A question for state schoolers

[Benzgirl]

The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 under the name of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1878, the college permanently changed its name to the now-familiar "The Ohio State University."

[LPIDelta]

I don't know anyone who calls it TSU--everyone I know calls it Texas State or "That school in San Marcos". And we rarely reference Round Rock.

[honeychile]

Laughing & remembering how frustrated my aunts were about me always confusing Pennsylvania State University and University of Pennsylvania as a kid - especially since two were professors at PSU!

[Senusret I]

More trivia:

The Normal School for Colored Girls was founded in 1851 in DC by Myrtilla Miner.
1861 - Became the Institution for Education of Colored Youth
1871 - Associated with Howard University as the Miner Normal School
1879 - Miner Normal School becomes part of the DC Public School system
1929 - accredited by congress as Miner Teacher's College
1955 - Merged with the all-white Wilson Teacher's College to become DC Teachers College
1977 - DC Teachers College merges with Federal City College and the Washington Technical Institute to become the University of the District of Columbia

I had teachers who went to the DC Teachers College.

[SWTXBelle]

I think TX State is clunky compared to SWTexas - but I'm biased. The school kept telling alumni "We won't be TSU "- and I guess they've been successful, but it seems to me a battle that didn't need to be fought.

Plus how would you yell "Who ya rootin' for - S W T ! Who are you - G Phi B!"???

And yes, TX State-Round Rock is hardly a blip on the radar, but if SOME had their way, we'd have TX State-Huntsville, TX State- Nacanowhere (you Texans know what I mean ) , etc.

The change from college to university is different. That is more of a recognition of a change in degrees offered than a mere whim of the administration.

[LXA SE285]

My alma mater started out as Alabama Girls' Industrial School in 1896, then became the Alabama Girls' Technical Institute in 1911, Alabama Girls' Technical Institute and State College in 1919 (it was previously just a high school/vo-tech school), Alabama College: The State College for Women in 1923, Alabama College in 1956 (after men were admitted), and finally the University of Montevallo in 1969.

Whew.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 under the name of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1878, the college permanently changed its name to the now-familiar "The Ohio State University."

When I was growing up in Columbus, most people just called it Ohio State -- or just "State."

The "The" started a few years ago.

It think it sounds really pretentious.

While we don't use our "The," Ohio University was called The Ohio University when founded in 1804.

We're nice, though, and allow our younger sister to use it -- even though they tried to copyright the word "Ohio" a few years ago.

How crass.

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

When I was growing up in Columbus, most people just called it Ohio State -- or just "State."

The "The" started a few years ago.

It think it sounds really pretentious.

While we don't use our "The," Ohio University was called The Ohio University when founded in 1804.

We're nice, though, and allow our younger sister to use it -- even though they tried to copyright the word "Ohio" a few years ago.

How crass.

The copywriting of "Ohio" was completely stupid in MHO. I was annoyed when they tried to tell all the sports writers to stop calling us "Ohio University" and just call us "Ohio".

And I think the "The" thing started when in the late 80s/early 90s Ohio State tried to get people to stop calling the school "OSU" becuase it caused confusion with other OSUs. So the school started to really push it's offical name. I remember getting brochures from them in high school and one year it had "OSU" on it and the next it was "The Ohio State University".

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

When I was growing up in Columbus, most people just called it Ohio State -- or just "State."

The "The" started a few years ago.

It think it sounds really pretentious.

While we don't use our "The," Ohio University was called The Ohio University when founded in 1804.

We're nice, though, and allow our younger sister to use it -- even though they tried to copyright the word "Ohio" a few years ago.

How crass.

Younger sister who is bigger, better and has a far higher reputation than the party school in the hills.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

...better and has a far higher reputation than the party school in the hills.

The nice thing about Greek Chat is that you're allowed to make unsubstantiated claims.

Bigger does not necessarily equal better.

Oh, and I have no problem with parties.

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

Younger sister who is bigger, better and has a far higher reputation than the party school in the hills.

I find the "party school" label really interesting. Most members of college administrations cringe when their school is called a "party school", however most alumni wear it as a badge of honor (and in some cases even vote online to make their alma mater win party school contests). This holds true for not just Ohio University, but Wisconsin, IU, Ball State and others (at least the alumni I know).

I have been to parties at both Ohio State and Ohio University and it is impossible to say one school parties any harder, it's just that OU students stay near campus while Ohio State students scatter throughout Columbus (which in my mind is much more dangerous in terms of drunk driving).

So if the fact that OU students love Athens enough to want to stay on the weekends and have a great time makes us a party school, then I proudly embrace the "Party School" label.

As for the "higher reputation", while I love Ohio State, I beg to differ. At least in 1992, OU's College of Communication (Now Scripps College of Communication) was ranked in the top 10 nationally for Telecommunications. I don't believe Ohio State even ranked.

I'm off my soapbox now.

[Benzgirl]

I'll give OU their laurels on top 10 communications schools, but you guys make this too easy:


U.S. News & World Report’s widely read rankings of undergraduate colleges in America currently places Ohio State as the 19th best public university and 57th overall ranked university in America as well as the highest ranked public university in Ohio. China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University placed Ohio State as the 61st ranked university in the world in their 2007 Academic Ranking of World Universities
The Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance at Arizona State University detailed analysis and rankings of American universities currently places Ohio State as the 25th ranked university in America, the 11th ranked public university in America and the top overall university in Ohio. Of their nine ranking criteria, Ohio State ranked in the top-25 in four categories and between 26-50 in an additional four categories. The Washington Monthly college rankings which seek to evaluate colleges' contributions to American society based on factors of social mobility, cutting edge research and service to the country by their graduates currently places Ohio State as 12th in the nation and 10th among public universities.
Ohio State is also the only public university in Ohio to which the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has given both its highest overall classification of Doctoral/Very High Research Activity and highest undergraduate admissions classification of more selective.
US News ranks the undergraduate program at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business 12th in America and the top undergraduate business school in Ohio. The graduate program of the Fisher College is ranked 22nd in America and the top graduate school of business in Ohio. The Economist ranked The Fisher College as the 29th ranked MBA program in the world in their 2005 "Which MBA?" issue. In 2006, The Public Accounting Report ranked Ohio State's accounting department 9th in the nation for undergraduate programs and 10th in the nation for graduate programs. In each case, the ranking was the highest among Ohio universities.The Ohio State law school is ranked by US News as the top law school in Ohio and 31st overall in America. Ohio State's medical school is ranked as the top public medical school in Ohio and 31st for research and 38th for primary care. US News ranks Ohio State's undergraduate engineering program as the 25th best program in America and the top undergraduate engineering program in Ohio. Its graduate program in engineering is ranked 26th in the country and highest in Ohio. Ohio State's College of Education was ranked 17th in America by US News and the highest in Ohio. The Counseling/Personnel Services graduate program at Ohio State is ranked 4th in America by the 2008 'US News & World Report'. In total, US News & World Report ranked 19 Ohio State graduate programs or specialties among the nation's top ten and 30 among the nation's top 25.
Ohio State's political science department is ranked thirteenth in the country by US News & World Report, with the American politics section 5th, international politics 12th and political methodology 10th. A study by The London School of Economics ranked it as the fourth best political science department in the world. Foreign Policy Magazine recently ranked it as the 15th best Ph.D. program in the world for the study of international relations while noting Professor Alexander Wendt as the third most influential scholar of international relations in the world.
Ohio State is one of a select few top American universities to offer multiple area studies programs under "Comprehensive National Resource Center" (often called "Title VI") funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The most notable of these is the Center for Slavic and East European Studies founded in 1965 by Professor Leon Twarog. Subsequently, Ohio State's Middle Eastern Studies Center and East Asian Studies Center also achieved Comprehensive National Resource Center status. The university is also home to the interdisciplinary Mershon Center for International Security Studies, which was founded in 1952 through a bequest of 7 million dollars (54.3 million in 2006 value) from alumnus Colonel Ralph D. Mershon. In 2003, it was decided by the United States Department of Homeland Security to base the National Academic Consortium for Homeland Security at The Mershon Center.
In a study by industry publication Dance Teacher, a survey of 100 dance department chairs in the United States and Canada ranked Ohio State's Department of Dance as the top ranked graduate program and the second ranked undergraduate program in North America.

OU does rank high in Sports Sciences, Journalism and Fine Arts.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

I'll give OU their laurels on top 10 communications schools, but you guys make this too easy:

U.S. News & World Report’s widely read rankings of undergraduate colleges in America . . . .

I don't have a dog in this fight, but . . .

You might as well say U.S. News & World Report's widely read and equally widely ridiculed and criticized rankings of undergraduate colleges in America. Same goes for most other "rankings."

I'd bet students and grads of most other schools, including Ohio University, wouldn't have wasted their time putting together a post this long, with all those hyperlinks -- they'd know it just starts to read like something Charlie Brown's teacher would write.

Looks to me like someone is overcompensating.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Looks to me like someone is overcompensating.

Really?