Montclair State University is a public university located in Upper Montclair, Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of November 2007, there were 13,017 undergraduate students and 3,719 graduate students. Montclair State University is New Jersey's second largest school and is the state's quickest growing school. More than 250 majors, minors and concentrations are offered. Montclair State University is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as many specialized academic organizations.

History

Established as a normal school in 1908 in response to the growing demand for professionally trained teachers, the institution became Montclair State Teachers College in 1927, dedicated to the education of secondary school teachers through a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree program. In 1937 Montclair State became the first teachers college accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The campus became Montclair State College in 1958 and a comprehensive multi-purpose institution in 1966. The Board of Higher Education designated Montclair State a teaching university on April 27, 1994. It has offered Master of Arts programs since 1932, Master of Business Administration since 1981, Master of Education since 1985, Master of Science since 1992, Master of Fine Arts since 1998, Doctor of Education since 1999, Doctor of Environmental Management since 2003 and Doctor of Science since 2005.

Schools

Montclair State is broken up into seven colleges and schools.

The College of Education and Human Services

Majors:

• Physical Education
• Athletic Training
• Family and Child Studies
• Health Education
• Nutrition and Food Science

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences

The College of Science and Mathematics

The John J. Cali School of Music

Majors:

• Music Performance
• Music Theory/Composition
• Music Education
• Music Therapy

The School of Music houses the unique instruments of the late American composer and instrument builder Harry Partch.

The College of the Arts

The School of Business

• Business Administration
• Economics
• International business

Graduate School

• Doctoral Degrees
• Sc.D. in Audiology
• Ed.D. in Pedagogy
• Ed.D. in Mathematics Pedagogy
• Doctor of Environmental Management (D.Env.M.)

Athletics

Montclair State University's athletic teams have played under many nicknames in the school's history. From the late 1920s-30s, the school played as the "Big Red," and featured a large scarlet "M" on its uniforms. Next, Montclair State Teacher’s College competed as the Indians, using a logo with a Native American chief's profile with the initials "MSTC" emblazoned on the caricature's headdress. The initials were changed to "MSC" when the school became Montclair State College in 1958. At one point in the 1980s, the school's baseball team used the cartoon Native American used by the Cleveland Indians. Finally, in 1989, in response to growing the concerns voiced by many Native Americans, the school changed its nickname to the Red Hawks, named after the Red-tailed Hawks that are indigenous to the area.

Division III Sports

Montclair State University athletics are in the NCAA Division III. The university currently offers the following sports:

Sports Fields and Facilities

• Sprague Field
• The 6,000-seat field is home to the MSU football team, women's soccer and field hockey teams.
• Panzer Gymnasium
• The 1,200-seat arena is home to the MSU men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball team.
• Panzer Pool
• The 500-seat Panzer Pool is home to the Red Hawk men's and women's swimming and diving teams.
• MSU Soccer Park
• The 1,100-seat natural grass field, which opened in 1998, is the main home for both the men's and women's soccer teams.
• Yogi Berra Stadium
• The 3,400-seat stadium is home to the MSU baseball team as well as the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League.
• MSU Softball Stadium
• The 300-seat stadium opened its doors in 2004 and is home to the MSU softball team.

Growth of Montclair State University

The old campus of Montclair State consisted of College Hall, Russ Hall, Chapin Hall and Morehead Hall, all built between 1908-1928. Near the end of World War II, housing for returning soldiers was added; one of these buildings still stands today and houses the broadcasting department. Between 1950 and 1980, Montclair acquired a significant amount of land in Little Falls that had previously been a rock quarry, and added at least 23 buildings to its campus during that time.

Additions to the campus slowed after this, with the dormitory Blanton Hall the only major addition to campus before Montclair State began aggressively pushing growth again in the late 1990s.

Dickson Hall was dedicated to David W.D Dickson, the first African American president of Montclair State, in 1995. The Floyd Hall Arena, an ice skating rink, was built in 1998. In 1999, Science Hall was opened. In 2001, the Red Hawk Diner was added to the campus, making it the first diner on a university campus in the United States.

Recent Additions

In recent years, MSU has committed itself to a $250 million capital construction program Some major projects under this program are:

• The Red Hawk Deck, MSU's first parking structure, opened in spring 2003
• The Village Apartments at Little Falls, a new apartment complex accommodating 850 students, opened in fall 2003.
• The Women's Softball Stadium, opened in 2004.
• The 500-seat Alexander Kasser Theater, opened in fall of 2004.
• The New Jersey Transit Rail Station & Parking Deck was opened in Fall 2004.
• The Children's Center, opened in fall 2005.
• University Hall, the largest building on campus, opened in spring 2006.
• The George Segal Gallery, located on the 4th floor of the Red Hawk Deck, opened in spring 2006.
• Cafe Diem, a cyber-cafe attached to Sprague Library, opened in January 2007.
• Chapin Hall, nearly 100 years old, is currently undergoing a complete renovation and substantial addition in order to house the newly created John J. Cali School of Music.
• A 77,000 square foot Student Recreation Center opened in spring 2008.

By 2008, Montclair State is projected to have 18,000 students.

Parking Problems

Increased enrollment along with new construction and limited expansion options have caused a parking crunch at Montclair State University. The school has responded to the parking demands by constructing two garages, significantly increasing the fees for parking permits, and no longer issuing permits to underclassmen.

Residence Facilities

The current residence facilities at Montclair State University are as follows:

• Blanton Hall
• This five story coed complex houses 640 residents in mostly triple rooms connected by a bathroom. Only 4, 5 or 6 residents share each "suite" bathroom.

• Bohn Hall
• The tallest building at MSU, housing approximately 700 co-ed residents in double and triple rooms. Each wing has its own community bathroom facility. Floor heads such as "RA's" have their own personal room to conduct their business

• Clove Road Apts
• These coed apartment units house 350 upperclassmen and the international community of MSU. Each apartment has 2 bedrooms, housing 4 or 5 residents. Each apartment has a kitchen and bathroom.

• Freeman Hall
• Housing approximately 235 coed residents, the Freeman community is home to the honors program. Residents live in a "suite" style double, triple and even quad rooms, in which two rooms share a bathroom.

• Russ Hall
• Russ Hall is a coed upperclassmen community, housing 91 residents in a "suite" style community. Russ Hall was converted from an administrative building into a residential facility in the late 1990s.

• Stone Hall
• Stone Hall is the oldest continuous residence facility in operation. It houses 109 residents in a traditional residence hall layout.

• The Village (student housing) at Little Falls
• Consists of four separate buildings: Williams Hall, Basie Hall, Fenwick Hall, and Alice Paul hall.
• The newest residential apartment facility is an 848-bed apartment complex consisting of four residential buildings and a recreation/office building, many amenities such as cable, laundry facilities, fitness center and more than 500 parking spaces.

• Webster Hall
• MSU's only all female residence hall community houses approximately 100 residents. This three floor facility has triple rooms in "suite" style arrangements. Two triple rooms are connected by a bathroom.

• LaQuinta Inn
• Due to overcrowding and overbooking of the on-campus housing, MSU has many of the overflow students staying in a local hotel a short car ride from the school. Transportation to and from the hotel is offered on a schedule every hour or so by the school shuttle service. It is also open to the public. Students are also able to commute to the school by car at a small additional cost for parking.

Clubs and Organizations

Distinguished alumni and persons associated with Montclair State University

• Kevin Lee Allen, Emmy Award Winning Scenic Designer
• Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame Baseball Player, Catcher for the New York Yankees
• Jason Biggs, actor, briefly attended as an English Major.
• Kevin Carolan, actor and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Amos Hart in the US Broadway Tour of Chicago the Musical
• Lesley Choyce, author of novels, non-fiction, children's books, and poetry.
• Wendy Coakley-Thompson, class of '89, writer, studied broadcasting.
• James P. Connerton, Sr., Executive Director, New Jersey Education Association, 1979-1996.
• Steve Covino, Radio Personality
• Bruce Alan Elfstrom, class of '71, educator and former Dean at Heald College, San Francisco, California.
• Mike Fratello, former NBA Head Coach and Current TNT Basketball Analyst
• Allen Ginsberg, New Jersey Poet; icon of the Beat Generation.
• Fred Hill, Rutgers University Basketball Coach
• Sharpe James, former mayor of Newark
• Chris Klug, Creative Director of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment,noted RPG creator.
• Eugene Maleska, class of '37, NY Times crossword editor
• Christopher W. Martin, Award Winning Bond Analyst, Citigroup Global Markets
• Robert McClure, Broadway Actor in "Avenue Q" and "I'm Not Rappaport"
• Kathleen McDonough, Designer, Chef and Consultant
• Gerry McIntyre, Noted dancer, director and choreographer
• Sam Mills, late star linebacker for Carolina Panthers, coach
• Christine Nagy, radio personality, studied broadcasting.
• Reggie Noble, Rapper known as Redman
• J.J. North, actress
• Irene Peterson, neé Ceccato, class of '71, women's fiction author
• Michael Price, class of '81, writer/producer for "The Simpsons".
• Dania Ramirez, film and television actress
• Lorene Scafaria, screenwriter and playwright
• Keith "Special K" Sheara, professional wrestler
• Denise Simone, Actress and Artistic Director of Company of Fools
• Michael Smanko, Broadway Propperson
• Herman Sokol, a nationally renowned biomedical scientist.
• Ray Toro, Lead Guitarist of My Chemical Romance
• Ryan Willard, Producer, MTV, TV Host- Slime Across America, Nickelodeon Network
• Bruce Willis, Actor; attended MSU as a theater major

References

External links

• http://www.montclair.edu/
• http://www.themontclarion.org/
• http://www.wmscradio.com