Eastern Michigan University - the facts

Founded in 1849 as a teacher-training school. Eastern Michigan University was not only the first such institution west of the Alleghenies, but also the state's first tax-supported co-educational college. Once composed of a single building, Eastern has evolved into a comprehensive educational institution--an institution firmly committed to shaping the way America learns. The University offers bachelor's, master's and specialist's degrees, as well as a doctoral degree in, appropriately, educational leadership. In all, more than 400 academic majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through Eastern's five degree-granting colleges and its graduate school.

During its formative years, Michigan State Normal School, as Eastern was conceived, certified thousands of teachers and developed a broad-based academic curriculum. This helped prepare the institution for university status, which it achieved in1959. Within that new university, three colleges emerged: Education, Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate School. The University continued to evolve in subsequent years, adding the College of Business in 1964, the College of Health and Human Services in 1975, and the College of Technology in 1980. More recently, Eastern’s Extended Programs entity has taken root. Its diverse elements include Continuing Education, the Centers for Corporate Training, the World College, and a host of community-focused institutes. 

In response to this growth, Eastern expanded its 275-acre campus on the south side of the Huron River with an additional 182 acres west of campus, primarily for student residences and athletic facilities. In1989 the University added Eagle Crest -- a magnificent conference center, golf course and resort on the banks of nearby Ford Lake. Shortly thereafter, the Gary M. Owen College of Business Building opened its doors in downtown Ypsilanti. 

One of the nation's 50 largest universities, Eastern produces more professional educators than any school in the nation. Its enrollment exceeds 23,000 and its total annual budget is some $170 million. In recent years, the University has enhanced its learning environment through more than $213 million in structural initiatives, including $41 million toward the Bruce T. Halle Library; $29.6 million toward the Convocation Center; $14.5 million toward the College of Health and Human Services Building; and $13.8 million toward the John W. Porter College of Education Building. 

Today the campus is graced by some 18 miles of walkways and jogging trails, and more than 200 acres of scenic lawn and wooded areas. The larger community consists of Ypsilanti and neighboring Ann Arbor, a community at once educationally rich, culturally vibrant, and technologically sophisticated. 

Eastern's student body comprises both full- and part-time students, and is representative of the national trend of mature adults returning to college to enhance their career opportunities in an ever-changing world. The student body is 58 percent female at the undergraduate level and 65 percent female at the graduate level. Cultural diversity has long been a hallmark of the University, and Eastern's enrollment reflects this: some 15 percent of the student body is either African American, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American. 

Eastern is also home to more than 200 student activities and organizations, indicative of the University's belief that valuable learning opportunities occur both inside and outside the classroom. Eastern belongs to the Mid-American Conference and competes in the NCAA Division I category of men's and women's sports. The University's athletic tradition is a rich one -- a tradition that includes both team and individual championships as well as Olympic gold medals. Additionally, Eastern student-athletes have gone on to professional excellence in such sports as football, baseball and basketball.