Northeastern State University - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains

The Ozarks

The Ozarks are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States. It covers much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas...

. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee

Cherokee

The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...

nation of Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

. The university also has two other campuses in Muskogee

Muskogee, Oklahoma

Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....

and Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Broken Arrow is a city located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, primarily in Tulsa County but also with a small section of the city in western Wagoner County. It is the largest suburb of Tulsa. According to the 2010 US Census, Broken Arrow has a population of 98,850 residents...

History

Although a school was founded on May 7, 1851, as the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...

National Female Seminary, it was not until statehood that the school now known as Northeast Oklahoma State University commenced operations. On March 6, 1909, the State Legislature of Oklahoma

Oklahoma

passed an act providing for the creation and location of Northeastern State Normal School at Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

, and for the purchase from the Cherokee Tribal Government of the building, land, and equipment of the Cherokee Female Seminary. In the 1950s Northeastern emerged as a comprehensive state college, broadening its curriculum at the baccalaureate level to encompass liberal arts subjects and adding a fifth year program designed to prepare master teachers for elementary and secondary schools. In 1974, the Oklahoma Legislature authorized that the name of the institution be changed from Northeastern State Normal School to Northeastern Oklahoma State University and then again in 1985 to Northeastern State University. Northeastern is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Oklahoma as well as one of the oldest institutions of higher learning west of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. Today NSU is the fourth largest university in Oklahoma. On March 6, 2009, NSU celebrated its centennial with Founders Day celebrations.

Tahlequah Campus

The Tahlequah campus, which spans over 200 acre (0.809372 km²), rests on the grounds of the Cherokee Female Seminary

Cherokee Female Seminary

The Cherokee Female Seminary, , serves as the centerpiece of Northeastern State University, located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States. The building was constructed to replace the original Cherokee Female Seminary that burnt to the ground Easter Sunday 1887...

. The original building for the seminary is still in use, and now known as Seminary Hall. The campus consists of a multitude of different buildings with classroom, laboratory, residential, and athletic facilities. Recent years have witnessed the construction of a $10 million Science Center which was funded by a bond issued by the university. NSU boasts the only College of Optometry

Optometry

Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...

in Oklahoma, and the largest enrollment of Native American students of any public institution of higher education by both percentage and amount. NSU offers 69 undergraduate degrees, 18 graduate degrees and 13 pre-professional programs in five colleges (Business & Technology, Liberal Arts

Liberal arts

The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...

, Education, Optometry, and Health & Science Professions). The student-to-faculty ratio is 26 to 1 and in the Spring of 2008 the total enrollment for the Tahlequah Campus was 6,216. There is also a distance learning program, where students who cannot attend the university due to work or family obligations can complete courses via the Internet or videoconferencing.

Academic buildings

The academic buildings stretch throughout the campus. The buildings are:

Seminary Hall
The Science Center
The Business and Technology Building (formerly Practical Arts Building)
The Fine Arts Building
The W. Roger Webb Educational Technology Center (formerly NET Lab)
Bagley Hall (Education Building)
John Vaughan Library
The CASE Building (Center for Admissions and Student Enrollment)

Residential buildings

Northeastern has nine residence halls. The halls are:

Haskell Hall
Hastings Hall
Logan Hall
North Leoser complex
North wing
Northeast wing
Northwest wing
South Leoser complex
South wing
Southeast wing
Southwest wing
Ross Hall
Seminary Suites
Wilson Hall
Wyly Hall

Athletics

NSU's athletic teams compete in the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

Division II. NSU's athletic teams are known as the RiverHawks, a mascot announced on Nov. 14, 2006. NSU announced on May 23, 2006 that they would be dropping "Redmen" in favor of a new mascot to represent the school. Although the "Redmen" name was not deemed to be hostile or abusive towards Native Americans by the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

, restrictions connected to the use of American Indian nicknames could have affected future NSU athletic competitions had NSU not taken the initiative to comply before the Redmen name became an issue. NSU offers all the major sports including football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

, baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, softball

Softball

Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

, men and women's basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, men and women's soccer, golf

Golf

Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

, and tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

. In 2003, the men's basketball team won the Division II national championship.

In 2010 the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association is a college athletic conference which operates in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and effective in 2012 in Oklahoma in the Midwestern United States. The conference was formerly known as the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic...

began considering expanding its conference from 12 to 16 members and inviting NSU into the conference. It was accepted into the conference on July 30, 2010 with a tentative starting date of 2012-2013 academic year.

Campus life

There are several restaurants on, or just off NSU's campus some of which include the Iguana Cafe, El Zarape, Sam & Ella's Chicken Palace (Pizza), The Town Branch Eatery & Pub, Flo's Cafe (located on campus in the Florence Willson Hall), and Vidalia's. The night life includes Ned's and Granny's Attic.

Campus organizations

There are several campus organizations such as RHA (Residence Halls Association), NAB (Northeastern Activities Board), NSUSF (Northeastern State University Student Foundation), and NSGA (Northeastern Student Government Association) that provide alternate activities, usually free of charge for students to enjoy on campus. The NSGA is the official organization to represent the students of NSU. The purpose of the NSGA is to establish a representative student government and to provide a forum for student's views and ideas for the purpose of promoting and representing the students of NSU. RHA caters to on-campus residents and hosts such annual events as "Welcome Week Luau," Freshman Move-in Day, Mardi Gras, and "Resident Round-up". Northeastern State University also has a several fraternities and sororities located on the Tahlequah campus.

Jazz Lab

Created in 1993, the building serves as a place where musicians can practice performing and listeners can enjoy the music. In addition to a performance venue, the Jazz Lab is also the site of the jazz program offices and classes. The university has one student jazz ensemble, as well as several different combo groups, ranging in style from fusion, to Latin, to big band era. Recently the university has been awarded a bachelors in music- jazz studies degree. Every year the NSU Jazz Ensemble performs with 4 guest artist at the Jazz Lab. Many famous musicians have performed at the jazz lab since its creation such as T.S. Monk, Henry Johnson

Henry Johnson (guitarist)

Henry Johnson is an American jazz guitarist.He began playing guitar at age twelve. While spending some formative time in Memphis, he started playing gospel music at age thirteen. By age fourteen, Johnson was playing in R&B groups...

, Diana Krall

Diana Krall

Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...

, Mulgrew Miller

Mulgrew Miller

Mulgrew Miller is an American jazz pianist who performs in a number of jazz idioms. He began his career as member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.-Biography:...

, Bobby Watson

Bobby Watson

Bobby Watson is an American post-bop jazz alto saxophonist, composer, producer, and educator. Watson now has 26 recordings as a leader. He appears on nearly 100 other recordings as either co-leader or in a supporting role...

, Bob Mintzer

Bob Mintzer

Bob Mintzer is a jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader based in Los Angeles, California. Mintzer is a member of the jazz rock band the Yellowjackets.-With The Yellowjackets:*Greenhouse, 1991;*Live Wires, 1992;...

, Slide Hampton

Slide Hampton

Locksley Wellington "Slide" Hampton is an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger.He was a 1998 Grammy Award winner for "Best Jazz Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist", as arranger for "Cotton Tail" performed by Dee Dee Bridgewater...

, Robin Eubanks

Robin Eubanks

Robin Eubanks is an American jazz and jazz fusion slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist Kevin Eubanks and trumpeter Duane Eubanks.-Biography:...

, Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...

, and Bobby Shew

Bobby Shew

-Biography:After leaving college in 1960, Shew was drafted into the U.S. Army and played trumpet with the NORAD band in Colorado Springs and on tour. After leaving the Army, Shew joined Tommy Dorsey's band and then played with the Woody Herman and then the Buddy Rich Big Bands in the mid-to-late...

Muskogee

NSU's Muskogee

Muskogee, Oklahoma

campus was opened in 1993 as a 27700 square feet (2,573.4 m²) facility located on 23 acres (93,077.8 m²). The campus offers upper-level and graduate courses in education, business, general studies, nursing, industrial management. In 2001 the NSU Muskogee opened the Mike Synar Center in honor of Mike Synar

Mike Synar

Michael Lynn "Mike" Synar was an American Democratic politician who represented Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district in Congress for eight terms.-Early life and career:...

, former U.S. Congressman from the 2nd District of Oklahoma from 1979 to 1995. The Mike Synar Center is a 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) facility that is used for offices and classrooms. The center also houses the Master of Business Administration and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for the campus.

Broken Arrow

NSU's Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

campus was opened in 2002 with a little over 1,000 students. Funding for the campus came from a one-half percent sales tax which was approved by Broken Arrow voters. The campus consisted of an Administration, two classrooms, and a maintenance building. In 2004 the campus began a $26 million expansion made possible by Tulsa County's Vision 2025

Vision 2025

Vision 2025 was a series of four propositions to increase Tulsa County's sales tax rate by $0.01 in order to fund capital improvements and provide economic development incentives....

, which also funded Tulsa's new BOK Center

BOK Center

The BOK Center, or Bank of Oklahoma Center, is a 19,100-seat multi-purpose arena and a primary indoor sports and event venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. Designed to accommodate arena football, hockey, basketball, concerts, and similar events, the facility was built at a cost of $178 million...

. The expansion doubled the size of the campus and also allowed room for up to another 5,000 students. It also added a library along with science and classroom buildings. Construction was completed in the fall of 2007.

Presidents of Northeastern

Albert Sydney Wyly, 1909
Frank Redd, 1909–1911
Frank E. Buck, 1911–1912
W.E. Gill, 1912–1914
George W. Gable, 1914–1919
William T. Ford, 1919–1923
Monroe P. Hammond, 1923–1935
J.M. Hackler (Acting), 1935–1936
John Samuel Vaughan, 1936–1951
Louis H. Bally (Acting), 1951
Harrell E. Garrison, 1951–1970
Robert E. Collier, 1970–1977
Elwin Fite (Acting), 1977–1978
W. Roger Webb
W. Roger Webb
W. Roger Webb was born in Bristow, Oklahoma on April 28, 1941. He is the current President of the University of Central Oklahoma, in Edmond, Oklahoma, and the President and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.-Biography:In 1959, Webb...

, 1978–1997
Larry B. Williams, 1997–2007
Kim Cherry (Interim), 2007–2008
Don Betz
Don Betz
Dr. Don Betz is the former president of Northeastern State University and current president at the University of Central Oklahoma. Before becoming President of Northeastern State he served as Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls from 2005 to 2008...

, 2008–2011
Martin Tadlock (Interim), 2011-present

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.