University of Southern Indiana

History

The University of Southern Indiana began as a regional campus of Indiana State University, opening on September 15, 1965. In 1967, Southern Indiana Higher Education, Inc. (SIHE) raised nearly $1 million to acquire 1,400 acres for the Mid-America University Center. Groundbreaking was held June 22, 1968. Since September 1969, the university has occupied 330 acres, mostly donated by SIHE. The first buildings constructed were the Science Center and the Wright Administration Building. Slowly the school built facilities, as funding became available during the Indiana State University–Evansville period.

In 1985, ISU–Evansville became an autonomous four-year institution, the University of Southern Indiana. Governor Robert D. Orr, an Evansville native, signed the newly independent school's charter. Since gaining its independence, USI's growth has continued to where it is now the fastest growing comprehensive university in the state. The university established student housing, diversified the programs offered, and enrollment has more than doubled since gaining its independence.

In October 2006, the university completed a master plan that provides the framework to double the size of the school and support a campus of over 20,000 students. The master plan features key planning principles to guide the university and help it create a cohesive campus as it continues to grow.

Linda L. M. Bennett was USI's third president, retiring in 2017. Ronald S. Rochon followed her in office.

Academics

USI offers over 70 undergraduate majors, 13 master's programs, and 2 doctoral programs as of the fall 2018 semester. Divisions of the university include the Romain College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, University Division, and Division of Outreach and Engagement. USI employs 652 full-time faculty, lecturers, and academic administrators, and 239 part-time faculty.

Student life

Total USI enrollment was 11,033 for the 2017 fall semester, which included students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs and 2,016 students enrolled in USI's College Achievement Program (CAP) classes in 27 high schools across Indiana. Students at USI represented 90 Indiana counties, 39 states and 70 countries. Out of state enrollment, including international students, made up approximately 17% of the student population and minority and international students comprised more than 14%.

More than 40,000 students have graduated since 1971.

Campus

USI's campus, located on 1400 acres (5.7 km2) of land west of Evansville, is accessed by University Parkway off of the Lloyd Expressway (IN-62). It is marked at the center by University Center East and West, which houses conference space, campus dining, offices and the campus store and by Reflection Lake to the west.

South of the University Center is the Quad, an open-air lawn flanked by David L. Rice Library (completed in 2006) and academic buildings for the College of Liberal Arts and Romain College of Business. Academic buildings for the College of Nursing and Health Professions and Pott College, as well as university administration and forum classrooms, are located north of University Center.

Historic New Harmony

USI manages programs and properties in Historic New Harmony, site of two historic communal societies of the early 19th century, the Harmony Society and the Robert Owen/William Maclure communal experiment.

File:USI3854.jpg|Liberal Arts Center and Business and Engineering Center File:Ricelibrary.jpg|Rice Hall, Campus Library File:New University Center of University of Southern Indiana.jpg|USI's University Center File:The Cone at the University of Southern Indiana.JPG|The Cone File:Fountain and plaza of the University of Southern Indiana.jpg|Fountain and plaza area File:The Atheneum, New Harmony, Indiana, 1979.jpg|The Atheneum, home of Historic New Harmony

Athletics

File: Usi eagles wordmark 2014.png

Main article: Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles

The athletic teams of USI are known as the "Screaming Eagles". The university competes at the NCAA Division I level as members of the Ohio Valley Conference beginning in 2025. USI sponsors 17 varsity intercollegiate sports. The school has won four NCAA Division II national championships (men's basketball, 1995; baseball, 2010 and 2014; softball, 2018), finished three times as the national finalist (men's basketball, 1994 and 2004; and women's basketball 1997), and earned two third-place finishes (men's cross country, 1982; baseball, 2007). The men's and women's cross country/track teams have produced five individual national championships since 1997.

The NCAA Division II Softball National Championship in 2018 marked the first softball team in Indiana to win an NCAA championship. The national championship in baseball in 2010 marked the first GLVC member and university in the state of Indiana to win such a title, repeating in 2014 to become the first NCAA D-II program to win multiple team titles. The men's basketball NCAA D-II National Championship in 1995 garnered 3.9 million viewers watching them on CBS Sports.

USI boasts a strong academic record as well, with 228 Academic All-GLVC athletes in 2021–22 and 35 Academic All-America honors. Student athletes maintain an average GPA of 3.29 and are retained at a high percentage.

The university has competitive teams in baseball, basketball (m/w), Cross country (m/w), Golf (m/w), soccer (m/w), tennis (m/w), track and field (m/w), softball, and volleyball (w).

Notable alumni

• Vaneta Becker, member of the Indiana Senate.
• Kevin Brown, baseball player.
• Brad Ellsworth, politician.
• Stan Gouard, basketball player and coach.
• Cindy Ledbetter, politician.
• Darin Mastroianni, baseball player.
• Wendy McNamara, politician.
• Tim O'Brien, politician.
• Zach Payne, politician.
• Vince Russo, wrestler.
• Jeff Schulz, baseball player.
• Jamar Smith, basketball player.
• Robert Titzer, author.
• Duncan Bray, soccer player.

References

References

1. "About USI – History".
2. (November 7, 2023). "Data USA: University of Southern Indiana". Data USA.
3. (September 19, 2023). "USI records first enrollment increase in over a decade". Inside Indiana Business.
4. "Carnegie selects USI for Community Engagement Classification". University of Southern Indiana.
5. "University of Southern Indiana". Indiana College Network.
6. "USI Master Plan". University of Southern Indiana.
7. (August 15, 2017). "USI President Linda L. M. Bennett announces retirement". USI.
8. (May 23, 2024). "USI President Ron Rochon heading to California for new job". [[Evansville Courier & Press]].
9. "About the College". University of Southern Indiana.
10. "About USI". University of Southern Indiana.
11. Services, USI Web. "USI sets record enrollment in graduate programs - University of Southern Indiana".
12. Services, USI Web. "Class of 2017 will bring USI alumni to more than 40,000 - University of Southern Indiana".
13. (November 2006). "Outstanding Designs, Post-Secondary". American School and University.
14. "Historic New Harmony".
15. (9 February 2022). "USI announces OVC as partner for NCAA reclassification". USI.
16. (9 February 2022). "USI announces OVC as partner for NCAA reclassification". USI.
17. "Indiana Legislator Database".
18. Lindskog, Chad. (April 7, 2020). "Lindskog: USI's new coach is a bridge to the glory days. That brings high expectations.".
19. "Cindy Ledbetter {{!}} State of Indiana House of Representatives".
20. "Tim O'Brien {{!}} State of Indiana House of Representatives".
21. "Zach Payne {{!}} State of Indiana House of Representatives".
22. (10 January 2014). "Bray in US university hall of fame". Shetland Times.