DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY

'Delaware State University' (formerly Delaware State College) is a historically black university in Dover, Delaware. Over the last 115 years, it has evolved into a fully accredited, comprehensive university with a main campus and two satellite sites that encompass six colleges and a diverse population of undergraduate and advanced degree students. The graduating class of 2006 is the largest in the University's history, consisting of over 500 seniors and graduate students.^[1]
The DSU president is Dr. Allen L. Sessoms, who began his tenure at the university in 2003.

Contents

Campus Location

History

Students, Faculty, and Financial Aid

Academics

Degree offerings

Global Connections

Research

Athletics

Residence Life

Technology

Notable alumni

External Links

Notes

Campus Location

The 400-acre main campus is located in Dover, Delaware.
It is only two hours away from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., and only three hours away from New York City.
DSU also has satellite sites in Wilmington and Georgetown.
The main campus in Dover contains 30 buildings, including:

★ The Mishoe Science Center

★ The MBNA America Building

★ The 280-year-old Loockerman Hall

★ A state-of-the-art administration building

★ The new apartment-style University Village residential hall complex

History

The university was established by the Delaware General
Assembly on May 15, 1891 as "The State College for Colored Students" in response to the 1890 Amendments to the Morrill Act, which required that states either open their land-grant colleges to all races or else establish a separate land-grant educational facilities for blacks. The first class graduated in May 1898.
In addition to four-year bachelors programs, the university offered a 3-year normal course leading to a teaching certificate.
In 1893, the university added a Preparatory Department for students who were not qualified for college work upon admission. In 1916, this program was converted to a Model Grade School and in 1923, a Junior College Division was added. The High School Division was discontinued at the end of the 1951-52 school year.
In 1944, the university received provisional accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1947, its name was changed to "Delaware State College." In November 1949, Middle States revoked its accreditation. However, full accediation was restored in April 1957 and has been maintained since. Finally, on July 1, 1993, the college was renamed "Delaware State University."

Presidents of Delaware State University

Wesley P. Webb	1891-1895
William C. Jason	1895-1923
Richard S. Grossley	1923-1942
Howard D. Gregg	1942-1949
Oscard J. Chapman	1949-1951
Jerome H. Holland	1953-1960
Luna I. Mishoe	1960-1987
William B. DeLauder	1987-2003
Allen L. Sessoms	2003-

Maurcie E. Thomasson served as acting president from 1951-1953.^[2]

Students, Faculty, and Financial Aid

Enrollment:
3,722 students who come from 28 states and 31 countries.
Faculty:
168 faculty members in 20 academic departments.
140 have doctorate degrees.
40 have reached the academic rank of full professor.
Tuition (2007-2008):
$6,146 in-state; $13,100 out-of-state. Estimated costs for room and board for 2007-2008 range from $8,600-$9,010.^[3]
About 83 percent of undergraduates receive scholarships, grants, loans, or work-study income.

Academics

Currently, the university consists of six colleges: College of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology, School of Business, College and Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Health and Public Policy, College of Education and Sports Sciences and College of Agriculture and Related Sciences.
As of Fall 2005, the University has about 3,700 students, of which about 340 are graduate students. The University offers PhD programs in Applied Mathematics/Mathematical Physics and Neuroscience, doctoral program in education and Master's programs in various fields of sciences, nursing, social work, education, MBA program, natural resources, etc.

Degree offerings

The university offers 66 undergraduate degrees, 16 graduate degrees, and two doctoral degrees.
Degree options include the disciplines of mathematics, natural and social sciences, education, airway sciences, visual and performing arts, management, accounting and finance, agriculture, natural resources, nursing, social work and others.

Global Connections

The University has over 20 formal international partnerships with institutions in countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, Serbia, Mexico, China, Cuba and many others, which facilitate student exchanges and research and conference collaborations.

Research

The institution has greatly increased its research endeavors over the past five years, as it has developed the research infrastructure needed to attract federal grants for projects in the areas of mathematics, applied optics, chemistry, biotechnology, and others.
Major grants are awarded through Department of Defense (Department of Army), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF) and other granting agencies.

Athletics

Delaware State University's athletic programs participate in NCAA's Division I (I-AA for football). The university's nickname is the Hornets.
The university fields teams in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, wrestling, volleyball, soccer, and bowling.
The Delaware State men's basketball team won the 2005 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and earned a berth in the 2005 NCAA tournament. Playing as a 16-seed, the Hornets lost 57-46 in the opening round to 1-seed Duke. The Hornets also have made back to back NIT appearances in 2006 and 2007.
The Delaware State women's basketball team won the 2006 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and earned a berth in the 2006 NCAA tournament. Playing as a 15-seed, the Lady Hornets kept the game close down by only three until 9 minutes remained in the game, but lost 62-47 in the opening round to 2-seed Vanderbilt University.
The Department of Intramural Sports provides a wide variety of quality recreational programs for students, faculty, and staff.

Residence Life

There are seven campus residential halls: four for women, and three for men. There are also three apartment-style residence halls for upperclassmen. Two dining halls serve the more than 1,500 on-campus students.

Technology

Delaware State University is a part of the Internet 2 initiative. The university maintains several research computer labs, including a high-performance computational cluster in its DESAC center. Almost every building has aomputer lab.
Each student has a dedicated data port for Internet access, their own phone, a campus email address, and
Cable TV access in all residence hall rooms.
Certain campus buildings offer wireless connectivity.

Notable alumni

★ Reggie Barnes, Canadian Football League running back

★ Clyde Bishop, ambassador to the Marshall Islands

★ Wayne Gilchrest, U.S. Representative for Maryland's 1st congressional district, 1990-present.

★ Jamaal Jackson, offensive lineman for Philadelphia Eagles, 2004-present.

★ John Taylor, wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, 1987-1995.

★ Bonsu Thompson, ''XXL'' magazine editor-at-large, 2006-present

External Links

★ Official University website

★ Delaware State University Accreditation (History)

★ Official athletics website

★ Delaware Fan Club

Notes

1. Largest class ever graduates from DSU
2. http://www.desu.edu/inst_research/2004/history_2004.pdf Retrieved 2007-09-08.
3. http://www.desu.edu/docs/year/Tuition_and_Fees.php Retrieved 2007-09-08.