Towson University

McFadden Alexander Newell

The General Assembly of Maryland established what would eventually become Towson University in 1865, with the allocation of funds directed toward Maryland's first teacher-training school, or then called "normal school" (term used from a new French tradition).[8] On January 15, 1866, this institution, known then as the "Maryland State Normal School" (M.S.N.S.), officially opened its doors as part of the substantial modern educational reforms prescribed by the Unionist/Radical Republican Party-dominated Maryland Constitution of 1864 of the Civil War-era state government, which provided for a new state superintendent of public instruction and a Board of Education to be appointed to advise and supervise the counties, in addition to the already progressive public educational system previously established in 1829 in Baltimore City.[9] Located then at Red Man's Hall on North Paca Street in Baltimore, the new teachers' school originally enrolled eleven students and fostered three faculty members.[10][11] McFadden Alexander Newell served as the school's first principal as well as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and oversaw the first graduating class of sixteen students in June 1866.[9]

As time passed, the enrollment in the school grew exponentially. The State Normal School soon quickly outgrew its temporary facilities in Red Man's Hall on Paca Street and moved to another temporary location in 1873 on the northeast corner of North Charles and East Franklin Streets, in the former William Howard Greek Revival mansion (son of famous American Revolutionary War Col. John Eager Howard of the famous "Maryland Line" in the Continental Army who owned most of the land north of Baltimore Town as his estate of "Belvidere" or "Howard's Woods"), and his family was now starting to develop and lay out city streets. The landmark mansion, (across the street from the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore), which later was known as the Union Club by 1863 and later became the Athenaeum Club.[12] The following year, the General Assembly appropriated money to construct an exclusive building to house the burgeoning school. In 1876, the Normal School moved its faculty and 206 students to this new landmark facility located in West Baltimore facing Lafayette Square on Carrollton and Lafayette Avenues.[10][11]

Stephens Hall, under construction in 1914.

Newell Hall, 1916

The demand for qualified teachers became overwhelming by the turn of the century. The Maryland Department of Education reported an annual need for 350 new teachers, but the Maryland State Normal School was graduating fewer than 100.[9] The facilities in West Baltimore were now inadequate to meet state demands. Principal Sarah Richmond, one of the original eleven graduates, began a campaign to establish a campus where the school could function more appropriately. In 1910, the General Assembly formed a committee to oversee site selection, budget, and design plans for the new campus. John Charles Linthicum was appointed president of the committee, alongside State Superintendent M. Bates Stephens and Sarah Richmond. The committee surveyed locations at Roland Park, Lutherville-Timonium, Mount Washington, Pimlico, Glencoe, and many other areas.[11] Eventually, the committee settled on an 80-acre (320,000 m²) site in Towson and the General Assembly financed the $600,000 move in 1912.[8] Construction began in 1913 on the Administration Building, now known as Stephens Hall. In September 1915, the new campus, comprising Stephens Hall, Newell Hall, and the power plant, began classes.[12]

In 1934, the state decreed that new public school teachers must have baccalaureate degrees instead of two-year teaching certificates, and the school retooled its curriculum to issue Bachelor of Science degrees.[8] The following year, the school changed its name to Maryland State Teachers College at Towson.[9][12] As the name implied, the college's single purpose was to train teachers. In 1946, however, the institution established a junior college to offer two years of college work on a transfer basis. This expansion laid the foundation of what was later to become the art and sciences program. In 1958, the college offered its first graduate program leading to a Master of Education degree. In 1960, the college expanded the art and science programs into four-year courses and began awarding bachelor's degrees in these fields. Due to this change in focus, the name changed once more to Towson State College.[8][9]

Beginning in 1964, the college enrollment rates began a dramatic increase as the baby boomer generation began applying to colleges.[9] Within a decade, Towson State's enrollment climbed from 3,537 to 13,399.[8] This expansion led to the construction of the Center for the Arts, University Union, Cook Library, and many other new facilities. Under the presidency of James L. Fisher, the college expanded the courses offered to meet the demands of the growing student body. In 1976, the school's name changed again to Towson State University.

Towson joined 10 other public institutions in 1988 in the newly created University System of Maryland. Previously, Towson had been a member of the State University and College System of Maryland with five other public institutions across the state.[13]

Towson dropped the designation "state" from its name and became Towson University on July 1, 1997. The new name recognized shifts in funding and the development and growth of Towson as a metropolitan university.[11]

The university provides 110 undergraduate majors, and more than 80 graduate degrees and certifications.[22][23] Once students have determined a program of study, they become a member of the academic college administering the program.

Towson's gerontology program is one of only 100 such undergraduate programs offered in the United States.[24]

Around 74% of the freshman class, and over 5,000 students among all four classes, reside on campus.[27] The university has 16 residence halls, which include apartment complexes, modern high-rise towers, and more traditional two- and three-story residential buildings.[28] Students can also choose from 10 Residential Learning Communities.[29] While on campus, students have access to a counseling center, an academic advising center, a health center, and a career center.

TU has its own on campus shuttle system that operates free of charge to students. The on-campus shuttle travels to most sections of the school, while the off-campus shuttles travel to housing complexes (The Fairways at Towson, University Village, The Colony, Donnybrook) that students live in that are on the outskirts of the campus.[30] There is also direct access to the MTA Maryland buses with services connecting to the light rail.

The Towson University Police Department (TUPD) is the primary law enforcement agency servicing the students, faculty, and visitors within the campus limits and adjacent streets and roadways. The TUPD is aided by the Baltimore County Police Department as directed by authority. The current chief of police is Charles "Joe" Herring.[31] The TUPD is divided into several units such as the Patrol Unit and the Community Crime Reduction Unit. It also includes emergency communications.[32]

As a response to the University System of Maryland's (USM) desire for Towson University to grow its enrollment, a new Campus Master Plan was developed for the university and approved by the USM, Board of Regents in December 2003. The university found that in the past, it has been guided by master plans that focused inward, resulting in disjointed campus development that was disconnected from the larger Towson community.

The resulting vision, called TU:2010.[33][34] addresses both University System of Maryland requirements and community concerns. It contains over 70 specific initiatives that range from growing diversity to increasing student involvement in service learning projects. Perhaps its most visible development is the creation of academic and student life buildings, as well as roads, parking, utilities, and landscapes to support those buildings.[35]

As part of this vision, Towson's campus is undergoing many construction projects set into different phases with staggered completion dates.

In 2007, the university signed onto the American College and Universities Presidents' Climate Commitment, pledging to become carbon neutral by 2050. The institution has achieved a 48% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The university boast a 44% recycling rate, trayless and strawless dining, 4000 solar panels, 36 E/V charging stations, three green roofs and two bikeshares.[36][37]

Tigerfest is TU's annual spring festival that features interactive activities for students, as well as live musical entertainment. Tigerfest, which is also open to the public (not just TU students), occurs in late April and was held in Johnny Unitas Stadium for most of the event's history. Starting in 2014, the event was moved to Towson's brand new basketball arena, SECU Arena. Also beginning in 2014 was the festival being held over two days. Day one features events and games on campus, while day two is centered around a concert. Artists such as Lil Yachty, Playboi Carti, Krewella, Kid Cudi,[42] The Used, and Yellowcard have appeared at Tigerfest in the past.

The Division of Economic and Community Outreach (DECO) was established in 2004 as an initiative of President Robert L. Caret. DECO's charge is to "provide a focus for engagement with the external community and to provide a path into the university's research and project talent."[43] DECO includes over 130 experts in the following areas: IT Solutions, Mapping Solutions (GIS), Technical Training, Applied Economics and Human Services, Information Assurance, and Business Growth.

The initiative is a partnership among the Baltimore City Public School System, Baltimore City government, Towson University and Cherry Hill's community organizations. Together, the programs are trying to rebuild the Cherry Hill neighborhood in southern Baltimore. The program interacts with Cherry Hill's civic leaders, community organizations and citizens, the Learning Zone hopes to serve as a resource for the academic progress of Cherry Hill's young residents and improvement of the overall environment in the community.[44][45]

The Towson Speech and Debate team has close ties with the Baltimore Urban Debate League and often volunteers people from the team and the university to judge and facilitate the running of the tournaments.

The university often acts as a host for league tournaments at least once a year.

Towson also has what they call an Urban Debate Scholar award that they give to one graduating senior every year. The scholarship pays for full tuition and fees at TU. They also offer varying awards between $2,000 – $4,000 to other graduating seniors.[46]

Former President Caret established a program called Adopt-A-Campus, which gives local businesses, organizations and others an opportunity to help beautify the TU campus. Every group is assigned a certain section of the campus, and will be encouraged to pick up litter and help keep the area clean of trash and debris.[47]

On October 14, 2014, Barry Freundel, a Jewish scholar, Rabbi, and religious studies and philosophy professor at Towson University, was suspended after being arrested in connection to allegations that he secretly videotaped women as they used a religious bath known as a mikvah near his Georgetown synagogue.[50] One victim was a student of Freundel's at Towson, and was encouraged by the professor to take “practice dunks” in the mikvah, though she was not Jewish and had no intention of converting.[51] Authorities reported dozens of students may have also been taken on these “dunking field trips.”

After serving a search warrant on Freundel's Towson office, police found a number of computer storage devices, hidden cameras concealed in items such as tissue boxes and a clock radio, and a list of handwritten names.[52] He ultimately pleaded guilty to 52 counts of voyeurism, and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.[53]