Johns Hopkins University

     The Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore,Maryland.Founded in 1876, the university was named after its first benefactor, the American entrepreneur, abolitionist, and philanthropist Johns Hopkins.His $7 million bequest—of which half financed the establishment of The Johns Hopkins Hospital—was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the United States at the time.Daniel Coit Gilman, who was inaugurated as the institution's first president on February 22, 1876,led the university to revolutionize higher education in the U.S. by integrating teaching and research.Adopting the concept of a graduate school from Germany's ancient Heidelberg University, Johns Hopkins University is considered the first research university in the United States.


Johns Hopkins is organized into ten divisions on campuses in Maryland and Washington, D.C. with international centers in Italy, China, and Singapore.The two undergraduate divisions, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering, are located on the Homewood campus in Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood.The medical school, the nursing school, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health are located on the Medical Institutions campus in East Baltimore.The university also consists of the Peabody Institute, the Applied Physics Laboratory, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, the education school, the Carey Business School, and various other facilities.


A founding member of the American Association of Universities, Johns Hopkins has been considered one of the world’s top universities throughout its history.The University stands among the top 10 in US News' Best National Universities Rankings and among the top 20 in a number of international league tables.Over the course of almost 140 years, thirty-six Nobel laureates have been affiliated with Johns Hopkins.Founded in 1883, the Blue Jays men’s lacrosse team has captured 44 national titles and joined the Big Ten Conference as an affiliate member in 2014.


On his death in 1873, Johns Hopkins, a Quaker entrepreneur and childless bachelor, bequeathed $7 million (approximately $140,000,000 today adjusted for consumer price inflation) to fund a hospital and university in Baltimore, Maryland.At that time this fortune, generated primarily from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the United States.


The first name of philanthropist Johns Hopkins is the surname of his great-grandmother, Margaret Johns, who married Gerard Hopkins. They named their son Johns Hopkins, who named his own son Samuel Hopkins. Samuel named one of his sons after his father and that son would be the university's benefactor. Milton Eisenhower, a former university president, once spoke at a convention in Pittsburgh where the Master of Ceremonies introduced him as "President of John Hopkins." Eisenhower retorted that he was "glad to be here in Pittburgh".

Ranked - 

• The undergraduate college is ranked 62nd in the nation by Forbes, 10th by US News, 14th by ARWU, and 48th by Washington Monthly.

• For medical and public health research U.S. News and World Report ranks the School of Medicine #3and has consistently ranked the Bloomberg School of Public Health #1in the nation. The School of Nursing was ranked #2 nationally among peer institutions.The QS Top Universities ranked Johns Hopkins University #4 in the world for medicine.Hopkins ranks #1 nationally in receipt of federal research funds and the School of Medicine is #1 among medical schools in receipt of extramural awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).In 2015, the Johns Hopkins Hospital was ranked the #3 hospital in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report annual ranking of American hospitals.

• The School of Education is ranked #1 nationally by U.S. News and World Report.Although no formal rankings exist for music conservatories, the Peabody Institute is generally considered one of the most prestigious conservatories in the country, along with Juilliard and the Curtis Institute. The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) ranked #1 (2005), #2 (2007), and #2 (2009), by College of William and Mary's surveys conducted once every two years beginning in 2005, for its MA program among the world's top schools of International Affairs for those who want to pursue a policy career. 

• In 2015, SAIS ranked 2nd in the world in Foreign Policy's Top Master's Programs for Policy Career in International Relations ranking.

Lindenwood University

     Lindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1827 by George Champlin Sibley and Mary Easton Sibley as The Lindenwood School for Girls, it is the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the Mississippi River and since 1990, the fastest-growing university in the Midwest.


Lindenwood offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees through nine colleges and schools. Its annual enrollment is more than 12,000 students in all programs, including 5,662 undergraduate day students at its main campus in St. Charles.The 500-acre (202.3 ha) main academic and residential campus is located 24 miles (39 km) northwest of St. Louis, Missouri, in St. Charles, the Daniel Boone historic site in Defiance, Missouri 26 miles (42 km) southwest of the St. Charles campus. In addition to numerous satellite campuses, Lindenwood also has an independently accredited sister college in Belleville, Illinois, known as LU–Belleville.


The university offers a number of extracurricular activities to its students, including athletics, honor societies, clubs, and student organizations, as well as fraternities and sororities. Alumni and former students have gone on to prominent careers in government, business, science, medicine, education, sports, and entertainment.


Lindenwood University traces its roots back to George Champlin Sibley, an early 19th-century American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and politician, and his wife Mary Easton Sibley, an educator. In 1808, Acting Governor and friend Frederick Bates promoted Sibley to the position of chief factor at Fort Osage in western Missouri, near present-day Kansas City, Missouri.While at Fort Osage, Sibley immediately set to work creating relationships with the neighboring Osage tribes.He also courted Mary Easton, the daughter of Rufus Easton, a prominent St. Louis attorney and Missouri's second Attorney General. The couple were married in 1815.During the Sibleys' time at Fort Osage, Mary began teaching the children at the fort.


In 1813, Sibley opened a temporary trading post at Fort Sibley, now known as the town of Arrow Rock, Missouri, which remained in operation until 1822. After the trading post shut down, George and Mary remained at Fort Osage, with George serving as postmaster until the fort closed in 1825.The couple then settled in St. Charles, where Mary began teaching family members and later, in 1827, other young women from the community .Lindenwood University is now considered the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the Mississippi River, after Saint Louis University, as well as the first.


The college became a co-educational institution in 1969 and changed its name from Lindenwood College for Women to Lindenwood Colleges, with a separate college for men and women.In 1970, the college started offering evening classes and in 1976 began awarding master's degrees.That same year, the St. Louis Football Cardinals of the NFL constructed a football field for practices. In 1980, the college became a member of the NAIA for athletics.Lindenwood Colleges, Lindenwood College for Men and Lindenwood College for Women were merged into Lindenwood College in 1983. It was known as Lindenwood College until 1997, at which time the school changed its name to the current name of Lindenwood University.


The eastern part of the LU campus is the oldest part and contains many historic buildings characterized by their early 20th-century architecture and vast numbers of linden trees. This area is located near the site of the original log cabin where Mary Sibley began the Linden Wood School for Girls.The eastern part of campus is the location of many of the academic buildings and contains the Margaret Leggat Butler Library, the university's main academic library.Roemer Hall, constructed in 1921, is the main administration building on the campus and home to the president's office, financial aid office, the registrar, and the business office, as well as the School of Education.

Rankings -

In the 2015 U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings (released in September 2014), Lindenwood was unranked among regional universities in the Midwest region.Lindenwood ranked 613 out of 682 in the Masters category of The Washington Monthly's 2012 University Rankings.

Maharishi University of Management

     Maharishi University of Management (MUM), formerly Maharishi International University, is an American non-profit university located in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded in 1973 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features a "consciousness-based education" system that includes the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.Its founding principles include the development of the full potential of the individual, fulfilling economic aspirations while maximizing proper use of the environment and bringing spiritual fulfillment and happiness to humanity.

The university is accredited through the PhD level by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and offers degree programs in art, business, education, communications, mathematical science, literature, physiology & health, Vedic Science and sustainable living.

The concept for a university came out of a "series of international symposia on Science of Creative Intelligence" (SCI) attended by notable academics.It was established in 1971 by Nat Goldhaber.It was created with the belief that a school that incorporated the "philosophy and techniques of Transcendental Meditation" would create an "unusual contribution to higher education".Its founding principles were to develop the full potential of the individual, realize the highest ideal of education, improve governmental achievements, solve the age-old problem of crime and all behavior that brings unhappiness to the world family, bring fulfillment to the economic aspirations of individuals and society, maximize the intelligent use of the environment, and achieve the spiritual goals of humanity in this generation.

It was inaugurated by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and Robert Keith Wallace assumed his position as the first university president in 1973. Its first location was an apartment complex in Goleta, California.The university enrolled 700 students during its first year of operation.In August 1974, the university purchased the campus of the bankrupt Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, for $2.5 million and relocated there.

The board of trustees consists of 37 members and is chaired by Jeffrey Abramson, a partner in The Tower Companies. Other members include Ramani Ayer, former chairman of The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., Bevan Morris, chairman emeritus of MUM, John Hagelin, honorary chairman, and Ed Malloy, mayor of Fairfield.Former trustees include retired major general and author Franklin M. Davis, Jr., Theodore Dreier, an engineer and educator who was one of the founders of Black Mountain College,and Alfred L. Jenkins, a career diplomat who served as chairman of MIU for three years.Bevan Morris is president of the university.In 2007 the university had 52 faculty members and average salaries for full-time faculty ranged from $6,678 for some instructors and assistant professors to $19,595 for full professors.In 2011, MUM was one of more than 1,000 corporations which requested a waiver to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's requirement to offer maximum payouts of $750,000 per employee.

The university is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the oldest accrediting agency in the USA.MUM is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).The university’s business programs (BA, MBA, and PhD) are accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).The university is also a charter signatory of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

The MUM website cites high rankings on "benchmarks of effective educational practice" from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).The 2002 NSSE survey, which obtained data from 135,000 students at 613 institutions, shows MUM was in the top 10% for: active and collaborative learning, supportive campus environment, enriching educational experiences and student–faculty interaction.MUM participated in the NSSE in 2002, 2005, and 2009.

The "Best Colleges 2013" Masters Midwest Category of U.S. News & World Report college and university rankings gave Maharishi University of Management a tier two rating,which places the school in the bottom 25% of colleges.The report listed its application deadline as rolling, its acceptance rate as 41%, its freshman retention rate as 80% and its student–faculty ratio as 12:1.

Maharishi University of Management emphasizes "natural health" and students are encouraged to maintain a regular schedule of academic work, rest, meals, and exercise.The university provides guidance on natural health improvement practices to the students, including guidelines for daily and seasonal routines, diet and digestion, simple breathing techniques, basic yoga postures called asanas, personalized fitness programs, and self-pulse health assessment techniques.Students are required to participate in physical activity every day. A variety of recreation, exercise classes and sports are offered to meet most schedules. A recreation center and an outdoor swimming pool are open to students at no charge.MUM prohibits the use of non-prescribed drugs, alcoholic beverages, and smoking on its campus.

MUM students compete in numerous team and individual sports. Men's and women's golf is an intercollegiate sport; men's and women's soccer is a club sport. Intramural sports include soccer, archery, badminton, baseball, basketball, fencing, field hockey, football, rock climbing, sailing, swimming, tennis, ultimate Frisbee and weight lifting.Players on the soccer team represent as many as 16 countries, and the team has been undefeated champion of its league three times.

Sam Houston State University

      Sam Houston State University (known as SHSU or Sam) was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located approximately one hour north of downtown Houston in the hills, lakes, and forests region of East Texas in Huntsville. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution of its type in Texas. The school is named for Sam Houston, who made his home in the city and is buried there.

SHSU is a member of the Texas State University System and has an enrollment of more than 18,400 students across over 80 undergraduate, 54 masters', and 6 doctoral degree programs. The university also offers more than 20 online bachelor's and graduate degrees, and its online programs are ranked high by U.S. News & World Report

The Sam Houston State University campus was originally home to Austin College, the Presbyterian institution that relocated to Sherman, Texas in 1876. Austin Hall was constructed in 1851 and is the oldest university building west of the Mississippi still in operation. It was renovated in 2012 and is used today for special meetings and events. Notably, Sam Houston himself attended and participated in the original dedication of the building.The one-room Peabody Memorial Library was the first free-standing campus library in Texas; it was constructed in 1901 with funds provided by the George Peabody Foundation. According to the Normal Institute's catalogue, the library was "a very handsome structure, and especially designed for the purpose for which it is to be used. It is said that no school of this kind in the South has a Building equal to it."Fully restored, it is now used as a venue for special university events.

The oak-studded rural main campus sits on 316 acres in the central area of Huntsville. Two large agricultural complexes feature a 1,600 acre teaching and research farm and a rodeo arena. The campus also features a planetarium, an observatory, a body farm, and an 18-hole golf course named Raven Nest. The mall area of the main campus includes Blatchley Bell Tower and Clock and a fountain.

Programs within the College of Criminal Justice were recently ranked by the Journal of Criminal Justice in the top five nationally. The theater and dance programs were ranked by Dance Spectrum Magazine in the top 25 nationally, and according to the National Dance Association, SHSU is home to quality athletic dance team.The university offers the only Professional Golf Management program in Texas, one of 20 in the country. SHSU also boasts one of the oldest speech and debate programs in the nation.

Sam Houston State's colors are orange and white and their nickname is the Bearkats. Sam Houston State sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Championship Subdivision for football) in the Southland Conference. Most recently, the top-ranked Bearkat football team was defeated by North Dakota State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship.

SHSU's athletic teams have been nicknamed "The Bearkats" since 1923 when the University's name was changed by the Texas State Legislature from Sam Houston Normal Institute to Sam Houston State Teachers College. Prior to 1923, the varsity sports teams were nicknamed "The Normals."

It is doubtful those who coined the "Bearkat" nickname had a particular animal in mind. More likely, the name came from a popular local saying of the time, "tough as a Bearkat!" The late Reed Lindsey, who was a student/athlete in the 1920s and later retired as University registrar, once said that "it was a good fighting name of the time." Since the animal in the saying was thought more mythical than real, the spelling settled upon was "Bearkat."

Club sports are very popular at SHSU. Some available to students include: Ultimate Frisbee, lacrosse, rugby, martial arts, trap and skeet, inline hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and baseball. The Sam Houston Quidditch team won the 2013 IQA World Cup Division 2 championship. The Spirit Programs, cheer, dance, and mascots, of Sam Houston hold the most National titles out of all of the sports and recreational activities at Sam Houston. The coed team is the reigning champions from NCA this past April. The All Girl team made school history by winning their first National Championship in April 2014.

California State University, Fullerton

     California State University, Fullerton (known as CSUF, Cal State Fullerton, or Fullerton State) is a public comprehensive university located in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of almost 39,000 it has the second largest student body out of the 23 campus California State University ("CSU") system, and its approximately 5,900 graduate student body is the second largest in the CSU and one of the largest in all of California. As of Fall 2013, the school had 1,932 faculty, of which 707 (36.6%) were on the tenure track.

The Orange County university offers over 240 degrees including 120 different Bachelor's degrees, 118 types of Master's degrees, 3 Doctoral degrees including a Doctor of Nursing and two Doctor of Education, and 19 teaching credentials.

CSUF is designated both as a Hispanic-serving institution and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISIs).The university is nationally accredited in art, athletic training, business, chemistry, communications, communicative disorders, computer science, dance, engineering, music, nursing, public administration, public health, social work, teacher education and theater. Spending related to CSUF generates an impact of around $1 billion to the California and local economy, and sustains nearly 9,000 jobs statewide.

In 1957, CSUF became the twelfth state college in California to be authorized by the state legislature as a degree-granting institution. The following year, a site was designated for the campus to be established in northeast Fullerton. The property was purchased in 1959. This is the same year that Dr. William B. Langsdorf was appointed as founding president of the school.

The University was originally named Orange County State College. Classes began with 452 students in September 1959. The name of the school was changed to Orange State College in July 1962. In 1964, the name of the school was changed for a second time to California State College at Fullerton. In June 1972, the final name change occurred and the school became California State University, Fullerton.

Academics -

California State University, Fullerton is the only campus in California that offers the Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in school nursing.

CSUF's academic departments and programs are organized into eight colleges: 

• College of the Arts

• Steven G. Mihaylo College of Business and Economics

• College of Communications

• College of Education

• College of Engineering and Computer Science

• College of Health and Human Development

• College of Humanities and Social Sciences

• College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Rankings and distinctions -

• CSUF was ranked the 39th top college in the United States by the Social Mobility Index college rankings.

• Forbes has recognized CSUF as one of the top 100 public universities in the nation.

• The Daily Beast ranked CSUF 94th in the country out of the nearly 2000 schools it evaluated for its 2013 Best Colleges ranking.

• Money Magazine ranked CSUF as 285th in the country out of the nearly 1500 schools it evaluated for its 2014 Best Colleges ranking.

• CSUF was ranked No. 23 among regional universities in the West by U.S. News and World Report in its 2012 rankings.

• CSUF tied at No. 6 for top public regional universities in the West with California State University, Chico and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in the U.S. News and World Report 2012 rankings. This is up from No. 10 the previous year.

•  In 2010, CSUF was ranked among the nation's 16 toughest grading colleges.Princeton Review lists CSUF in the "Best 294 Business Schools" publication.

• The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics is the largest accredited business school in the state of California and the fifth-largest in the United States.

• The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics is one of five undergraduate business schools in California with an accreditation in accounting.

• At the 2009 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, both winners of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship represented CSUF's Department of Theatre and Dance. Also in 2001, a CSUF student was a winning contestant.

• CSUF's graduate program in Nursing-Anesthesia's Program was ranked No. 22 by U.S. News and World Report in the 2012 publication.

• CSUF's graduate program in Information Technology is ranked No. 5 nationally by U.S. News and World Report.

Athletics -

CSUF participates in the NCAA Division I Big West Conference. They have 13 national championships in eight different sports. (1970, Women's Basketball (CIAW); 1971, 1972, 1974 Men's Gymnastics; 1971 Cross country team; 1973 Women's Fencing; 1989, Men's Bowling; 1979, Women's Gymnastics; 1979, 1984, 1995, 2004 Baseball; 1986; Softball). Their baseball team is a perennial national powerhouse with four national titles and dozens of players playing Major League Baseball. The CSUF Dance Team holds the most national titles at the school currently, with 15 national titles from UDA Division 1 Jazz; 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016; as well as one national title from UDAs in Division 1 Hip Hop. The Dance Team also holds multiple titles from United Spirit Association.

Grand Valley State University

    Grand Valley State University (commonly referred to as GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on 1,322 acres (5.35 km2) approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Grand Rapids.Classes are also offered at the university's growing Robert C. Pew Campus in Downtown Grand Rapids, Meijer Campus in Holland, and through centers at Muskegon and Traverse City established in cooperation with local community colleges.

GVSU is a comprehensive coeducational university serving more than 25,094 students as of fall 2014,from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries.It is one of America's 100 largest universities as well as the fifth largest in Michigan in terms of enrollment, and employs more than 3,000 people with about 1,657 academic faculty and 1,623 support staff.The university currently has alumni residing in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and 25 countries around the world.For the 2010–2011 academic year, GVSU was recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars for master's institutions by The Chronicle of Higher Education.GVSU has also been noted for its sustainability efforts, ranking as high as 16th in the world for environment-friendly university management by GreenMetric World University Ranking in 2011.

In 1958 the Michigan Legislature commissioned a study that demonstrated a need for a four-year college in the Grand Rapids area, Michigan's second largest metropolitan region. Local businessman Bill Seidman created a committee to study the report and spearhead the planning and promotion to create such an institution. In the following year the Michigan Legislature established the college. A naming contest was held, and out of 2500 submissions, "Grand Valley State College" was chosen. Private donations, including $350,000 to purchase land and $1,000,000 for construction, were secured from 5,000 individuals, organizations, and business throughout West Michigan. In 1961, the Grand Valley State College Board of Control chose a 876-acre (3.55 km2) site in Ottawa County near the Grand River for the new campus, and construction of academic buildings began the following year.

Academics -

 

Grand Valley State University is a large, primarily residential comprehensive university that has a large undergraduate enrollment and emphasis.GVSU offers over 200 areas of study, including 82 undergraduate majors and 36 graduate programs that include 74 graduate emphases and certificate programs at the certificate, bachelor's, post-bachelor's, master's, post-master's, and doctoral levels.GVSU conferred 4,448 undergraduate degrees and 1,033 graduate degrees in 2012-2013.

Grand Valley's student body consists of 21,636 undergraduates and 3,458 graduate students across all campuses and centers with the majority being on the Allendale campus.The fall 2014 incoming freshman undergraduate class of 4,199 students, represented 80 Michigan counties, 23 states, and 20 countries. 86% of first year students live on campus: 3,591 freshman chose to live on-campus in fall 2014, while 608 chose to live off-campus.As of fall 2014, more than 400 international students were enrolled at the university representing 82 different countries.

GVSU's undergraduate admissions are classified as "more selective" by US News & World Report as Grand Valley admitted 69% of applicants for the 2008–2009 school year.The fall 2014 freshman class entered Grand Valley with an average high school GPA of a 3.54 and an average ACT composite score of a 24.

US News and World Report noted in its "Best Colleges 2011" that 98 percent of Grand Valley graduates either find employment or pursue advanced degrees after graduation.

Rankings -

 

U.S. News and World Report ranked Grand Valley 3rd in the "Top Public Regional Universities in the Midwest" category and 26th in the "Regional Universities (Midwest) tier 1" category for 2014.Grand Valley is also ranked a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review.GVSU is also ranked as one of "America's Best Colleges" by Forbes magazine and the fourth in the state of Michigan, only behind the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Michigan Technological University, in terms of quality of education and student achievement and experience.Grand Valley is ranked 10th among U.S. master's degree-granting institutions for total number of study abroad students, according to the Institute of International Education in New York.According to U.S. News and World Report, Grand Valley is also the number one most up-and-coming masters university in the Midwest, ahead of Xavier University, Butler University, Truman State University and Alverno College.As of fall 2009, GVSU had the third highest freshman to sophomore retention rate among Michigan's 15 public universities at 84 percent.For 14 consecutive years, Grand Valley has been named one of America's 100 Best College Buys by Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc.The university has also been ranked as one of the top 25 "cutting edge" green colleges in the United States for 2009 by the Kaplan College Guide, the only Michigan university to receive this ranking.Upwards of 5,000 students are enrolled in health science related courses and majors, making GVSU the number one largest provider of health care professionals in Michigan.Grand Valley's Seidman College of Business is named one of "The Best 301 Business Schools" by The Princeton Review.US News and World Report has also ranked several of GVSU's graduate programs as being some of the best in the country. These "top" programs include: Physical Therapy, Nursing, Social Work, Physicians Assistant, Occupational Therapy, Public Affairs, and Business.

Athletics -

 

The Grand Valley State Lakers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Grand Valley State University.The GVSU Lakers compete at the NCAA Division II level and offer 20 varsity sports including 11 for women and 9 for men.The university currently participates in and is a founding member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).Grand Valley's varsity athletic teams have won 15 national championships in seven sports and have been national runners-up thirteen times in eight sports. GVSU has also won the prestigious National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors' Cup for NCAA Division II schools in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015 after finishing second in 2002, 2003, 2012 and 2013.The cup is awarded to the top athletic programs based on overall team national finishes. Grand Valley is the first college east of the Mississippi River to win the Director's Cup for NCAA Division II.

Endicott College

     Endicott College was founded in 1939 by Eleanor Tupper and her husband, George O. Bierkoe, as Endicott Junior college, a two-year women’s college with the mission of educating women for greater independence and an enhanced position in the workplace.The college was issued its first charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that same year, and graduated its first class of 20 students in 1941.

The school was named for John Endicott, an early overseer of Harvard University and the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In 1944, the school was approved by the state for the granting of associate's degrees, and in 1952, Endicott was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In 1975, the college dropped the 'Junior' from its name. In 1994, Endicott became co-educational.

George Bierkoe served as Endicott’s first president from its opening until 1971.Eleanor Tupper then served as president until 1980. She subsequently wrote Endicott and I, published in 1985, which details the founding and history of the college.Carol Hawkes became the third president of Endicott College in 1980, and during her tenure the college transitioned from a 2-year to a 4-year institution.Francis Gamelin served as Endicott's fourth president as the college searched for Hawkes successor.In 1988, Richard E. Wylie became the fifth and current president of Endicott.
Endicott's campus includes many historic buildings. On June 6, 1939, Endicott College purchased its first building, an estate known today as Reynolds Hall,which has served as a residence hall since the college opened on September 17, 1939.In 1940, Endicott College purchased two more buildings: Alhambra and College Hall. Both structures were a part of the William Amory Gardner estates. Built in 1750 by Thomas Woodbury, Alhambra is the oldest building on Endicott’s campus, and prior to its purchase, was used as a summer home by Isabella Stewart Gardner (until 1906).Since its purchase by the college, it has been used as student housing. College Hall, built in 1916, was designed as a summer home by Henry Richards and subsequently purchased by Endicott in 1940. The building currently houses multiple administrative offices, including the Office of the President.

Campus -

The college campus is located on 235-acre (0.95 km2) oceanfront property on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay, in an area known as the Gold Coast.This area includes two beaches, Tupper Beach and Brindle Beach, frequented by the campus community.

Endicott's main academic buildings include the Wax Academic Center, Judge Science Center, Gerrish School of Business, Manninen Center for the Arts, Center for Nursing and Health Professions, and Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies.The Halle Library serves as the main library on campus and also houses additional classrooms and student support services.

The Callahan Center is the main student activities building on campus and houses the main dining hall,as well as a number of student services.

The Post Sports Fitness and Science Center was opened in 2009 and is the main center for the School of Sports Science and Fitness Studies. The building includes a gymnasium, a field house with an indoor track, workout facilities, aerobics and dance rooms, and classrooms.

The Manninen Center for the Arts opened in 2009 and houses the School of Visual and Performing Arts.The facility includes a number of spaces for performances and exhibitions, including the 250-seat Rose Performance Hall and a 100-seat black box theater.

In July 2014, Endicott broke ground on the Raymond J. Bourque Ice Arena, which will house the college's NCAA Division III men’s and women’s ice hockey programs, as well as serve as home to Beverly Youth Hockey, Beverly High School Hockey, and other local sports activities.

Endicott currently houses all on-campus students in a variety of residence halls, from large dormitory-style arrangements to smaller apartment-style housing. Some residence halls serve particular populations, including a healthy-living dorm and women-only dorms, or offer themed programming.Many historic buildings are used as residence halls, including Reynolds Hall, Alahambra Hall, Winthrop Hall, Kennedy Hall, and Hamilton Hall. The latter was built in the late 1800s and by the Cotting family, whose members founded the Cotting School in 1893, and later owned by Herbert Sears Tuckerman.The college has also announced plans to build a new 300 bed residence hall in 2015.

Academics -

Endicott offers 23 Bachelor programs, 27 concentrations, and 27 minors.The college is composed of the School of Arts and Sciences, Gerrish School of Business, School of Communication, School of Education, School of Hospitality Management, School of Sport Science and Fitness Studies, School of Nursing, School of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies.Graduate programs are offered in Business, Education, Nursing, Computer Science, and Political Science.The most popular major is Business Management, followed by Fitness and Recreation Studies, Psychology and Visual/Performing Arts.

In 2014 the college initiated its first doctoral program (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership in Higher Education, and currently also offers an Ed.D. in PreK-12 Educational Leadership, a Ph.D. in Applied Behavioral Analysis, and a Ph.D. in Nursing.

Endicott employs 94 full-time faculty members and 298 adjunct faculty members.Endicott's student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1.

All bachelor's degree candidates must complete three distinct internship experiences before graduation, including two 120-hour positions and a semester-long internship during their senior year.Students majoring in Nursing and Athletic Training earn internship credits with clinical educational experiences, while Education majors gain experience in the classroom through student teaching.

Student Life -

Endicott offers over 60 student organizations,numerous academic honor societies, and varsity, club, and intramural sports. Many students also choose to participate in national community service organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, or volunteer in the local community.

In addition to traditional undergraduate and graduate students, Endicott offers a program called Keys to Degrees, which allows single parents to live on campus with their children. The program was launched in 1993 and offers financial assistance, workshops, and a baby-sitting cooperative for this population of students.In 2014, the college was awarded a grant to replicate the program across the U.S.

Athletics -

Endicott College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Gulls are a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC). Endicott was formerly a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and volleyball, while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.Endicott offers 8 men’s and women’s club sports: Cheerleading, Crew, Dance, Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Rugby, and Sailing. Beginning with the 2015 season, Men’s Ice Hockey will become a Division III sport as a member of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC).

Virginia Commonwealth University

    Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university located in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia General Assembly merged MCV with the Richmond Professional Institute, founded in 1917, to create Virginia Commonwealth University.Today, more than 31,000 students pursue 226 degree and certificate programs through VCU's 13 schools and one college.The VCU Health System supports the university's health care education, research and patient care mission.

Virginia Commonwealth University begins in 1967, when the Medical College of Virginia and the Richmond Professional Institute merged to become one, single university in Richmond, Virginia. The earliest roots of the school trace back to 1838, when the Medical College of Virginia was founded.

In 2013, VCU was awarded a $62 million federal grant to oversee a national research consortium of universities, hospitals and clinics to study what happens to service members and veterans who suffer mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions.

In 2010, VCU received a $20 million National Institutes of Health grant to join a nationwide consortium of research institutions working to turn laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients.The Clinical and Translational Science Award made VCU the only academic health center in Virginia to join the prestigious CTSA network. In 2011, The Carnegie Foundation elevated Virginia Commonwealth University to "Very High Research Activity," with over 255 million in sponsored research.

In 2009, Michael Rao was appointed the fifth president of VCU and continues in his tenure to focus on VCU's growth as a premier public research university

Virginia Commonwealth University has two main campuses in Richmond, Va.: the Monroe Park Campus, located west of downtown Richmond, and the MCV Campus in the urban center. Additionally, VCU has a branch campus in Education City, Qatar, along with numerous regional facilities.VCU's International Partnership Universities Initiative provides faculty and students the opportunity for involvement and collaboration in an international and multicultural arena. Fifteen international Partnership Universities and VCU School in Qatar are strategically located in 11 countries.

Ranks -  

• According to the 2016 U.S. News & World Report, VCU is classified as a Tier 1 University with an overall National University rank of No. 156 and holds a rank of No. 84 among all public colleges and universities in the United States.

• The Academic Ranking of World Universities conducted in 2005 by the Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks VCU in the top 100 universities in North & Latin America and one of the top 200 universities in the world.

• Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts) is ranked the No. 1 public university school of arts and design in the country by U.S. News & World Report in 2015.

• The School of Business currently ranks as the No. 51 part-time MBA program and No. 97 best undergraduate business program in the United States according to Bloomberg Businessweek and U.S. News & World Report, respectively.

• According to the 2012 U.S. News & World Report VCU School of Social Work is ranked 11 and the Public Affairs graduate program is currently ranked 53 in the nation.

• VCU is among the top 100 institutions according to the National Science Foundation rankings. 

 

Athletic -

Having competed at the NCAA Division I level for little more than 30 years, Virginia Commonwealth University has sponsored a broad-based program of intercollegiate athletics. The VCU Rams have won in excess of 30 conference championships, participated in numerous NCAA post-season championship events, including a run to the Final Four in men's basketball in 2011, and had a number of All-Americans — both academic and athletic.VCU currently sponsors sixteen varsity teams in NCAA Division I play through the Atlantic 10 Conference (A10).VCU also has many student run club teams. These sports not sponsored by the university include coed & allgirl cheerleading, baseball, softball, men's and women's rugby union, ice hockey,ultimate,men's and women's lacrosse, cycling, men's and women's crew and dodgeball. Previous club sports have also included wrestling and tennis.

University of Tennessee

   The University of Tennessee (also referred to as the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, UT Knoxville, UTK, or UT) is a public sun-grant and land-grant university headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee entered the Union as the 16th state, it is the flagship institution of the statewide University of Tennessee system with nine undergraduate colleges and eleven graduate colleges and hosts almost 28,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries. In its 2014 ranking of universities, U.S. News & World Report ranked UT 106th among all national universities and 46th among public institutions of higher learning. Seven alumni have been selected as Rhodes Scholars; James M. Buchanan, M.S. '41, received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Economics. UT's ties to nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, established under UT President Andrew Holt and continued under the UT–Battelle partnership, allow for considerable research opportunities for faculty and students.

On September 10, 1794, two years before Tennessee became a state and at a meeting of the legislature of the Southwest Territory at Knoxville, the University of Tennessee was chartered as Blount College. The new, all-male, non-sectarian institution struggled for 13 years with a small student body and faculty, and in 1807, the school was rechartered as East Tennessee College as a condition of receiving the proceeds from the settlement devised in the Compact of 1806. When Samuel Carrick, its first president and only faculty member, died in 1809, the school was temporarily closed until 1820. When it reopened, it began experiencing growing pains. Thomas Jefferson had previously recommended that the college leave its confining single building in the city and relocate to a place it could spread out. Ironically, in the Summer of 1826 (the year that Thomas Jefferson died), the trustees explored "Barbara Hill" as a potential site and relocated there by 1828.In 1840, the college was elevated to East Tennessee University (ETU)

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is the flagship campus of the statewide University of Tennessee system, which is governed by a 26-member board of trustees appointed by the Governor of Tennessee. The campus is headed by a Chancellor who functions as the chief executive officer of the campus, responsible for its daily administration and management. The chancellor reports to the president of the university system and is elected annually by the UT Board of Trustees at the recommendation of the system president. Jimmy Cheek has been Chancellor of the Knoxville campus since February 1, 2009. Joseph A. DiPietro has been system president since January 1, 2011. Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan D. Martin is responsible for the academic administration of the Knoxville campus and reports directly to the Chancellor.

    The University of Tennessee is ranked tied for 47th among public universities of America and tied for 103rd among all United States universities by U.S. News & World Report in its 2016 rankings.

Specialty World Reports are: 

• UT School of Art's Graduate Program in Printmaking, 2012 U.S. News & World Report.

• UT Nuclear Engineering Graduate Program, 2014 U.S. News & World Report.

• The supply chain management/logistics programs in the UT College of Business Administration, according to U.S. News & World Report.

• UT College of Social Work's Graduate Program, 2012 U.S. News & World Report.

• UT Health Science Center - College of Pharmacy, 2014 U.S. News & World Report.

• UT College of Information Sciences, 2014 U.S. News & World Report.

• UT College of Business Business Administration Undergraduate Program, 2012 U.S. News & World Report.

• UT College of Social Work, 2012 U.S. News & World Report.

• UT College of Engineering Undergraduate Program, 2012 U.S. News & World Report.

• UT College of Social Work, 2014 U.S. News & World Report.

• UT Master of Fine Arts program, U.S. News & World Report.

• UT School of Art, 2014 U.S. News & World Report.

Nova Southeastern University

     Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a private nonprofit university, with a main campus located on 300 acres (120 ha) in Davie, in the US state of Florida. Formerly referred to as "Nova" and now commonly called "NSU," the university currently consists of 18 colleges and schools offering over 175 programs of study with more than 250 majors. The university offers professional degrees in law, business, osteopathic medicine, allied health, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing. Nova Southeastern enrolled 24,148 students in the 2014-2015 academic year,and has produced over 164,000 alumni.

The university was founded as the Nova University of Advanced Technology on a former Naval Outlying Landing Field built during World War II.The university first offered graduate degrees in the physical and social sciences.Leo Goodwin, Sr. left a $16 million bequest to the university in 1971 which funded its expansion throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1994, the university merged with the Southeastern University of the Health Sciences and assumed its current name.

The university, originally named Nova University of Advanced Technology, was chartered by the state of Florida on December 4, 1964.With an inaugural class of 17 students,the university opened as a graduate school for the social and physical sciences.

The university was originally located on a campus in downtown Fort Lauderdale but later moved to its current campus in Davie, Florida.A portion of the site of this campus was once was a naval training airfield during World War II, called the "Naval Outlying Landing Field Forman."The remnants of the taxiway surrounding the airfield are still present in the form of roads used on the campus.

The university awards associate's, bachelor's, master's, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, psychology, and other social sciences.A total of 65 undergraduate majors are offered at NSU.

Nova Southeastern University has the only college of optometry in the state of Florida,one of three dental schools and one of three pharmacy schools in the state.NSU offers programs for families on parenting, preschool, primary education, and secondary education, which are provided through the through the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies and the NSU University School.

Nova Southeastern University is classified as a Doctoral/Research University Carnegie Foundation.About 95 percent of professors at NSU hold doctoral or terminal degrees in the their field of pedagogy.NSU is ranked by the Washington Monthly as the 259th best national university.

Rosenthal Student Center -

In 2015, NSU was ranked by The Economist at 290 of 1,275 colleges based on income of graduate, compared to expected income.

New Physical plant facilities -

In 2000, and again in 2014, Nova Southeastern University was ranked 3rd for highest total debt burden amongst its students.In 2014, students at NSU carried the #1 highest debt load compared to all other students at non-profit universities.

In 2015, NSU was ranked 9th for diversity by U.S. News & World Report.NSU was ranked 8th by Best College Reviews for diversity.In 2014 and 2015, NSU awarded more professional doctoral degrees to minorities than any other university in the nation.

Louisiana State University

     Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, often referred to as LSU) is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy. The current LSU main campus was dedicated in 1926, and consists of more than 250 buildings constructed in the style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, and occupies a 650-acre (2.6 km²) plateau on the banks of the Mississippi River.

LSU is the flagship institution of the Louisiana State University System, and the largest institution of higher education in Louisiana in terms of student enrollment. In 2015, the University enrolled over 26,000 undergraduate and over 5,000 graduate students in 14 schools and colleges. Several of LSU's graduate schools, such as the E.J. Ourso College of Business and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, have received national recognition in their respective fields of study.Designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant institution, LSU is also noted for its extensive research facilities, operating some 800 sponsored research projects funded by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Louisiana State University Agricultural & Mechanical College had its origin in several land grants made by the United States government in 1806, 1811, and 1827 for use as a seminary of learning. It was founded as a military academy and is still today steeped in military tradition, giving rise to the school's nickname "The Ole War Skule." In 1853, the Louisiana General Assembly established the Seminary of Learning of the State of Louisiana near Pineville in Rapides Parish in Central Louisiana. Modeled initially after Virginia Military Institute, the institution opened with five professors and nineteen cadets on January 2, 1860, with Colonel William Tecumseh Sherman as superintendent. The original location of the Old LSU Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.On January 26, 1861, after only a year at the helm, Sherman resigned his position because Louisiana became the sixth state to secede from the Union. The school closed on June 30, 1861, with the start of the American Civil War.

The current LSU campus is located on 2,000 acres (8.1 km²) just south of downtown Baton Rouge. A majority of the university's 250 buildings, most of which were built between 1925 and 1940, occupy a 650-acre (2.6 km²) plateau on the banks of the Mississippi River.

The Olmsted Brothers Firm of Brookline, Massachusetts, designed the current campus around 1921 when LSU was planning to move its campus from downtown Baton Rouge. The Olmsted firm originally designed the campus for up to 3,000 students, but state officials asked the firm to scale the plan back due to budgetary constraints; subsequently, the new plan presented to the state by the Olmsted Brothers centered the campus around a cruciform quadrangle similar to the one that exists on campus today.

Athletic -

LSU fields teams in 21 varsity sports (9 men's, 12 women's), and is a member of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and the Southeastern Conference.

The 9 men's teams compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. The 12 women's teams compete in basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball.

Ranked -

• Louisiana State University is ranked 129th in the national universities category and 63rd among public universities by the 2015 U.S. News & World Report ranking of U.S. colleges.LSU is also ranked as the 190th best overall university in the nation by Forbes magazine and is featured in the 2011 edition of Princeton Review's Best 371 Colleges guide. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked LSU as the 16th most popular university in the nation.LSU was listed for academic censure by the national Association of University Professors for its alleged mistreatment of faculty on June 16, 2012.Programs that have received recognition within LSU include the following:

• The E. J. Ourso College of Business has two professional programs ranked by U.S. News & World Report: in 2015, the Public Administration Institute ranked 73rd nationally according to the magazine, and the Flores MBA program was ranked 65th nationally.Additionally,

• LSU students have won the International Student High Achievement Award, an accolade given to students who score the highest possible score on the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) exam, seventeen times during the last twenty-one years.

• In 2007, the Flores MBA Program was ranked seventh in the nation "for attracting corporate MBA recruiters who recruit regionally" by the Wall Street Journal.

• The LSU College of Engineering undergraduate program was ranked 91st by U.S. News & World Report while the graduate program was ranked 94th.

• The Paul M. Hebert Law Center is ranked as the 75th best law school in the nation by the 2010 U.S. News Rankings of Best Law Schools.

• In 2009, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked LSU among the top 12 Entrepreneurial Colleges and Universities in the nation.

• The University's Robert S. Reich School of Landscape Architecture was ranked No. 1 nationally in undergraduate and No. 2 in graduate programs by DesignIntelligence in its 2011 and 2012 editions of "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools".The journal has ranked the school in the top five since 2004.

• The LSU College of Education graduate program was ranked 86th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

• The LSU French program, comprising the Department of French Studies and the Center for French and Francophone Studies, is recognized by the Cultural Services office of the French Ambassador to the United States as a centre d'excellence, an honor given to only 15 university French programs in the United States, and is ranked as one of the top 20 undergraduate French programs in the nation.

• The LSU graduate program in fine arts is ranked 62nd in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

• The LSU graduate program in library and information studies is ranked 27th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

• The LSU School of Social Work is ranked 79th in the nation by the 2015 U.S. News & World Report.

Saint Leo University

     Saint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university established in 1889 and reestablished in 1959. It is located in Saint Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa.The university is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery. The university and the abbey are both named in honor of Pope Leo the Great, who is recognized by Catholics as both a saint and as one of the most outstanding leaders in the history of the Church.

The oldest Catholic college in Florida, and the sixth-largest in the United States, Saint Leo University was one of the first American universities to provide distance learning opportunities to students, beginning to educate military men and women in 1973 during the Vietnam era at the height of the anti-war movement.

Saint Leo University now operates 17 continuing education centers in seven states, including California, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, as well as dozens of military base centers, and the University's Center for Online Learning.

Saint Leo was founded as the first Catholic college in Florida, chartered on June 4, 1889 by a group of Benedictine monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.The University opened its doors on September 14, 1890 with an enrollment of 32 students.

Saint Leo ended racial segregation on their campus in 1889, before it was legal to do so in Florida, and totally integrated their campus in the Deep South.In 1920, the College was temporarily phased out to become an English-style prep school.Saint Leo opened again as a college in 1959, receiving assistance from the Benedictine sisters at Holy Name Monastery, its neighboring community. Operating first on the associate's level, the college moved quickly to a four-year program and conferred its first bachelor's degree on April 23, 1967, on 51 men and 13 women. The college was accredited by the Southern Educational Association on November 29, 1987.

In 1973, the college responded to requests from the armed services to offer degree programs on US military bases. Today Saint Leo University is one of the largest providers of higher education to military-related personnel in the United States.Continuing in the tradition of distance learning, the Saint Leo University Center for Online Learning was established in 1999, as one of the first online schools in the country.

In 2011, Saint Leo University was named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the "Top Universities in the South."In 2010 the university was listed in the magazine G.I. Jobs as a "Military Friendly School."Saint Leo was also a finalist in 2011 for the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award presented by the Association of Teacher Educators.The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) named Saint Leo among its 2010 Community Service Honor Roll.Saint Leo's online program has also gained some notable recognition;Guide to Online Schools ranked it #17th in their list of top online schools.

 Athletic -

Saint Leo teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II. The Lions are a member of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and tennis; women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball.

Ohio State University

    The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State or OSU, is a public research university in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1870, as a land-grant university and ninth university in Ohio with the Morrill Act of 1862,the university was originally known as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The college began with a focus on training students in various agricultural and mechanical disciplines but was developed into a comprehensive university under the direction of Governor Rutherford B. Hayes and in 1878 the Ohio General Assembly passed a law changing the name to "The Ohio State University".It has since grown into the third largest university campus in the United States.Along with its main campus in Columbus, Ohio State also operates a regional campus system with regional campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark, and Wooster.

The university is also home to an extensive student life program, with over 1,000 student organizations; intercollegiate, club and recreational sports programs; student media organizations and publications, fraternities and sororities; and three active student governments. Ohio State athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are known as the Ohio State Buckeyes. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference for the majority of sports. The Ohio State Buckeyes men's ice hockey program competes in the Big Ten Conference, while its women's hockey program competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. In addition, the OSU men's volleyball team is a member of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). OSU is one of only fourteen universities in the nation that plays Division I FBS football and Division I ice hockey. Alumni and former students have gone on to prominent careers in government, business, science, medicine, education, sports, and entertainment.

The initial idea of a manufacturing and agriculture university in central Ohio had been hindered in the 1870s by hostility from the state's agricultural interests and competition for resources from Ohio University, which was chartered by the Northwest Ordinance, and Miami University; although, these issues were dismissed by Republican stalwart Governor Rutherford B. Hayes. The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 as a land-grant university in with the Morrill Act of 1862 under the name of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The school was originally situated within a farming community located on the northern edge of Columbus. While some interests in the state had hoped that the new university would focus on matriculating students of various agricultural and mechanical disciplines, Governor Hayes manipulated both the university's location and its initial board of trustees towards a more comprehensive end.The university opened its doors to 24 students on September 17, 1873. In 1878, the first class of six men graduated. The first woman graduated the following year.Also in 1878, in light of its expanded focus, the college permanently changed its name to the now-familiar "The Ohio State University", with "The" as part of its official name.

Ranked -

• In 1916, Ohio State became the first university in Ohio to be extended membership into the Association of American Universities, and remains the only public university in Ohio among the organization's 60 members. The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities (2000) by Howard and Matthew Greene listed Ohio State as one of a select number of public universities offering the highest educational quality.

• In its 2016 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Ohio State as tied for the 16th-best public university in the United States, and tied for 52nd among all national universities.

• The Academic Ranking of World Universities placed Ohio State 40th nationally and 67th globally for 2015.In its 2015-16 rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked it tied for 90th in the world.Also in 2015, QS World University Rankings ranked the university 99th in the world.

• The Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance at Arizona State University detailed analysis and rankings of American universities in 2007 placed Ohio State as the 24th ranked university in America, the 10th ranked public university in the country and the top overall university in Ohio. Of their nine ranking criteria, Ohio State ranked in the top-25 in four categories and between 26–50 in an additional four categories.The Washington Monthly college rankings, which seek to evaluate colleges' contributions to American society based on factors of social mobility, cutting edge research, and service to the country by their graduates, in 2015 placed Ohio State 18th in the nation.

• The Ohio State law school is ranked by U.S. News & World Report tied for 34th overall in America for 2016, with the nursing school tied for 22nd, and the medical school ranked tied for 31st for research and tied for 40th for primary care; the graduate engineering program was ranked 32nd best and the College of Education ranked 15th in America.Nineteen Ohio State graduate programs or specialties were rated among the nation's top ten for 2016.

• Ohio State's political science department is ranked 15th in the country by U.S. News & World Report for 2016, with the international politics section 8th, American politics 10th, and political methodology 10th.Professor Alexander Wendt was ranked the most influential scholar of international relations in the world in a 2011 survey of American professors of international relations.The history department was recently ranked 18th in the nation by the National Research Council.

Case Western Reserve University

      Case Western Reserve University (also known as Case Western Reserve, Case Western, Case, and CWRU) is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. The university was created in 1967 by the federation of Case Institute of Technology (founded in 1881 by Leonard Case Jr.) and Western Reserve University.TIME magazine described the merger as the creation of "Cleveland's Big-Leaguer" university.

In U.S. News & World Report's 2015 rankings, Case Western Reserve's undergraduate program ranked 37th among national universities.The University is associated with 16 Nobel laureates.Other notable alumni include Paul Buchheit, creator and lead developer of Gmail; Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist.org; Pete Koomen, the co-founder and CTO of Optimizely; and Peter Tippett, who developed the anti-virus software Vaccine, which Symantec purchased and turned into the popular Norton AntiVirus. Case Western Reserve is particularly well known for its medical school, business school, dental school, law school, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing,Department of Biomedical Engineering and its biomedical teaching and research capabilities. It is also a leading institution for research in electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering. Case Western Reserve is a member of the Association of American Universities.

Western Reserve College was founded in 1826 in Hudson, Ohio, which, at the time, was the region's most populated area and named for the Connecticut Western Reserve, out of which the area arose. The nearby city of Cleveland, located about 26 miles (42 km) to its northwest, had only begun to grow. Western Reserve College, or "Reserve" as it was popularly called, was the first college in northern Ohio.

By 1875, a number of other schools had been established nearby, and Cleveland had emerged as clearly the dominant population and business center of the region. In 1882, with funding from Amasa Stone, Western Reserve College moved to Cleveland and changed its name to Western Reserve University.

The university is approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of downtown Cleveland, adjacent to the historic Wade Park District in University Circle, a park-like city neighborhood and commercial center, home to numerous educational, medical, and other cultural institutions. Case Western Reserve has a number of programs taught in conjunction with nearby institutions, including the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland Botanical Garden, and the Cleveland Play House.

Ranked -

• In 2014, Case Western Reserve was ranked 38th in the category American "national universities" by U.S. News & World Report.

• In 2014, Washington Monthly ranked Case Western Reserve University as the 9th best National University.

• In 2013, Washington Monthly ranked Case Western Reserve as the nation's 4th best national university for contributing to the public good. The publication's ranking was based upon a combination of factors including social mobility, research, and service.In 2009, the school had ranked 15th.

• In 2014, The Times ranked Case Western Reserve 116th worldwide.

• In September 2009, "BusinessWeek" ranked Case Western Reserve's Weatherhead School of Management as one of the 30 best Design Thinking schools in the world.

• In 2008, the National Science Foundation ranked Case Western Reserve #23 in the country for producing the highest percentage of undergraduate students that go on to earn Engineering and Science Ph.Ds.

• In 2014, Case Western Reserve was ranked the 405th top college in the United States by Payscale and CollegeNet's Social Mobility Index college rankings.

Michigan State University

         Michigan State University (MSU) is a public research university located in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. MSU was founded in 1855 and became the nation's first land-grant institution under the Morrill Act of 1862, serving as a model for future land-grant universities.The university was originally founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, one of the first institutions of higher education in the country to teach scientific agriculture.Following the introduction of the Morrill Act, the college became coeducational and expanded its curriculum beyond agriculture. Today, MSU is the eighth-largest university in the United States and has approximately 540,000 living alumni worldwide.

The history of Michigan State University (MSU) dates back to 1855, when the Michigan Legislature established the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in East Lansing, with 3 buildings, 5 faculty members and 63 male students. As the first agricultural college in the United States, the school served as a prototype for future land-grant institutions under the Morrill Act enacted during Abraham Lincoln's presidency. The school's first class graduated in 1861 right after the onset of the American Civil War. That same year, the Michigan Legislature approved a plan to allow the school to adopt a four-year curriculum and grant degrees comparable to those of the University of Michigan (U-M).

Michigan State's NCAA Division I-A program offers 12 varsity sports for men and 13 for women.Since their teams are called the Spartans, MSU's mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty. The university participates in the Big Ten Conference in all varsity sports, including the new Big Ten hockey conference, featuring 6 teams. The current athletic director is Mark Hollis, who was promoted to the position on January 1, 2008.Hollis replaced Ron Mason, who served as head hockey coach from 1979 to 2002, retiring with a record total of 924 wins, and a 635–270–69 record at MSU.

In 1888 Michigan State University along with Olivet, Albion and Hillsdale Colleges was a founding member of the nation's oldest athletic conference, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). MAC left the conference in 1907.

Michigan State ranks 99th in the world in 2015, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities.In its 2015-16 rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings also ranked it 99th in the world.The 2015 QS World University Rankings placed Michigan State University at 164th internationally.In its 2016 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked it as tied for the 29th-best public university in the United States, tied for 75th nationally and tied for 82nd globally.

The university has over 200 academic programs. U.S. News ranked MSU's graduate-level programs in elementary teacher's education, secondary teacher's education, industrial and organizational psychology, and nuclear physics first in the nation for 2016. U.S. News also ranks MSU third nationally for graduate education in African history and fourth nationally for graduate education in Educational Psychology.

The Eli Broad College of Business was ranked No. 42nd among undergraduate institutions nationally by Businessweek. Ninety-four percent of the school's graduates received job offers in 2014.The 2016 U.S. News ranked Michigan State's undergraduate supply chain management/logistics program in the Eli Broad College of Business 1st in the nation.In addition, the Eli Broad College of Business undergraduate accounting program is ranked 13th, the master's accounting program is ranked 15th, and the doctoral program is ranked 11th, according to the 2013 Public Accounting Report's Annual Survey of Accounting Professors.The MBA program is ranked 19th in the U.S. by Forbes magazine.

East Carolina University

        East Carolina University is a public, doctoral/research university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the third-largest in North Carolina.

Founded on March 8, 1907 as a teacher training school, East Carolina has grown from 43 acres to almost 1,600 acres today. The university's academic facilities are located on four properties: Main Campus, Health Sciences Campus, West Research Campus, and the Field Station for Coastal Studies in New Holland, North Carolina.The nine undergraduate colleges, graduate school, and four professional schools are located on these four properties.All of the non-health sciences majors are located on the main campus. The College of Nursing, College of Allied Health Sciences, The Brody School of Medicine, and School of Dental Medicine are located on the health science campus. There are ten social sororities, 16 social fraternities, four historically black sororities, five historically black fraternities, one Native American fraternity, and one Native American sorority.There are over 300 registered clubs on campus including fraternities and sororities.

Public Laws of North Carolina, 1907, Chapter 820 titled An Act to Stimulate High School Instruction in the Public Schools of the State and Teacher Training is the official law chartering East Carolina Teachers Training School (ECTTS) on March 8, 1907 by the North Carolina General Assembly.The chairman of its original Board of Trustees, Thomas Jordan Jarvis, a former Governor of North Carolina now known as the "Father of ECU", participated in groundbreaking ceremonies for the first buildings on July 2, 1908 in Greenville, North Carolina and ECTTS opened its doors on October 5, 1909.Although its purpose was to train "young white men and women", there were no male graduates until 1932.In 1920, ECTTS became a four–year institution and renamed East Carolina Teachers College (ECTC); its first bachelor's degrees were awarded the following year in education.A master's degree program was authorized in 1929; the first such degree granted by ECTC was in 1933.Progress toward full college status was made in 1948 with the designation of the bachelor of arts as a liberal arts degree, and the bachelor of science as a teaching degree.A change of name to East Carolina College in 1951 reflected this expanded mission.Over the objections of Governor Dan K. Moore, who opposed the creation of a university system separate from the Consolidated University of North Carolina, ECC was made a regional university effective July 1, 1967, and assumed its present name, East Carolina University.

ECU's sports teams, nicknamed the Pirates, compete in NCAA Division FBS as a full–member of the American Athletic Conference.The Pirates joined The American on July 1, 2014. Jeff Compher is the Athletic Director.The football team is supported by world-class spirit groups, such as the East Carolina University Marching Pirates, National Award winning Cheerleading squads, and spirit teams. Facilities include the 50,000 seat Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for football, the 8,000–seat Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum for men's and women's basketball, and Clark-LeClair Stadium, with a seating capacity of 3,000 for baseball. The Ward Sports Medicine building comprises 82,095-square-foot (7,600 m2) and houses the athletic department, Pirate Club offices and the Human Performance Laboratory.

• In 2012, East Carolina was classified by U.S. News & World Report as a National University in its second-tier rankings.

• In 2010, Forbes ranked the school 36th in its America's Best College Buys story.

• In the 2012 edition of U.S. News & World Report, The Brody School of Medicine is ranked 10th in the country for primary care physician preparation, 13th in the rural medicine specialty and 14th in family medicine.In 2010, Brody was ranked seventh on the social mission scale.

In 2009, the university was awarded the Patriot Award. The Patriot Award recognizes employers who go above and beyond what the law requires in supporting their employees who serve in the National Guard or reserves.In 2010, the university was awarded the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. It is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.

California State University, Long Beach

        

      California State University, Long Beach is the third largest campus of the 23 school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities in the state of California by enrollment, its student body numbering 36,822 for the Fall 2014 semester. As of Fall 2014, the school had 2,283 total faculty, with 36.7 percent of those faculty on the tenure track.With 5,286 grad students, the university enrolls one of the largest graduate student populations across the CSU and in the state of California alone.The university is located in the Los Altos neighborhood of Long Beach at the southeastern coastal tip of Los Angeles County, less than one mile from the border with Orange County.The university offers 137 different Bachelor's degrees, 92 types of Master's degrees, 5 Doctoral degrees including two Doctor of Education, a Ph.D in Engineering, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Nursing Practice, as well as 29 different teaching credentials.

The College was established in 1949 by California Governor Earl Warren, to serve the rapidly expanding post-World War II population of Orange and Southern Los Angeles counties. Since then, CSULB has grown to become one of the state's largest universities.

The institution was first named as Los Angeles-Orange County State College. Peter Victor Peterson was its first president.It offered 25 courses, taught by 13 faculty members, in two apartment buildings at 5381 Anaheim Road in Long Beach. In June 1950, the citizens of Long Beach voted overwhelmingly to purchase 322 acres (130 ha) as a permanent campus for the college, then known as Long Beach State College. The purchase price was nearly $1,000,000. Student enrollment grew rapidly in this new, permanent location.

Also in 1972, the campus became the home of the largest library facility in the then 19-campus CSU system: a modern six-story building with a seating capacity of nearly 4,000 students.

In 1995, President Robert Maxson initiated the privately funded President's Scholars Program, providing selected qualified California high school valedictorians and National Merit finalists and semi-finalists with a full four-year scholarship package, including tuition, a book stipend, and housing. As of May 2010, over 1000 students have accepted the scholarship.For applicants for Fall 2010, National Achievement Program Semifinalists/Finalists and National Hispanic Recognition scholars were also considered.

•  Cal State Long Beach was ranked the 19th top college in the United States by Payscale and CollegeNet's Social Mobility Index college rankings.

•  Money Magazine ranked Cal State Long Beach 183rd in the country out of the nearly 1500 schools it evaluated for its 2014 Best Colleges ranking.

•  The Daily Beast ranked Cal State Long Beach 92nd in the country out of the nearly 2000 schools it evaluated for its 2013 Best Colleges ranking.

•  Long Beach State has also been ranked as one of the top five public master's degree-granting institutions in the West by U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges Guide" in every year's edition from 2005 to 2013.