Creativity And Interdisciplinary Learning

Difficulties in Interdisciplinary Collaboration at Colleges and Universities

Due to division specialization in instruction, it is, perhaps, cheap to assume that education departments don't have school United Nations agency will teach a business course or integrate business fundamentals into AN tutorial style course. a short search suggests that finding applicable textbooks that integrate business acumen into performance improvement/instructional style courses is additionally problematic. Historic impediments to knowledge base course development exist in higher academic establishments (Flanagan, 2012), usually thanks to pressures on school to prove themselves in their own field throughout their pre-tenure endeavors. There are certification hurdles for knowledge base courses (CHEA, 2012).

Supporting Innovation and Interdisciplinary Learning

Some universities square measure coverage additional flexibility in response to student wants and dynamic funding. Science, math, innovation and entrepreneurship square measure growth areas being explored. The University of Wisconsin–Madison known multiple opportunities to vary the organization of data and disciplines in addition as ways in which to balance competencies in artistic and technical areas. University leaders discovered a superfluity of little innovative initiatives however found it onerous to scale them owing to current information and college commitments. In support of innovation, the university shaped campus-wide governance teams to deal with the underlying challenges in university culture and communication (Ward, 2013).

A report by the Association to Advance collegial colleges of Business on business colleges and innovation (AACSB International Task Force, 2010: 3) asserts that “a business school’s mission ought to embody fostering innovation.” This report describes a program by school from the engineering and nursing colleges at Everglade State coast University United Nations agency created a cross-disciplinary expertise for top faculty students fascinated by health careers: Students visit Central American country to style helpful devices for disabled kids ( Zidek, Kauanui, & Haytko, 2012). The cross-disciplinary collaboration that grew out of the AACSB Task Force provides students with active expertise in business innovation and, within the method of introducing students to business, maths and science, school members develop cross-disciplinary collaboration proficiencies.

The University of Michigan recently launched a grant program that supports student knowledge base collaboration in making innovative comes that use digital media (Leeder, Lonn, & Knox, 2013). The program, supported by school and housed within the university’s style workplace, is reported to possess shown statistically vital ends up in educational and skilled career advantages for student participants. whereas this program doesn't embody knowledge base school or department parts, it offers students the advantage of operating with learners during a type of disciplines. Initiatives like these show learning gracefulness is developing at intervals university systems. tutorial style and performance improvement students United Nations agency wish to become learning leaders have to be compelled to lobby for and hunt down innovative cross-disciplinary programs with business content.

The Call for Educational Creativity

Drawing on discussions with musician parliamentarian Fritz, Peter Senge observes that drawback determination and making square measure 2 completely different processes: “In problem-solving we have a tendency to ask for to create one thing we have a tendency to don't like escape. In making, we have a tendency to ask for to create what we have a tendency to really care regarding exist” (2004: 4). Senge additional notes that there's invariably a niche between vision and reality. to arrange learning leaders, faculties and universities educating tutorial designers have to be compelled to acknowledge the gap between university follow and globe demands and convey thereto a vision for the long run (Flanagan, 2012).

Well-respected tutorial style specialists like Rothwell and Kazanas (2008) and Silber and Foshay (2009) cite samples of amendment management methods supported the terribly triple-crown method of wants assessment that guides tutorial designers. Clark and Gottfredson (2008) may place several of those initiatives between their Learning one.0 and Learning a pair of.0 (from instructor-led face-to-face and synchronous coaching to asynchronous mediate e-learning alternatives). Today’s tutorial designers turn on that sturdy heritage of wants assessments however face a compelling demand for fast learning response to markets and trends (Clark & Gottfredson, 2008). artistic solutions square measure mixed up and tutorial designers have to be compelled to be higher ready to satisfy the strain of the decision.

Organizational learning could be a valuable artefact, particularly within the university setting. Stata (1989) noted over twenty years past that the speed of learning might preferably be the foremost necessary competitive advantage. The degree to that faculties and universities increase their own rate of learning and apply innovative analysis to arrange their students won't solely verify the competitive advantage of their students, however will influence the worth of these faculties and universities (Ward, 2013: 22). For instruction, learning gracefulness won't solely need changes in leadership orientation and behavior at the very best levels, (Schlosser & McNaughton, 2007) however conjointly diversifications in tenure and advancement qualifications. Finances, flexibility and collaboration will be needed to attain the required gracefulness (Bass & Riggio, 2010; Borer et al., 2013). identical market pressures represented in Clark and Gottfredson (2008) give motivation for larger learning gracefulness, even in instruction.

Thank you for visiting, hopefully what we write this blog can be useful and can be a source of reference you who want to continue their education to higher education.

Step By Step Instructions To Find The Best Online University

Step by Step Instructions to Find the Best Online University

Online degree programs have development quickly in conjunction with the appeal of online training. Today, getting a college degree online has turned into a functional reality for individuals who can't save the time and responsibility just to backtrack to consistent college for acquiring a degree. You may think that it befuddling and difficult to settle on a choice on such a large number of online degree program decisions. Despite the fact that it is a hard choice, settling on the right decision that will suit your timetable, your learning style and also your instruction objective is of prime significance.

Step 

1. Know your education goals. Different people have different needs for getting an online education. Some people enrolled into an online degree program just to sharpen their knowledge in certain area whereas others may hope to make a career switch by earning a degree in the area they are interested in.

2. Know what your purpose of getting an online education. Before you begin considering your options on various online degree programs, do some self assessment on what kind of education you are looking for, how much time and effort you plan to invest and whether it is personal fulfillment or career advancement that you aim to achieve through the course.

3. Do research on your options. Most online universities provide free information on their online degree programs and many do provide online chat session with their academic advisors so that you can ask any related questions and getting the necessary information needed before you make up your mind. Take your time to gather as much information as you can from various online universities that offer the education program that within your education scope. Ask the academic advisors for further clarification for any doubts; make sure you have a clear idea of the program being offered before you invest your hard earned money and time into any one of them.

4. Beware of online degree scams. Online degree scams or mostly know as "diploma mill" is a college or university that operates primarily to make money; such schools are not properly accredited and issue degrees without ensuring an education occurs. You need to be wary of these degree mills when doing your searches for the right course; make sure your are enrolled with online university that offers legitimate courses with proper accreditation. Fake degrees and credentials are plentiful and you will only be wasting your time, effort and money if you go with one of them. Although not being accredited by a body approved by the Federal Department of Education is not necessary to offer degrees, most employers will not take "diploma mill" degrees seriously because they realize that they usually provide no assurance of someone's ability to do needed work.

5. Look for online degree program with recognized accreditation. Accreditation of the online university that you enroll in is vitally importance. Accreditation provides assurance that the program in which you are enrolled is engaged in continuous review and improvement of its quality and it meets nationally endorsed standards in the profession, and that it is accountable for achieving what it sets out to do.

If the reason you are pursuing further education is to advance your career, the degree you will be earning needs to be recognized by your employers or prospective employers. A degree from an accredited online university is one of the important consideration factors by many employers.

6. Consider university extension programs. Many universities, including the University of California campuses, Harvard and Penn State have well established community education programs. The main value is that they have prestige employers may regard higher than that offered by most online universities which aren't as positively impressive. Penn State in particular arguably has one of the most complete and accommodating online presences geared towards adult learners of any established university.

A New Way To Improve College Enrollment

A New Way to Improve College Enrollment

AMERICAN public schools do a good job of getting students into college, but a poor job preparing them to succeed once they’re there. While more than two-thirds of high school graduates enroll in college, nearly two-thirds of those arrive on campus unprepared for college-level rigor.

Instead of trying to solve this problem together, high schools and colleges typically operate in silos — high schools concentrate on increasing graduation rates, while universities pay little attention to what’s happening in the local public schools.

The situation is entirely different in Long Beach, Calif. In that predominantly immigrant city south of Los Angeles, where a third of the children under age 17 live in poverty, the public schools have teamed up with the local community college and the state university to confront the impact of poverty, racial discrimination and limited educational opportunities.

The Long Beach College Promise guarantees high school graduates a tuition-free year at Long Beach City College. If they meet the minimum academic requirements, they’re assured admission to California State University, Long Beach, one of the country’s top regional schools.

This guarantee has been a game-changer for a city whose economy was battered by the closing of the naval base, the decimation of the local aerospace industry and, more recently, the Great Recession. Three-quarters of high school graduates now enroll in college, 10 percent above the national average. Many stay in Long Beach after earning a bachelor’s degree, improving the city’s economy. Early awareness, college preparedness, college access — it’s a strategy worth emulating.

Collaboration starts with 4-year-olds, as Mayor Robert Garcia has made universal preschool for disadvantaged children his top priority. Long Beach City College President Eloy Ortiz Oakley and Long Beach State President Jane Close Conoley have joined the mayor’s fund-raising drive. They understand the long-term value of early education. “We put up a picture of a preschool student,” Mr. Oakley has said. “Then I ask my staff, ‘What are we going to do today to ensure that in 2027 this student will be on the platform graduating?’”

All fourth and fifth graders, together with their parents, tour the local college campuses. “Most of our parents never thought college was a possibility for their kids,” the Long Beach school superintendent, Christopher Steinhauser, points out. “But those visits can change their minds.”

Every high school junior takes an early assessment exam, which few California districts require. Those who fare poorly get a rigorous dose of English and math, giving them the skills needed to satisfy the state universities’ admissions requirements. Going to college is increasingly on these students’ minds. Last spring they signed up for more than 10,000 advance placement exams, a two-year increase of more than 41 percent. This year’s graduates garnered $96 million in scholarships, $40 million more than in 2012.

Collaboration is ubiquitous, with about 200 joint ventures linking the public schools and colleges. Among these are high school courses in Mandarin and ethnic studies, designed by Long Beach State professors.

The university has demonstrated its commitment where it counts most — admission. With more than 56,000 applications, the eighth highest nationally, it could admit a class composed entirely of students with gleaming grade point averages to raise its national ranking. Instead, it keeps a seat for every eligible local applicant. Although they have high school G.P.A.s well below students from elsewhere, they are equally likely to graduate. The same holds true for Long Beach City College transfers, also favored in admissions. This locally focused strategy pays off — the overall graduation rate, 67 percent in six years, is 20 percent higher than that at comparable schools, and the 63 percent graduation rate for poor and minority students is 25 percent higher than at similar institutions.

The community college is preparing more students to transfer to a four-year institution, and many go to Long Beach State. Instead of consigning freshmen with weak placement test scores to dead-end remedial classes, the college relies on high school grades, assuring that students who can succeed in college-level math and English courses are accepted, regardless of the test scores. As a result, the number of completed college-level math courses has doubled and the number of completed English courses quintupled. Minority students, who often flub placement exams, have been the biggest beneficiaries.

While there’s work to be done — too few of Long Beach’s high school graduates have the credentials that state universities demand, and the community college’s completion rate is still slightly below the state average — each institution keeps getting better. “What we do is surprisingly simple but amazingly powerful,” Ms. Conoley told me. “We communicate all the time. No turf. No bureaucracies. Just building and evaluating programs with the goal of removing barriers and supporting student success.”

The Long Beach collaboration offers a textbook illustration of what business gurus call “continuous improvement.” The willingness of educators, from pre-K to Ph.D., to shelve their egos and do right by the community makes all the difference.

Processes In Human Resource Management

Processes in Human Resource Management

Each organization works towards the realization of one vision. The same is achieved by formulation of certain strategies and execution of the same, which is done by the HR department. At the base of this strategy formulation lie various processes and the effectiveness of the former lies in the meticulous design of these processes. But what exactly are and entails these processes? Let’s read further and explore.

The following are the various HR processes:

1. Human resource planning (Recruitment, Selecting, Hiring, Training, Induction, Orientation, Evaluation, Promotion and Layoff).
2. Employee remuneration and Benefits Administration
3. Performance Management.
4. Employee Relations.

The efficient designing of these processes apart from other things depends upon the degree of correspondence of each of these. This means that each process is subservient to other. You start from Human resource Planning and there is a continual value addition at each step. To exemplify, the PMS (performance Management System) of an organization like Infosys would different from an organization like Walmart. Lets study each process separately.

Human Resource Planning: Generally, we consider Human Resource Planning as the process of people forecasting. Right but incomplete! It also involves the processes of Evaluation, Promotion and Layoff.

• Recruitment: It aims at attracting applicants that match a certain Job criteria.
• Selection: The next level of filtration. Aims at short listing candidates who are the nearest match in terms qualifications, expertise and potential for a certain job.
• Hiring: Deciding upon the final candidate who gets the job.
• Training and Development: Those processes that work on an employee onboard for his skills and abilities upgradation.

Employee Remuneration and Benefits Administration: The process involves deciding upon salaries and wages, Incentives, Fringe Benefits and Perquisites etc. Money is the prime motivator in any job and therefore the importance of this process. Performing employees seek raises, better salaries and bonuses.

Performance Management: It is meant to help the organization train, motivate and reward workers. It is also meant to ensure that the organizational goals are met with efficiency. The process not only includes the employees but can also be for a department, product, service or customer process; all towards enhancing or adding value to them.

Nowadays there is an automated performance management system (PMS) that carries all the information to help managers evaluate the performance of the employees and assess them accordingly on their training and development needs.

Employee Relations: Employee retention is a nuisance with organizations especially in industries that are hugely competitive in nature. Though there are myriad factors that motivate an individual to stick to or leave an organization, but certainly few are under our control.

Employee relations include Labor Law and Relations, Working Environment, Employee heath and safety, Employee- Employee conflict management, Employee- Employee Conflict Management, Quality of Work Life, Workers Compensation, Employee Wellness and assistance programs, Counseling for occupational stress. All these are critical to employee retention apart from the money which is only a hygiene factor.

What Is Human Resource Planning ?

What is Human Resource Planning ?

Human Resource Planning (HRP) is the process of forecasting the future human resource requirements of the organization and determining as to how the existing human resource capacity of the organization can be utilized to fulfill these requirements. It, thus, focuses on the basic economic concept of demand and supply in context to the human resource capacity of the organization.

It is the HRP process which helps the management of the organization in meeting the future demand of human resource in the organization with the supply of the appropriate people in appropriate numbers at the appropriate time and place. Further, it is only after proper analysis of the HR requirements can the process of recruitment and selection be initiated by the management. Also, HRP is essential in successfully achieving the strategies and objectives of organization. In fact, with the element of strategies and long term objectives of the organization being widely associated with human resource planning these days, HR Planning has now became Strategic HR Planning.

Though, HR Planning may sound quite simple a process of managing the numbers in terms of human resource requirement of the organization, yet, the actual activity may involve the HR manager to face many roadblocks owing to the effect of the current workforce in the organization, pressure to meet the business objectives and prevailing workforce market condition. HR Planning, thus, help the organization in many ways as follows:

• HR managers are in a stage of anticipating the workforce requirements rather than getting surprised by the change of events
• Prevent the business from falling into the trap of shifting workforce market, a common concern among all industries and sectors
• Work proactively as the expansion in the workforce market is not always in conjunction with the workforce requirement of the organization in terms of professional experience, talent needs, skills, etc.
• Organizations in growth phase may face the challenge of meeting the need for critical set of skills, competencies and talent to meet their strategic objectives so they can stand well-prepared to meet the HR needs
• Considering the organizational goals, HR Planning allows the identification, selection and development of required talent or competency within the organization.

It is, therefore, suitable on the part of the organization to opt for HR Planning to prevent any unnecessary hurdles in its workforce needs. An HR Consulting Firm can provide the organization with a comprehensive HR assessment and planning to meet its future requirements in the most cost-effective and timely manner.

An HR Planning process simply involves the following four broad steps:

• Current HR Supply: Assessment of the current human resource availability in the organization is the foremost step in HR Planning. It includes a comprehensive study of the human resource strength of the organization in terms of numbers, skills, talents, competencies, qualifications, experience, age, tenures, performance ratings, designations, grades, compensations, benefits, etc. At this stage, the consultants may conduct extensive interviews with the managers to understand the critical HR issues they face and workforce capabilities they consider basic or crucial for various business processes.
• Future HR Demand: Analysis of the future workforce requirements of the business is the second step in HR Planning. All the known HR variables like attrition, lay-offs, foreseeable vacancies, retirements, promotions, pre-set transfers, etc. are taken into consideration while determining future HR demand. Further, certain unknown workforce variables like competitive factors, resignations, abrupt transfers or dismissals are also included in the scope of analysis.
• Demand Forecast: Next step is to match the current supply with the future demand of HR, and create a demand forecast. Here, it is also essential to understand the business strategy and objectives in the long run so that the workforce demand forecast is such that it is aligned to the organizational goals.
• HR Sourcing Strategy and Implementation: After reviewing the gaps in the HR supply and demand, the HR Consulting Firm develops plans to meet these gaps as per the demand forecast created by them. This may include conducting communication programs with employees, relocation, talent acquisition, recruitment and outsourcing, talent management, training and coaching, and revision of policies. The plans are, then, implemented taking into confidence the mangers so as to make the process of execution smooth and efficient. Here, it is important to note that all the regulatory and legal compliances are being followed by the consultants to prevent any untoward situation coming from the employees.

University of chicago

                                 
The University of Chicago (U of C, Chicago, or UChicago) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1890, its academic, social, and political influence has made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world. The university consists of The College, various graduate programs, interdisciplinary committees organized into four divisions, six professional schools, and a school of continuing education. Beyond the arts and sciences, Chicago is also well known for its professional schools, which include the Pritzker School of Medicine, the Booth School of Business, the Law School, the School of Social Service Administration, the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, and the Divinity School. The university currently enrolls approximately 5,000 students in the College and around 15,000 students overall. University of Chicago scholars have played a major role in the development of various academic disciplines, including: the Chicago school of economics, the Chicago school of sociology, the law and economics movement in legal analysis, the Chicago school of literary criticism, the Chicago school of religion, and the behavioralism school of political science. Chicago's physics department helped develop the world's first man-made, self-sustaining nuclear reaction beneath the university's Stagg Field. The University of Chicago's recent research pursuits have been aided by unique affiliations with world-renowned institutions like the nearby Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory, as well as the Marine Biological Laboratory. The university is also home to the University of Chicago Press, the largest university press in the United States. Founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, the University of Chicago was incorporated in 1890; William Rainey Harper became the university's first president in 1891, and the first classes were held in 1892. Both Harper and future president Robert Maynard Hutchins advocated for Chicago's curriculum to be based upon theoretical and perennial issues rather than applied sciences and commercial utility. With Harper's educational vision in mind, the University of Chicago also became one of the 14 founding members of the Association of American Universities, an international organization of leading research universities, in 1900. The University of Chicago is home to many prominent alumni. 89 Nobel laureates have been affiliated with the university as visiting professors, students, faculty, or staff, the fourth most of any institution in the world. In addition, Chicago's alumni include 49 Rhodes Scholars, 9 Fields Medalists, 13 National Humanities Medalists and 13 billionaire graduates. The University of Chicago was created and incorporated as a coeducational, secular institution in 1890 by the American Baptist Education Society and a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller on land donated by Marshall Field. Organized as an independent institution legally, it replaced the first Baptist university of the same name, which had closed in 1886 due to extended financial and leadership problems. William Rainey Harper became the modern university's first president on July 1, 1891, and the university opened for classes on October 1, 1892. The Booth School of Business was founded in 1898, and the law school was founded in 1902. Harper died in 1906, and was replaced by a succession of three presidents whose tenures lasted until 1929. During this period, the Oriental Institute was founded to support and interpret archeological work in what was then called the Near East. In the 1890s, the University of Chicago, fearful that its vast resources would injure smaller schools by drawing away good students, affiliated with several regional colleges and universities: Des Moines College, Kalamazoo College, Butler University, and Stetson University. Under the terms of the affiliation, the schools were required to have courses of study comparable to those at the University, to notify the university early of any contemplated faculty appointments or dismissals, to make no faculty appointment without the university's approval, and to send copies of examinations for suggestions. The University of Chicago agreed to confer a degree on any graduating senior from an affiliated school who made a grade of A for all four years, and on any other graduate who took twelve weeks additional study at the University of Chicago. A student or faculty member of an affiliated school was entitled to free tuition at the University of Chicago, and Chicago students were eligible to attend an affiliated school on the same terms and receive credit for their work. The University of Chicago also agreed to provide affiliated schools with books and scientific apparatus and supplies at cost; special instructors and lecturers without cost except travel expenses; and a copy of every book and journal published by the University of Chicago Press at no cost. The agreement provided that either party could terminate the affiliation on proper notice. Several University of Chicago professors disliked the program, as it involved uncompensated additional labor on their part, and they believed it cheapened the academic reputation of the University. The program passed into history by 1910.

Peking University

                     
Peking University abbreviated PKU and colloquially known by the Chinese, pinyin: Beijing Dàxué), is a major Chinese research university located in Beijing and a member of the C9 League. It is the first modern national university established in China, founded as the "Imperial University of Peking" in 1898 as a replacement of the ancient Taixue or Guozijian, or Imperial Academy.It also served as the highest administration for education in China at the beginning of its founding. By 1920, it had become a center for progressive thought. Alongside Tsinghua University, Peking University has consistently ranked as the top higher learning institution in mainland China. In addition to academics, Peking University is especially renowned for its campus grounds, and the beauty of its traditional Chinese architecture. Throughout its history, the university has educated and hosted many prominent modern Chinese thinkers, including figures such as: Lu Xun, Mao Zedong, Gu Hongming, Hu Shih, Li Dazhao, and Chen Duxiu. Peking University was influential in the birth of China's New Culture Movement, May Fourth Movement, the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 and many other significant events. After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 (and the resulting expansion of Japanese territorial control in east China), Peking University moved to Changsha and formed the Changsha Temporary University along with Tsinghua University and Nankai University. In 1938, the three schools moved again, this time to Kunming, and formed the National Southwestern Associated University. In 1946, after World War II, Peking University moved back to Beijing. At that time, the university comprised six schools (Arts, Science, Law, Medicine, Engineering, and Agriculture), and a research institute for humanities. The total student enrollment grew up to 3,000. In 1949, after the People's Republic of China was established, Peking University lost its "national" appellation to reflect the fact that all universities under the new socialist state would be public. In 1952, the Chinese government re-grouped the country's higher education institutions with individual institutions tending to specialize in a certain field of study. As a result, arts and science faculties of Tsinghua University and Yenching University were merged into Peking University. At the same time, however, the university lost its Law, Medicine, Engineering and Agriculture schools. These schools and faculties were either merged into other universities or to found new colleges. During the re-grouping, Yenching University was closed and Peking University moved from downtown Beijing to the former Yenching campus. The first disturbances of the Cultural Revolution began at Peking University in 1966; education there ceased between 1966 and 1970. In 2000, Beijing Medical University was merged into Peking University and became the Peking University Health Science Campus. Peking University now has eight affiliated hospitals and 12 teaching hospitals. In 2001, Peking University established the Yuanpei Program which was formalized in 2007 as Yuanpei College, named in honor of a highly respected former university president Cai Yuanpei. The college hosts an elite undergraduate liberal program for select students. In 2001, Peking University set up a satellite campus in Shenzhen. The university's second business school was launched on this campus in 2004. In 2014, Peking University announced Yenching Scholars, a new global graduate leaders program, which will be launched in 2015 and will be located in the recently completed residential Yenching Academy in the center of campus. The program will offer 100 elite students full scholarships for one-year of interdisciplinary studies leading to a master's degree. In 2014, Peking University joined the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship program, which will begin in 2015. The program will offer 100 students from East Asia a full scholarship for a MBA or MPA at a few leading universities in Asia, including Peking University. Peking University is a national key university. The university consists of 30 colleges and 12 departments, with 93 specialties for undergraduates, 2 specialties for the second Bachelor's degree, 199 specialties for Master's degree candidates and 173 specialties for doctoral candidates. A leader in basic sciences research and teaching, the university has successfully developed applied sciences research and teaching as well. At present, Peking university has 216 research institutions and research centres, including 2 national engineering research centers, 81 key national disciplines, 12 national key laboratories. With 4.5 million holdings, the university library is the largest of its kind in Asia. The university has made an effort to combine the research on fundamental scientific issues with the training of personnel with high level specialized knowledge and professional skill as demanded by the country's modernization. Peking University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University jointly administer the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering Program, which is ranked the 2nd in the United States. Peking University has been becoming a center for teaching and research, consisting of diverse branches of learning such as pure & applied sciences, social sciences & humanities, and sciences of management & education. Over the past century, more than 400 Peking University alumni had become presidents of other major Chinese universities, including former Tsinghua President Luo Jialun, Renmin University President Yuan Baohua, Zhejiang University President Qian Sanqiang, Fudan University President Zhang Zhirang, Nankai University President Teng Weizao, Chinese University of Science and Technology President Guan Weiyan and many others.

Johnson and Wales University

                          
Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is an American private, nonprofit, co-educational, career-oriented university with four regional campuses located throughout the United States. Providence, Rhode Island is home to JWU's first and largest campus. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU currently has 17,230 students enrolled in Business, Arts & Sciences, Culinary Arts, Education, Engineering, Equine management, Hospitality, and Engineering Technology programs across its campuses. The University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Johnson & Wales University operates campuses in four locations: the founding Providence, Rhode Island campus housing JWU's business, hospitality, and technology programs (called Downcity and opened in 1914) with a subsidiary campus housing JWU's culinary and graduate programs (called Harborside and opened in 1985) in Cranston, Rhode Island; North Miami, Florida (opened in 1992); Denver, Colorado (opened in 2000); and Charlotte, North Carolina (opened in 2004). (Two previous campuses in Charleston, South Carolina (opened in 1984) and Norfolk, Virginia opened in 1986, were gradually consolidated into the Charlotte campus, starting in September 2003 and ending in May 2006 with the closures of the Norfolk and Charleston campuses. JWU currently has four academic units at four of its campuses: the College of Business, the College of Culinary Arts, the Hospitality College, and the School of Arts & Sciences. The Providence Downcity campus is home to the College of Business, the Hospitality College, the School of Arts & Sciences, and the School of Technology. The Providence Harborside campus is home to several additional academic units: the Alan Shawn Feinstein Graduate School and the College of Culinary Arts. The Providence Harborside campus is also home to the School of Education, which offers specialized master's and doctoral degree programs. Students just entering the field can earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T. Program) and current teachers can earn a Masters of Education degree (M.Ed.) For current teachers who want to advance their degree, there is a doctoral program where they can earn their Ed.D. Johnson & Wales University is well known for its Culinary Arts program but was first founded as Business and Hospitality programs. The university is the largest food service educator in the world. JWU is one of the top three Hospitality Colleges, according to the 2010 rankings released by the American Universities Admissions Program, which ranks of American universities according to their international reputation. JWU is home to 39th largest College of Business in the United States. The university offers a wide variety of degrees, including Accounting, Fashion Merchandising & Retail Management, Equine Studies/Equine Business Management & Riding, Management, Marketing, Criminal Justice, Entrepreneurship, Hotel & Lodging Management, and Sports/Entertainment/Event Management. The Providence Downcity campus offers 2 and 4 years degree programs in technology such as Network Engineering, Electronics & Robotics Engineering, Computer Programming, and Graphic Design. JWU's academic year is divided into three trimesters, each 11 weeks long, where the standard fall and spring semesters are replaced with fall, winter, and spring trimesters. Classes are also offered during the summer months creating a fourth academic period. This results in an earlier spring break and a typical summer break from May to September. During fall, winter, and spring terms, students usually take three to four courses a term. Students in the Culinary program are enrolled in five nine-day lab sessions, which take place Monday through Thursday each week. Such courses are only available for full-time students.

University of Findlay

                               
The University of Findlay (UF) is a private university in Findlay, Ohio. It was affiliated with the Churches of God General Conference. Nearly 3,700 students are enrolled at Findlay, with more than 2,700 undergraduate and nearly 1,000 graduate students. Approximately 1,300 students live on campus in University housing. Approximately 340 full-time and part-time faculty teach regular and online classes, with a student-to-faculty ratio of. The University of Findlay encompasses more than 388 acres, including its 73-acre main campus and six off-campus facilities. UF has been recognized as a "Best in the Midwest" college by the Princeton Review. UF ranks consistently in the top tier of U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" in the Midwest and was also named to the "A+ Schools for B Students" list for the second year. UF has been recognized as one of "America's Best Private Colleges" by Institutional Research and Evaluation Inc., an independent research organization specializing in higher education. In addition, the city of Findlay was chosen as one of Ohio's Best Hometowns for 2012-2013 by the editors of Ohio Magazine. The predecessor of The University of Findlay, Findlay College, was founded on January 28, 1882 by the city of Findlay and the Churches of God General Conference. By 1897, the college had established an endowment of more than $100,000 and boasted sixteen faculty members. In 1989, Findlay College became known as the University of Findlay. The campus, still affiliated with the Church of God, embarked on a building campaign, adding five new buildings over the next several years. By the start of the twenty-first century, the institution boasted sixty-five different areas of undergraduate study and eight graduate programs. The university is especially well known for its equestrian studies program and offers equestrian riding as a varsity sport. The University of Findlay has experienced substantial growth over the past couple of decades and tripled in size of enrollment, staff, and facilities. For example, recently in 2012, the university added structures to Davis Street to host its esteemed pharmacy program. The University of Findlay has nearly 60 majors leading to baccalaureate degrees and offers nine master's degrees, a doctor of pharmacy, and a doctor of physical therapy. Unusual and well-recognized programs include equestrian studies, pre-veterinary medicine animal science/pre-veterinary medicine option, nuclear medicine technology, occupational therapy and physical therapy, as well as environmental, safety and occupational health management. Findlay offers more than 65 areas of undergraduate study. Some of its most popular majors include: business, education, pharmacy, equestrian studies, pre-veterinary medicine, nuclear medicine technology, and environmental safety and occupational health management. Its equestrian studies program is nationally recognized. The University of Findlay established the nation's first bachelor's degree in hazardous waste studies, now known as environmental, safety and occupational health management. The All Hazards Training Center,[4] which grew from that initial program, has provided hands-on training simulations to more than 100,000 people from a wide range of backgrounds, including industry leaders and government officials involved in emergency planning, response and recovery.

University of Central Oklahoma

                            
The University of Central Oklahoma, often referred to as UCO, is a coeducational public university located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The university is the third largest in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founded in 1890,[4] the University of Central Oklahoma was one of the first institutions of higher learning to be established in what would become the state of Oklahoma, making it one of the oldest universities in the southwest region of the United States of America. It is home to the American branch of the British Academy of Contemporary Music in downtown Oklahoma City, directed by noted indie music agent and manager Scott Booker. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the University of Central Oklahoma as the 2009-2010 Individual Conference Champion for using more green power than any other school in the Lone Star Conference. The University of Central Oklahoma was founded on December 24, 1890, when the Territorial Legislature voted to establish the Territorial Normal School, making UCO the oldest public institution of higher education in Oklahoma. Classes were first held in November 1891. By comparison, Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University) held its first classes in December 1891 and the University of Oklahoma began in fall 1892. The Territorial Legislature located the new school in Edmond, provided certain conditions were met. First, Oklahoma County had to donate $5,000 in bonds, and Edmond had to donate 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land within one mile (1.6 km) of the town; the land was eventually donated by Anton Classen. Ten of those acres had to be set aside for the new school. The remaining land had to be divided into lots which would be sold to raise money for the new school. On October 1, 1891 Richard Thatcher was elected the 1st President of Territorial Normal School of Oklahoma. The conditions all were met, with the city of Edmond donating an additional $2,000 in bonds. The first class, a group of 23 students, met for the first time Nov. 1, 1891, in the Epworth League Room, located in the unfurnished First Methodist Church. A marker of Oklahoma granite was placed in 1915 near the original site by the Central Oklahoma Normal School Historical Society. It can be seen at Boulevard and Second Street. Old North Tower was the first building constructed in the summer of 1892 on the campus of what was then Territorial Normal School. It was also the first building constructed in Oklahoma Territory for the purpose of higher education. Occupancy began January 3, 1893. The school first operated as a normal school with two years of college work and a complete preparatory school. In 1897, the first graduating class two men and three women received their Normal School diplomas. In 1904, Territorial Normal became Central State Normal School. Statehood was still three years away. On Dec. 29, 1919, the State Board of Education passed a resolution making Central a four-year teachers' college conferring bachelor's degrees. From 1901 until 1961, UCO housed a laboratory school in which local elementary schoolchildren were schooled by UCO faculty and soon-to-be teaching graduates. Two years later, the Class of 1921 had nine members, the first graduates to receive the four-year degrees. Two decades later, Central State Teacher's College became Central State College. In 1939, the Oklahoma Legislature authorized the institution to grant both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the school was routinely affected by state politics. Presidents and sometimes faculty members, were changed with changes in state governors. In 1950, President Max W. Chambers banned solicitations of campaign donations from faculty members. This resulted in more stability of the school administration. On March 11, 1941, Central State became part of a coordinated state system of post-secondary education overseen by the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education, and joined institutions with similar missions as a regional institution. In 1954, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education gave Central permission to offer the Master of Teaching Degree, which became the Master of Education in 1969. In 1971, the college was authorized to grant the Master of Arts in English and the Master of Business Administration degrees. On April 13, 1971, the state legislature officially changed the institution's name to Central State University. Old North Tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. On May 18, 1990, during the university's Centennial Year, legislation was passed changing the name to the University of Central Oklahoma, though many of the students still refer to the University as "Central", and many alumni as "Central State.

Northern Arizona University

                               
Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 36 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. As of fall 2014, 27,715 students were enrolled, 20,134 at the Flagstaff campus. The average cost of tuition and fees for a full-time, Arizona resident undergraduate student for two semesters is $9,692. NAU offers Flagstaff undergraduate students the Pledge Program that guarantees the same tuition rate for four years. For the Fall 2013 school year, out-of-state undergraduates will pay an estimated $22,094 for tuition and fees. NAU also participates in the Western Undergraduate Exchange Program, which offers lower tuition rates for students from the Western United States. WUE tuition rates for fall 2013 are $12,680. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education classifies NAU as a research university with high research activity. Initially named the Northern Arizona Normal School, the institution was established on September 11, 1899. The first graduating class, in 1901, consisted of four women who received credentials to teach in the Arizona Territory. In 1925, the Arizona State Legislature allowed the school, which was now called the Northern Arizona State Teacher's College, to grant Bachelor of Education degrees. In 1929 the school became Arizona State Teacher's College. Enrollment dropped sharply, however, at the beginning of World War II. ASTC became a Navy V-12 program training site. Perched at 6,950 feet (2,120 m) above sea level, the third highest four year college campus in the country, the main campus is surrounded by the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest on the North American continent[11] and enjoys a four-season climate. Snow is common in winter, with accumulations most prevalent in January, February and March. Winter skiing is accessible at Arizona Snowbowl, an alpine ski resort located on the San Francisco Peaks, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Flagstaff. NAU offers 87 bachelor degree programs, 48 master's degree programs and 10 doctoral degree programs, along with 38 undergraduate and 26 graduate certificates. The university was charged by the Arizona Board of Regents in 2006 to develop innovative ways to provide access and affordability to all Arizona residents. NAU developed the Pledge Program,2NAU partnerships with community colleges and NAU-Yavapai, a collaboration with Yavapai College in Prescott Valley, Ariz. NAU-Yuma just celebrated its 25th anniversary of the partnership with Arizona Western College. Northern Arizona University is a public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission North Central Association. In addition to 19,000 students on the Flagstaff campus, NAU currently serves more than 7,000 students statewide. NAU's Extended Campuses offer more than 50 online accredited degree programs on more than 30 campuses throughout the state. NAU is the first public university to offer a competency-based online degree program that allows students to earn credit for experience. Personalized Learning was launched in May 2013, and federal financial aid is available for the program, which has a flat fee of $5,000 per year. NAU is the first university in Arizona to attain program accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Educators (NCATE). Additional accreditations include Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and Hotel and Restaurant Management has earned accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration, an honor earned by fewer than 20% of the nation's baccalaureate degree-granting programs in the field. NAU's Extended Campuses students pay the lowest per-credit-hour tuition and Flagstaff offers an affordable locked-in tuition. The College of Arts and Letters (CAL) houses the Asian Studies Program, Cinema Studies, Comparative Cultural Studies (formerly Humanities, Arts, and Religion), English, History, Latin American Studies, Modern Languages, Museum Studies, Philosophy, School of Art, School of Music, and Theatre. The college also oversees the NAU Art Museum, Martin-Springer Institute (promoting lessons of the Holocaust), Northern Arizona Writing Project, Ardrey Memorial Auditorium, and Ashurst Hall. The College of Arts and Letters Film Series has been providing quality classic films to the NAU and Flagstaff community for more than nine years, and the NAU International Film Series has recently been established. Department faculty and students share their scholarly work and artistic achievement through more than 300 performances, lectures, films, and exhibitions a year. The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences undergraduate programs include anthropology, applied indigenous studies, criminology and criminal justice, ethnic studies, geography, planning and recreation, political science, psychology, communication, sociology/social work, and women's and gender studies. The W.A. Franke College of Business's primary focus is undergraduate education, but it also offers a master's level education and research opportunities. Businessman Bill Franke's commitment of $25 million resulted in the renaming of the college in his honor. The W.A. Franke College of Business was fully re-accredited in fall 2008 by the national accrediting body AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The NAU program is one of about 400 accredited programs among the more than 1,000 throughout the nation. In 2006, the college moved into a new 111,000-square-foot (10,300 m2), LEED-certified building.

Henderson State University

                                   
Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Henderson's curricula based on the belief that a liberal arts education is essential for all undergraduates; Henderson utilizes a program based on a core of courses in the arts and sciences. The school owns and operates radio station KSWH-FM, as well as the local Public-access television cable TV channel, HTV on Suddenlink's channel 9. Henderson State University, was founded on March 23, 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College. The university was renamed for Charles Christopher Henderson, a Trustee and prominent Arkadelphia businessman, in 1904. In 1911 the name was changed to Henderson-Brown College to honor Walter Brown. The state convention decided to close the institution down after thirty nine years of Methodist control and combine it with Hendrix College in Conway. The student body, administration, and local population strongly disagreed with the idea and after negotiations with state lawmakers, Henderson-Brown was turned over to the state to prevent the merger. Then in 1929, the institution became known as Henderson State Teachers College. Hendrix was renamed Hendrix-Henderson College, and remained so for about two years before returning to Hendrix College. After becoming a public institution, Henderson State Teachers College began to expand at a rate never envisioned while it was under Methodist control. Six major buildings were built during the Great Depression alone. After World War II, the enrollment nearly doubled to about 500 students. Graduate classes were first offered in 1951 through the University of Arkansas. In 1955, the school's first graduate degree program began. To reflect the change, the name was changed to Henderson State College in 1967 and again in 1975 to Henderson State University. Henderson has an excellent academic record. It has produced numerous Rhodes, Fulbright, and Rotary International scholars. It serves as Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Currently, degree programs are offered through the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Education, and the Graduate School. Henderson has its own degree program in nursing, and it also provides the academic program for the Baptist School of Nursing. The university offers the state's only four-year bachelor of science degree in aviation. The enrollment in the fall of 2012 was 3,773. Henderson State University has an urban campus. Some of the buildings include the Donald W. Reynolds Science Center, Arkansas Hall, McBrien Hall, Mooney Hall, Womack Hall, the Garrison Activity and Conference Center, and Sturgis Hall. Sturgis Hall is a three story building that provides classrooms, laboratories, offices, and student housing for the Honors College. McBrien Hall provides classrooms, offices, labs, and conference rooms for the English, social sciences, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and foreign languages programs. It also holds the administrative offices for Ellis College of Arts and Sciences. The Huie Library serves as the university's library. The library is named after the university's first full-time librarian, Minnie Bell Huie (1934). The library holds over 300,000 books, 100 databases, and 60 student computers. Ellis College is named after Henderson's tenth president and distinguished graduate, Matt Locke Ellis. It was created in 1989 through a reorganization of the existing Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, and Natural Sciences schools. Allows students to major and earn degrees in Accounting or Business administration. The School of Business offers the only university level aviation program in the state of Arkansas. The degree programs are accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The aviation program acts under the direction and rules of Federal Aviation Administration and is in the process of obtaining their own collegiate accreditation. Henderson State University is an NCAA Division II school and competes in the Great American Conference. The schools sports teams in Baseball, Basketball (Men and Women), Cross Country (Women), Football, Golf (Men and Women), Softball, Swimming (Men and Women), Tennis, and Volleyball. The Battle of the Ravine is a rivalry game between Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University. It is currently the oldest rivalry of any NCAA Division II institutions.[citation needed] The first game was played on November 8, 1895 (Thanksgiving Day) and Ouachita College beat Arkadelphia Methodist College, 8-0. The next meeting did not occur until 1907 in the first sanctioned game of the series. The Reddies defeated Ouachita and went on to claim the Arkansa State Championship. The Reddies went on to win the next six meetings and the game was played on Thanksgiving Day. Both teams also made the game their homecoming. The series was discontinued in 1951 after Henderson won, 54-0, and the pranks got out of control. The series resumed in 1963 with the Reddies, winning 28-13. The series continued until 1993 when Henderson State moved to the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference. It continued again in 1996 when Ouachita Baptist University moved to the Lone Star Conference. OBU joined the GSC in 2000 and the two schools did not play each other in 2004 or 2005 as a result of schedule rotation. In total, the two schools have met 85 times. Henderson State currently leads the series, 41-39-6.

Ball State University

                             
Ball State University, commonly referred to as Ball State or BSU, is a public coeducational research university in Muncie, Indiana, United States. On July 25, 1917, the Ball Brothers, industrialists and founders of the Ball Corporation, acquired the foreclosed Indiana Normal Institute for $35,100 and gave the school and surrounding land to Indiana. The Indiana General Assembly accepted it in the spring of 1918, with an initial 235 students enrolling at the Indiana State Normal School-Eastern Division on June 17, 1918. Ball State is classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a high research activity university and a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The university is composed of seven academic colleges, including the College of Architecture and Planning, the College of Communication, Information, and Media, the Miller College of Business, and Teachers College. Other institutions include Burris Laboratory School, the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, and the Center for Business and Economic Research. Total 2013 enrollment consists of 21,053 students, 16,652 undergraduate students and 4,401 graduate students. Ball State University students hail from 48 states, two U.S. territories, 43 countries, and every one of Indiana's 92 counties. The university offers about 180 undergraduate majors and 130 minor areas of study, 175 bachelor's, 103 master's, and 17 doctoral degrees. There are 381 active student organizations and clubs on campus, including 34 fraternities and sororities. Ball State athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are known as the Ball State Cardinals. The university is a member of the Mid-American Conference and the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The location of today's Ball State University had its start in 1876 as a private university called the Eastern Indiana Normal School. The entire school, including classrooms, library, and president's residence were housed in what is today's Frank A. Bracken Administration Building. The one-building school had a peak enrollment of 256 and charged $10 for a year's tuition. It operated until the spring of 1901, when it was closed by its president, F.A.Z. Kumler, due to lack of funding. A year later, in the autumn of 1902, the school reopened as Palmer University for the next three years when Francis Palmer, a retired Indiana banker, gave the school a $100,000 endowment. Between 1905 and 1917, the school dropped the Palmer name and operated as the Indiana Normal College. It had two divisions, the Normal School for educating teachers and the College of Applied Sciences. The school had an average enrollment of about 200 students. Due to diminishing enrollment and lack of funding, school president Francis Ingler closed Indiana Normal College at the end of the 1906-1907 school year. Between 1907 and 1912, the campus sat unused. In 1912, a group of local investors led by Michael Kelly reopened the school as the Indiana Normal Institute. To pay for updated materials and refurbishing the once-abandoned Administration Building, the school operated under a mortgage from the Muncie Trust Company. Although the school had its largest student body with a peak enrollment of 806, officials could not maintain mortgage payments, and the school was forced to close once again in June 1917 when the Muncie Trust Company initiated foreclosure proceedings. On July 25, 1917, the Ball Brothers, local industrialists and founders of the Ball Corporation, bought the Indiana Normal Institute from foreclosure. The Ball Brothers also founded Ball Memorial Hospital and Minnetrista, and were the benefactors of Keuka College, founded by their uncle, George Harvey Ball. For $35,100, the Ball brothers bought the Administration Building and surrounding land. In early 1918, during the Indiana General Assembly's short session, state legislators accepted the gift of the school and land by the Ball Brothers. The state granted operating control of the Muncie campus and school buildings to the administrators of the Indiana State Normal School in Terre Haute. That same year, the Marion Normal Institute relocated to Muncie, adding its resources to what would officially be named the Indiana State Normal School, Eastern Division. An initial 235 students enrolled on June 17, 1918, with William W. Parsons assuming the role as first president of the university. The close relationship between the Balls and the school led to an unofficial moniker for the college, with many students, faculty, and local politicians casually referring to the school as "Ball State," a shorthand alternative to its longer, official name. During the 1922 short session of the Indiana legislature, the state renamed the school as Ball Teachers College. This was in recognition to the Ball family's continuing beneficence to the institution. During this act, the state also reorganized its relationship with Terre Haute and established a separate local board of trustees for the Muncie campus. In 1924, Ball Teachers College's trustees hired Benjamin J. Burris as the successor to President Linnaeus N. Hines. The Ball brothers continued giving to the university and partially funded the construction of the Science Hall now called Burkhardt Building in 1924 and an addition to Ball Gymnasium in 1925. By the 1925-1926 school year, Ball State enrollment reached 991 students: 697 women and 294 men. Based on the school's close relationship with the Ball Corporation, a long-running nickname for the school was "Fruit Jar Tech." During the regular legislative session of 1929, the General Assembly formally separated the Terre Haute and Muncie campuses of the state teachers college system, but it placed the governing of the Ball State campus under the Indiana State Teachers College Board of Trustees based in Terre Haute. With this action, the school was renamed Ball State Teachers College. The following year, enrollment increased to 1,118, with 747 female and 371 male students. In 1935, the school added the Fine Arts Building for art, music, and dance instruction. Enrollment that year reached 1,151: 723 women and 428 men. As an expression of the many gifts from the Ball family since 1917, sculptor Daniel Chester French was commissioned by Muncie's chamber of commerce to cast a bronze fountain figure to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Ball brothers' gift to the state. His creation, the statue Beneficence, still stands today between the Administration Building and Lucina Hall where Talley Avenue ends at University Avenue. In 1961, Ball State became fully independent of Indiana State University through the creation of the Ball State College Board of Trustees. The official name of the school was also changed to Ball State College. The Indiana General Assembly approved the development of a state-assisted architecture program, establishing the College of Architecture and Planning, which opened on March 23, 1965. The Center for Radio and Television (now named the College of Communication, Information, and Media) opened the following year, in 1966.

Grambling State University

                           
Grambling State University (GSU) is a historically black, public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of late head football coach Eddie Robinson, and is listed on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail. The university is a member-school of the University of Louisiana System and Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Grambling State was founded in 1901 and accredited in 1949. The school became Grambling College in 1946 named after a white sawmill owner, P. G. Grambling, who donated a parcel of land for the school to be constructed. With the addition of graduate departments, Grambling gained university status in 1974. Grambling State University emerged from the desire of African-American farmers in rural north Louisiana who wanted to educate other African Americans in the northern part of the state. In 1896, the North Louisiana Colored Agriculture Relief Association was formed to organize and operate a school. After opening a small school west of what is now the town of Grambling, the Association requested assistance from Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Charles P. Adams, sent to aid the group in organizing an industrial school, became its founder and first president. Under Adams' leadership, the Colored Industrial and Agricultural School opened on November 1, 1901. Four years later, the school moved to its present location and was renamed the North Louisiana Agricultural and Industrial School. By 1928, the school was able to offer two-year professional certificates and diplomas after becoming a state junior college. The school was renamed Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute. In 1936, the program was reorganized to emphasize rural education. It became known as "The Louisiana Plan" or "A Venture in Rural Teacher Education." Professional teaching certificates were awarded when a third year was added in 1936, and the first baccalaureate degree was awarded in 1944 in elementary education. The institution's name was changed to Grambling College in 1946 in honor of a white sawmill owner, P.G. Grambling, who donated a parcel of land for the school. Thereafter, the college prepared secondary teachers and added curricula in sciences, liberal arts and business. With these programs in effect, the school was transformed from a single purpose institution of teacher education into a multipurpose college. In 1949, the college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Grambling science building is one of twenty-six public structures in Louisiana constructed by the contractor George A. Caldwell. In 1974, the addition of graduate programs in early childhood and elementary education gave the school a new status and a new name - Grambling State University. From 1977 to 2000, the university grew and prospered. Several new academic programs were incorporated and new facilities were added to the 384-acre (1.55 km2) campus, including a business and computer science building, school of nursing, student services building, stadium, stadium support facility and an intramural sports center. In 2006, Grambling State was the setting for the Black Entertainment Television network docudrama "Season of the Tiger," which chronicled the daily lives of members of the football team and marching band throughout the 2005 season. State Representative George B. Holstead of Ruston, whose grandfather had been instrumental in the founding of Louisiana Tech, worked to increase state appropriations for both Louisiana Tech and Grambling State University during his legislative tenure from 1964-1980. Grambling State is accredited by 18 separate accrediting associations, a member in good standing in 20 organizations and is 100% accredited in all of the programs required by the Louisiana Board of Regents. Following the first university president Charles P. Adams, Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones became the second president and the highly successful baseball coach from 1936 until his retirement in 1977. Five presidents served from 1977 to 2001: Dr. Joseph Benjamin Johnson, Dr. Harold W. Lundy, Dr. Raymond Hicks, Dr. Leonard Haynes III and Dr. Steve A. Favors. The advent of a new millennium and the beginning of a second century of service ushered in Grambling State University's first female president, Dr. Neari Francois Warner. Warner served a three-year interim term. Dr. Horace Judson, who became the institution's seventh president in 2004, led the most ambitious 5-year campaign to rebuild the institution's facilities. On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, Judson announced his resignation effective October 31, 2009. Dr. Frank Pogue, who became the institution's eighth president in 2009. On April 4, 2014, Pouge announced his retirement effective June 30,2014. The current Interim President is Dr. Cynthia Warrick. The Grambling Tigers represent Grambling State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Football Championship Subdivision for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Currently, the Grambling State University Department of Athletics sponsors Men's Intercollegiate football, along with men's and women's basketball, baseball, track & field, softball, golf, soccer, tennis, bowling and volleyball. GSU's World Famed Tiger Marching Band is a historic marching band with many special accolades and accomplishments. For instance, they are the only collegiate marching band in the nation to perform at two consecutive presidential inaugurations. "World Famed" was founded in 1926 and is one of the premier ambassadors of the university. One of "World Famed" most anticipated traditions is the "Battle of The Bands" event against the Southern University's Human Jukebox during Bayou Classic weekend in the Superdome. The yearly event attract tens of thousands of alumni, fans, and spectators. Alumni of Grambling State include numerous MLB, NBA and NFL players, public officials, journalists, businessmen and artists, including Willie Brown of the Oakland Raiders and NFL Hall of Fame, Eight-time Mr. Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman is a noted alumnus, as is alumna actress Natalie Desselle-Reid. Grammy-winner Erykah Badu attended Grambling State University and once served as a campus Queen, although she began concentrating on music full-time and dropped out before graduating. New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow is also an alumnus. Alumna Pinkie C. Wilkerson, served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 until her death in an automobile accident on August 1, 2000. Former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams, is not only an alumnus, but previously served as the Tigers head football coach. West coast bay area rap artist E-40 also attended Grambling State University. Alumnus Ahmad Terry, former Rocky Mountain News Staff photographer and Pulitzer Prize winner 2000 and 2003. *Pulitzer Prize Grambling State University graduate, Stephanie Finley, was nominated as U.S. Attorney for Louisiana's Western District by President Barack Obama. Award winning and world renowned jazz artist Michael Thomas is a Grambling alumnus and was a member of the Tiger Marching Band along with jazz artists Lovett Hines and Bob French. Professor Alma Dawson,B.S., is a scholar of library and information science who held the Russell B. Long Professorship at Louisiana State University.