Pennsylvania State University: A Legacy of Education, Research, and Community Engagement

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) stands as a public, state-related, land-grant research university with a rich history and a widespread presence throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. From its humble beginnings as a high school to its current status as a major research institution, Penn State has evolved into a multifaceted university system that significantly contributes to education, research, and community engagement.

A Historical Overview

Founded on February 22, 1855, as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, the institution's initial focus was on agricultural studies. In 1862, the school's name was changed to the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania. Eight years later, in 1863, it was designated as the state's first land-grant university. However, by 1875, enrollment had dwindled to a mere 64 undergraduates, prompting the school to broaden its curriculum by balancing agricultural studies with classical education.

The late 19th century saw a period of revitalization under the leadership of President George W. Atherton. A major road in State College was later named in Atherton's honor. In the 20th century, Penn State experienced substantial growth, becoming the largest grantor of baccalaureate degrees in Pennsylvania. By 1936, its enrollment reached 5,000.

In 1953, President Milton S. Eisenhower secured permission to elevate the school to university status, and it adopted its current name, The Pennsylvania State University. Under Eisenhower's successor, Eric A. Walker, the university continued to expand and evolve.

In the 1970s, the university transitioned to a state-related institution, which led to its inclusion in the Commonwealth System of Higher Education. In 1975, the lyrics of the Penn State Alma Mater were revised to be gender-neutral, drawing from the posthumously published autobiography of the original lyricist, Fred Lewis Pattee.

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Campuses and Locations

The Pennsylvania State University boasts a vast network of campuses and facilities spread across Pennsylvania. In addition to the University Park campus, 19 campus locations throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania offer enrollment for undergraduate students. Over 60 percent of Penn State first-year students begin their education at a location other than University Park. Each of the 19 commonwealth campuses offer a unique set of degree programs based on the student demographics.

The largest of these, Penn State University Park, is situated in State College and College Township in Centre County, central Pennsylvania. Its dedicated ZIP Code is 16802. It is conveniently located off U.S. Route 322, and is due south of Interstate 80.

Other notable campuses and facilities include:

Dickinson Law: Founded in 1834 as The Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, is the oldest law school in Pennsylvania and the fifth-oldest in the country. Dickinson School of Law's 1997 merger with Penn State was completed in 2000. It expanded its reputation, network, and joint degree programs complementing Dickinson Law's legacy as an innovative leader in experiential education. In 2006, a second law campus was opened at University Park.
Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies: Located in Malvern, this special mission campus offers master's degrees, graduate certifications, and continuing professional education.
Penn State University College of Medicine: Situated in Hershey, this campus houses the university's medical school and teaching hospital. Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a teaching hospital.
Penn State World Campus: Launched in 1998, this online campus provides access to more than 60 online education programs, degrees, and certificates. Distance education has a long history at Penn State, one of the first universities in the country to offer a correspondence course for remote farmers in 1892.

Academics and Research

Penn State is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity" and is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). The university is also a sea-grant, space-grant, and sun-grant university, reflecting its commitment to diverse research endeavors.

The university has eighteen colleges, including three at special-mission campuses. These colleges offer a wide array of undergraduate and graduate programs, catering to diverse academic interests.

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Penn State's research prowess is evident in its various research centers and institutes, including:

The Applied Research Lab (ARL): A research partner with the United States Department of Defense since 1945, ARL conducts research primarily in support of the United States Navy.
The Materials Research Institute (MRI): MRI was created to coordinate the highly diverse and growing materials activities across Penn State's University Park campus. MRI has become a model for this interdisciplinary approach to research, both within and outside the university.
The Center for Advanced Materials (CAM): CAM supports many faculty and students from the college of earth and mineral science, the Eberly College of Science, the college of engineering, the materials research laboratory and the applied research laboratories at Penn State on high-temperature materials.
CiteSeerX: Housed within the university's College of Information Sciences and Technology, CiteSeerX is an open-access repository and search engine for scholarly publications.
The Radiation Science & Engineering Center: This center houses the oldest operating university research reactor.
The Graduate Program in Acoustics: Penn State is home to the only freestanding acoustics program in the United States.
The Center for Medieval Studies: This program is dedicated to researching and studying the European Middle Ages.
The Center for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE): CSHE is one of the first centers established to research postsecondary education.

Penn State is also a member of the CDIO Initiative, an international network of universities working to develop unique teaching methods in engineering.

Student Life and Activities

Penn State offers a vibrant and diverse student life, with a wide range of activities and organizations to cater to various interests.

There are seven housing complexes on campus for students attending the University Park campus: East Halls, North Halls, Pollock Halls, South Halls, West Halls, Eastview Terrace, and Nittany Apartments. Different floors within a building may be designated as a Living Learning Community (LLC).

As of September 2014, 864 student organizations were recognized at the University Park campus. In addition, the university has one of the largest Greek systems in the country, with approximately 12 percent of the University Park population affiliated.

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One of the most notable student-run events is the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON). Started in 1973 with 78 participants, THON has grown to become the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Every year, participants stand for 46 hours nonstop and perform a line dance at least once every hour to stay alert alongside other events hosted throughout the weekend such as concerts, games, athlete hour, family hour, and a tribute to all of the children with cancer. THON raises millions of dollars annually for childhood cancer care and research for its sole beneficiary, Four Diamonds.

The Lion's Pantry is an undergraduate student-run on-campus food pantry and registered student organization. The Lion's Pantry serves undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. They partner with groups ranging from Boulevard, UPUA, Greek Life, and more to receive over 8,000 food donations a year.

Safety and Security

Twenty-two of Penn State's campuses are served by Penn State University Police and Public Safety. In addition to being a full-service police department, the department also has specialized units such as K9, criminal investigation, bike patrol, a bomb squad, and drones.

Penn State University Park is also served by the Penn State University Ambulance Service, known as Centre County Company 20. Penn State EMS is a full-service, licensed ambulance service, staffed by student EMTs. The ambulance is staffed around the clock, with the exception of the school's annual winter break, when it goes out of service.

Media and Publications

The Daily Collegian, founded in 1904, provides news, sports, and arts coverage and produces long-form features. It publishes in print on Mondays and Thursdays while classes are in session. Since the summer of 1996, the traditional paper publication has been supplemented by an online edition.

Sustainability Initiatives

Penn State is committed to sustainability, as demonstrated by initiatives like the LEED Silver certification achieved by Orchard Hall, a residence hall on the Brandywine campus. To earn LEED Silver certification, the design/build team had to keep track of dozens of details throughout the building process. LEED starts in the design phase and continues until well after the project’s completion, and it considers everything from start to finish, from where the dirt went when the first hole was dug to energy outputs when the building is occupied. The residence hall’s certification is in line with Penn State’s University-wide sustainability initiative.

Governance and Administration

Penn State is a state-related university and a member of Pennsylvania's Commonwealth System of Higher Education. While it receives funding from the Commonwealth and is connected to the state through its board of trustees, however, it is otherwise independent and not subject to any direct control by the state.

The 32-member board of trustees governs the university. Its members include the university's president, the Governor of the Commonwealth, and the state Secretaries of Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, and Education. The other members include six trustees appointed by the Governor, nine elected by alumni, and six elected by Pennsylvania agricultural societies. Six additional trustees are elected by a board representing business and industry enterprises.

The university president is selected by the board and is given the authority for actual control of the university, including day-to-day management. Neeli Bendapudi became the university's 19th and current president on May 9, 2022. The executive vice president and provost is the chief academic officer of the university.

Admissions and Rankings

In 2023, the university received 85,957 applications. It extended offers of admission to 46,605 applicants, or 54%, after holistic review that includes examination of academic rigor, performance and admissions test scores. The university started test-optional admissions with the fall 2021 incoming class.

Penn State is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked Penn State between 101 and 150th among universities globally and between 42nd and 56th nationally for 2020.

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