Penn State Berks
Encyclopedia
Penn State Berks is a commonwealth campus
of Pennsylvania State University
located in Spring Township
, Berks County
, Pennsylvania
.
location in 1972. Dormitories were first added in 1990 with additional dorms in 2001, which made Berks a commuter as well as a residential campus.
Student enrollment at Penn State Berks has increased steadily since 1972, when approximately 500 students attended. Today, there are an estimated 3,216 students enrolled. The campus currently has 15 buildings on 241 acres (1 km²) of land. There are 100 full-time and 70 part-time faculty members.
While being a commonwealth campus of the state land-grant university
, since 1997 it has offered baccalaureate degrees independently from The Pennsylvania State University
University Park campus
in partnership with a neighboring campus under the title of Berks and Lehigh Valley College. Under a university-ordered reconstruction, Penn State Berks and Penn State Lehigh Valley were split in 2005. Penn State Berks became a stand-alone college in the Penn State system and Penn State Lehigh Valley became a part of the University College system.
The rest of staff consists of Directors and the Chairs and Co-Chairs of different committees; directors do not have committees. Every committee has a Chair and Co-Chair or two Co-Chairs. Members of the Staff do not get to vote on legislation brought to the General Assembly; the President may pass or veto the legislation, however, but a veto can be overturned by a 3/4 vote of the General Assembly. General Assembly members are required to be an active member of at least one of committee. Members of the Executive Staff, Staff, and General Assembly regularly attend the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments at the University Park Campus.
An independent position of Parliamentarian (consultant)
is a separate from the Staff, but is included as an honorary member, and has the option of attending the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments as a representative of the Berks Campus.
.
The University fields 12 Varsity sports:
Club programs include:
Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth Campus
The Pennsylvania State University is a geographically dispersed university system with campuses located throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
of Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
located in Spring Township
Spring Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Spring Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 27,119 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous municipality in Berks County outside the city of Reading.-Geography:...
, Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
History
First known as Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Penn State Berks became part of the Penn State system in 1958. The Berks campus has experienced many changes since then. WPI occupied the original Sacred Heart Church building on Hill Road, where the McDonald's Restaurant now stands, from 1930 to 1958. Its facilities were offered to Penn State to establish Penn State Wyomissing Center. It moved to its present Spring TownshipSpring Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Spring Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 27,119 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous municipality in Berks County outside the city of Reading.-Geography:...
location in 1972. Dormitories were first added in 1990 with additional dorms in 2001, which made Berks a commuter as well as a residential campus.
Student enrollment at Penn State Berks has increased steadily since 1972, when approximately 500 students attended. Today, there are an estimated 3,216 students enrolled. The campus currently has 15 buildings on 241 acres (1 km²) of land. There are 100 full-time and 70 part-time faculty members.
While being a commonwealth campus of the state land-grant university
Land-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
, since 1997 it has offered baccalaureate degrees independently from The Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
University Park campus
University Park, Pennsylvania
University Park, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the location of the flagship campus of the Pennsylvania State University....
in partnership with a neighboring campus under the title of Berks and Lehigh Valley College. Under a university-ordered reconstruction, Penn State Berks and Penn State Lehigh Valley were split in 2005. Penn State Berks became a stand-alone college in the Penn State system and Penn State Lehigh Valley became a part of the University College system.
Degrees Offered
| Baccalaureate | Associates |
|---|---|
| American Studies, B.A. |
Agricultural Business Business Administration Electrical Engineering Technology Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management Information Sciences and Technology Letters, Arts and Sciences Mechanical Engineering Technology Occupational Therapy |
Student life
Penn State Berks has 39 active clubs. All student organizations are overseen by the Student Government Association, which requires that all clubs complete 24 hours of community service per semester in return for providing funds.Student Government Association
The Student Government Association (SGA) consists of two groups: The General Assembly, which is composed of a representative of each active club, as well as several Representative Senators, who each represent 300 students, and the Staff. The Staff is broken into two groups. The Executive Staff consists of the President, Vice-President, Financial Manager (elected positions) Chief of Staff, and Secretary/Club Coordinator (appointed).The rest of staff consists of Directors and the Chairs and Co-Chairs of different committees; directors do not have committees. Every committee has a Chair and Co-Chair or two Co-Chairs. Members of the Staff do not get to vote on legislation brought to the General Assembly; the President may pass or veto the legislation, however, but a veto can be overturned by a 3/4 vote of the General Assembly. General Assembly members are required to be an active member of at least one of committee. Members of the Executive Staff, Staff, and General Assembly regularly attend the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments at the University Park Campus.
| Executive Staff | Committee Chairs/Directors |
|---|---|
| President |
IT Director* Academic Affairs Committee Chair* Diversity Affairs Committee Chair* Environmental Awareness Committee Chair* Governmental Affairs Committee Chair* Information Technology Director* Public Relations Committee Chair* Student Affairs Committee Chair* *-Appointed |
An independent position of Parliamentarian (consultant)
Parliamentarian (consultant)
A parliamentarian is an expert on parliamentary procedure who advises organizations and deliberative assemblies. This sense of the term "parliamentarian" is distinct from the usage of the same term to mean a member of Parliament....
is a separate from the Staff, but is included as an honorary member, and has the option of attending the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments as a representative of the Berks Campus.
Housing on Campus
| The Woods | The Village |
|---|---|
|
|
Athletics
Penn State Berks Nittany Lions compete at the NCAA Division III level; the school is a member of the North Eastern Athletic ConferenceNorth Eastern Athletic Conference
The North Eastern Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.-Members:...
.
The University fields 12 Varsity sports:
Men's
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross 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...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Soccer
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
Women's
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross 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...
- Soccer
- SoftballSoftballSoftball 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...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball 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...
Club Sports
PSU Berks also fields a number of competitive club sports that have no affiliation with the NCAA or NEAC.Club programs include:
Men's
- BowlingBowlingBowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
- Ice HockeyIce hockeyIce 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...
- LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack 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...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball 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...
See also
- Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth CampusPennsylvania State University Commonwealth CampusThe Pennsylvania State University is a geographically dispersed university system with campuses located throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
- Penn State Berks-Lehigh ValleyPenn State Berks-Lehigh ValleyPenn State Berks-Lehigh Valley may refer to:*Penn State Berks, a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Berks County, PA*Penn State Lehigh Valley, a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Fogelsville, PA...
- Penn State Lehigh ValleyPenn State Lehigh ValleyPenn State Lehigh Valley is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Center Valley, outside of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...