Fort Hays State College

Fort Hays State University

Former name	Western Branch of Kansas    State Normal School Fort Hays Kansas State    Normal School Kansas State Teachers    College of Hays Fort Hays State College
Motto	Forward thinking. World ready.
Type	Public, Coeducational
Established	1902 (1902)
Endowment	$70.95 million (2015)
Budget	$155.5 million
President	Andy Tompkins (interim)
Provost	Graham Glynn
Academic staff	851
Students	14,210 (fall 2015)
Location	Hays, Kansas 38°52′24″N 99°20′36″W / 38.87333°N 99.34333°W / 38.87333; -99.34333Coordinates: 38°52′24″N 99°20′36″W / 38.87333°N 99.34333°W / 38.87333; -99.34333
Campus	Rural 200 acres (0.81 km2)
Colors	Black & Gold
Nickname	Tigers
Mascot	Victor E. Tiger
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – MIAA
Website	fhsu.edu

Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public, co-educational university located in Hays, Kansas, United States. It is the third-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with an enrollment of approximately 11,200 students (4,000 undergraduate, 1,200 graduate, and 6,000 online students).

FHSU was founded in 1902 as the Western Branch of Kansas State Normal School, which is now known as Emporia State University. The institution was originally located on the grounds of Fort Hays, a frontier military outpost that was closed in 1889. The university served the early settlers' needs for educational facilities in the new region. The first building closer to Hays was completed in 1904, at which time the university moved to its present location. The modern campus is still located on a portion of the former military reservation from the fort. FHSU was first to be founded as an agricultural based school but was then determined to be a normal school. The normal school was supposed to be supported in part by the agricultural experiment station. For years the University Dairy Unit supplied to school cafeteria with fresh milk.

During the Great Flood of 1951 a tributary of the Kansas River flooded nearly all of campus forcing a midnight evacuation.

In March 2014, it was announced that Dodge City Community College might become part of Fort Hays State University under a proposal that would create the first public four-year degree-granting college in southwest Kansas. The college would then be known as Fort Hays State University at Dodge City if the plan is approved by the Kansas Board of Regents. Fort Hays faculty might teach other four-year programs in Dodge City, while courses typically taken by college freshmen and sophomores would remain the same. The proposal would also require $10 million to build a technical institute and $5 million per year in state funding. If the Board of Regents approve it, then it must also be approved by the state Legislature and the governor.