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Other name  | The Rock | 
|---|---|
Former names  | Slippery Rock Normal School (1889–1927) Slippery Rock State Teachers College (1927–1960) Slippery Rock State College (1960–1983)[1]  | 
| Type | Public university | 
| Established | 1889 | 
Academic affiliations  | PASSHE | 
| Endowment | US $16.5 million | 
| President | Karen Riley[2] | 
Administrative staff  | 867 | 
| Students | 8,243[3] | 
| Undergraduates | 6,779[4] | 
| Postgraduates | 1,464[4] | 
| Location | ,  U.S.  | 
| Campus | Rural, 660 Acres | 
| Colors | |
Sporting affiliations  | NCAA Division II – PSAC | 
| Mascot | Rocky – The Pride of the Rock[5] | 
| Website | www | 
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Slippery Rock University, formally Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (The Rock or SRU), is a public university in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. SRU is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The university has been coeducational since its founding in 1889.[6] Its campus is on 611 acres (247 ha).
History
Slippery Rock University was founded in 1889 under the name Slippery Rock State Normal School as a teacher training school. James E. Morrow was the first president. The school was purchased by the Commonwealth in 1926 and became a four-year college.
Slippery Rock State College was established in 1960 and issued undergraduate and graduate degrees within the liberal arts and other professions.[7] As of September 2022, Slippery Rock University has 8,243 enrolled students[8] as well as 172 majors, 45 minors[9] and 44 graduate programs, including certificates.[10]
Administration
In 2012, Cheryl Joy Norton was appointed as the university's first female president.[11][12] Norton announced she would retire effective June 30, 2017.[13] William J. Behre became the university's president in 2018.[2] Behre would go on to serve the university for roughly 4 years before announcing his retirement on February 15th 2022.[14] Effective on July 1st, 2023 Karen Riley was appointed president of Slippery Rock University.[15]
Athletics
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania competes in the NCAA Division II and is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Slippery Rock University's official mascot is Rocky the Lion.[16]
Varsity sports
Men's teams: Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field.
Women's teams: Basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and Volleyball.
The announcement of Slippery Rock's football scores is a tradition at University of Michigan Football games, started in 1959 by Michigan Stadium's public address announcer Steve Filipiak.[17] The tradition spread to other stadiums as well - during a 1970 game at the University of Texas, the announcer failed to read Slippery Rock’s score, which resulted in the crowd demanding to know said score.[18] Slippery Rock was so popular with U of M fans that on September 29, 1979, they played in-state rival Shippensburg at Michigan Stadium, in front of 61,143 fans, a record for a Division II football game (Shippensburg won, 45–14). Slippery Rock played a second game at "The Big House" in 1981, attracting 36,719 fans in a 14–13 loss to Wayne State University. Slippery Rock made a third trip to "The Big House" on October 18, 2014, losing to Mercyhurst University, 45–23; a crowd of 15,121 braved a chilly wind to witness the contest.
Discontinued Sports
The varsity wrestling program was competed in from 1958-59 to 2005-06 academic years at the university. [19]
Club sports
In 1995, the women's water polo team won the intercollegiate national championship conducted by USA Water Polo.[20]
In 1987, the women's judo team, a varsity sport team at the time, won the intercollegiate national championship conducted by the National Collegiate Judo Association.[21]
Slippery Rock ice hockey joined other colleges and universities in the region to form the College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA) in 2006. In 2020, the university suspended the hockey program for the indefinite future.[22]
Student life
Aebersold Student Recreation Center
The Aebersold Student Recreation Center is an 82,000 sq ft (7,600 m2) on-campus student recreation center.[23]
Fraternities and sororities
There are several on campus.
Student media
SRU has a student newspaper called The Rocket, the radio station 88.1 WSRU-FM, and the literary magazine SLAB.
Notable alumni
- Matt Adams – baseball player
 - Janet Anderson – golfer
 - Cheryl Bailey – commissioner of National Women's Soccer League
 - Francis V. Barnes – Secretary of Education for the Pennsylvania Department of Education from 2004 to 2005
 - David Batra – comedian and actor
 - Stephen Bolles – lawyer and politician
 - Myron Brown – basketball player
 - Todd Tamanend Clark (1983) – poet and composer
 - Victoria Clarke – communications consultant and former United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
 - Shardea Arias de la Cru - Paralympic administrator
 - Matthew Driscoll ('92) – basketball coach
 - Stanley Dziedzic ('72) – wrestler
 - Michael J. Estocin – Medal of Honor recipient
 - Brandon Fusco – football player
 - Wes Hills – football player
 - Greg Hopkins – football player
 - Donnie Iris – musician
 - Charles William Kerr – pastor
 - Jodi Kest – basketball coach
 - Matt Kinsinger – football player
 - Gary L. Lancaster – judge
 - Marcus Martin – football player
 - Brian Minto – boxer
 - Greg Paterra – football player
 - Sarah Patterson – gymnastics coach
 - Lawrence Reed – president of the Foundation for Economic Education
 - M. Richard Rose (1955-2021) – former President of Alfred University and the Rochester Institute of Technology
 - Robert J. Stevens – chairman, president, and chief executive officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation
 - C. Vivian Stringer – basketball coach
 - John Stuper – baseball player and college baseball coach[24]
 - Lou Trivino – baseball player
 - Royce Waltman – basketball coach
 - Richard Schweiker – politician
 
References
- ↑ "HISTORY AND TRADITIONS". sru.edu. Slippery Rock University. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
 - 1 2 "Karen Riley named president of Slippery Rock University". Slippery Rock University. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
 - ↑ "SRU enrollment exceeds 8,200 students for fall 2022".
 - 1 2 , 2022-23 Enrollment.
 - ↑ "Rocky, The Pride of The Rock". sru.edu.
 - ↑ "Student Aid on the Web". Archived from the original on 2011-10-20. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
 - ↑ "History". Slippery Rock University.
 - ↑ "SRU enrollment exceeds 8,200 students for fall 2022". September 8, 2020.
 - ↑ "MAJORS & MINORS". Slippery Rock University.
 - ↑ "Admissions Requirements by Program". Slippery Rock University.
 - ↑ "Welcome!". Sru.edu. 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
 - ↑ "Dr. Cheryl Norton named as first female president of SRU – News – The Rocket – Slippery Rock University". Theonlinerocket.com. 2012-04-05. Archived from the original on 2012-08-09. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
 - ↑ Nuzum, Lydia (9 December 2016). "Slippery Rock's president announces retirement". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
 - ↑ "SRU President William Behre announces retirement". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
 - ↑ "Karen Riley named president of Slippery Rock University". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
 - ↑ "Rocky, The Pride of The Rock". www.sru.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
 - ↑ "Slippery Rock University Athletics – Tradition". Rockathletics.com. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
 - ↑ "Slippery Rock University Football - College Football's Biggest Little Team".
 - ↑ "Rock Wrestling History". Retrieved January 1, 2024.
 - ↑ "National Women's Collegiate Champs". Retrieved 2009-09-02.
 - ↑ "Collegiate tournament results". Archived from the original on 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
 - ↑ Major II, Ed (December 21, 2020). "Slippery Rock suspends men's hockey, future of program uncertain". Pittsburgh Hockey Digest. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
 - ↑ "Aebersold Student Recreation Center". sru.edu. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
 - ↑ Sybert, Steve (29 April 1992). "Campus life lures Stuper to Yale". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 76. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
 

