA Commons at the UEDA annual symposium. MSU’s IDEA Commons beat 34 other institutions, including two other finalists, North Carolina State University
and the University of Memphis
, for the award.
Silver certified, incorporating sustainability features such as site filtering of storm water runoff, occupancy sensors that control lighting and temperature, use of natural light, and ground source heat-pump systems.
. Wells House, the first campus residence hall, houses 490 men and women. Freudenberger House (referred to by students as "Freddy") is a five-story, U-shaped residence hall, designed with 2-, 3- and 4-person rooms to accommodate 740 men and women on single-gender floors. Woods House provides 376 men and women with accommodations on single-gender floors and features a 10th floor common area with sweeping views of the surrounding area. Blair-Shannon House accommodates 729 men and women in a suite-style format with the living areas on single-gender floors. Hammons House is an eight-story residence hall that accommodates 584 men and women on single-gender floors. A twin residence hall of Hammons House, Hutchens House is an eight-story residence hall offering housing accommodations for 605 men and women on five mixed-gender floors. Scholars House provides lodging for 115 students who are Honors Program participants or Presidential Scholarship recipients. Kentwood Hall, originally built as the luxury Kentwood Arms Hotel (1926) and whose guests included President Harry S. Truman
and comedian Groucho Marx
, accommodates 136 upper-class men and women and non-traditional students in a co-ed environment. Sunvilla Tower is an 18-story apartment facility that houses 186 upper-class men and women in a coed environment.
Computer labs, fitness rooms, laundry rooms, music practice rooms, kitchen facilities, and public meeting or study spaces are located in each residence. Available services include free laundry, free cable TV, WI-FI in public areas (full wireless access in Woods and Scholars Houses) and 24-hour front desk assistance. Within select houses are floors designated as "Living-learning Communities" (LLCs). These have a particular theme such as first-year experience, sophomore experience, or College of Health and Human Services majors. Certain floors are also designated as "quiet living environments." All residential areas are smoke and tobacco free.
format. The oldest and busiest is Blair-Shannon Dining Hall (located on the first floor of Blair-Shannon House) which employs a staff of 60 and serves over 19,000 meals per week during the fall and spring semesters. Garst Dining Center is located between Hammons House and Hutchens House. Along with traditional fare and hours, Garst also offers "after hours" dining with a reduced menu from 9:00–11:00PM during the fall semester. After hours dining switches to Blair-Shannon for the second half of the year. Kentwood Dining Center is located in the historic Kentwood Hall. Smallest of the on-campus dining centers, Kentwood was remodeled in 2002, and provides a more traditional atmosphere, with exposed brick walls and an open fireplace.
A number of other dining options are also available on the MSU campus. Table service dining is provided at the Union Club located on the Fourth Floor of the Plaster Student Union. The Union Club is open to all students, staff, faculty, and friends of the Missouri State campus for lunch only. Also located in the Plaster Student Union is Chick-Fil-A; Wok & Roll Chinese food, Subway
Subs and Salads; Papa John's Pizza
; Smashers; Freshens, featuring fresh fruit smoothies and yogurt; and Starbucks
, located downstairs. Boomer's Café and a convenience store are located on the first floor of Hammons House. Boomer's(named for MSU's bear mascot) provides a menu of hot breakfast items, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and Mexican food, as well as Starbucks
coffee. Starbucks is also offered, along with grab-and-go items, at Cafe a la Cart on the first floor of Strong Hall. Most of the campus dining venues are managed and operated by [(Missouri State Dining Services in Partnership with Chartwells]).
(PSU), is located in the center of campus between the main academic and residential areas. The PSU provides a place for students to dine, socialize, study, shop, and see films and guest speakers in the theater. It also contains a bank, convenience store, copy shop, ticket outlet and video game/media store. A variety of meeting rooms are located in the PSU and over 15,000 meetings are hosted there each year. Offices located in the Plaster Student Union include Student Engagement, Student Conduct, Multicultural Resources, Zip Card, Campus Recreation, Outdoor Adventures, Sodexo Campus Services, Citizenship and Service-Learning, Conference Services, various Student Organizations, the Dean of Students, Judicial Affairs, Disability Support Services, and Student Orientation, Advisement & Registration (SOAR). The PSU also includes the Leland E. Traywick Parliamentary Room. Dedicated on February 18, 2004, it is named to honor a former MSU president and his introduction of shared governance, including the establishment of the Faculty Senate, during his presidency. A bronze bear statue was dedicated to the University in 1999 and stands at the front entrance of the student union. Also located in front of the PSU is the North Mall, location of the "Bear Paw." The Bear Paw is an outdoor plaza and performance area constructed for concerts, forums, rallies, demonstrations, and other similar public activities. Any member of the university community (students, faculty, staff) may reserve the Bear Paw, and when not reserved it is available for expressive activities on a first come, first served basis.
On April 16, 2010, MSU broke ground on a 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²). Student Recreation Center. Scheduled for completion by early 2012, the Center will contain an indoor jogging track (6.5 laps = 1 mile), multipurpose rooms, locker rooms, saunas, basketball courts, an expansive fitness center, rock climbing and bouldering walls, multi-purpose activity courts, lounge areas with computer stations & flat panel TVs, a wellness center, and a 7000 sq ft (650.3 m²) Recreational Pool with 3 lap lanes, underwater bench seating w/ 12 hydrotherapy
back jets, lighted spray features, ramp and stair entry, water current channel for water walking & therapy, open water area for basketball, volleyball and Hydro-Power classes, a zip-line
, and a 160 sq ft (14.9 m²). spa with seating for approximately 16.
The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official voice of the student body at Missouri State University. SGA strives to find solutions to campus issues by making policy recommendations to the administration. SGA is a forum for problems, concerns, questions, suggestions, and ideas as they relate to student life on campus. SGA serves as the governing body for all students and student organizations on campus. SGA was established in 1921 and has been active on campus ever since. There have been 88 presidents elected as of 2009. SGA is entirely funded by student fees. Meetings are held each Tuesday at 5:30PM and are open to the public.
The Student Activities Council (SAC) is a student-run programming board dedicated to enhancing the college experience at Missouri State. SAC orchestrates activities and programs in the Plaster Student Union and around the campus. By effectively utilizing the Student Involvement Fee, SAC aims to provide educational, entertaining, cultural, and leisure opportunities to complement the students' academic experience.
The Pride Band is the university's marching band
. The Pride consists of 300 student musicians. The band plays at every home football game and has been featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
in New York City (1988, 1996, 2001), the Tournament of Roses Parade
in Pasadena
(1995 and 2008), and the Orange Bowl
Parade in Miami (1988). They have appeared in the Louisiana Superdome
for the New Orleans Saints
, in the Trans World Dome for the St. Louis Rams
, at Arrowhead Stadium
for the Kansas City Chiefs
, and at Mile High Stadium
for the Denver Broncos
. In December 2005 the Pride Band traveled to London, England to be the honor band in the London New Year's Day parade, and was the Honor Band in the 2009 McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago, Illinois
.
The MSU Army ROTC program was established in 1952. Since 1970, MSU has been the headquarters of the ROTC "Bear Battalion" in partnership with six other Springfield-area colleges (Evangel University
, College of the Ozarks
, Southwest Baptist University
, Drury University
, Baptist Bible College
and Central Bible College
). As of July 2008, the Bear Battalion had commissioned 1,721 Army officers including ten General Officers: LTG Neal T. Jaco, LTG John E. Miller, MG Fred F. Marty, MG Robert L. Gordon, MG Robert F. Pennycuick, MG David E. White, MG Jarrett J. Robertson, BG William A. West, BG Tony L. Stansberry and BG J. Marty Robinson.
"The Standard" is the university's student-run newspaper. It is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper's content is entirely created and edited by the student staff.
"The Underground" is an unofficial student publication serving Missouri State University. It is produced by a staff of student volunteers and publishes twice-a-month.
"The Growl" is an independent student internet radio station broadcasting a college radio format. It has been in operation since 1998 providing news and entertainment to the MSU community 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students manage all aspects of the station from equipment acquisition to training, programming and operations.
"KSMU" 91.1 FM is the university's licensed public radio station, broadcasting National Public Radio content, local news and classical music
. Its state-of-the-art studios are located in Strong Hall. The station has received numerous awards, including the 2002 National Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for News Series, the 2001 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for Feature Reporting, the 1987 National Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for Investigative Reporting, The Missouri Broadcasters Association Excellence Award in Documentary Public Affairs in 2002 and 2000, Certificates of Merit for Feature Reporting, Public Affairs Reporting, and Complete News from the Missouri Broadcasters Association, three Public Radio News Directors Incorporated Awards, and the Missouri State Teachers Association Award for Excellence in Education Reporting.
MSU is also the licensee operating Ozark Public Television, providing PBS programming and instructional television services to 549,540 households in Southwest Missouri and the adjoining three state area. "KOZK
", the PBS member station in Springfield airs on digital channel 21, and a sister station, "KOZJ", airs in Joplin, Missouri
as digital channel 26. The stations digital signal multicasts as 21.1/26.1: OPT-High Definition; 21.2/26.2: OPT-ED (Airs telecourses from MSU as well as miscellaneous PBS programming); and 21.3/26.3: Create, a how-to/DIY network. The broadcast and studio facilities are located in Strong Hall.
member organizations at MSU include: Alpha Chi Omega
, Alpha Delta Pi
, Alpha Sigma Alpha
, Delta Zeta
, Gamma Phi Beta
, and Sigma Kappa
. National Pan-Hellenic Council
members include: Alpha Phi Alpha
, Delta Sigma Theta
, Kappa Alpha Psi
, Omega Psi Phi
, Phi Beta Sigma
, and Zeta Phi Beta
. Interfraternity Council members include: Alpha Gamma Sigma
, Alpha Kappa Lambda
, Delta Chi
, Kappa Alpha Order
, Kappa Sigma
, Omega Delta Phi
, Phi Delta Theta
, Phi Gamma Delta
, Pi Kappa Alpha
, Pi Kappa Phi
, Sigma Nu
, Sigma Phi Epsilon
, Theta Chi
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
. Additional independent Greek organizations include Sigma Alpha Chi and Xi Omicron Iota.
In October 2009, the Missouri State University Panhellenic received the Risk Management Award at the National Panhellenic Conference
Annual Meeting.
; men's baseball and football
; and women's cross country
, field hockey
, softball
, track
, and volleyball
. MSU teams are nicknamed the Bears, and team colors are maroon and white. The Missouri State University Bears are members of the Missouri Valley Conference
for all sports except football (Missouri Valley Football Conference), men's swimming and diving (Sun Belt Conference
), and field hockey (Mid-American Conference
). Football competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Missouri State teams have made 40 NCAA championship appearances since moving to Division I in the 1982–83 season. The men's basketball team reached the Sweet Sixteen in 1999, women's basketball made the Final Four in 1992 and 2001, baseball made the College World Series in 2003, and volleyball earned their 1000th win Nov. 17, 2006 (only the second team in NCAA history to do so). In 1974, the women's softball team won the AIAW national championship.
Football, Soccer and Field Hockey games are played at Plaster Sports Complex
. Men's and Women's Basketball games are played at JQH Arena
, and Volleyball games, as well as Swimming and Diving competitions, are held at the John Q. Hammons Student Center. Softball games are played at Killian Softball Stadium, which underwent a $2.7 million renovation in 2009. The Bears baseball team shares 7,986-seat Hammons Field
, located a few blocks north of the MSU campus, with the Springfield Cardinals
of the AA
Texas League
.
Team has won the National Collegiate Handball Team Championship 10 times, including seven years straight (1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999, 2004,2006 and 2008). MSU handball players have also captured the individual Women's title nine times and the Men's title six times. The team was founded in 1988 and is under the leadership of Coach Tommy Burnett.
In 2001, Missouri State started a club Ice Hockey
team, Missouri State University Ice Bears Hockey, that competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association
(ACHA) Division II Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
. In 2009 the Ice Bears made their fourth straight ACHA Central Region post season tournament appearance. Ice Bears home games are played at Mediacom Ice Park
.
Missouri State also has a club Lacrosse
Team, founded in 2003, that competes in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association
(MCLA) Division II in the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference
(GRLC). In 2009 and 2010, the Bears received an automatic qualifier for the MCLA National Championships in Denver, Colorado
, after winning the GRLC championship. Since 2003, MSU Lacrosse has fielded 5 All-Americans, 41 All-Conference players, 2 GRLC Tournament MVP's, and 2 GRLC Division II Coach's of the Year.
Additional club sports at Missouri State include a Bowling
Team, Pistol
Team, Rodeo
Team, Roller Hockey
Club, Water Ski Team and Wrestling
Club
The traditions of school colors and the school mascot were established during the 1906 school year, before the first permanent building (Carrington Hall) was even constructed. A joint committee of faculty and students decided on the colors of maroon and white to represent the University. The same committee also selected the Bear as the official school mascot, basing their choice on the design of the state seal of Missouri. The colors and mascots are reflected on the school seal.
Several of the Chinese backers have expressed a desire to withdraw their support after the university received negative press about it's academic rigor.
Non-discrimination on basis of sexual orientation:
In 2006, the university modified its nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation
as an officially protected status. The addition reads: "...the University does not discriminate on any basis (including, but not limited to, political affiliation and sexual orientation) not related to the applicable educational requirements for students or the applicable job requirements for employees." Former University president John Keiser had firmly opposed the change as did the Student Government Association during 2004 when Student Body President Chris Curtis moved to change the SGA constitution to mirror the university's. However, the policy was quietly changed on September 18, 2006 during a meeting held for the first time outside of Springfield in St. Louis. It is generally believed this move was to avoid the mostly conservative citizens of Springfield and add this policy "under the radar" of the critics of the change. Missouri Governor Matt Blunt quickly released criticism of the policy change calling it "unnecessary and bad;" also saying the decision "bows to the forces of political correctness".
Grading policy:
Missouri State University converted to a plus or minus grading system instead of the standard A,B,C,D, and F system starting with the Fall 2009 term. Individual professors can decide whether to use this grading system in their classes. Under the new grading scale, a C- will not qualify as a passing grade for courses requiring a C or better.
Tobacco-free campus:
Citing the proven detrimental health effects of tobacco use, effective August 15, 2010, Missouri State University enacted a policy further restricting the use of tobacco products on the campus. Smoking is allowed only at designated smoking areas outside JQH Arena, Plaster Stadium, Hammons Student Center, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall during performances or events, and inside of private vehicles located on University parking lots. The use of smokeless tobacco is prohibited at all locations on campus.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
located in Springfield
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011. In 2011 students represented 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and 83 countries. The Springfield campus is one of two degree granting institutions within the Missouri State University System
Missouri State University System
The Missouri State University System is a system of two separately accredited campuses and affiliated programs administered by Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. In the fall 2010 semester the system had an enrollment of 23,092. The main campus in Springfield is Missouri's second...
, the other being a two-year campus in West Plains, Missouri
West Plains, Missouri
West Plains is a city in Howell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,866 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howell County. The West Plains Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Howell County.-Geography:...
. A bachelor of science in business from MSU is offered at the Missouri State University Branch Campus Dalian
Missouri State University Branch Campus Dalian
- History :In June 2000, Missouri State University entered into an agreement with Liaoning Normal University of the People's Republic of China. This established the LNU-MSU College of International Business on the campus of LNU...
in the People's Republic of China. In addition to its main campus, MSU maintains a fruit research station in Mountain Grove
Mountain Grove, Missouri
Mountain Grove is a city in Texas and Wright Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri, located in south central Missouri. The population was 4,574 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mountain Grove is located at...
and the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies program housed in Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
. The school is classified by the Carnegie foundation
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a framework for classifying, or grouping, colleges and universities in the United States. The primary purpose of the framework is for educational research and analysis, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly...
as one of six master's colleges and universities in Missouri. The school was ranked 53rd of the Midwestern regional universities by the 2012 U.S. News and World Report, down one spot from 2011. In this category, MSU is the second highest ranked public school in Missouri and fifth overall for undergraduates.
History
Missouri State University was founded as the Fourth District Normal School, by legislative action on March 17, 1905. Like other normal schoolNormal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
s of the day, the school's primary purpose was the preparation of teachers for the public school system.
The first class, totaling 543 students, started classes on June 11, 1906, in an off-campus facility. The first permanent campus building was Academic Hall. Its cornerstone was laid on August 10, 1907 and construction was completed in January 1909. The building is now known as Carrington Hall, named after William T. Carrington, the first president of the State Normal School. It serves as the University's administrative center.
The Fourth District Normal School became Southwest Missouri State Teacher's College in 1919 to reflect its regional and academic emphasis. Throughout the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
, the College's programs expanded to include liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
and sciences in the curriculum, thus facilitating a name change to Southwest Missouri State College in 1945. A burgeoning student population throughout the 1950s and 1960s resulted in the establishment of residence halls, accompanied by a growth in post-graduate studies. This led to a third name change in 1972, to Southwest Missouri State University. In 1973, enrollment surpassed 10,000 students for the first time.
By 1985, SMSU had grown into the second-largest public university
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
in the state, leading administrators to support a bill to change the name to Missouri State University, which eventually died in committee in the Missouri General Assembly
Missouri General Assembly
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...
. In 1990, enrollment surpassed 20,000 students for the first time, but further attempts to rename the school throughout the 1990s and early 2000s also failed. However, the state legislature did grant the university a statewide mission in Public Affairs
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
in 1995.
In 2004, with the election of Springfield native Matt Blunt
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
to the governorship and the approaching centennial of the university's founding, new support developed for the name change. It was opposed by the University of Missouri System (which operates the four campuses of the University of Missouri), which feared that the name change would lead to duplication of academic programs and ongoing battles for students and state funding. In addition, "Missouri State University" is also a historic name of the Columbia campus, used in the late 19th century. In 2005 the name-change bill was passed, following a late-night compromise between University of Missouri System President Elson Floyd and then-Southwest Missouri State President John Keiser, stating that Missouri State University would not duplicate certain professional programs offered by the University of Missouri. The bill to rename the University finally passed the Missouri Senate (25–7). On March 1, 2005, after more than seven hours of debate, the bill passed the Missouri House (120–35). Governor Blunt signed it into law on March 17, 2005—the centennial anniversary of the University—at the Plaster Student Union where several student leaders and state leaders were present.
Divisions
Missouri State University's academic divisions include:- College of Arts and LettersLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
– Art & Design; Communication; English; Media, Journalism & Film; Modern & Classical Languages; Music; Theatre & Dance - College of Business Administration (COBA) – School of Accountancy; Computer Information Systems; Fashion & Interior Design; Finance & General Business; Management; Marketing; Technology & Construction Management
- College of Continuing Education and the Extended University
- College of Education – Childhood Education & Family Studies; Counseling, Leadership, & Special Education; Greenwood Laboratory School; Reading, Foundations, & Technology
- College of Health and Human Services – Biomedical Sciences; Communication Sciences & Disorders; Health, Physical Education & Recreation; Nursing; Physical Therapy; Physician Assistant Studies; Psychology; School of Social Work; Sports Medicine & Athletic Training
- College of HumanitiesHumanitiesThe humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
and Public AffairsPublic administrationPublic Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
– Defense & Strategic Studies; Economics; History; Military Science; Philosophy; Political Science; Religious Studies; Sociology, Anthropology, & Criminology - College of Natural and Applied Sciences – Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Geography, Geology, & Planning; Hospitality & Restaurant Administration; Mathematics; Physics, Astronomy, & Materials Science
- William H. Darr School of Agriculture
- Graduate School
The University offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and over 45 graduate programs. For the 2009 fiscal year the University awarded 4,093 degrees. The Springfield campus had 721 full-time instructional faculty in fall 2009, of which 46 percent were female and 60 percent were tenured. The student-faculty ration is 20-to-1. Nearly 90 percent of full-time ranked faculty members have the most advanced degree available in their field. During its 2009 fiscal year, MSU received 196 grants totalling $20,901,035. Freshmen entering for the fall 2010 semester had an average ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score of 24.1 (well above both the state and national averages) and a high school grade point average of 3.60.
COBA
The MSU College of Business Administration is the largest college of business in Missouri and one of the largest in the Midwest. Missouri State’s COBA is housed in David D. Glass Hall, a 4 story, 185000 square feet (17,187.1 m²) state-of-the-art building. Glass Hall is named in honor of MSU alumnus and former Wal-MartWal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
CEO David Glass. Not only has the COBA received the highest level of accreditation available, but all programs in the College of Business are fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Among colleges and universities in the nation offering business degrees, only 10 percent have been granted this status.
LNU-MSU
In June 2000, Missouri State University entered into an agreement with Liaoning Normal UniversityLiaoning Normal University
Liaoning Normal University is a teacher training university in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China under the provincial government. Established in 1951 the university is primarily responsible for educating teachers to teach in high schools around the province, though non-teacher training courses are...
of the People's Republic of China to establish the Missouri State Branch Campus Dailan
Missouri State University Branch Campus Dalian
- History :In June 2000, Missouri State University entered into an agreement with Liaoning Normal University of the People's Republic of China. This established the LNU-MSU College of International Business on the campus of LNU...
(LNU-MSU College of International Business) on the campus of LNU. As an educational cooperation project between the two universities, the Branch Campus received formal approval from the governing bodies of both universities, the Missouri State Board of Governors and the Bureau of Education of Liaoning Province, China.
Public affairs mission
Missouri State University has a state-wide mission in Public Affairs granted by the state legislature in 1995.The mission is stated as having three broad themes: Ethical Leadership, Cultural Competence and
Community Engagement. The goal of the Ethical Leadership component has been articulated by MSU as "students will articulate their value systems, act ethically within the context of a democratic society, and demonstrate engaged and principled leadership." The stated objective of the Cultural Competence component is "students will recognize and respect multiple perspectives and cultures." Two goals have been articulated for the Community Engagement portion of the mission. They are that "students will recognize the importance of contributing their knowledge and experiences to their own community and the broader society" and "students will recognize the importance of scientific principles in the generation of sound public policy." The public affairs mission is emphasized and enhanced by designated Public Affairs Professorships and a Provost Fellow for Public Affairs, special scholarship programs, grant program, Excellence in Community Service Awards, a yearly week-long Missouri Public Affairs Academy for high school students, a campus-wide public affairs emphasis week and the annual MSU Public Affairs Conference which brings together a diverse group of speakers and panelist for public discussions of various aspects of the public affairs mission. Past conference speakers have included Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. is an American radio host, activist, and attorney specializing in environmental law. He is the third of eleven children born to Ethel Skakel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy and is the nephew of John F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy...
, Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawi , born October 27, 1931, is an Egyptian feminist writer, activist, physician and psychiatrist. She has written many books on the subject of women in Islam, paying particular attention to the practice of female genital mutilation in her society....
, Les Garland
Les Garland
Les Garland began his career as a radio and television personality and went on to become an influential radio programmers of the 70's, exerting even more influence on the 80's as co-founder/originator of both MTV: Music Television and VH-1...
, John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
and Frances Hesselbein.
Campus
Missouri State University’s main campus, containing over 40 buildings, is located on 225 acres (91.1 ha) in central Springfield. National Avenue forms the eastern boundary, with South Holland and Kimbrough Avenues to the west, Cherry and Elm Streets to the north, and Grand Street to the south. John Q. Hammons Parkway bisects the campus, running north and south. The campus contains a variety of architectural styles, with the oldest buildings exhibiting a NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style and newer buildings displaying a mix of Modern
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
styles including International
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
, Brutalist, Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
and High-tech
High-Tech Architecture
High-tech architecture, also known as Late Modernism or Structural Expressionism, is an architectural style that emerged in the 1970s, incorporating elements of high-tech industry and technology into building design. High-tech architecture appeared as a revamped modernism, an extension of those...
, unified through the use of light-colored stone and concrete exterior materials.
Facing National Avenue is the "Historic Quadrangle," containing Carrington Hall (1908), Hill Hall (1923) and Siceluff Hall (1927), as well as Cheek Hall (1955) and Ellis Hall (1959). South of that area is Pummill Hall (1957), Karls Hall (1958) and Craig Hall (1967), which contains the Coger Theater and is the site of an annual outdoor summer tent theatre program.
In the center of campus is the Duane G. Meyer Library
Duane G. Meyer Library
The Duane G. Meyer Library serves the Missouri State University campus in Springfield, Missouri.- Information :Built in 1980 and extensively renovated in 2002, it houses 877,000 books, subscriptions and back issues of over 3,500 periodicals, and online access to over 20,000 periodicals...
, constructed in 1980 and named after a former president of the University. It contains over 877,000 books, subscriptions to over 3,500 periodicals and newspapers with back issues on microfilm, microfiche, and microcard, and full text electronic access to over 20,000 periodicals. In addition, the library contains over 934,000 state, federal and United Nations government documents. The Meyer Library was renovated and expanded in 2002, and included the addition of the Jane A. Meyer Carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
, one of only 164 such instruments in the United States. In front of Meyer Library is the five-level, multi-jet John Q. Hammons
John Q. Hammons
John Q. Hammons is an American businessman and one of the nation's premier developers of upscale luxury hotels and resorts. With over 50 years of experience in the hotel industry, John Q. Hammons has built and developed nearly two hundred hotels...
Fountain (named for the MSU alumnus and hotel developer).
Other major academic buildings are located south and west of the Meyer Library. These include Temple Hall (1971), Kemper Hall (1976), Glass Hall (1988) and Strong Hall (1998). The majority of the north side of the campus is dedicated to student residences and recreational areas; however, Greenwood Laboratory School, a fully functioning K-12 school, is also located in this area.
Jane A. Meyer Carillon
The Jane A. Meyer Carillon is located in the center of the Missouri State University campus, at the southeast corner of the Duane G. Meyer Library. At 140 feet (42.7 m) tall, it is the tallest carillon in the Midwest United States and serves as a campus icon and focal point. It was dedicated on April 13, 2002. The total weight of the 48 bronze bells and cast-iron clappers is 32,000 pounds, with the largest bell weighing 5,894 pounds, or nearly three tons. The complete carillon and its supporting tower structure weighs 2.5 million pounds. Funds for the purchase of the bells and keyboard and for the construction of the tower were provided by Ken and Jane Meyer, longtime friends of the University and supporters of the arts. Jane Meyer was a former organ student of the MSU Department of Music. The carillon’s 48 bronze bells, cast-iron clappers and keyboard were purchased from and installed by Royal EijsboutsRoyal Eijsbouts bell foundry
Royal Eijsbouts is a bell foundry located in Asten, Netherlands.The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15 year old son, Johan, and the workshop expanded to begin supplying striking and swinging bells, which...
, a prestigious bell making firm from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The carillon plays the standard Westminster chime sequence every 15 minutes, with the first of the hourly bells marking the exact start of each hour. The department of music also coordinates and presents special concerts throughout the year.
Juanita K. Hammons Hall
Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing ArtsPerforming arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
is a 2,220-seat center located in the northwest corner of the campus. Juanita K. (as referred to by locals) not only hosts the University's music, dance and theatre department performances, it is home to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. It is the Springfield area’s major performance hall and presents a regular schedule of national touring companies and prominent individual performers. The hall includes multi-level boxes and moveable orchestra pit; spacious backstage facilities with individual, crew and chorus dressing rooms, cast lounge, green room, loading dock and break areas; an expansive multi-level lobby; public and private reception areas; full-service front-of-house, technical and support staff offices; an on-site computerized box office; and a 5-level parking garage adjacent to the building.
Athletic facilities
Southeast of Meyer Library is the Robert W. Plaster Sports ComplexPlaster Sports Complex
The Plaster Sports Complex is a 16,600-seat multipurpose stadium located in Springfield, Missouri. It is home to the Missouri State University Bears football, women's field hockey, men's and women's soccer, and track and field teams....
. Originally built in 1930, the athletic field became the stadium in 1941 and was known for many years as Briggs Stadium in honor of Coach A. W. Briggs, longtime head of Missouri State's athletic department. The facility was renamed after a major expansion and renovation in the 1980s that included installation of an artificial playing surface, an all-weather track, a second level of seating, twelve racquetball courts, men's and women's locker rooms, five classrooms, and a fitness center. Immediately north of Plaster Sports Complex is McDonald Arena, built by WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
labor in 1940. It served as the university's central indoor arena until construction of the John Q. Hammons Student Center on the campus' north-west edge in 1976. That venue was in turn replaced as the primary indoor sporting venue by construction of the adjacent 11,000-seat JQH Arena
JQH Arena
JQH Arena is a basketball and special events arena in Springfield, Missouri. Constructed at a cost of $67 million, the arena opened in 2008. Located on the campus of Missouri State University it is the home of the Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams and is referred to by MSU...
in 2008.
IDEA Commons
IDEA Commons, which stands for Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship, and Art, is an urban research park in Downtown Springfield that blends together residential, retail and entertainment facilities supported by various university programs. Currently the Jordan Valley Innovation Center (JVIC) and "Brick City" are located within the IDEA Commons. The JVIC is a Missouri State University research center providing "hands-on" learning and experience for students, as well as support and business opportunities for affiliated businesses. Within the JVIC are three operating units: The Center for Applied Science and Engineering (CASE), The Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences (CBLS), and Springfield Innovation, Inc. (SI2). The JVIC is located in the former Missouri Farmers Association milling facilityGristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
. Brick City, located at 305 West Mill Street, was renovated for the Fall 2008 semester to house several elements of the MSU Art and Design department. Missouri State University won the University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) 2009 Award of Excellence for their work on IDEA Commons at the UEDA annual symposium. MSU’s IDEA Commons beat 34 other institutions, including two other finalists, North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
and the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
, for the award.
Darr Agricultural Center
The Darr Agricultural Center is located on 90 acres (36.4 ha) near the intersection of Kansas Expressway and Sunshine Street in southwest Springfield. The Darr Center serves as a laboratory and field experience classroom for the study of livestock management, equine studies, horticulture, agronomy, animal science, and wildlife conservation and management. Improvements in 2007 included extensive renovation of the main arena, as well as the addition of a stalling barn, a multi-use barn, office space, bovine and equine handling facilities, a research laboratory, a classroom, and a two-bedroom apartment for graduate student housing. In 2010 MSU announced a $6.5 Million expansion of the facility to include construction of a new Learning Center with a large classroom and lecture hall equipped with an animal entrance and specialized pen; classrooms with distance learning technology; and laboratories to facilitate research in the areas of water quality, soil chemistry, horticultural sciences, animal physiology and more. The building will also include a conference space and a 400-person capacity banquet hall available for public and private events. The new facility is to be LEEDLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Silver certified, incorporating sustainability features such as site filtering of storm water runoff, occupancy sensors that control lighting and temperature, use of natural light, and ground source heat-pump systems.
OurPromise
OurPromise is Missouri State University’s newest capital campaign. The goal is to raise a total of $125 million allocated as $20 million for student scholarships, $15 million for faculty endowments, $40 million for enhancement for programs/community engagement, $1.5 million investment in the West Plains campus, and $48.5 million for facilities. Facility enhancements include improvement and expansion of the Darr Agricultural Center, a 90 acres (36.4 ha) hands-on learning center five miles (8 km) from the main Springfield campus; construction of a new 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²). student recreation center; further development of the IDEA Commons; additions to the Greenwood Laboratory School and enhancement of the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center. The money will also help pay off bonds spent on the 11,000-seat JQH Arena.Campus housing
The Missouri State University main campus contains nine residence hallsDormitory
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...
. Wells House, the first campus residence hall, houses 490 men and women. Freudenberger House (referred to by students as "Freddy") is a five-story, U-shaped residence hall, designed with 2-, 3- and 4-person rooms to accommodate 740 men and women on single-gender floors. Woods House provides 376 men and women with accommodations on single-gender floors and features a 10th floor common area with sweeping views of the surrounding area. Blair-Shannon House accommodates 729 men and women in a suite-style format with the living areas on single-gender floors. Hammons House is an eight-story residence hall that accommodates 584 men and women on single-gender floors. A twin residence hall of Hammons House, Hutchens House is an eight-story residence hall offering housing accommodations for 605 men and women on five mixed-gender floors. Scholars House provides lodging for 115 students who are Honors Program participants or Presidential Scholarship recipients. Kentwood Hall, originally built as the luxury Kentwood Arms Hotel (1926) and whose guests included President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
and comedian Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
, accommodates 136 upper-class men and women and non-traditional students in a co-ed environment. Sunvilla Tower is an 18-story apartment facility that houses 186 upper-class men and women in a coed environment.
Computer labs, fitness rooms, laundry rooms, music practice rooms, kitchen facilities, and public meeting or study spaces are located in each residence. Available services include free laundry, free cable TV, WI-FI in public areas (full wireless access in Woods and Scholars Houses) and 24-hour front desk assistance. Within select houses are floors designated as "Living-learning Communities" (LLCs). These have a particular theme such as first-year experience, sophomore experience, or College of Health and Human Services majors. Certain floors are also designated as "quiet living environments." All residential areas are smoke and tobacco free.
Campus dining
MSU provides three on-campus dining centers offering an all-you-can-eat cafeteriaCafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
format. The oldest and busiest is Blair-Shannon Dining Hall (located on the first floor of Blair-Shannon House) which employs a staff of 60 and serves over 19,000 meals per week during the fall and spring semesters. Garst Dining Center is located between Hammons House and Hutchens House. Along with traditional fare and hours, Garst also offers "after hours" dining with a reduced menu from 9:00–11:00PM during the fall semester. After hours dining switches to Blair-Shannon for the second half of the year. Kentwood Dining Center is located in the historic Kentwood Hall. Smallest of the on-campus dining centers, Kentwood was remodeled in 2002, and provides a more traditional atmosphere, with exposed brick walls and an open fireplace.
A number of other dining options are also available on the MSU campus. Table service dining is provided at the Union Club located on the Fourth Floor of the Plaster Student Union. The Union Club is open to all students, staff, faculty, and friends of the Missouri State campus for lunch only. Also located in the Plaster Student Union is Chick-Fil-A; Wok & Roll Chinese food, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
Subs and Salads; Papa John's Pizza
Papa John's Pizza
Papa John's Pizza is the third largest take-out and delivery pizza restaurant chain in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Papa John's slogan is "Better Ingredients. Better pizza. Papa John's"...
; Smashers; Freshens, featuring fresh fruit smoothies and yogurt; and Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, located downstairs. Boomer's Café and a convenience store are located on the first floor of Hammons House. Boomer's(named for MSU's bear mascot) provides a menu of hot breakfast items, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and Mexican food, as well as Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
coffee. Starbucks is also offered, along with grab-and-go items, at Cafe a la Cart on the first floor of Strong Hall. Most of the campus dining venues are managed and operated by [(Missouri State Dining Services in Partnership with Chartwells]).
Plaster Student Union
The four-story Robert W. Plaster Student UnionStudent activity center
A student activity center is a type of building found on university campuses. In the United States, such a building is more often called a student union, student commons, or student center...
(PSU), is located in the center of campus between the main academic and residential areas. The PSU provides a place for students to dine, socialize, study, shop, and see films and guest speakers in the theater. It also contains a bank, convenience store, copy shop, ticket outlet and video game/media store. A variety of meeting rooms are located in the PSU and over 15,000 meetings are hosted there each year. Offices located in the Plaster Student Union include Student Engagement, Student Conduct, Multicultural Resources, Zip Card, Campus Recreation, Outdoor Adventures, Sodexo Campus Services, Citizenship and Service-Learning, Conference Services, various Student Organizations, the Dean of Students, Judicial Affairs, Disability Support Services, and Student Orientation, Advisement & Registration (SOAR). The PSU also includes the Leland E. Traywick Parliamentary Room. Dedicated on February 18, 2004, it is named to honor a former MSU president and his introduction of shared governance, including the establishment of the Faculty Senate, during his presidency. A bronze bear statue was dedicated to the University in 1999 and stands at the front entrance of the student union. Also located in front of the PSU is the North Mall, location of the "Bear Paw." The Bear Paw is an outdoor plaza and performance area constructed for concerts, forums, rallies, demonstrations, and other similar public activities. Any member of the university community (students, faculty, staff) may reserve the Bear Paw, and when not reserved it is available for expressive activities on a first come, first served basis.
Campus recreation
The Level One Game Center, located in the Plaster Student Union, offers eight bowling alleys, billiards and table tennis. An active Intramural sports program includes competition in basketball, billiards, bowling, disc golf, dodgeball, flag football, futsal, golf, racquetball, sand volleyball, soccer, softball, table tennis, tennis, track, ultimate, volleyball and weight lifting. Two large intramural fields with artificial turf, electronic scoreboards and stadium lighting are located on East Harrison Street near Scholars House. A Fitness and Wellness Program offers a variety of group classes and activities to students, including classes with licensed instructors in Pilates, Yoga, Belly Dance and Zumba. The campus Outdoor Adventures program also provides opportunity and equipment rentals for activities such as rock climbing, caving, camping, canoeing and kayaking in the surrounding Ozark Mountains.On April 16, 2010, MSU broke ground on a 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²). Student Recreation Center. Scheduled for completion by early 2012, the Center will contain an indoor jogging track (6.5 laps = 1 mile), multipurpose rooms, locker rooms, saunas, basketball courts, an expansive fitness center, rock climbing and bouldering walls, multi-purpose activity courts, lounge areas with computer stations & flat panel TVs, a wellness center, and a 7000 sq ft (650.3 m²) Recreational Pool with 3 lap lanes, underwater bench seating w/ 12 hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, involves the use of water for pain-relief and treating illness. The term hydrotherapy itself is synonymous with the term water cure as it was originally marketed by practitioners and promoters in the 19th century...
back jets, lighted spray features, ramp and stair entry, water current channel for water walking & therapy, open water area for basketball, volleyball and Hydro-Power classes, a zip-line
Zip-line
A zip-line consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline...
, and a 160 sq ft (14.9 m²). spa with seating for approximately 16.
Campus-wide organizations
There are over 300 student organizations at Missouri State. Student organizations are grouped into eight categories according to their main purpose. These include Academic/Professional, Greek, Honorary, Religious, Service, Social, Sports, and University.The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official voice of the student body at Missouri State University. SGA strives to find solutions to campus issues by making policy recommendations to the administration. SGA is a forum for problems, concerns, questions, suggestions, and ideas as they relate to student life on campus. SGA serves as the governing body for all students and student organizations on campus. SGA was established in 1921 and has been active on campus ever since. There have been 88 presidents elected as of 2009. SGA is entirely funded by student fees. Meetings are held each Tuesday at 5:30PM and are open to the public.
The Student Activities Council (SAC) is a student-run programming board dedicated to enhancing the college experience at Missouri State. SAC orchestrates activities and programs in the Plaster Student Union and around the campus. By effectively utilizing the Student Involvement Fee, SAC aims to provide educational, entertaining, cultural, and leisure opportunities to complement the students' academic experience.
The Pride Band is the university's marching band
Marching 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...
. The Pride consists of 300 student musicians. The band plays at every home football game and has been featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
in New York City (1988, 1996, 2001), the Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
(1995 and 2008), and the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
Parade in Miami (1988). They have appeared in the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, in the Trans World Dome for the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, and at Mile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that stood in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 until 2001.It hosted the Denver Broncos, of the AFL and the NFL, from 1960-2000, the Colorado Rockies, of the National League, of the MLB, from 1993-1994, the Colorado Rapids, of MLS, from 1996-2001, the...
for the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In December 2005 the Pride Band traveled to London, England to be the honor band in the London New Year's Day parade, and was the Honor Band in the 2009 McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago, Illinois
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
The MSU Army ROTC program was established in 1952. Since 1970, MSU has been the headquarters of the ROTC "Bear Battalion" in partnership with six other Springfield-area colleges (Evangel University
Evangel University
Evangel University is the national university of arts, sciences and professions in Springfield, Missouri. Evangel College was renamed Evangel University on June 8, 1998. The campus sits on that were originally part of . The first President of Evangel was Klaude Kendrick who served from 1955-1958....
, College of the Ozarks
College of the Ozarks
College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian liberal-arts college, with its campus at Point Lookout near Branson and Hollister, Missouri, United States. It is south of Springfield on a campus, overlooking Lake Taneycomo...
, Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Baptist University is a private institute of higher education affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 2003 there were approximately 3,600 students attending at one of SBU's four Missouri, United States campuses in Bolivar,...
, Drury University
Drury University
Drury University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Missouri.The university enrolls about 1,550 undergraduates, over 2,000 adult part-time undergraduates and around 400 graduate students in six master's programs...
, Baptist Bible College
Baptist Bible College
Baptist Bible College is the name of two schools in the United States:*Baptist Bible College & Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania*Baptist Bible College Baptist Bible College may also refer to:*Free Will Baptist Bible College, Nashville, Tennessee*Heartland Baptist Bible...
and Central Bible College
Central Bible College
Central Bible College is a private coed Bible college for the Assemblies of God. It was founded in 1922 with the main campus being located in Springfield, Missouri. The college has a Bible-centered curriculum designed to educate and train ministers, missionaries, and Christian workers...
). As of July 2008, the Bear Battalion had commissioned 1,721 Army officers including ten General Officers: LTG Neal T. Jaco, LTG John E. Miller, MG Fred F. Marty, MG Robert L. Gordon, MG Robert F. Pennycuick, MG David E. White, MG Jarrett J. Robertson, BG William A. West, BG Tony L. Stansberry and BG J. Marty Robinson.
"The Standard" is the university's student-run newspaper. It is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper's content is entirely created and edited by the student staff.
"The Underground" is an unofficial student publication serving Missouri State University. It is produced by a staff of student volunteers and publishes twice-a-month.
"The Growl" is an independent student internet radio station broadcasting a college radio format. It has been in operation since 1998 providing news and entertainment to the MSU community 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students manage all aspects of the station from equipment acquisition to training, programming and operations.
"KSMU" 91.1 FM is the university's licensed public radio station, broadcasting National Public Radio content, local news and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. Its state-of-the-art studios are located in Strong Hall. The station has received numerous awards, including the 2002 National Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for News Series, the 2001 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for Feature Reporting, the 1987 National Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for Investigative Reporting, The Missouri Broadcasters Association Excellence Award in Documentary Public Affairs in 2002 and 2000, Certificates of Merit for Feature Reporting, Public Affairs Reporting, and Complete News from the Missouri Broadcasters Association, three Public Radio News Directors Incorporated Awards, and the Missouri State Teachers Association Award for Excellence in Education Reporting.
MSU is also the licensee operating Ozark Public Television, providing PBS programming and instructional television services to 549,540 households in Southwest Missouri and the adjoining three state area. "KOZK
KOZK
KOZK is the PBS member station in Springfield, Missouri. Owned by Missouri State University, it broadcasts on digital channel 21. It operates a full-time satellite, KOZJ, digital channel 26 in Joplin...
", the PBS member station in Springfield airs on digital channel 21, and a sister station, "KOZJ", airs in Joplin, Missouri
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
as digital channel 26. The stations digital signal multicasts as 21.1/26.1: OPT-High Definition; 21.2/26.2: OPT-ED (Airs telecourses from MSU as well as miscellaneous PBS programming); and 21.3/26.3: Create, a how-to/DIY network. The broadcast and studio facilities are located in Strong Hall.
Greek life
National Panhellenic ConferenceNational Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
member organizations at MSU include: Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
, Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi is a fraternity founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu...
, Alpha Sigma Alpha
Alpha Sigma Alpha
Alpha Sigma Alpha is a US national sorority founded on November 15, 1901 at the Virginia State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia...
, Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has 158 collegiate chapters in the United States and over 200 alumnae chapters in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada...
, Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874, at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The term "sorority," meaning sisterhood, was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.The four founders are Helen M. Dodge,...
, and Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
. National Pan-Hellenic Council
National Pan-Hellenic Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine"...
members include: Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
, Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
, Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
, Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
, Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
, and Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...
. Interfraternity Council members include: Alpha Gamma Sigma
Alpha Gamma Sigma (fraternity)
Alpha Gamma Sigma is a national social and professional agricultural fraternity that exists on eight campuses. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference...
, Alpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Kappa Lambda is an American collegiate social fraternity for men founded at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914...
, Delta Chi
Delta Chi
Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
, Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, Omega Delta Phi
Omega Delta Phi
Omega Delta Phi , also known as O D Phi, is an intercollegiate fraternity that was founded on November 25, 1987 by seven students attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Its seven founders known as the "Men of Vision" to fraternity members wanted to create an organization to help...
, Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
, Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
, Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
, Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina...
, Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
, Theta Chi
Theta Chi
Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
. Additional independent Greek organizations include Sigma Alpha Chi and Xi Omicron Iota.
In October 2009, the Missouri State University Panhellenic received the Risk Management Award at the National Panhellenic Conference
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
Annual Meeting.
Athletics
Varsity sports
Missouri State University sponsors NCAA Division I inter-collegiate athletic teams in men's and women's basketball, golf, soccer, swimming and divingDiving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
; men's baseball and 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...
; 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...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, 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...
, track
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...
, and 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...
. MSU teams are nicknamed the Bears, and team colors are maroon and white. The Missouri State University Bears are members of the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
for all sports except football (Missouri Valley Football Conference), men's swimming and diving (Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
), and field hockey (Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
). Football competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Missouri State teams have made 40 NCAA championship appearances since moving to Division I in the 1982–83 season. The men's basketball team reached the Sweet Sixteen in 1999, women's basketball made the Final Four in 1992 and 2001, baseball made the College World Series in 2003, and volleyball earned their 1000th win Nov. 17, 2006 (only the second team in NCAA history to do so). In 1974, the women's softball team won the AIAW national championship.
Football, Soccer and Field Hockey games are played at Plaster Sports Complex
Plaster Sports Complex
The Plaster Sports Complex is a 16,600-seat multipurpose stadium located in Springfield, Missouri. It is home to the Missouri State University Bears football, women's field hockey, men's and women's soccer, and track and field teams....
. Men's and Women's Basketball games are played at JQH Arena
JQH Arena
JQH Arena is a basketball and special events arena in Springfield, Missouri. Constructed at a cost of $67 million, the arena opened in 2008. Located on the campus of Missouri State University it is the home of the Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams and is referred to by MSU...
, and Volleyball games, as well as Swimming and Diving competitions, are held at the John Q. Hammons Student Center. Softball games are played at Killian Softball Stadium, which underwent a $2.7 million renovation in 2009. The Bears baseball team shares 7,986-seat Hammons Field
Hammons Field
Hammons Field is a minor league ballpark in downtown Springfield, Missouri, with a capacity of 7,986 plus approximately 2,500 general admission seating. The facility, funded entirely by local businessman, hotel mogul and benefactor John Q. Hammons, is the centerpiece of the midtown development...
, located a few blocks north of the MSU campus, with the Springfield Cardinals
Springfield Cardinals
The Springfield Cardinals are a minor league baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals major-league club, and is owned by the Cardinals. The club plays at Hammons Field.The Springfield Cardinals...
of the AA
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
.
Club teams
Missouri State University also sponsors several strong club teams. The MSU HandballAmerican handball
American handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
Team has won the National Collegiate Handball Team Championship 10 times, including seven years straight (1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999, 2004,2006 and 2008). MSU handball players have also captured the individual Women's title nine times and the Men's title six times. The team was founded in 1988 and is under the leadership of Coach Tommy Burnett.
In 2001, Missouri State started a club Ice Hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team, Missouri State University Ice Bears Hockey, that competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association
American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments....
(ACHA) Division II Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
The Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association is a ACHA club hockey league comprising colleges and universities in the Midwestern USA. The Gold Division comprises ACHA Division II club hockey programs. The Silver Division comprises smaller colleges and universities at the ACHA D-II and D-III levels...
. In 2009 the Ice Bears made their fourth straight ACHA Central Region post season tournament appearance. Ice Bears home games are played at Mediacom Ice Park
Mediacom Ice Park
Mediacom Ice Park is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Springfield, Missouri. The arena is owned and operated by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board and serves as a location for community recreation and the home for the Missouri State University Ice Bears ice hockey team, Springfield...
.
Missouri State also has a club Lacrosse
Field lacrosse
Field lacrosse, sometimes referred to as the "fastest sport on two feet," is a full contact outdoor men's sport played with ten players on each team. The sport originated among Native Americans, and the modern rules of field lacrosse were initially codified by Canadian William George Beers in 1867....
Team, founded in 2003, that competes in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association
Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association
The Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association is a national organization of non-NCAA, men's college lacrosse programs. The MCLA oversees game play and conducts national championships for over 200 teams in ten conferences throughout the United States and Canada...
(MCLA) Division II in the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference
Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference
The Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference is a conference in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association . The GRLC incorporates teams in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin and is divided into two divisions, Division I and Division...
(GRLC). In 2009 and 2010, the Bears received an automatic qualifier for the MCLA National Championships in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, after winning the GRLC championship. Since 2003, MSU Lacrosse has fielded 5 All-Americans, 41 All-Conference players, 2 GRLC Tournament MVP's, and 2 GRLC Division II Coach's of the Year.
Additional club sports at Missouri State include a Bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
Team, Pistol
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
Team, Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
Team, Roller Hockey
Roller hockey
Roller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
Club, Water Ski Team and Wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
Club
Traditions and insignia
"The Scotsman" was officially adopted as the university's fight song in the 1960s. The Fight Song is sung after every home football touchdown. Audio The traditional alumni song of Missouri State is performed at every commencement ceremony and sometimes played at athletic events or other ceremonies. AudioThe traditions of school colors and the school mascot were established during the 1906 school year, before the first permanent building (Carrington Hall) was even constructed. A joint committee of faculty and students decided on the colors of maroon and white to represent the University. The same committee also selected the Bear as the official school mascot, basing their choice on the design of the state seal of Missouri. The colors and mascots are reflected on the school seal.
Controversy
Chinese MBA programSeveral of the Chinese backers have expressed a desire to withdraw their support after the university received negative press about it's academic rigor.
Non-discrimination on basis of sexual orientation:
In 2006, the university modified its nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
as an officially protected status. The addition reads: "...the University does not discriminate on any basis (including, but not limited to, political affiliation and sexual orientation) not related to the applicable educational requirements for students or the applicable job requirements for employees." Former University president John Keiser had firmly opposed the change as did the Student Government Association during 2004 when Student Body President Chris Curtis moved to change the SGA constitution to mirror the university's. However, the policy was quietly changed on September 18, 2006 during a meeting held for the first time outside of Springfield in St. Louis. It is generally believed this move was to avoid the mostly conservative citizens of Springfield and add this policy "under the radar" of the critics of the change. Missouri Governor Matt Blunt quickly released criticism of the policy change calling it "unnecessary and bad;" also saying the decision "bows to the forces of political correctness".
Grading policy:
Missouri State University converted to a plus or minus grading system instead of the standard A,B,C,D, and F system starting with the Fall 2009 term. Individual professors can decide whether to use this grading system in their classes. Under the new grading scale, a C- will not qualify as a passing grade for courses requiring a C or better.
Tobacco-free campus:
Citing the proven detrimental health effects of tobacco use, effective August 15, 2010, Missouri State University enacted a policy further restricting the use of tobacco products on the campus. Smoking is allowed only at designated smoking areas outside JQH Arena, Plaster Stadium, Hammons Student Center, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall during performances or events, and inside of private vehicles located on University parking lots. The use of smokeless tobacco is prohibited at all locations on campus.