Eastern Michigan University

Eastern Michigan University

Former names	Michigan State Normal School Michigan State Normal College Eastern Michigan College
Motto	Equity, Exemplar, Excellence
Type	Public
Established	1849
Endowment	$67.2 Million (2015)
President	James M Smith
Academic staff	700 Faculty + 700 Contingent Faculty
Administrative staff	1000+
Students	23,419
Undergraduates	18,621
Postgraduates	4,798
Location	Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S. 42°15′01″N 83°37′28″W / 42.250154°N 83.624454°W / 42.250154; -83.624454Coordinates: 42°15′01″N 83°37′28″W / 42.250154°N 83.624454°W / 42.250154; -83.624454
Campus	800 acres (3 km2)
Colors	Green & White
Athletics	NCAA Division I – MAC
Nickname	Eagles
Mascot	Swoop
Website	www.emich.edu

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is 35 miles (56 km) west of Detroit and eight miles (13 km) east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School. Today, the university is governed by an eight-member Board of Regents whose members are appointed by the Governor of Michigan for eight-year terms. The school belongs to the Mid-American Conference and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Since 1991 EMU athletics has gone by the name "Eagles". Then in 1994, "Swoop" was officially adopted by the university as the school's mascot. Currently, EMU comprises seven colleges and schools:College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Health and Human Services, College of Technology, an Honors College, and a Graduate School. The university's site is composed of an academic and athletic campus spread across 800 acres (3.2 km²), with over 120 buildings. EMU has a total enrollment of more than 23,000 students.

The university was founded in 1849 and opened its doors in 1853 as Michigan State Normal School. Michigan State Normal School was the first in Michigan and the first normal school created outside the original 13 colonies. One hundred and twenty-two students started classes March 29, 1853.Adonijah Welch served as Michigan State Normal School's first principal. Michigan created a state educational system modeled on that of Germany. The normal schools were to train teachers for common schools, which were being established rapidly in new towns in the state. In 1899, the school became the Michigan State Normal College when it created the first four-year curriculum for a normal college in the nation. Normal began the 20th century as Michigan's premier teacher-preparatory school and had become the first teacher-training school in the United States to have a four-year degree program. Just like many other universities during World War I, the Great Depression and World War II, the school survived and expanded further. With the additions of departments and the large educational enrollment after WWII, the school became Eastern Michigan College in 1956.