Allegheny College
Encyclopedia
Allegheny College is a private
liberal arts college
located in northwestern Pennsylvania
in the town of Meadville
. Founded in 1815, the college has about 2,100 undergraduate students.
Allegheny was founded in April 1815 by the Reverend Timothy Alden, a graduate of Harvard's School of Divinity
. Since 1833, the college has been historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church
, though it is currently non-sectarian.
The first class, consisting of four male students, began their studies on July 4, 1816, without any formal academic buildings. Within six years, Alden accumulated sufficient funds to begin building a campus. The first building erected, the library, was designed by Alden himself, and is a notable example of early American architecture. Bentley Hall is named in honor of Dr. William Bentley
, who donated his private library to the College, a collection of considerable value and significance. In 1824, Thomas Jefferson
wrote to Alden, expressing the hope that his University of Virginia
could someday possess the richness of Allegheny's library. Alden served as president of the college until 1831, when financial and enrollment difficulties forced his resignation.
Allegheny began admitting females in 1870 (early for a US college), though women were charged an extra $6 to cover the costs incurred by the 'complexity of their nervous systems.' But the surcharge was soon dropped; and a woman was valedictorian of the Allegheny class of 1875. One source suggests that Ida Tarbell, the pioneering journalist who exposed the predatory practices of Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company, was the first woman to attend Allegheny.
In 1905, Allegheny built Alden Hall as a new and improved preparatory school. In 1928, president Dr. James Beebe caused controversy by suggesting Protestants use the rosary
as an "aid to prayer", and the story generated headlines. Over the decades the college has grown in size and significance while still maintaining ties to the community.
based on the Richard Farina
novel was filmed on college grounds.
While the word "Allegheny" is a brand for the college, it is also the name of a county, a river, and a mountain range, and the school has tried to prevent other entities from using this word. For example, Allegheny objected in 2006 when Penn State tried to rename one of its campuses "Allegheny". Allegheny president Richard Cook said 'Allegheny' was "our brand." It sued the Philadelphia's Allegheny Health and Research Foundation in 1997 to change its name.
Allegheny under president Richard J. Cook was reported to have had a "stronger endowment, optimal enrollment, record retention rates, innovative new programs and many physical campus improvements." These years were marked by tremendous growth in the endowment, marked by a $115-million fund-raising drive, bringing the endowment to $150 million. In February 2008, James H. Mullen Jr. was named the 21st president of Allegheny. He took office Aug. 1, 2008.
The college and the town cooperate in many ways. One study suggested the Allegheny College generates approximately $93 million annually into Meadville and the local economy. Since 2002, Allegheny hosts classical music festivals during the summer. In October 2006, the college attracted negative publicity after local enforcement cited over 100 people for underage drinking at a college party. In July 2007, a 1,500-pound wrecking ball
demolishing part of Allegheny's Pelletier library broke its chain, rumbled down the hill, careened "back and forth across the street," hit nine parked cars, wrecked curbs, and crashed into the trunk of an Allegheny student's car, pushing his car into two cars in front of him. Eight soccer balls in his car "likely lessened the impact of the wrecking ball," and possibly spared his life, according to a police officer on the scene. The student body voted to name the library's coffee shop "The Wrecking Ball" after the event.
The college has sponsored panels on unusual topics such as face transplant
s (2009). Allegheny professors have joined highly visible initiatives; for example, Allegheny professor Michael Maniates, described as the "nation's leading authority on the politics of consumption," joined the board of a project about the twenty-minute film The Story of Stuff
by filmmaker Annie Leonard
, and generated headlines. Dr. Maniates said "We really need to think of ways of making it possible for people to think about working less and getting by on less." At present, environmental concerns are important at Allegheny, which in 2008 worked with Siemens
to devise a "total energy use reduction plan" for the college.
The economic downturn of 2008 left the college "relatively untouched", in contrast to many of its larger peers.
Forbes ranked Allegheny 127th out of the best 610 four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The Forbes assessment uses different criteria to assess schools, including listing of alumni who make the "Who's Who in America", alumni salaries from Payscale.com, student evaluations from Ratemyprofessors.com, and four-year debt load for typical student borrowers, and weights results according to these and other factors. Allegheny did not make the Forbes list of the top 100 colleges listed as a "best buy". Forbes also has a ranking for a college's "connectedness"; in 2003, Allegheny ranked 208, with 336 computers, and a computer to student ratio of 1 to .17. The "most connected" school was Stevens Institute of Technology, with 1,800 computers, and a computer to student ratio of 1 to 1.04.
Allegheny has a first-time student retention rate of 87%, a four-year graduation rate of 64%, and a six-year graduation rate of 71%. This means about seven in ten entering freshmen (in 2001) were expected to graduate within six years.
Parents of incoming first-year students are advised by the college to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA; Allegheny's school code is 003230. Different scholarships are available as well as loan options. It is possible for parents to pay in ten equal installments.
Allegheny uses inducements such as scholarships and discounts to attract students. Many "merit aid" discounts are offered regardless of ability to pay. Scott Friedhoff, vice president of enrollment, said "merit aid probably helped attract students when first offered a couple of decades ago" but that competitive pressures on colleges have turned it into a kind of "arms race" to attract quality students. In a 2006 report, Allegheny offered 75% of students merit award (counting those with need and those without) but reduced the number of its $15,000-a-year scholarships to $12,500-a-year stipdends. Allegheny has been reducing its merit aid discounts from 33% of all students (in 2003) to 15% of students (in 2006). According to Allegheny statistics, two thirds (67%) of students receive some form of need-based aid. Extensive merit aid is available up to $60,000 for four years of study. 68% of students receive need-based aid.
There was concern in October 2008 that a credit crunch would make it harder for students to get private loans, but Allegheny joined the Federal Direct Loan Program allowing students to get funds directly from the U.S. government, and one report suggested the impact of the credit crunch was minimal.
A report in 2006 suggested that 78% of Allegheny graduates would carry debt averaging at $24,825. An enhanced GI bill called the "Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act" provides generous benefits to veterans with 36 months in the military since September 11, 2001.
Minor courses of study are offered in the above disciplines, and also include: American Studies, Arts and the Environment, Asian Studies, Black Studies, Classical Studies, Chinese Language, Chinese Studies, Dance and Movement Studies, French Studies, German Studies, Lesbian and Gay Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Media Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Science, Health and Society, Russia and Eastern Europe, and Values, Ethics and Social Action. Allegheny also offers opportunities for students to design their own majors and minors. Students may also choose to double-major or double-minor if they have sufficient credits.
Allegheny is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
About 30% of the school's 2,100 students graduate in one of the "STEM" disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and math. Allegheny does not have any Reserve Officer Training Programs or ROTC, for Air Force, Army or Navy. The student to faculty ratio was 13 to 1. There were approximately 162 active faculty members (not counting adjunct faculty or faculty emeriti) in 2008.
In 2001, Allegheny formed a Center for Political Participation which offers courses and extracurricular activities to encourage civic participation.
, a month-long winter break from mid-December to mid-January, and a week-long spring break. The 2009-2010 school year listed the following dates: August 27, 2009 was the first day of classes; fall break October 10–13; Thanksgiving break November 25–29; winter break December 17 through January 16 (2010); spring break
March 20–28; and last day of classes May 4, with exams May 7–11, and commencement
May 16.
teacher found a new love of documentary filmmaking after majoring in communication arts; her senior film "Finding Matty's Voice" won the Best Documentary and Grand Jury prizes at the Ivy Film Festival at Brown University
in 2008. There is some debate at Allegheny about requiring scientific-related coursework and whether there should be an emphasis on "scientific literacy
".
Allegheny students must complete a minimum of 36 semester credit hours of coursework in their major with an average grade of 2.0. Satisfactory completion of a minor requires completion of 20 credits of coursework with a minimum grade average of 2.0. Students whose grade point averages slip below 2.0 for any particular semester are usually given a notice that their academic standing is in jeopardy; two consecutive semesters with GPAs below 2.0 result in dismissal in most circumstances, according to Ann Sheffield of the Registrar's Office.
Allegheny freshmen and sophomores are required to take seminar courses called "FS" which encourage reading, listening, thinking, writing, speaking, and research skills. Sophomores typically meet with faculty advisers eight times a year.
Allegheny seniors are required to complete a senior project in their major. Some senior projects can be quite ambitious; in 2007, one senior project involved comprehensive instructions for installing solar panels on the roof of a campus building. In addition, students must take at least two courses (8 semester credit hours) in a discipline other than their major or minor. Total credits for graduation are 131 semester credit hours, and no more than 64 credit hours can be from any one department. Almost all courses carry four semester hours of credit. Students must have a 2.0 grade average to graduate.
, England; James Cook University
, Australia; University of Natal
, South Africa; Capital Normal University
, China; and Karls-Eberhard University, Germany. It offers language and area studies programs in Seville
, Spain; Angers
, France; Karls-Eberhard University, Germany; and Querétaro, Mexico. It offers internship programs in London
, England; Paris
, France; and Washington D.C. Programs geared to specific majors are also available, including environmental studies at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
, Israel; and the Center for Sustainable Development, Costa Rica; marine biology at the Duke University
Marine Lab in North Carolina
; and political science at American University
. Allegheny faculty members have led domestic summer-study tours to New York
, Yellowstone, Austria
, Costa Rica
, and South Africa
. Individually arranged study abroad has taken students to Argentina
, Canada (Nova Scotia
), China
, Cuba
, Greece
, Italy
, Mexico
, and Scotland
.
Allegheny has medical school cooperative programs available with three institutions: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
, Drexel University
and Jefferson Medical College. Allegheny offers pre-professional programs in law and health. It has an arrangement with Drexel University College of Medicine
to admit two Allegheny students who meet specific criteria (grades, MCAT scores). It has an arrangement with the William E. Simon School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester
to have preferred admission to selected students by the end of their junior year. Allegheny offers cooperative 3-2 liberal arts/professional programs in engineering with Case Western Reserve University
, Columbia University
, the University of Pittsburgh
, and Washington University. There is also a 3-2 Master of Information Systems Management (MISM) program reciprocal agreement with Carnegie Mellon University.
Students participate in volunteer activities; in 2001, its 1850 students contributed more than 30,000 hours of volunteer service to the community.In the fall semester of 2011, the student body contributed 25,000 hours of service. Some Allegheny students volunteered to help restore businesses in hurricane-ravished New Orleans. 34% of Allegheny women belong to a sorority. Residence halls and classrooms are closed during summers. An Allegheny Student Government has an active role in formulating college policy, curriculum choices, personal conduct, promoting cultural programs, and making decisions about the school's calendar.
Information about students is generally kept private in keeping with the 1974 "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" which prohibits colleges from releasing information about their students without student permission. Accordingly, parents can not learn about their son's or daughter's grades unless a waiver is signed permitting release of such information. The privacy policy can sometimes lead to problems, particularly when students have mental health problems but the school is prevented legally from contacting parents. In 2002, one Allegheny student committed suicide, and his parents sued the school; a jury in 2006 found that the school was not liable or negligent. This case helped focus national attention on the competing issues of student privacy and parental rights.
Campus security has 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night escort service, lighted pathways and sidewalks, controlled residence hall access, and 24-hour emergency telephones. Health service is offered. Despite proximity to the snowbelt
, snow rarely shuts down the town of Meadville or the college.
Official college policy is to discourage underage (less than 21 years) drinking, although there have been incidents of violations at off-campus parties. Incoming students are required to take an online course about the dangers of alcohol abuse. The school punishes transgressions with disciplinary action.
Allegheny has welcomed a variety of entertainers and guest speakers over the last several years including John Updike
, Dave Matthews
, Dick Cheney
, Bill Clinton
, W.D. Snodgrass, Adam Sandler
, George Carlin
, The Vienna Choir Boys
, Rusted Root
, Ben Folds
, The Roots
, Stephen Lynch
, The Fray
, Jimmy Fallon
, and comedian Wayne Brady
. There have been "live" art shows in which invited artists, over an eight-hour period, created 10-by-10-foot "drawings" on gallery walls while spectators watched.
and has NCAA Division III teams. Men's sports are baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and track & field. Women's sports are basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Sports facilities include the Wise Center and the Robertson Complex. 75 percent of students play intramural sports. The 1990 Allegheny football team, led by first-year head coach (and current Iowa
assistant) Ken O'Keefe
, won the Division III football national championship 21-14 over Lycoming College
.
, Kappa Alpha Theta
, Delta Delta Delta
, Alpha Delta Pi
, and Alpha Chi Omega
for the sororities. The fraternities on campus include Theta Chi
, Phi Kappa Psi
, Delta Tau Delta
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, and Phi Delta Theta
. The Phi Kappa Psi chapter at Allegheny has enjoyed 156 consecutive years on campus, making it the oldest continuous chapter of any intercollegiate fraternity in the history of the United States.
90 miles (144.8 km) north of Pittsburgh
, 90 miles (144.8 km) east of Cleveland
, and 35 miles (56.3 km) south of Erie
, in the town of Meadville, Pennsylvania
. The school's main address is 520 North Main Street, Meadville, PA 16335. The phone number is (814) 332-3100. Allegheny is located near Interstate 79
; in addition, there is bus service to nearby cities such as Cleveland, Erie, and Pittsburgh.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
liberal arts college
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
located in northwestern 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...
in the town of Meadville
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...
. Founded in 1815, the college has about 2,100 undergraduate students.
Early history
| 1. Timothy Alden | 1815–1831 |
| 2. Martin Ruter Martin Ruter Rev. Martin Henry Ruter, D.D. was a prominent Methodist minister, missionary and educator of the early 19th century.... |
1833–1837 |
| 3. Homer J. Clark | 1837–1847 |
| 4. John Barker | 1847–1860 |
| 5. George Loomis | 1860–1875 |
| 6. Lucius H. Bugbee | 1875–1882 |
| 7. David H. Wheeler | 1883–1888 |
| 8. Wilbur G. Williams | 1888–1889 |
| 9. David H. Wheeler | 1889–1893 |
| 10. William H. Crawford | 1893–1920 |
| 11. Fred W. Hixson | 1920–1924 |
| 12. James Albert Beebe | 1926–1930 |
| 13. William Pearson Tolley | 1931–1942 |
| 14. John Richie Schultz | 1942–1947 |
| 15. Louis T. Benezet Louis T. Benezet Louis Tomlinson Benezet was an American educator, education administrator and multiple U.S. university president.... |
1948–1955 |
| 16. Lawrence Lee Pelletier Lawrence Lee Pelletier Lawrence Lee Pelletier was the 16th president of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania.-Life and career:Pelletier was born in Farmington, New Hampshire and grew up in Sanford, Maine. He graduated Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Bowdoin College in 1936. At Harvard University He earned his... |
1955–1980 |
| 17. David Baily Harned | 1980–1985 |
| 18. Raymond P. Shafer Raymond P. Shafer Raymond Philip Shafer served as the 39th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1967 to 1971. He had previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 1963 to 1967... |
1985–1986 |
| 19. Daniel F. Sullivan | 1986–1996 |
| 20. Richard J. Cook Richard J. Cook Richard J. Cook is an American educator who served as the twentieth president of Allegheny College. He was previously the provost of Kalamazoo College... |
1996–2008 |
| 21. James H. Mullen, Jr. | 2008–Present |
Allegheny was founded in April 1815 by the Reverend Timothy Alden, a graduate of Harvard's School of Divinity
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
. Since 1833, the college has been historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, though it is currently non-sectarian.
William Bentley
William Bentley was an American Unitarian minister, scholar, columnist, and diarist....
, who donated his private library to the College, a collection of considerable value and significance. In 1824, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
wrote to Alden, expressing the hope that his University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
could someday possess the richness of Allegheny's library. Alden served as president of the college until 1831, when financial and enrollment difficulties forced his resignation.
Allegheny began admitting females in 1870 (early for a US college), though women were charged an extra $6 to cover the costs incurred by the 'complexity of their nervous systems.' But the surcharge was soon dropped; and a woman was valedictorian of the Allegheny class of 1875. One source suggests that Ida Tarbell, the pioneering journalist who exposed the predatory practices of Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company, was the first woman to attend Allegheny.
In 1905, Allegheny built Alden Hall as a new and improved preparatory school. In 1928, president Dr. James Beebe caused controversy by suggesting Protestants use the rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
as an "aid to prayer", and the story generated headlines. Over the decades the college has grown in size and significance while still maintaining ties to the community.
Recent history
In 1971 the film Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to MeBeen Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me is a novel by Richard Fariña. First published in the United States during 1966 the novel, based largely on Fariña's college experiences and travels, is a comic picaresque story that is set in the American West, in Cuba during the Cuban Revolution, and at an...
based on the Richard Farina
Richard Fariña
Richard George Fariña was an American writer and folksinger.-Early years and education:Richard Fariña was born in Brooklyn, New York, of Cuban and Irish descent. He grew up in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn and attended Brooklyn Technical High School...
novel was filmed on college grounds.
While the word "Allegheny" is a brand for the college, it is also the name of a county, a river, and a mountain range, and the school has tried to prevent other entities from using this word. For example, Allegheny objected in 2006 when Penn State tried to rename one of its campuses "Allegheny". Allegheny president Richard Cook said 'Allegheny' was "our brand." It sued the Philadelphia's Allegheny Health and Research Foundation in 1997 to change its name.
Allegheny under president Richard J. Cook was reported to have had a "stronger endowment, optimal enrollment, record retention rates, innovative new programs and many physical campus improvements." These years were marked by tremendous growth in the endowment, marked by a $115-million fund-raising drive, bringing the endowment to $150 million. In February 2008, James H. Mullen Jr. was named the 21st president of Allegheny. He took office Aug. 1, 2008.
The college and the town cooperate in many ways. One study suggested the Allegheny College generates approximately $93 million annually into Meadville and the local economy. Since 2002, Allegheny hosts classical music festivals during the summer. In October 2006, the college attracted negative publicity after local enforcement cited over 100 people for underage drinking at a college party. In July 2007, a 1,500-pound wrecking ball
Wrecking ball
A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most common during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball...
demolishing part of Allegheny's Pelletier library broke its chain, rumbled down the hill, careened "back and forth across the street," hit nine parked cars, wrecked curbs, and crashed into the trunk of an Allegheny student's car, pushing his car into two cars in front of him. Eight soccer balls in his car "likely lessened the impact of the wrecking ball," and possibly spared his life, according to a police officer on the scene. The student body voted to name the library's coffee shop "The Wrecking Ball" after the event.
The college has sponsored panels on unusual topics such as face transplant
Face transplant
A face transplant is a still-experimental procedure to replace all or part of a person's face. The world's first full face transplant was completed in Spain in 2010.-Beneficiaries of face transplant:...
s (2009). Allegheny professors have joined highly visible initiatives; for example, Allegheny professor Michael Maniates, described as the "nation's leading authority on the politics of consumption," joined the board of a project about the twenty-minute film The Story of Stuff
The Story of Stuff
The Story of Stuff is a short polemical animated documentary about the lifecycle of material goods. The documentary is critical of excessive consumerism and promotes sustainability....
by filmmaker Annie Leonard
Annie Leonard
Annie Leonard is an American proponent of sustainability and critic of excessive consumerism. She is most known for her controversial animated film The Story of Stuff about the life-cycle of material goods.-Biography:...
, and generated headlines. Dr. Maniates said "We really need to think of ways of making it possible for people to think about working less and getting by on less." At present, environmental concerns are important at Allegheny, which in 2008 worked with Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
to devise a "total energy use reduction plan" for the college.
Campus
The campus has 36 principal buildings on a 77 acres (31.2 ha) central campus, a 182 acre (0.73652852 km²) outdoor recreational complex, and a 283 acres (114.5 ha) nature reserve and protected forest.- The Pelletier Library (in 2008) had 922,540 volumes (491,284 microform titles). Another estimate was that the library had 420,000 bound volumes, 227,000 microform titles, 1,000 periodicals, and 261,000 U.S. government and Pennsylvania state documents. The library has noteworthy Americana and Ida Tarbell collections. A computer lab, audiovisual center, and music listening system are there too. It is named after past president Lawrence L. Pelletier who served from 1955 to 1980.
- There's a planetarium and observatory.
- Allegheny has a campus-wide computer network including Intel-based PCs, free Internet access, email accounts.
- The Allegheny College Center for Experiential Learning or ACCEL coordinates career internships, off-campus study programs, service-learning, pre-professional advising, and leadership development.
- A Counseling Center offers guidance for students in adjusting to student life.
- Winslow Health Center is staffed by a registered nurse and offers routine diagnosis and treatment; "when necessary, students are referred to specialists in Meadville" -- it's located in Schultz Hall.
- The main dining facility is in Brooks Hall, and students can also dine at McKinley's Food Court in the student center. There have been efforts by students to support the relationship between food services and local farmers. Allegheny won a $79,545 grant in May 2009 to buy equipment to help with composting food waste, including a shredder mill, screening plant, conveyor, skid-steer loader and leaf collection system.
- A newly built Vukovich Center for Communication Arts featuring a garden roof for energy efficiency and beauty was completed in 2008 at a cost of $23 million. Robert Vukovich (1965) and Laura Vukovich made a substantial donation of $22 million in February 2001, part of which was used to construct the building. Allegheny has its own cable TV channels and a state-of-the-art television studio.
- Center for Political Participation. In 2007 there was controversy when Allegheny professors started the Soapbox Alliance to oppose politicians of any political party from using colleges as a backdrop for their rallies. Allegheny enacted a policy in 2006 "requiring any political candidate or a surrogate such as a spouse, son or daughter, to provide an equal number of tickets to supporters and students." The initiative grew out of discontent over a speaking engagement at Allegheny in 2004 by then Vice president Dick Cheney which only allowed GOP-supporters to attend.
- Henderson Campus Center was recently renovated and includes McKinley's food court, the bookstore, the game room, Grounds for Change—the student-run coffee house, the post office, and campus offices of College departments as well as student organizations.
- Also included in the Henderson Campus Center are the Bowman, Penelac & Megahan Art Galleries. Allegheny has auctioned art at times to raise money to renovate other projects, such as the college's Doane School of Art.
- Sports facilities include the $13 million David V. Wise Sport & Fitness Center, which opened in 1997.
- A Women's Center was established in 2003 to be a resource for research on gender issues and women's history.
- The college established the Center for Economic and Environmental Development in 1997.
- The Learning Commons, located in Pelletier Library, has a staff to help students with research and study skills as well as disability services. Peer consultants help with writing, public speaking, and technology projects. Tutors are available in biology, chemistry, economics, languages, math, physics, psychology and statistics. The Learning Commons also helps with new student orientation and advising.
Admissions
A profile of entering freshmen is three quarters of students were in the top quarter of their high school class; SATs (critical reading and math) were 1130-1320; ACT scores (middle 50%) were 24-28. Forbes reported SATs ranged from 1110 to 1310. The application process is mostly done via Internet, with virtual tours and online applications. The acceptance rate (fall 2008) was 61%.The economic downturn of 2008 left the college "relatively untouched", in contrast to many of its larger peers.
Rankings
US News and World Report described Allegheny as "innovative" and "up and coming" Tier 1 school in the category Liberal Arts Colleges, and ranked it 85th among 266 liberal arts colleges in the United States, an improvement from a previous rank of 94. In 2009, Allegheny was listed as a "Tier 1" school, meaning it placed in the top 50% of all liberal arts schools and was ranked. US News and World Report has also described Allegheny as an "A+ School". In former years, Allegheny was sometimes described as a "second tier" liberal arts college according to the U.S. News rating.Forbes ranked Allegheny 127th out of the best 610 four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The Forbes assessment uses different criteria to assess schools, including listing of alumni who make the "Who's Who in America", alumni salaries from Payscale.com, student evaluations from Ratemyprofessors.com, and four-year debt load for typical student borrowers, and weights results according to these and other factors. Allegheny did not make the Forbes list of the top 100 colleges listed as a "best buy". Forbes also has a ranking for a college's "connectedness"; in 2003, Allegheny ranked 208, with 336 computers, and a computer to student ratio of 1 to .17. The "most connected" school was Stevens Institute of Technology, with 1,800 computers, and a computer to student ratio of 1 to 1.04.
Allegheny has a first-time student retention rate of 87%, a four-year graduation rate of 64%, and a six-year graduation rate of 71%. This means about seven in ten entering freshmen (in 2001) were expected to graduate within six years.
Costs and financial aid
Tuition and fees for the 2009-2010 year were $33,560; room is $4,430; meals are $4,010; other fees are $320; the total cost is roughly $42,000. In 2006, a year at Allegheny costs $35,300, lessened by an average financial aid award of $21,575. Tuition and fees totaled about $28,300 in 2006. In 2007, student financial aid was detailed in a report. The percentages of students receiving a federal grant aid was 20% (average aid received was $4K) getting state and local aid was 42% (average aid= $4K), getting an institutional grant aid was 98% (average aid = $13K) and getting a loan was 70% (average loan = $7K).Parents of incoming first-year students are advised by the college to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA; Allegheny's school code is 003230. Different scholarships are available as well as loan options. It is possible for parents to pay in ten equal installments.
Allegheny uses inducements such as scholarships and discounts to attract students. Many "merit aid" discounts are offered regardless of ability to pay. Scott Friedhoff, vice president of enrollment, said "merit aid probably helped attract students when first offered a couple of decades ago" but that competitive pressures on colleges have turned it into a kind of "arms race" to attract quality students. In a 2006 report, Allegheny offered 75% of students merit award (counting those with need and those without) but reduced the number of its $15,000-a-year scholarships to $12,500-a-year stipdends. Allegheny has been reducing its merit aid discounts from 33% of all students (in 2003) to 15% of students (in 2006). According to Allegheny statistics, two thirds (67%) of students receive some form of need-based aid. Extensive merit aid is available up to $60,000 for four years of study. 68% of students receive need-based aid.
There was concern in October 2008 that a credit crunch would make it harder for students to get private loans, but Allegheny joined the Federal Direct Loan Program allowing students to get funds directly from the U.S. government, and one report suggested the impact of the credit crunch was minimal.
A report in 2006 suggested that 78% of Allegheny graduates would carry debt averaging at $24,825. An enhanced GI bill called the "Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act" provides generous benefits to veterans with 36 months in the military since September 11, 2001.
Programs of study
- Humanities are Art, Communication Arts, Dance and Movement Studies, English, Modern and Classical Languages (includes Chinese, French, German, Latin, and Spanish), Music, Philosophy and Religious Studies.
- Natural Sciences are Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Geology, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics.
- Social Sciences are Economics, Environmental Studies, History, International Studies, Political Science, Psychology.
Minor courses of study are offered in the above disciplines, and also include: American Studies, Arts and the Environment, Asian Studies, Black Studies, Classical Studies, Chinese Language, Chinese Studies, Dance and Movement Studies, French Studies, German Studies, Lesbian and Gay Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Media Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Science, Health and Society, Russia and Eastern Europe, and Values, Ethics and Social Action. Allegheny also offers opportunities for students to design their own majors and minors. Students may also choose to double-major or double-minor if they have sufficient credits.
Allegheny is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
About 30% of the school's 2,100 students graduate in one of the "STEM" disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and math. Allegheny does not have any Reserve Officer Training Programs or ROTC, for Air Force, Army or Navy. The student to faculty ratio was 13 to 1. There were approximately 162 active faculty members (not counting adjunct faculty or faculty emeriti) in 2008.
In 2001, Allegheny formed a Center for Political Participation which offers courses and extracurricular activities to encourage civic participation.
Calendar year
The school year runs from the last week of August to mid-May with four breaks: a mini fall-break in October, ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, a month-long winter break from mid-December to mid-January, and a week-long spring break. The 2009-2010 school year listed the following dates: August 27, 2009 was the first day of classes; fall break October 10–13; Thanksgiving break November 25–29; winter break December 17 through January 16 (2010); spring break
Spring break
Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
March 20–28; and last day of classes May 4, with exams May 7–11, and commencement
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
May 16.
Requirements for degrees
Allegheny requires students to choose a minor as well as a major and encourages "unusual combinations" of majors and minors. A student's major can be in the humanities, social sciences or natural sciences, but that student's minor must be in a different division than his or her major. A reporter explained: "a student enrolled in a humanities major such as English, art, or religious studies, would still take 20 to 24 credits -- five to six courses -- of science-related study if they decided to pick their minor within the natural sciences division ... Even if they don't, they still are required to pick two courses from within the natural science areas. One of those science courses must be a lab class." There is no math requirement. The interdisciplinary approach is reflected in how graduates have fared with their careers. For example, Kathleen Harrill earned degrees in music and psychology at Allegheny, and used them to become a music therapist to help autistic children; her 300-page thesis on music and healing won recognition. Another graduate studied both English and bioethics at Allegheny, and became a lawyer at Bayer corporation helping to work on ethics and compliance issues. One student who wanted to become a special educationSpecial education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
teacher found a new love of documentary filmmaking after majoring in communication arts; her senior film "Finding Matty's Voice" won the Best Documentary and Grand Jury prizes at the Ivy Film Festival at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 2008. There is some debate at Allegheny about requiring scientific-related coursework and whether there should be an emphasis on "scientific literacy
Scientific literacy
Scientific literacy encompasses written, numerical, and digital literacy as they pertain to understanding science, its methodology, observations, and theories.-Definition:...
".
Allegheny students must complete a minimum of 36 semester credit hours of coursework in their major with an average grade of 2.0. Satisfactory completion of a minor requires completion of 20 credits of coursework with a minimum grade average of 2.0. Students whose grade point averages slip below 2.0 for any particular semester are usually given a notice that their academic standing is in jeopardy; two consecutive semesters with GPAs below 2.0 result in dismissal in most circumstances, according to Ann Sheffield of the Registrar's Office.
Allegheny freshmen and sophomores are required to take seminar courses called "FS" which encourage reading, listening, thinking, writing, speaking, and research skills. Sophomores typically meet with faculty advisers eight times a year.
Allegheny seniors are required to complete a senior project in their major. Some senior projects can be quite ambitious; in 2007, one senior project involved comprehensive instructions for installing solar panels on the roof of a campus building. In addition, students must take at least two courses (8 semester credit hours) in a discipline other than their major or minor. Total credits for graduation are 131 semester credit hours, and no more than 64 credit hours can be from any one department. Almost all courses carry four semester hours of credit. Students must have a 2.0 grade average to graduate.
Study abroad
Allegheny offers direct enrollment programs at Lancaster UniversityLancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
, England; James Cook University
James Cook University
James Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
, Australia; University of Natal
University of Natal
The University of Natal was a university in Natal, and later KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, that is now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It was founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg, and expanded to include a campus in Durban in 1931. In 1947, the university...
, South Africa; Capital Normal University
Capital Normal University
Capital Normal University is a university in Beijing, China. It is covered by Project 211, a policy to renew and modernize educational facilities in the People's Republic of China.-History:...
, China; and Karls-Eberhard University, Germany. It offers language and area studies programs in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain; Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, France; Karls-Eberhard University, Germany; and Querétaro, Mexico. It offers internship programs in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England; Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France; and Washington D.C. Programs geared to specific majors are also available, including environmental studies at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is an accredited academic program for undergraduate and graduate studies located at Kibbutz Ketura on the Israeli side of the Arava Valley. It seeks to train future leaders of the Middle East in environmental issues so that they will be able to...
, Israel; and the Center for Sustainable Development, Costa Rica; marine biology at the Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
Marine Lab in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
; and political science at American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
. Allegheny faculty members have led domestic summer-study tours to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Yellowstone, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Individually arranged study abroad has taken students to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Canada (Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
), China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Cooperative and reciprocal programs
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine is one of the oldest and largest osteopathic medical schools. Founded in 1899, PCOM is home to over 1000 medical students as well as graduate-level students in several other fields of health care. One of the largest medical schools in the United...
, Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
and Jefferson Medical College. Allegheny offers pre-professional programs in law and health. It has an arrangement with Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine is the medical school of Drexel University. The medical school has the nation's largest enrollment for a private medical school, and represents the consolidation of two medical schools: the nation's first medical school for women and the first U.S. college of...
to admit two Allegheny students who meet specific criteria (grades, MCAT scores). It has an arrangement with the William E. Simon School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
to have preferred admission to selected students by the end of their junior year. Allegheny offers cooperative 3-2 liberal arts/professional programs in engineering with Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, and Washington University. There is also a 3-2 Master of Information Systems Management (MISM) program reciprocal agreement with Carnegie Mellon University.
Faculty
Four faculty won Fulbright awards in March 2001. Faculty sometimes focus on the local area; for example, economics professor Stephen Onyeiwu conducted a study of manufacturing in the northwestern Pennsylvania region. Ninety percent of faculty have terminal degrees in their respective fields. Books by faculty include Congressional Women and Comedy from Shakespeare to Sheridan. A literary prize was won by Allegheny writing instructor Kirk Nesset for his collection "Paradise Road" in 2007. Faculty actively publish on a wide range of subjects from the biology of woodpeckers, to structural features of ribosomal RNA, to freshwater invertebrates.Student life
Students
Students generally live on campus in residence halls. The total residence hall capacity is 1587. Allegheny recently passed an amendment to the housing rule: All students must live on campus, including seniors. The ratio of students is 44% men, 56% women. The demographic breakdown of students (2007 statistics) were white non-Hispanic 2,005; black non-Hispanic 35; Hispanic 28; Asian & Pacific Islander 62; American Indian or Alaskan native 8; non-resident immigrant 27. Allegheny students come from 33 states and 25 other countries. Allegheny had a "diversity index" of .15 on a scale of .99=extremely diverse to .01=not diverse.Students participate in volunteer activities; in 2001, its 1850 students contributed more than 30,000 hours of volunteer service to the community.In the fall semester of 2011, the student body contributed 25,000 hours of service. Some Allegheny students volunteered to help restore businesses in hurricane-ravished New Orleans. 34% of Allegheny women belong to a sorority. Residence halls and classrooms are closed during summers. An Allegheny Student Government has an active role in formulating college policy, curriculum choices, personal conduct, promoting cultural programs, and making decisions about the school's calendar.
Information about students is generally kept private in keeping with the 1974 "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" which prohibits colleges from releasing information about their students without student permission. Accordingly, parents can not learn about their son's or daughter's grades unless a waiver is signed permitting release of such information. The privacy policy can sometimes lead to problems, particularly when students have mental health problems but the school is prevented legally from contacting parents. In 2002, one Allegheny student committed suicide, and his parents sued the school; a jury in 2006 found that the school was not liable or negligent. This case helped focus national attention on the competing issues of student privacy and parental rights.
Campus security has 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night escort service, lighted pathways and sidewalks, controlled residence hall access, and 24-hour emergency telephones. Health service is offered. Despite proximity to the snowbelt
Snowbelt
Snowbelt is a term describing of a number of regions near the Great Lakes in North America where heavy snowfall in the form of lake-effect snow is particularly common. Snowbelts are typically found downwind of the lakes, principally off the eastern and southern shores...
, snow rarely shuts down the town of Meadville or the college.
Official college policy is to discourage underage (less than 21 years) drinking, although there have been incidents of violations at off-campus parties. Incoming students are required to take an online course about the dangers of alcohol abuse. The school punishes transgressions with disciplinary action.
Media
Students run a campus radio station WARC-FM and a publication called "The Allegheny Review" of undergraduate literature. The college hosts outside speakers. Allegheny has numerous student groups and organizations such as an astronomy club, a College Choir, an Outing Club, and a Peace Coalition. There are over 100 clubs and organizations offered at Allegheny. The Allegheny newspaper is called The Campus. It is distributed weekly at locations all over the college. It covers campus news, features, opinion and a wrap-up of the college sports. The Campus is entirely student-run, with an editorial board of students in charge of making all executive decisions for the publication. The Allegheny alternative magazine is called Overkill. It is tri-semester student publication distributed in unconventional locations around campus, such as in vending machines, fireplaces, and chandeliers. It features student editorials, poetry, non-fiction and fiction pieces, art, and photography with a highly distinctive design and attitude.Allegheny has welcomed a variety of entertainers and guest speakers over the last several years including John Updike
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
, Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
, Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, W.D. Snodgrass, Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
, George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
, The Vienna Choir Boys
Vienna Boys' Choir
The Vienna Boys' Choir is a choir of trebles and altos based in Vienna. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries....
, Rusted Root
Rusted Root
Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their unique fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, and Indian influences...
, Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, Stephen Lynch
Stephen Lynch (musician)
Stephen Andrew Lynch , is an American stand-up comedian, musician and Tony Award-nominated actor who is known for his songs mocking daily life and popular culture. Lynch has released two studio albums and two live albums along with a live DVD...
, The Fray
The Fray
-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
, Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
, and comedian Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
. There have been "live" art shows in which invited artists, over an eight-hour period, created 10-by-10-foot "drawings" on gallery walls while spectators watched.
Athletics
Allegheny belongs to the North Coast Athletic ConferenceNorth Coast Athletic Conference
The North Coast Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of schools located in the Midwestern United States. When founded in 1984, the NCAC was a pioneer in gender equality, offering competition in a then-unprecedented ten women's sports...
and has NCAA Division III teams. Men's sports are baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and track & field. Women's sports are basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Sports facilities include the Wise Center and the Robertson Complex. 75 percent of students play intramural sports. The 1990 Allegheny football team, led by first-year head coach (and current Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
assistant) Ken O'Keefe
Ken O'Keefe
-External links:*...
, won the Division III football national championship 21-14 over Lycoming College
Lycoming College
Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. One of the 50 oldest colleges in America, Lycoming enrolls 1400 undergraduate students from over 28 states and 12 foreign countries. Eighty percent of the college's students live on campus...
.
Traditions
One tradition is that a female student is not a "real co-ed" until she's been kissed on the thirteenth plank of the Rustic bridge over the stream. Legend states that there is a competition among residence halls during Orientation Week to steal the thirteenth plank and display it, though this rarely happens today; random students take the plank instead, with maintenance keeping a supply of replacement planks on hand.Fraternities and sororities
Allegheny College also has a number of fraternities and sororities on campus. These include Kappa Kappa GammaKappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma is a collegiate women's fraternity, founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, USA. Although the groundwork of the organization was developed as early as 1869, the 1876 Convention voted that October 13, 1870 should be recognized at the official Founders Day, because no...
, Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
, Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:...
, 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...
, and 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...
for the sororities. The fraternities on campus include 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...
, Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...
, Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, and 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...
. The Phi Kappa Psi chapter at Allegheny has enjoyed 156 consecutive years on campus, making it the oldest continuous chapter of any intercollegiate fraternity in the history of the United States.
Location and transportation
Allegheny is located in northwestern PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
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...
90 miles (144.8 km) north of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, 90 miles (144.8 km) east of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, and 35 miles (56.3 km) south of Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, in the town of Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...
. The school's main address is 520 North Main Street, Meadville, PA 16335. The phone number is (814) 332-3100. Allegheny is located near Interstate 79
Interstate 79
Interstate 79 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States, designated from Interstate 77 in Charleston, West Virginia to Pennsylvania Route 5 and Pennsylvania Route 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania...
; in addition, there is bus service to nearby cities such as Cleveland, Erie, and Pittsburgh.
Finances
In 2009, Allegheny's endowment was estimated to be $157 million In fiscal year 2007, Allegheny had revenues from tuition and fees of $33,149,074, government grants and contracts of $1,091,068, private gifts grants and contracts of $8,925,845 and an investment return of $31,748,504, and other core revenues of $1,040,120. Expenses included instruction $19,442,708, research $966,394, academic support $6,040,548, student service $2,029,686, and institution support $9,766,374.Administration and staff
There are approximately 150 administration and staff personnel in 2008. The president since August 2009 is James H. Mullen Jr. The staff breakdown is as follows: 157 full-time employees doing instruction, research, and public service; 43 executive, administrative, and managerial personnel; 103 other professionals (support/service); 9 technical and paraprofessionals; 68 clerical and secretarial employees; 12 skilled craftspersons; and 27 service & maintenance staff. In addition, part-time staff included 36 instructors, 23 other professionals, 10 secretaries, and 4 service and maintenance staff. Of the 157 full-time faculty, 87 have tenure, and 41 are on a tenure track. The average salaries of professors (in 2007) was $83K, associate professors was $63K, assistant professors was $51K, instructors was $38K. Allegheny is a member of the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, or HEDS, in which member institutions share information relating to improvement of higher education.Notable alumni
- William B. AllisonWilliam B. AllisonWilliam Boyd Allison was an early leader of the Iowa Republican Party, who represented northeastern Iowa for four consecutive terms in the U.S. House before representing his state for six consecutive terms in the U.S. Senate...
- U.S. Senator from IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New... - Ronnie AndersonRonnie AndersonRonnie Darrell Anderson is a former wide receiver in the National Football League. He first was a member of the Green Bay Packers during the 1997 NFL season, but did not see any playing time during the season...
- Former National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player - Glenn BeckertGlenn BeckertGlenn Alfred Beckert is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League as a second baseman for the Chicago Cubs for nine seasons from to before ending his career with the San Diego Padres in .-Baseball career:Beckert was drafted from Allegheny College as an amateur...
- Former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
second baseman for the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... - Ted Black - President of the Buffalo SabresBuffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
; former Vice President of the Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
(1999-2008) - Ben BurttBen BurttBenjamin "Ben" Burtt, Jr. is an American sound designer who has worked on various films including: the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series, Invasion of the Body Snatchers , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , and WALL-E...
- Academy Award winning sound designSound designSound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
er - Raymond Lysowski - World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
bombardier of 50 combat missions and Silver Life Master contract bridgeContract bridgeContract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
player - Robert J. CorbettRobert J. CorbettRobert James Corbett was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
, U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe 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...
(1939-1941, 1945-1971) - Aylett R. CottonAylett R. CottonAylett Rains Cotton was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer, judge, teacher and miner from Iowa and California....
, U.S. Representative for IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
(1871–1875) - George M. Davison - Inventor & CEO of Davison Associates, holds four patents
- Clarence DarrowClarence DarrowClarence Seward Darrow was an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for defending teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks and defending John T...
- Noted American lawyer - Valentino Achak Deng - Lost Boy of Darfur, and subject of the book What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak DengWhat Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak DengWhat Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng is a 2006 novel written by Dave Eggers. It is based on the real life story of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese refugee and member of the Lost Boys of Sudan program.-Plot summary:...
- Rich Dohr - Music director and pianist for The Eagles and Don HenleyDon HenleyDonald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
- Robert Dowling - Surgeon who performed the first fully implantable artificial heart implementation in a human patient
- Stan DraytonStan Drayton-Biography:Drayton was born on March 11, 1971 in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Allegheny College where he played running back on the football team. Drayton is married to Monique Fuller and has two children.-Career:...
- National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
assistant coach - Budd DwyerBudd DwyerRobert Budd Dwyer was an American politician in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He served from 1971 to 1981 as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the state's 50th district...
- Former Pennsylvania State Treasurer - Morris P. FiorinaMorris P. FiorinaMorris P. Fiorina is an American political scientist and co-author of the book Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America with Jeremy C. Pope , and with the help of the research assistant Samuel J Abrams.-Biography:...
- Political scientist, leading scholar on voting behavior - Beth GylysBeth GylysBeth A. Gylys is a poet and professor of English and Creative Writing at Georgia State University.Gylys grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Allegheny College with a Bachelors Degree in 1986. She went on to receive a Masters Degree from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in English...
(1986) - Professor at Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State UniversityGeorgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
and award-winning poet. - Orville Nelson Hartshorn - founder of Mount Union CollegeMount Union CollegeThe University of Mount Union is a 4-year private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Alliance, Ohio.Mount Union enrolls 2200 undergraduates. Approximately 50 percent are women and 50 percent are men, representing more than 22 states and 13 countries. Mount Union has an active alumni base of...
- Daniel Brodhead HeinerDaniel Brodhead HeinerDaniel Brodhead Heiner was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Daniel B. Heiner was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. He attended the public schools at Kittanning, Dayton Academy in Dayton, Pennsylvania, and Dickinson School of Law at Carlisle, Pennsylvania...
- US Congressman for Pennsylvania (1893-1897) - John M. Hillkirk II (1978) - Journalist, author and editor - Editor of USA Today (2009 - current)
- R. Keith Hillkirk (1968) - Chancellor of Penn State University, Berks College and Professor of Education
- Gene HongGene HongGene Hong is a Korean American writer, actor and producer. He may be best known for being in the original cast of MTV's Nick Cannon Presents Wild 'N Out.-Early life:...
- TV writer, actor and producer - Specs HowardSpecs HowardSpecs Howard is a radio pioneer who spent three decades entertaining audiences in Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. He achieved notice as one of the members of the Martin and Howard Show in Cleveland during the 1960s before moving to Detroit. In 1970, he created the Specs Howard School of...
- Founder of Specs Howard School of Media Arts - Lloyd Lowndes, Jr.Lloyd Lowndes, Jr.Lloyd Lowndes, Jr. , a member of the United States Republican Party, was the 43rd Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1896 to 1900 and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the sixth district of Maryland from 1873 to 1875...
- 43rd Governor of MarylandGovernor of MarylandThe Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
(1896–1900), US Congressman (1873–1875) - Benjamin F. MartinBenjamin F. MartinBenjamin Franklin Martin was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and teacher from Virginia and West Virginia....
(1854) - US Congressman (1877–1881) - Brooke McEldowneyBrooke McEldowneyBrooke McEldowney is responsible for 9 Chickweed Lane, a print comic strip, and also for Pibgorn, a webcomic. 9 Chickweed Lane has been syndicated by United Media since 1993, and has one published collection, Hallmarks of Felinity....
- Cartoonist, 9 Chickweed Lane9 Chickweed Lane9 Chickweed Lane is an American comic strip written and drawn by Brooke McEldowney following the fortunes of the women of three generations of the Burber family — Edna, Juliette, and Edda — as they try to make their way in the world. 9 Chickweed Lane is the address of their former family home. ... - Russ McKelvyRuss McKelvyRussell Errett McKelvy was an American Major League Baseball player who played center field for the Indianapolis Blues of the National League , and one game in right field for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys.-Career:After attending Allegheny College from 1873 through 1877, he signed with the...
- Former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - William McKinleyWilliam McKinleyWilliam McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
- 25th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... - Richard Murphy (1971) - Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer
- Michelle Pawk - Actress (attended Allegheny for two years, 1980–1982)
- Trent ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
(1983) - Musician (Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
) - Barbara Robinson - author, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1972) and The Best School Year Ever (1994)
- Raymond P. ShaferRaymond P. ShaferRaymond Philip Shafer served as the 39th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1967 to 1971. He had previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 1963 to 1967...
(1938) - Former Governor of Pennsylvania (1967–1971) - Josh SharplessJosh SharplessJoshua David Sharpless is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. Sharpless grew up in the greater Pittsburgh area, attending Freedom High School in Freedom, Pennsylvania...
(2003) - Relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
baseball team - Edward Shanbrom (1947) - Pioneering hematologist and medical researcher
- Paul Siple (1932) - Antarctic explorer and the originator of the wind chillWind chillWind chill is the felt air temperature on exposed skin due to wind. The wind chill temperature is always lower than the air temperature, and the windchill is undefined at the higher temps...
factor - Alex SteffenAlex SteffenAlex Steffen is an American writer, editor, public speaker and futurist most noted for his bright green ideas.Steffen co-founded and ran the online magazine Worldchanging from its start in 2003 until its closure in 2010...
(1990) - Environmental journalist - Ida M. TarbellIda M. TarbellIda Minerva Tarbell was an American teacher, author and journalist. She was known as one of the leading "muckrakers" of the progressive era, work known in modern times as "investigative journalism". She wrote many notable magazine series and biographies...
(1880) - Author, journalist, and muckrakerMuckrakerThe term muckraker is closely associated with reform-oriented journalists who wrote largely for popular magazines, continued a tradition of investigative journalism reporting, and emerged in the United States after 1900 and continued to be influential until World War I, when through a combination...
. Published famous exposé on the Standard Oil CompanyStandard OilStandard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
. - Mike VeonMike VeonMichael R. Veon is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 14th District from 1985 through 2006.-Personal life:...
- Pennsylvania State RepresentativePennsylvania House of RepresentativesThe Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
(1985–2006) - Jeff Verszyla - Chief weather forecaster, KDKA-TVKDKA-TVKDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
Pittsburgh - Erastus WentworthErastus WentworthErastus Wentworth was an educator, a Methodist Episcopal minister, and a missionary to Foochow, China.- Life :Dr. Wentworth was born in Stonington, Connecticut. He converted to Methodism in 1831. Later he studied at the Cazenovia Seminary and attained an undergraduate degree at Wesleyan University...
(1850) - Methodist Episcopal minister - Bradley Roland Will - Anarchist and journalist (1970-2006)
- Rob WonderlingRob WonderlingRobert C. Wonderling was a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who represented the 24th District from 2003 to 2009. The district he represented includes portions of Montgomery, Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties and includes the population centers of Easton, Lansdale, and Emmaus...
- Pennsylvania State SenatorPennsylvania State SenateThe Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such...
(2003-2009)