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Slippery Rock University

Coordinates: 41°03′43″N 80°02′35″W / 41.062°N 80.043°W / 41.062; -80.043
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For other uses, see Slippery Rock.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Other name
The Rock
Former names
Slippery Rock Normal School (1889–1927)
Slippery Rock State Teachers College (1927–1960)
Slippery Rock State College (1960–1983)[1]
TypePublic university
Established1889; 135 years ago (1889)
Academic affiliations
PASSHE
Endowment$16.5 million
PresidentKaren Riley
Administrative staff
867
Students8,362 [2]
Undergraduates6,815
Postgraduates1,547
Location
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
,
U.S.
CampusRural, 660 Acres
Colors   
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division II – PSAC
MascotRocky – The Pride of the Rock[3]
Websitewww.sru.edu

Slippery Rock University, formally Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (The Rock or SRU), is a public university in the Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania area. SRU is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The university has been coeducational since its founding in 1889.[4] SRU is fully accredited by the Middle State Commission on Higher Learning.[5]

As of fall 2023, SRU's total enrollment was 8,362, including 6,815 undergraduates and 1,547 graduate students.[6] There were also more than 950 employees including 496 full-time faculty and a 20:1 faculty-to-student ratio.[7]

Campus

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The majority of the campus, including the census-designated place, is in Slippery Rock Township.[8] A portion of the university property to the west is in Slippery Rock Borough.[9]

Academics

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SRU offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and 40 graduate degree programs and certificates across the following five colleges:[10]

  • College of Business
  • College of Education
  • College of Engineering and Science
  • College of Health Professions
  • College of Liberal Arts

SRU offers 51 programs that hold national accreditations and 92% of faculty members holding a Ph.D. or other terminal degree.[11]

SRU was ranked by U.S. News & World Report on its list of "Best Regional Universities - North" and "Top Public Schools - Regional Universities (North)."[12] SRU has earned a spot on the U.S. News' Best Regional Universities 15 straight years. The Princeton Review also recognized SRU on its "Best Mid-Atlantic" list.[13]

History

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Slippery Rock University’s campus

Slippery Rock University was founded in 1889 under the name Slippery Rock State Normal School as a teacher training school. James E. Morrow was the first president. The school was purchased by the Commonwealth in 1926 and became a four-year college.

Slippery Rock State College was established in 1960 and issued undergraduate and graduate degrees within the liberal arts and other professions.[14] From 1960 to 1971, enrollment rose from 1,314 to 6,020 students, before eclipsing 7,000 in 1988 and 8,000 in 2005.[15]

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania became the school's current and formal name on July 1, 1983, when Act 188 went into effect to establish Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, and converted 12 state-owned colleges into universities. [16]

Administration

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Cheryl Joy Norton, the university's first female president, was in office from 2012 to 2017.[17][18][19] William J. Behre served from 2018 to 2022.[20] Karen Riley took office in 2023.[21]

Athletics

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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania competes in the NCAA Division II and is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

Slippery Rock University's official mascot is Rocky the Lion.[22]

Varsity sports

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Men's teams: Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field.

Women's teams: Basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and Volleyball.

The announcement of Slippery Rock's football scores is a tradition at University of Michigan Football games, started in 1959 by Michigan Stadium's public address announcer Steve Filipiak.[23] The tradition spread to other stadiums as well - during a 1970 game at the University of Texas, the announcer failed to read Slippery Rock’s score, which resulted in the crowd demanding to know said score.[24]

Discontinued sports

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The varsity wrestling program competed from the 1958–59 to 2005–06 academic years at the university. [25]

Club sports

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In 1995, the women's water polo team won the intercollegiate national championship conducted by USA Water Polo.[26]

In 1987, the women's judo team, a varsity sport team at the time, won the intercollegiate national championship conducted by the National Collegiate Judo Association.[27]

Slippery Rock ice hockey joined other colleges and universities in the region to form the College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA) in 2006. In 2020, the university suspended the hockey program for the indefinite future.[28]

Slippery Rock Men's Rugby won the 2024 7's rugby National Championship at the Collegiate Rugby Championship in Washington DC on April 27, 2024.

Student life

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Aebersold Student Recreation Center

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The Aebersold Student Recreation Center is an 82,000 sq ft (7,600 m2) on-campus student recreation center.[29]

Fraternities and sororities

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There are several on campus.

Student media

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SRU has a student newspaper called The Rocket, the radio station 88.1 WSRU-FM, and the literary magazine SLAB.

Demographics

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Part of the property forms a census-designated place.[8]

The school district covering the CDP, as well as the rest of the township and the Slippery Rock borough, is the Slippery Rock Area School District.[30]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "HISTORY AND TRADITIONS". sru.edu. Slippery Rock University. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  2. ^ "SRU President Karen Riley provides updates on enrollment, finances and strategic plan at Fall Assembly".
  3. ^ "Rocky, The Pride of The Rock". sru.edu.
  4. ^ "History and Traditions". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  5. ^ "Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania". Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  6. ^ "SRU President Karen Riley provides updates on enrollment, finances and strategic plan at Fall Assembly". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  7. ^ "Fast Facts". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  8. ^ a b "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Slippery Rock township, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
    "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Slippery Rock University CDP, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2024-10-18. Slippery Rock Univ
  9. ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Slippery Rock borough, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2024-10-18. Slippery Rock Univ
  10. ^ "Colleges & Departments". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  11. ^ "Admissions". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  12. ^ "SRU named a top 50 'Best Regional University' in 2024 U.S. News Best College rankings". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  13. ^ "SRU listed among 'Best Mid-Atlantic' Colleges in 2024 Princeton Review's Best Colleges Guide". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  14. ^ "History". Slippery Rock University.
  15. ^ "History and Traditions". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  16. ^ "About the State System | PA State System of Higher Ed". passhe.oudeve.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  17. ^ "Welcome!". Sru.edu. 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  18. ^ "Dr. Cheryl Norton named as first female president of SRU – News – The Rocket – Slippery Rock University". Theonlinerocket.com. 2012-04-05. Archived from the original on 2012-08-09. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  19. ^ Nuzum, Lydia (9 December 2016). "Slippery Rock's president announces retirement". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  20. ^ "SRU President William Behre announces retirement". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  21. ^ "Karen Riley named president of Slippery Rock University". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  22. ^ "Rocky, The Pride of The Rock". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  23. ^ "Slippery Rock University Athletics – Tradition". Rockathletics.com. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  24. ^ "Slippery Rock University Football - College Football's Biggest Little Team".
  25. ^ "Rock Wrestling History". Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  26. ^ "National Women's Collegiate Champs". Retrieved 2009-09-02.
  27. ^ "Collegiate tournament results". Archived from the original on 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
  28. ^ Major II, Ed (December 21, 2020). "Slippery Rock suspends men's hockey, future of program uncertain". Pittsburgh Hockey Digest. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  29. ^ "Aebersold Student Recreation Center". sru.edu. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  30. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Butler County, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2024-10-18. - Text list
  31. ^ Sybert, Steve (29 April 1992). "Campus life lures Stuper to Yale". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 76. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
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41°03′43″N 80°02′35″W / 41.062°N 80.043°W / 41.062; -80.043

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