Editing Adams State University

{{Short description|Public university in  Alamosa, Colorado, U.S.}}

{{Infobox university
| name                   = Adams State University
| former_names           = Adams State Normal School (1921–1946)<br/>Adams State College (1946–2012)
| native_name            = 
| image_size             = 200px
| latin_name             = 
| motto                  = ''Great stories begin here''
| mottoeng               = 
| established            = {{start date and age|1921}}
| closed                 = 
| type                   = [[Public university]]
| affiliation            = 
| endowment              = $23 million (2021)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adams.edu/foundation/|title=Adams State University Foundation: FY 2021 Audited Financial Statements|website=Adams State University|date=June 30, 2021|access-date=March 26, 2023}}</ref>
| budget                 = $70 million (2023)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adams.edu/news/trustees-fy2023-budget/|title=Board of Trustees approve FY2023 budget|website=Adams State University|date=May 27, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2023}}</ref>
| president              = David A. Tandberg 
| vice-president         = 
| students               = 3,007 (fall 2024)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census Enrollment Dashboard {{!}} Tableau Public |url=https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/office.of.institutional.effectiveness3410/viz/CensusEnrollmentDashboard/Introduction |website=Adams State University}}</ref>
| undergrad              = 1,644 (fall 2024)
| postgrad               = 1,363 (fall 2024)
| city                   = [[Alamosa, Colorado|Alamosa]]
| state                  = Colorado
| province               = 
| country                = United States
| athletics_affiliations = [[NCAA Division II]] – [[Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference|Rocky Mountain]]
| sports_nickname        = [[Adams State Grizzlies|Grizzlies]]
| mascot                 = Grizzly bear
| website                = {{url|www.adams.edu}}
| logo                   = Adams State University logo.png
| footnotes              = 
| image                  = Adams State University seal.png
| colors                 = {{color box|#007a53}}{{color box|white}} Green & white
| academic_affiliations  = [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program|Space-grant]]
}}

'''Adams State University''' is a [[public university]] in [[Alamosa, Colorado]], United States. The university's [[Adams State Grizzlies]] athletic teams compete in the [[Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference]].

==History==
Adams State was founded in 1921 as a [[normal school|teacher's college]]. [[Billy Adams (politician)|Billy Adams]], a [[Colorado]] legislator who would later become a three-term [[governor of Colorado]], worked for three decades before obtaining the authorization to found '''Adams State Normal School''' in 1921, to provide higher education opportunities for teachers from remote and rural areas of Colorado, such as the [[San Luis Valley]], and see them work in those same areas. In 1926, Harriet Dalzell Hester became the university's first graduate.<ref>{{cite web |title=ASC History |publisher=Adams State College |url=http://www.adams.edu/about/asc_history.pdf |url-status=dead |access-date=2008-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516201558/http://www2.adams.edu/about/asc_history.pdf |archive-date=2008-05-16}}</ref> She became the school's first librarian and an [[Alamosa County]] school superintendent. The school adopted the name '''Adams State College''' in 1946, corresponding with the expansion of its undergraduate and graduate programs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adams State Takes Steps to Change Name to University |url=https://blogs.adams.edu/thepawprint/adams-state-takes-steps-to-change-name-to-university/ |website=The Paw Print |publisher=The Paw Print |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref>

In 2012, the institution's name changed again, to Adams State University.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=Adams State College |date=14 May 2012 |title=Adams State becomes a University |url=http://www.adams.edu/news/may1214.php |access-date=1 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104234838/http://www.adams.edu/news/may1214.php |archive-date=2017-01-04}}</ref>

The university gained some national attention in 2016 when its online classes came under scrutiny. The university's [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accreditor]], the [[Higher Learning Commission]], placed the university on probation.<ref name="2016_HLC_probation">{{cite web |title=Public Disclosure Notice on Adams State University |date=February 25, 2016 |publisher=[[Higher Learning Commission]] |url=https://www.hlcommission.org/download/_PublicDisclosureNotices/Adams%20State%20University%20PDN.pdf |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222043954/https://www.hlcommission.org/download/_PublicDisclosureNotices/Adams%20State%20University%20PDN.pdf |archive-date=2018-02-22}}</ref> In 2018, the probation was lifted and the university's status was restored to "Accredited".<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Disclosure: Adams State University status changed from "Accredited – On Probation" to "Accredited" effective June 28, 2018 |date=June 28, 2018 |url=https://www.hlcommission.org/download/_PublicDisclosureNotices/Adams%20State%20University%20PDN%207.9.18.pdf |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822214029/https://www.hlcommission.org/download/_PublicDisclosureNotices/Adams%20State%20University%20PDN%207.9.18.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The university also came into the national spotlight when it placed president Beverlee McClure on leave after employees lodged complaints about her "caustic behavior".<ref>{{cite web |first=Jeremy |last=Bauer-Wolf |date=February 21, 2018 |title=President accused of bullying |website=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/02/21/adams-state-president-leave-after-turbulent-tenure |access-date=February 21, 2018}}</ref> Cheryl D. Lovell was named the interim president and appointed to serve a 12-month term beginning July 1, 2018.<ref>{{cite press release |title=ASU board appoints Cheryl D. Lovell interim president |website=adams.edu |lang=en |url=https://www.adams.edu/news/jun1812.php |access-date=2018-08-22}}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Academics ==
Adams State offers bachelor's degrees in 16 different academic programs, with nearly 60 emphases, 5 teacher licensure programs, and 10 pre-professional programs, in addition to 7 master's degrees and 1 doctoral degree. Students can also earn an associate of art or science degree at Adams State.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Adams State University Academics|url=https://www.adams.edu/academics/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010708171411/http://www.adams.edu:80/academics/ |archive-date=2001-07-08 }}</ref>

==Campus==
[[File:The_theatre_building_at_Adams_State_University,_founded_in_1921_as_a_"normal_school"_(or_teachers%27_college)_in_Alamosa,_Colorado_LCCN2015632595.tif|thumb|Adams State Theater]]

[[File:The_observatory_at_Adams_State_University,_founded_in_1921_as_a_"normal_school"_(or_teachers%27_college)_in_Alamosa,_Colorado_LCCN2015632584.tif|thumb|Zacheis Observatory-Planetarium]]

Adams State University's campus is located in the heart of the San Luis Valley. All of the university's academic and residential buildings are located on its contiguous {{convert|90|acre|adj=on}} campus.

===Academic buildings===
The main administration building and oldest building on campus is Richardson Hall, named after the school's first president, Ira Richardson. The home of the math and science curriculum, Porter Hall, is named for alumnus [[William A. Porter]], the creator of [[E-Trade]] and a major benefactor of the school. McDaniel Hall, named for donor and emeritus faculty member John McDaniel, is the main venue for English, psychology, history, sociology, and teacher education classes.

Campus edifices for the performing arts include the Adams State University Theater (erected in 2001), the Music Building (which underwent major renovations in 2011) and the Leon Memorial Concert Hall.

===Athletic facilities===
There are two gyms and an indoor pool. The Rex Activity Center for student recreation includes weights, exercise bikes, rock climbing wall, and racquet ball courts. Plachy Hall includes the gym and indoor pool and field house as part of the Athletics Department.

The Rex Stadium has undergone major renovation including the addition of the Residence at the Rex. The new complex includes suites for game viewing.  The new residence hall provides one of the most impressive views, with a view of [[Mount Blanca]] (one of the [[14ers of Colorado]]) to the east and overlooking the track and football field to the west.  A new $750,000 video-tron screen displays action and replays at one end of the field.

===Residences===
There are currently six on-campus apartment complexes (Houtchens, McCurry, Moffat, Petteys, Savage and Residence at the Rex) that include private bedrooms for two to three students, a kitchen/living room and private bath, in addition to three traditional dormitory halls (Conour, Coronado and Girault).  Most entering freshmen are housed in Coronado and Girault Halls.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.locatecolleges.com/co/alamosa/adams-state-college |title=Adams State University at Locate Colleges |access-date=2013-04-01 |archive-date=2014-09-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903084757/http://www.locatecolleges.com/co/alamosa/adams-state-college |url-status=dead }}</ref> The main cafeteria, La Mesa Dining Hall, in the Student Union Building is newly renovated.

==Athletics==
{{main|Adams State Grizzlies}}

The Adams State Grizzlies compete in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) at the NCAA Division II level. Grizzly teams compete in men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, track and field, and wrestling; and women's&nbsp; basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, track and field, and volleyball.

The Grizzlies have won 222 RMAC team championships and 64 team National Championships. Individually, Adams State has produced 268 national champions and 1,937 All-Americans.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Championships/All-American Homepage|url=https://asugrizzlies.com/sports/2017/12/4/national-championships-all-american-homepage.aspx|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-12|website=Adams State University Athletics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211111103/http://www.asugrizzlies.com:80/sports/2017/12/4/national-championships-all-american-homepage.aspx |archive-date=2017-12-11 }}</ref>

The school's sports teams are now called the Grizzlies and were formerly known as the Indians.

==Notable alumni==
*[[Tony Case]], former professional football player
*[[David E. Clemmer]], named to the ''Popular Science'' "10 Most Brilliant List" in 2002
*[[Don Cockroft]],  former American football punter and placekicker for the Cleveland Browns
*[[Robert E. DeNier]], member of the Colorado House of Representatives and the Colorado Senate
*[[Gary W. Gallagher]], historian of U.  S. Civil War, professor at University of Virginia
*[[Nino Giarratano]] (born 1962), college baseball coach
*[[Carlos Lucero]], federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
*[[Neal Nelson]], Hall of Fame Basketball Coach
*[[Chris Perry (American football)|Chris Perry]], former professional football player
*[[Pat Porter]], two-time Olympian runner
*[[William A. Porter]], co-founder of [[E-Trade]]
*[[Shakir Smith (basketball)|Shakir Smith]], professional basketball player
*[[Billy Stone (arena football)|Bill Stone]], former football running back for the Chicago Bruisers (arena football)
*[[Myron Thompson]], Member of Parliament (1993-2008) in the Canadian House of Commons
*[[Donald Valdez]], [[Colorado House of Representatives|Colorado State Representative]] representing Colorado's 62nd district
*[[Joe Vigil]], PhD, track and field coach; Olympic long-distance running coach (1998)
*[[Travante Williams]], professional basketball player
*[[Anthony Drealan]], track and field and cross country coach

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.adams.edu/}}

{{Clear}}
{{Public colleges and universities in Colorado}}
{{ColoCol}}
{{Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference navbox}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Adams State University| ]]
[[Category:Liberal arts colleges in Colorado]]
[[Category:Public universities and colleges in Colorado]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Alamosa, Colorado]]
[[Category:Education in Alamosa County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1921]]
[[Category:1921 establishments in Colorado]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission]]