Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw State University, located on 186 acres (753,000 m²) in Kennesaw, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, is a public university with 18,000 students. The President of the University is Dr. Betty Siegel. Kennesaw State University is a unit of the University System of Georgia

The university has undergone a number of changes in name (and mission) over its short existence. The university was officially founded on October 9, 1963, when the Georgia Board of Regents approved the establishment of Cobb County Junior College. By August 1965, it was officially named Kennesaw Junior College. In 1976, it became a four-year college, Kennesaw College, which allowed it to grant its first bachelor's degrees to seventy students in June 1980. In 1988, it was renamed Kennesaw State College; it became Kennesaw State University on June 12, 1996.

Kennesaw State University is located adjacent to I-75 (similar to other Georgia Universities: Georgia Tech, Georgia State University) where views of the campus can be seen from the highway, including Kennesaw State's University Village.

Other milestones in KSU's existence include:

• 1981: Kennesaw has the University System of Georgia's first woman president.
• 1985: Kennesaw establishes its first graduate degree programs, in business and education.
• 1988: Associate degrees are discontinued, except for a program in nursing.
• 1990: The School of Business Administration starts the nation's first degree program in professional sales.
• 1996: The baseball and softball teams win NCAA Division II national championships.
• 2004: The Kennesaw State Lady Owls win the 2003 NCAA Women's Division II Soccer Championship.
• 2004: The Kennesaw State Owls win the 2004 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship.
• 2005: Kennesaw State University joins Division I Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun) for the 2005 season.
  
  

Contents

1 Profile of the student body 2 Colleges 3 Major Campus Buildings/Landmarks 4 Sports 5 Student media 6 External links

Profile of the student body

Over three-quarters of the student body come from Cobb, Cherokee, or Fulton counties. About three of every five undergraduates are full-time, while the figure for graduate students is three out of ten. As of 2002, half of its undergraduates are at least 23 years old; over half (57%) of its graduate students are between 23 and 34 years of age.

For fall 2002, 45% of graduate enrollments were in KSU's Coles College of Business; 24% were in its Bagwell College of Education. That semester also saw the university continue its trend of having significantly more female (62%) than male (38%) students. As of 2004, KSU has the third-largest university enrollment within the University System of Georgia, out of the 34 universities and colleges in the system.

Colleges

• College of the Arts
• Coles College of Business
• Bagwell College of Education
• WellStar College of Health and Human Services
• College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• College of Science and Mathematics
• University College

Kennesaw State's Continuing Education, one of the largest in the nation, is housed in the KSU Center, located a mile away from the main campus.

Major Campus Buildings/Landmarks

The A.L. Burruss Building is home to the Michael J. Coles College of Business. It is situated in the east section of campus overlooking the Campus Green. The ground floor contains a food court with table seating for eating and studying surrounded by numerous lecture halls. The fourth floor of the Burruss Building is a computer lab open to students. This building is one of the more dominant features of this sector of the campus, which contains other large structures (Kennesaw Hall, KSU Convocation Center). At night, the tower that extends from the center of the Burruss Building facade lights up with the letters "KSU", displaying its dominance on campus, even at night. A sidewalk west of the Burruss building leads north to university housing communities University Village and KSU Place. Easy access to the developing arts district northwest of the Burruss Building (Stillwell Theatre, Performance Hall) is offered from the west exit of the Burruss Building.

Kennesaw State's Campus Green offers students an area to relax, study or throw a football or frizbee between classes. This aesthetic feature has become one of KSU's most treasured landmarks. During the Spring and Fall student activity on the green can be seen during the noon and afternoon hours. During graduation ceremonies, the campus green is utilized as a reception area. Following signs from the East Parking Deck leads students and visitors to the Campus Green surrounded by the towering buildings in the area (Burruss Building, Kennesaw Hall, Convocation Center) which offers an unique atmosphere on this suburban campus. The Campus Green offers direct access to Kennesaw State's James V. Carmichael Student Center. Exiting the Carmichael Student Center from its east exits offers a spectacular view of the Campus Green and the towering surrounding structures.

Kennesaw Hall is home to the College of Education and administrative offices of the university. The Office of the President resides on the top floor of this structure that could be seen all the way from Barrett Parkway (a busy Kennesaw road a few miles away) and Kennesaw Mountain. This "Crown Jewel" of the Kennesaw State campus borders Frey Road and can be seen by passing motorist on Interstate 75. Kennesaw Hall over looks the Campus Green and is one of the larger buildings in the east section of Campus.

The Convocation Center is located southeast of the Campus Green and houses the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball programs at Kennesaw State University. The Convocation Center is a multipurpose facility that supports lectures, concerts, theatrical performances,athletic events, graduations and convocation ceremonies. The facility has state of the art locker rooms, training rooms and offices for the atheltic department. The third floor of the center houses hospitality and conference suits that overlook the arena floor. KSU's Convocation Center is the largest of its kind in northwest Georgia.

Other Selected Buildings

The 'historic district' of the university (Original Campus) is located in the west section of campus and includes the Social Science, Pilcher Public Service, Willingham Hall, Nursing, Advancement and Technology Annex buildings. These buildings serve primarily as the home to the College of Humanities and Social Science until construction on the new Social Science Building (proposed largest academic structure on campus) is completed by 2007.

Sports

Kennesaw State University's sports teams are called the Fighting Owls and the Lady Owls. The Athletic Director for the university is Dr. Dave Waples. The Owls participate in NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun Conference (and previously Division II Peachbelt Conference). The school mascot is Scrappy (the fighting Owl). The university's biggest sport is its basketball program. KSU takes special pride in its athletic program and its several athletic facilities on campus. Past NCAA Division II National Championships include: Baseball (1996), Men's Basketball (2004), Cheerleeding (2004), Women's Soccer (2003), Softball (1995, 1996). Several other regional and divisional championships add to the legacy of the university's athletic program.

Selected Sports

Basketball

The Kennesaw State Fighting Owl and Lady Owl basketball teams play Division I basketball in the expansive Convocation Center on the campus of KSU. The teams previously played in the legendary Spec Landrum Center where the men won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2004. The current women's head coach is Colby Tilley. The current men's head coach is Tony Ingle. "Courtside with Tony Ingle" is the official basketball television show of KSU which airs on Comcast Sports South weekly.

Baseball

Kennesaw State's baseball team is currently coached by Mike Sansing. The Owls play at Stillwell Stadium on the south section of the campus adjacent to the University Place housing community. Owl Alumni in Major League Baseball include Jason Jones (Texas Rangers) and Willie Harris (Chicago White Sox).

Softball

Kennesaw State's softball team is led by Hall of Fame coach Scott Whitlock. The Lady Owls play at spectacular Owl Field just south of the bustling intersection of Kennesaw State University Road and Paulding Avenue in the center of campus.

Student media

• The Sentinel - student newspaper
• The Talon - KSU magazine
• Share - literary/art magazine
• Owl Radio

External links

• The university's website (http://www.kennesaw.edu/)
• The homepage for the KSU Owls (http://www.ksuowls.com/)
• Being a 'bitch' at Kennesaw State University (http://www.atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2003-02-05/fishwrapper.html)

 

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