Multicultural Profile

Diversity, challenge and opportunity are the key words that characterize a Slippery Rock University experience.

Situated on 600 acres in rural Western Pennsylvania, the 100-year-old institution offers the best of both worlds within a rural and city environment. While its beautiful countryside setting offers a haven from the pressures of city and suburban living, its location near two interstate highways offers easy access to three major cities; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Youngstown, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania. Diversity, challenge and opportunity are evident and available in our academic programs and cultural activities. Our 7,500 students - from 35 states and 54 foreign countries - receive a personalized education as they choose from more than 60 programs.

They are taught, nurtured and encouraged by a diverse faculty representing varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including African-American, Hispanic and Asian American. Unlike some institutions that utilize graduate or teaching assistants to instruct the students, Slippery Rock University uses only qualified members of faculty to teach its students. Nearly 70 percent of the faculty hold doctorates.

Through careful mentoring by the faculty, many of our students go on to achieve national and international prominence. One of our more famous alumni is Dr. Oswald Ndanga, a 1972 graduate who is a high-ranking member of the Zimbabwe government. He most recently served as its ambassador to the Soviet Union.

Our international studies program is an important element of the curriculum. Realizing that the world is becoming a global village, and a rapidly-shrinking one at that, the University recognizes its responsibility for preparing its students for life in the twenty-first century, where global travel and experiences will become an everyday part of work and life.

The University offers four international exchange programs in Shanghai, China; Limerick, Ireland; Chuncheon City Korea; and Osaka, Japan. Student teaching is offered in Dublin, Ireland and Munic, Germany. Short-term programs are available in Budapest, Hungary; Florence, Italy; Oxford, England; Salzburg, Australia; and Ontario, Canada. Other international internships and travel experiences are open to any Slippery Rock University student.

The non-academic side of the college experience at Slippery Rock University is enriched by activities such as the Black Arts Festival, Black History Month and Internations Week. More than 100 student organizations and groups, from the Black Action Society to the Gospel Choir, keep students in touch with their peers and provide opportunities for them to expand their talents and abilities outside the classroom.

Students planning to attend the 100-year-old institution can rest assured that the University's personalized financial aid program opens the doors and makes a quality education affordable for everyone. In fact, over 70 percent of the University's 7,500 students receive financial aid in one form or another.

Because the University is one of 14 state-owned educational institutions and receives about 50 percent of its budget from the state, tuition is already at an affordable rate. But for students who qualify, need-based aid is available in the form of scholarships - both academic and athletic - as well as grants, loans and employment.

SRU's financial aid program is comprised of federal, state and institutional funds, including Federal (Title IV) programs such as the Pell Grant and the College Work Study Program, and state programs such as the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency State Grant and Scholars in Education Award programs.

African-American Students with a record of high academic achievement will be interested to know that the Board of Governor's Scholarship, one of the institutional programs, provides full tuition waiver.

Other institutional programs include athletic and academic scholarships, Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarships and student employment.

Go To Profile Index Page

Go To Top Of Page