Type | Public |
---|---|
Established | 1873 |
Endowment | $58,585,853 |
President | Carlos Vargas-Aburto |
Academic staff
|
407 |
Students | 11,987 (Fall 2016) |
Undergraduates | 10,693 (Fall 2016) |
Postgraduates | 1,285 (Fall 2016) |
Location | Cape Girardeau, Missouri |
Campus | Main Campus 328 acres (132.7 ha) |
Colors | Red and Black |
Nickname | Redhawks (Division I FCS) |
Sporting affiliations
|
NCAA Division I – Ohio Valley Conference |
Mascot | Rowdy the Redhawk |
Website | www |
Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education. The recent addition of the River Campus, housing the Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts, has increased the university's commitment to education in the arts. As a comprehensive institution, the institution offers over 200 areas of study, including undergraduate degrees as well as master's degrees and a cooperative Ed.D. program with the University of Missouri.
Southeast Missouri State University was ranked 103rd in the Regional Universities Midwest category and 29th among top Midwestern Public Schools category for the 2017 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings.
In Fall 2012, the University had a record enrollment of over 11,000, making it the 8th largest university by enrollment in the state of Missouri and the 6th largest public university. In Fall 2013, a record class of over 1,700 freshman students entered the university: 93.1% of students were full-time, 6.9% were part-time. Female students make up between 57–60% of the student body. Minority enrollment included African-American (6%), Hispanic (1%), and Asian (1%).
Southeast Missouri State University has had five names in its history, each time attempting to better reflect its mission and identity:
Southeast Missouri State University was founded in 1873 when a group of prominent businessmen and politicians successfully lobbied the State of Missouri to designate Cape Girardeau as the home of the Third District Normal School. Originally known as Southeast Missouri State Normal School, the first classes were originally taught at the nearby Lorimier School until April 1875 when the first normal school building was completed.
The Original Normal School Building burned down on April 8, 1902, and was replaced in 1906 by Academic Hall, the school's domed landmark building. It was designed by Jerome Bibb Legg, who also designed the St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall, and includes light fixtures from the 1904 World's Fair.