Norfolk State University
![]() |
|
Former names
|
Norfolk State Unit of Virginia Union University Norfolk Polytechnic College Virginia State College Norfolk State College |
---|---|
Motto | "Achieving With Excellence" |
Type | Public, HBCU |
Established | 1935 |
Academic affiliation
|
VHTP U.S. Census Bureau Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund |
Endowment | $23 million |
President | Eddie N. Moore, Jr. |
Provost | Sandra J. DeLoatch |
Academic staff
|
285 |
Undergraduates | 6,200 |
Postgraduates | 835 |
Location | Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. 36°50′55″N 76°15′45″W / 36.8487°N 76.2625°WCoordinates: 36°50′55″N 76°15′45″W / 36.8487°N 76.2625°W |
Campus | Urban, 134 acres (0.5 km2) |
Colors | Green and Gold[1] |
Athletics | NCAA Division I – MEAC |
Nickname | Spartans |
Affiliations | TMCF ORAU |
Website | www |
![]() |
Norfolk State University (NSU) is a public four-year, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. The university is a member-school of Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.
Contents
Academics[edit]
The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has accredited Norfolk State to award associate, baccalaureate, master and doctoral degrees.[2] Currently, Norfolk State offers two doctorate and 15 master's degrees, including master's degree programs in Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, and Criminal Justice. The school also offers 36 undergraduate degrees, including the only bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering in Virginia.[3]
Schools[edit]
Norfolk State's undergraduate and graduate programs are divided into eight schools/colleges.[4]
- School of Business
- School of Education
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Engineering, Science & Technology
- School of Social Work
- School of Extended Learning
- Honors College
- Graduate School
History[edit]
Samuel Fischer Scott | Director | 1935–1938 | |
Lyman Beecher Brooks | Director | 1938–1963 | |
Provost | 1963–1969 | ||
President | 1969–1975 | ||
Harrison Wilson, Jr. | President | 1975–1997 | |
Marie McDemmond | President | 1997–2005 | |
Alvin J. Schexnider | Interim President | 2005–2006 | |
Carolyn Meyers | President | 2006–2010 | |
Tony Atwater | President | 2011–2013 | |
Sandra DeLoatch | Acting President & Provost | 2013 | |
Eddie N. Moore Jr. | Interim President & CEO | 2013–2016 | |
President | 2016 - |
The institution was founded on September 18, 1935 as the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University.[5] Eighty-five students attended the first classes held in 1935. Mr. Samuel Fischer Scott, an alumnus of Virginia Union and Portsmouth native, served as the first director with the primary focus of maintaining the solvency of the school. Dr. Lyman Beecher Brooks, a Virginia Union alumnus, succeeded Mr. Scott as director in 1938, and served as provost, 1963–1969, and the first president 1969–1975.
In 1942, the school became independent of VUU and was named Norfolk Polytechnic College.[5] Within two years, by an act of the Virginia Legislature, it became a part of Virginia State College (now Virginia State University).[5] By 1950, the 15th anniversary of the college founding, the faculty had grown to fifty and the student enrollment to 1,018. In 1952, the college's athletic teams adopted the "Spartan" name and identity.
The City of Norfolk provided a permanent site for the college on Corprew Avenue, and in 1955 Brown Hall, formerly Tidewater Hall, opened as the first permanent building on the new campus. In 1956 Norfolk State College granted its first bachelor's degrees.
In 1969, the college divided from Virginia State College and was named Norfolk State College. The college was issued accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools the same year with an enrollment of 5,400 students. In 1975 and the year following, the first master's degrees were awarded in Communications and Social Work, respectively. Dr. Harrison Benjamin Wilson, Jr., in 1975, succeeded Dr. Lyman Beecher Brooks as President after 37 years.
When the college was granted university status in 1979 by the General Assembly of Virginia, it changed its name to Norfolk State University.
Norfolk State University celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1985 with a year of observances and with an enrollment of 7,200. In 1995 Norfolk State University's enrollment reached 9,112.
Upon the retirement of Dr. Harrison Benjamin Wilson in 1997, Dr. Marie Valentine McDemmond, became NSU's third President in 1997 and served until her retirement. Dr. Alvin J. Schexnider became interim president in July 2005. Dr. Carolyn Winstead Meyers was selected as the fourth President and began service on July 1, 2006. Dr. Tony Atwater was announced as the new president in 2011 becoming the fifth president and served until he was removed by the board of visitors of Norfolk State University on August 23, 2013. Dr. Sandra DeLoatch the Provost and President of Academic Affairs was named acting president effective.[6] On September 13, 2013, Eddie N. Moore Jr. was appointed interim president of Norfolk State University and started serving in that capacity on September 23, 2013.[7]
In December 2013, the university was placed on probation by its regional accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, for "financial and governance issues."[8] The probation was lifted two years later.[9]
Eddie Moore, Jr. became the 6th president of Norfolk State University on January 10, 2016.[10]
Campus[edit]
Located on the former site of the 50-acre (202,343 m2) Memorial Park Golf Course, which the city of Norfolk sold to the school for one dollar, the campus now encompasses 134 acres (0.5 km2) of land and 31 buildings.
The Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall is a large health, physical education, and ROTC complex with a seating capacity of 7,500. Other facilities include a 30,000-seat football stadium; a television studio and radio station, an African art museum, and a multi-purpose performing arts center. Research facilities include a life sciences building with a planetarium and a materials research wing with crystal growth, organic synthesis, laser spectroscopy, and magnetic resonance equipment.
In September 2009, the New Student Center facility opened. The three story building, which includes a game room, a dining area, a new bookstore, a wellness center (work-out facility), student lounges, and administrative offices, marks the first of two major projects for NSU.
Construction on a New Nursing and General Classroom Building is underway and scheduled to open in 2014, . Other recent construction on the campus includes the new police station (2007), the Marie V. McDemmond Center for Applied Research (2006), and the Spartan Suites Apartments (2005), and state-of-the-art Library (2012).
Student activities[edit]
Campus organizations
The below list includes organizations registered with the Norfolk State University Office of Student Actitvities for the 2007–2008 academic year.[11]
|
The university offers organized and informal co-curricular activities including 63 student organizations, leadership workshops, intramural activities, student publications and student internships.
Athletics[edit]
Norfolk State sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Football Championship Subdivision for all sports including football) in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Norfolk State was formerly a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Conference (1953–1960) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1962–1996).[12]
The 2011–12 Norfolk State Spartans men's basketball team won the 2012 MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament championship which gave them the conference's automatic bid in the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the school's first ever appearance in the tournament. The Spartans, a 15 seed, defeated the #2 seeded Missouri Tigers in the second round, 86-84. This victory was only the fifth time in NCAA Tournament history that a 15 seed defeated a 2 seed, with the last coming in 2001 by MEAC in-state rival Hampton.[13][14]
Marching band[edit]
The Marching Spartan Legion Band performs at campus events and during Norfolk State football games. They were featured performers in the Honda Battle of the Bands in 2007 and 2008.
National fraternities and sororities[edit]
All nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at Norfolk State University. These organizations are:
Organization | Symbol | Chapter | Chapter Symbol |
---|---|---|---|
Alpha Kappa Alpha | ΑΚΑ | Delta Epsilon | ΔΕ |
Alpha Phi Alpha | ΑΦΑ | Epsilon Pi | ΕΠ |
Delta Sigma Theta | ΔΣΘ | Epsilon Theta | ΕΘ |
Iota Phi Theta | ΙΦΘ | Delta | Δ |
Kappa Alpha Psi | ΚΑΨ | Epsilon Zeta | EZ |
Omega Psi Phi | ΩΨΦ | Pi Gamma | ΠΓ |
Phi Beta Sigma | ΦΒΣ | Delta Zeta | ΔΖ |
Sigma Gamma Rho | ΣΓΡ | Gamma Nu | ΓΝ |
Zeta Phi Beta | ΖΦΒ | Zeta Gamma | ΖΓ |
The Council of Independent Organizations includes:
Organization | Symbol | Chapter | Chapter Symbol |
---|---|---|---|
Chi Eta Phi | ΧΗΦ | Eta Beta | ΗΒ |
Mu Omicron Gamma | ΜΟΓ | Gamma | Γ |
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia | ΦΜΑ | Rho Mu | ΡΜ |
Sigma Alpha Iota | ΣΑΙ | Lambda Rho | ΛΡ |
Pi Sigma Epsilon | ΠΣΕ | Epsilon Tau | ΕΤ |
Tau Beta Sigma | ΤΒΣ | Epsilon Sigma | ΕΣ |
Kappa Kappa Psi | ΚΚΨ | Iota Xi | ΙΞ |
Pershing Rifles | P/R | Company R-4 | R-4 |
Pershing Angels | P/A | Company R-4-5 | R-4-5 |
Alpha Phi Omega | ΑΦΩ | Phi Mu | ΦΜ |
Student media[edit]
Newspaper[edit]
The Spartan Echo is the official student-produced newspaper of Norfolk State University. The paper is available in print (available twice a month) and on the web (updated daily).[15]
WNSB (College Radio Station)[edit]
Norfolk State operates WNSB(FM) radio, which broadcasts in stereo 24 hours a day from the campus and covers all of the Hampton Roads, Virginia area, reaching the Eastern Shore of Virginia, northeast North Carolina and the Richmond, Virginia suburbs.[16] Established on February 22, 1980 and known as "Hot 91.1", WNSB's programming is also broadcast via the internet.[16][17]
Notable faculty and staff[edit]
This list of notable faculty and staff contains current and former faculty, staff and presidents of the Norfolk State University.
Name | Department | Notability | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Na'im Akbar | Psychology | Clinical psychologist, prominent lecturer, and author on the psychology of Africans | [18] |
Anthony Evans | Athletic | Current interim head men's basketball coach at Norfolk State University and former head coach at Delhi Tech (Delhi, N.Y.) and Ulster County Community College (Kingston, N.Y.) | [19] |
Yacob Haile-Mariam | Business | an elected member of the Ethiopian parliament and a former Senior Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda | |
Adolphus Hailstork | Music | former professor of music and Composer-in-Residence at Norfolk State | [20] |
Robert R. Jennings | Administration | current president of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University | |
Yvonne B Miller | Professor Emeritus | Democratic State Senator who represents the 5th Senatorial District of the Commonwealth of Virginia. | [21] |
Steve Riddick | Athletic | Olympic gold medal winner and former Norfolk State University coach |
Notable alumni[edit]
This is a partial list of notable alumni which includes graduates, non-graduate former students, and current students of Norfolk State University or predecessors such as Norfolk State College.
Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Willard Bailey | 1962 | Former head football coach at Virginia Union University, Norfolk State University, and Saint Paul's College | |
Jedidah Isler | 2003 | Isler became the first African-American woman to receive a PhD in Astrophysics from Yale University in 2014 | [22] |
Gordon Banks | Guitarist, producer, writer and musical director | [23] | |
Al Beard | Former ABA player for the New Jersey Americans | [24] | |
Ron Bolton | 1972 | Former NFL player for the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns | [25] |
Karen Briggs | Violinist | [26] | |
Chris Brown | Bahamian track & field sprinter | ||
Don Carey | 2009 | NFL defensive back | [27] |
Bob Dandridge | 1969 | Former NBA player for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Washington Bullets | [28] |
Ray Epps | 1977 | Former NBA player for the Golden State Warriors | [29] |
Evelyn J. Fields | 1971 | Former director of the Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps Operations and the NOAA Commissioned Corps. She was the first woman and the first African American to hold this position. | [30] |
Future Man | Percussionist and member of the jazz quartet Béla Fleck and the Flecktones | [31] | |
Willie Gillus | Former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers | [32] | |
Elbert Guillory | Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate from Opelousas, Louisiana; elected as a Democrat in 2007 but switched parties on May 31, 2013 | [33] | |
Pee Wee Kirkland | First-round NBA draft pick (1969, Chicago Bulls) and notable Rucker Park street basketball star. As a junior, he teamed with Bob Dandridge, and was named to the all-tournament team at the NCAA Mideast Regional in 1967. | [34] | |
Ray Jarvis | Former NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and the New England Patriots | [35] | |
Leroy Jones | Former NFL player for the San Diego Chargers | [36] | |
Nathan McCall | Former reporter for the Virginian Pilot-Ledger Star, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and The Washington Post and the author of the best selling book Makes Me Wanna Holler | ||
Yvonne B Miller | Democratic State Senator who represents the 5th Senatorial District of the Commonwealth of Virginia | [21] | |
Alex Moore | American football player | [37] | |
Kyle O'Quinn | 2012 | NBA player for the New York Knicks | |
David Pope | 1984 | Former NBA player for the Utah Jazz, Kansas City Kings, and the Seattle SuperSonics | [38] |
Ken Reaves | Former NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and the St. Louis Cardinals | [39] | |
Tim Reid | 1968 | Comedian, actor, director | [40] |
Randall Robinson | African-American lawyer, author and activist, who is noted as the founder of TransAfrica | [41] | |
James Edward Roe | 1995 | Former NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens and Arena Football League player for the San Jose SaberCats | [42] |
J.B. Smoove | Actor, writer, and stand-up comedian, best known for role as Leon on Curb Your Enthusiasm | [43] | |
Chandra Sturrup | Bahamian track sprinter; Gold Medal Winner in the 2000 Olympics | ||
Shawn Z. Tarrant | 1998 | Member, Maryland House of Delegates | |
Andrew Warren | 1993 | Former U.S. diplomat to Algeria | [44] |
Susan Wigenton | 1984 | Federal Judge, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey | |
D'Extra Wiley | Entertainment veteran, producer and former MCA Records R&B Artist for the 90's New Jack group II D Extreme |
See also[edit]
- WNSB 91.1 FM
- Education in Norfolk, Virginia
- List of colleges and universities which have signed the Presidents Letter
- Sports in Norfolk, Virginia
References[edit]
- ^ NSU Visual Guide (PDF). Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- ^ "Accreditation and Affiliations". Norfolk State University. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ http://typesofengineeringdegrees.org/schools/virginia/#context/api/listings/prefilter
- ^ "Schools of NSU". Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ a b c "About Norfolk State". Retrieved 2008-01-12.
- ^ Denise M. Watson (23 August 2013). "Norfolk State board fires President Tony Atwater". Virginian Pilot. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- ^ Denise M. Watson (13 September 2013). "Norfolk State names Moore as interim president". Virginian Pilot. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ "Southern Accreditor Clears Virginia, Fisk, Florida A&M". Inside Higher Ed. December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
- ^ "Southern Accreditor Places Tennessee-Martin on Probation". Inside Higher Ed. December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ Green, Kevin. "NSU finalizes contract with former interim president". WAVY-TV. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
- ^ "Student Organizations and Activities". Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ "College Football Data Warehouse: Norfolk State Historical Data". Retrieved 2008-01-03.
- ^ [1] ESPN
- ^ Skretta, Dave (March 16, 2012). "Norfolk State upsets Missouri 86-84 in NCAA tourney". HamptonRoads.com. The Virginian-Pilot (Associated Press). Retrieved March 16, 2012.
- ^ "Spartan Echo". Spartan Echo. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Norfolk State University Student Life". Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "WNSB Hot 91.1 = Norfolk State University". Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Dr. Na'im Akbar". Na'im Akbar Consultants. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Norfolk State Athletics". Norfolk State University. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Old Dominion University Libraries Adolphus Hailstork Collection Biography". Old Dominion University. Archived from the original on January 1, 2005. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ a b "Yvonne B. Miller – State Senator". Yvonne B. Miller. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Jedidah Isler First African-American Woman To Receive A Yale PhD In Astrophysics". scienceworldreport.com. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ Gordon Banks at AllMusic
- ^ "Al Beard Statistics". Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Ron Bolton Past Stats, Statistics, History and Awards". databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Karen Briggs". Diva Foundation. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Don Carey Recent Games Career Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
- ^ "Bob Dandridge Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Ray Epps Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ Boyd, Charles E. (February 2001). "Rear admiral Evelyn Fields, NOAA Corps, rises to a prestigious military level". Black Collegian. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ Roy Wooten at AllMusic
- ^ "Willie Gillus". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
- ^ "Elbert Guillory". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
- ^ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (1997-01-12). "The Legend of Pee Wee Kirkland Grows". The New York Times Print Edition. The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
- ^ "Ray Jarvis – Past Stats, Statistics, History and Awards". databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Leroy Jones – Past Stats, Statistics, History and Awards". databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "ALEX MOORE". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- ^ "David Pope Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Ken Reaves – Past Stats, Statistics, History and Awards". databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "Tim Reid". The Museum of Broadcast Communications.
- ^ "TransAfrica founder, Randall Robinson . . .". The African American Registry. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ "James Roe – Past Stats, Statistics, History and Awards". databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ Axelrod, Josh (14 January 2012). "The Comedic Stylings of J.B. Smoove". collegemagazine.com. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- ^ "The Spartan Bookcase -Alumni authors". Norfolk State University. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
External links[edit]
- Norfolk State University
- Historically black universities and colleges in the United States
- Public universities
- Education in Norfolk, Virginia
- Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Universities and colleges in Virginia
- Educational institutions established in 1935
- 1935 establishments in Virginia