Kennesaw State University , in Kennesaw, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta is a public university with over 17,000 students.
The university has undergone a number of changes in name (and mission) over its short existence. It dates its start to October 9, 1963, when the Georgia Board of Regents approved the establishment of Cobb County Junior College. By August 1965, it was officially named Kennesaw Junior College. In 1976, it became a four-year college, Kennesaw College, which allowed it to grant its first bachelor's degrees to seventy students in June 1980. In 1988, it was renamed Kennesaw State College; it became Kennesaw State University on June 12, 1996.
Other milestones in KSU's existence include:
- 1981: Kennesaw has the University System of Georgia's first woman president.
- 1985: Kennesaw establishes its first graduate degree programs, in business and education.
- 1988: Associate degrees are discontinued, except for a program in nursing.
- 1990: The School of Business Administration starts the nation's first degree program in professional sales.
- 1996: The baseball and softball teams win NCAA Division II national championships.
- 2004: The Kennesaw State Lady Owls win the 2003 NCAA Women's Division II Soccer Championship.
- 2004: The Kennesaw State Owls win the 2004 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship.
- 2005: Kennesaw State University joins Division I Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun) for the 2005 season.
Profile of the student body
Over three-quarters of the student body come from Cobb, Cherokee, or Fulton counties. About three of every five undergraduates are full-time, while the figure for graduate students is three out of ten. As of 2002, half of its undergraduates are at least 23 years old; over half (57%) of its graduate students are between 23 and 34 years of age.
For fall 2002, 45% of graduate enrollments were in KSU's Coles College of Business; 24% were in its Bagwell College of Education. That semester also saw the university continue its trend of having significantly more female (62%) than male (38%) students. As of 2004, KSU has the third-largest enrollment within the University System of Georgia, out of the 34 universities and colleges in the system.
Major Campus Buildings/Landmarks
A.L. Burruss Building - (from www.kennesaw.edu)
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Campus Green Aerial View
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Kennesaw Hall - (from www.kennesaw.edu)
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The legendary Spec Landrum Center
Other Buildings
Historic District (Original Campus: includes Social Science, Pilcher Building, Willingham Hall, Nursing Building, Advancement Building and Technology Annex)
Sports
Basketball
The Kennesaw State Owl basketball team plays at the Convocation Center on the campus of KSU. The team previously played in the legendary Spec Landrum Center KSU claims 1 national championship in baseketball, 2004. The current head coach is Tony Ingle.
Baseball
Kennesaw State's baseball team is currently coached by Mike Sansing. The Owls play at Stillwell Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State.
Softball