West Chester University
West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania ) is a public research university in Chester County, Pennsylvania. WCU is the largest of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and the sixth largest university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. History. The university traces its roots to the private, state -aided school that existed from 1812 to 1869. As the state began to take increasing responsibility for public education, the academy was transformed into West Chester Normal School, still privately owned and state certified. The normal school admitted its first class, consisting of 160 students, on September 25, 1871. In 1913, West Chester became the first of the normal schools to be owned outright by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. West Chester became West Chester State Teachers College in 1927 when Pennsylvania initiated a four-year program of teacher education. In 1960, as the Commonwealth paved the way for liberal arts  programs in its college system, West Chester was renamed West Chester State College, and two years later introduced the liberal arts program that turned the one-time academy into a comprehensive college. The campus quad located on North Campus appears on the National Register of Historic Places, and is called the West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District, featuring WCU's historic buildings. The buildings, with the exception of Anderson Hall and Philips Memorial Building, were each built with local Chester County serpentine stone. They include Ruby Jones Hall, Recitation Hall and the Old Library. With passage of the State  System of Higher Education bill, West Chester became one of the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on July 1, 1983. Along with its new name— West Chester University of Pennsylvania—the institution acquired a new system of governance and the opportunity to expand its degree programs. West Chester is recognized for its formal poetry program. Its annual conference on form and narrative in poetry began in 1995 and is devoted to New Formalism. It has established a poetry center that sponsors readings and an annual book competition oriented toward formal poetry. It has also established  Iris Spencer awards recognizing undergraduate achievement in formal poetry. Nineteen days before his death, Frederick Douglass gave his last public lecture at West Chester University. The lecture took place on February 1, 1895. Now, the university has the Frederick Douglass Institute on its campus as well as a statue of Douglass. It has been named a national historic landmark by the U.S. National Park Service. The Underground Railroad Network to Freedom recognized the Frederick Douglass Institute for its great work in understanding the history of the underground railroad. In April each year, students celebrate Banana Day, on which a gorilla , Rammy, and many others give out bananas across the entire campus. Banana Day was conceptualized by WCU senior, Rodolfo P. Tellez, in 1996. Students take part in games similar to a field day to win Banana Day T-shirts, from push-up competitions to banana eating contests. Academics. At the undergraduate level, the university offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Music degrees. Paraprofessional studies are available in law, medicine, and theology. In cooperation with the Pennsylvania State University, Columbia University, and Thomas Jefferson University, West Chester University offers a 3–2 dual-degree  program combining liberal arts, physics, and engineering. Also available are early admission assurance programs with Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Temple University School of Medicine. The university provides special admission opportunities and scholarships to the Widener School of Law–Harrisburg Campus. Certification programs are available in health and physical education, teacher certification, driver education and safe living, and outdoor recreation. Interdisciplinary areas of study with transcript recognition include American studies, ethnic studies, Latin American studies, Russian studies, peace and conflict studies, women's studies, and linguistics. At the graduate level, West Chester University  of Pennsylvania offers master's (M.A., M.B.A., M.Ed., M.M., M.P.A., M.P.H., M.S., M.S.W., M.S.N., M.U.R.P.) and doctoral (DPA, DNP, Ed.D., Psy.D.) degrees. West Chester was ranked 50th in the "Regional Universities North" category by "U.S. News & World Report" for 2020. Off-campus programs. WCU's International Programs office helps send students abroad. The university participates in the National Student Exchange Program, in which students spend up to a year at any one of more than 170 member schools across the United States. Transfer of credit is a part of this program. Campus. The university's North Campus is  partially in West Chester borough and partially in West Goshen Township. The South Campus is partially in West Goshen Township and partially in East Bradford Township. The campus is located in a suburban area approximately 20 miles from the city of Philadelphia. West Chester's downtown center is less than half of a mile away from the main campus. The university also operates an urban satellite campus in Center City, Philadelphia. On campus, there is the Recreation Center, the Business and Public Management Center, The Dr. Sandra F. Prichard-Mather Planetarium, The Hollinger Field House, many buildings (built in the  1800s and early 1900s) in the West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District registered into the National Register of Historic Places, and the Sciences & Engineering Center that is near completion, just to name a few buildings. There are also many outdoor activity areas such as: basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, and the nearly 100 acre Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies. West Chester University currently has the second largest university geothermal system in the United States. The system drastically reduces carbon emissions on the campus. Athletics. The athletic teams at West Chester University of Pennsylvania are named  the Golden Rams. Students participate in NCAA Division II athletics in the PSAC and the ECAC. West Chester University has won national championships in women's basketball, women's lacrosse, women's swimming (the team was the DGWS champion in 1972), women's field hockey (including four AIAW titles from 1975 to 1978), and men's soccer. West Chester won the first ever women's basketball national championship in 1969 and was on the losing end in the final game each of the following three years. In 1961, the men's soccer team won the NCAA Division I Men's  Soccer Championship. Jerry Yeagley was a player on WCU's championship team before going on to win six NCAA Championships and six National Coach of the Year Awards as the men's soccer coach at Indiana University. In addition, prior to the NCAA instituting a tournament format to decide the champion in 1959, the Golden Rams were voted the National Soccer Champions in 1950 by the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association. In 1977, 1979, and 1982 the boxing team won the National Collegiate Boxing Association national championship. In 1976, Edward Skalamera claimed the national title for his 147 lb. weight class  while Joe Gery took the top position in the nation for his 180 lb. class. In 2008, West Chester defeated C.W. Post College 13–12 to win the Division II women's lacrosse title. It was the second national title in the women's program history. WCUPA played in the NCAA tournament in 2010 (2nd place), 2011 (4th place), and 2012 (2nd place). The 2013 team was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champions. Ginny Martino's winning percentage is 80% over the last 17 years as head coach (250–60). In 2012, the Men's Baseball Team claimed West Chester's  first NCAA Division II College Baseball National Championship. The Golden Rams shut-out Delta State 9–0 in Cary, North Carolina. West Chester becomes the first team from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) to win the national championship and just the third northern school to walk away with the title. West Chester's Women's Field Hockey team won the NCAA Division II championship in 2011, 2012, and 2019. The varsity Women's Rugby program also won the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) rugby national championship in 2019. Campus Recreation: The Women's Ice Hockey Club won the Division II  national championship in 2013. The Men's Lacrosse Club won the Division II national championship in 2013 and 2015.