public institution located on 140 acres (57 hectares) in Salisbury, Md., on the Delmarva Peninsula. It was founded in 1925 and received university status in 1988. Enrollment consists of roughly 6,000 students, including some 600 graduate students. Approximately a quarter of the students come from outside the state. Many new students opt to take part in the university's award-winning orientation-in-the-woods program. The university operates on a 4-1-4 system, which means two full semesters of about four months each and a one-month term in between. About three fourths of the full-time faculty hold doctorates. Disciplines offered at the bachelor's level include education, art, music, communications, liberal arts and sciences, business, medical technology, environmental health, environmental marine science, management information systems, nursing, social work, and respiratory therapy. Students interested in engineering can participate in five-year programs arranged between Salisbury State and other institutions. About a quarter of the undergraduates pursue advanced studies within a year of graduation. The university's own graduate programs are in business, education, English, psychology, and nursing. The university maintains some housing for interested students. Campus life includes more than 75 extracurricular activities, such as fraternities and sororities, musical and theatrical groups, radio stations, and a student-run newspaper. Almost half of the students participate in intramural sports. Varsity sports teams, nicknamed the Sea Gulls, compete in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. School colors are maroon and gold. |