Ferris is classified among "D/PU: Doctoral Universities – Doctoral/Professional Universities".[8] Over 10,000 students study on its main campus, at one of the 19 off-campus locations across the state,[9] or online. Two- and four-year degrees are offered through eight academic colleges and graduate degrees from six. Ferris grants professional doctoral degrees via its engineering, business, optometry and pharmacy colleges and a multidisciplinary doctorate of education in community college leadership.
Big Rapids Industrial School, as it was originally named, opened on September 1, 1884, in temporary quarters in the Vandersluis Block (present location of J.C. Penney Co.) in Big Rapids. The goal of the school was to provide students with marketable skills for a changing society. By the beginning of the next semester in January 1885, the school changed its name to Ferris Industrial School. In January 1894, the school moved into and dedicated its new building, Old Main, on the corner of Oak and Ives Streets. At this same time, the school was incorporated with capital stock of $50,000.[10]
In 1898, the institution was again renamed to Ferris Institute. In 1900, W. N. Ferris sold capital stock in Ferris Institute to the public, keeping a controlling interest in his own hands. It remained privately owned until August 25, 1931, when the Board of Incorporators, a group of 39 businessmen, purchased Ferris Institute from the old stockholders and selected a board of trustees from their number to govern the school.[10]
In February 1943, alumnus Colin Smith introduced a bill in the legislature for the state to purchase Ferris Institute. It passed both houses, but was vetoed by Governor Harry Kelly. On May 17, 1949, Governor G. Mennen Williams signed the bill accepting Ferris Institute as a gift to the state of Michigan, which took over its governance on July 1, 1950. Before the state took control, though, fire destroyed the Old Main and the Old Pharmacy buildings on February 21, 1950. Only the Alumni Building and some minor buildings were left standing. Immediate rebuilding of the institute began, and on July 1, 1963, it was again renamed, this time as Ferris State College.[10]
Previous logo
In November 1987, the institution became Ferris State University.[10] When Ferris became a state college in the fall of 1950, it had consisted entirely of one permanent structure, the Alumni Building, and some surplus Army barracks. At that time, fewer than 1,000 students were enrolled, with fewer than 50faculty members, and the campus itself covered less than 20 acres (8.1ha). By contrast, current enrollment is more than 10,000, and the 880-acre (360ha) campus contains 115 buildings, including educational, administrative, maintenance, student-activity, and residence-hall facilities.
Admissions
Ferris State University is considered "less selective" by U.S. News & World Report.[11] For the class of 2025 (enrolling fall 2021), Ferris State University received 10,480 applications and accepted 8,884 (84.8%), with 1,405 enrolling. The middle 50% range of SAT scores for enrolling freshmen was 910–1050. The middle 50% ACT composite score range was 19–26.
College of Business buildingCarillon Tower and Music Center
The university has eight colleges offering more than 170 educational programs—Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Services, Engineering Technology, Health Professions, the Kendall College of Art and Design, Michigan College of Optometry, and Pharmacy. Program offerings lead to bachelor's and associate degrees and certificates. Master's degrees in information security and intelligence, career and technical education, criminal justice, business administration, curriculum and instruction, nursing, and fine arts are available. Ferris also offers doctoral degrees in optometry, pharmacy, nursing practice, and community college leadership.
Kendall College of Art and Design offers graduate and undergraduate fine arts degrees, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in art history. Kendall's campus is in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Michigan College of Optometry is one of 16 schools or colleges of optometry in the United States and the only college of optometry in Michigan. MCO doctors and student interns deliver eye care to patients in the region. Graduates receive a Doctor of Optometry degree.
The College of Pharmacy graduates comprise more than half of Michigan's practicing pharmacists. Graduates receive a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
Ferris State's most popular undergraduate majors, in order by 2021 graduates, were:[18]
Criminal Justice/Police Science (253)
Business Administration and Management (211)
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (139)
Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects (80)
The Honors Program includes students from every college and school at Ferris except Kendall—students from almost every major participate in the Honors Program. About a third of the Honors students major in pre-pharmacy or similar disciplines, but a large number of students are in the College of Business, College of Health Professions, and College of Engineering Technology. Honors students live in specialized residence halls (mostly in single rooms), take enhanced general education courses, attend cultural events, and complete 15 hours of community service per semester.
Rankings
Forbes listed Ferris State University 219th in their ranking for Best Public Colleges. They also ranked the university 251th in Research Universities and 99th In The Midwest.[19]U.S. News & World Report ranked Ferris State University's College of Pharmacy is in the top tier of graduate pharmacy programs in the nation, ranking in 60th in a list of 141 schools and colleges offering Doctor of Pharmacy degrees accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.[20] The school was also listed among the nation's Best Value College for the 2023–24 seasons, basing the institution for their academics, student success outcomes, financial aid and net price.[21]
Ferris State University joined the state's higher education system in 1950. The campus was all but destroyed by fire the same year. The only building to survive was the Alumni Building, built in 1929, at the north edge of campus. Since the fire, more than 117 buildings have been built on the main campus.
Main campus
Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education (FLITE)Timme Center for Student ServicesInterdisciplinary Resource Center
Located on the southern edge of the City of Big Rapids, straddling the border between Big Rapids Township and the city, the university has over 880 acres (3.6km2) for its main campus. The campus begins about four blocks south of the historic central business district. It is bordered on the north by single-family homes built in the early to middle of the twentieth century. North of Perry Street, the university is bordered by strip commercial development. The university is bordered to the south and west by Big Rapids Township. The township is mostly undeveloped and rural.[27]
The main campus is within easy walking distance of downtown Big Rapids with its restaurants, shops, movie theater, art gallery and municipal park. Bicyclists, hikers and in-line skaters have easy access to the White Pine Trail, Michigan's longest "rails to trails" project.[28]
The campus has undergone major changes since 1990. Several new and renovated buildings, reworked roads and parking areas, pedestrian walkways, and greenspace areas have contributed to the changes on campus.
The National Elastomer Center was added in 1998 to house the Plastics Engineering and Rubber Engineering Technology programs.
The FLITE building (FSU Library for Information, Technology and Education), located at the termination of Perry Street, reintroduced the historic front entrance to the university, and defined the adjacent quad at the campus epicenter.
The renovation of the Timme Library to the Timme Center for Student Services consolidated previously scattered student services in one location.
The Granger Center for Construction and HVACR, stimulated redevelopment of the northern part of campus. The building was designed with an open layout that left most of the mechanical components open for viewing by the students as a working lab.[29]
The IRC Connector between the Business School and the Interdisciplinary Resource Center (IRC) created a collaborative meeting and lounge space which is heavily used by students at all hours.
Opening of the new Michigan College of Optometry building in January 2011.
North Hall opened in August 2017. It is a "Freshman Experience" Residence Hall, and features classrooms, study rooms, a lounge, game room, and a kitchen for residents.
The university has 3,483,298 square feet (323,609.0m2) of building space on the Big Rapids campus, with 1,764,658 square feet (163,942.1m2) in academic use.[27]
Satellite and online locations
In addition to the main campus, Ferris State University has programs offered at 19 off-campus locations including Dowagiac, Grand Rapids, Flint, Lansing, Traverse City, and University Center. Although the main campus of the university is located in a rural setting the satellite locations are all located in larger, more urban communities. Some programs, such as the Doctor of Pharmacy program, are split between locations having students take the first 2 years of study at a campus in one city and the next 2 years at another.[30] These locations are managed by the division of Extended and International Operations under the heading Ferris Statewide and Online.[9]
Organization
Administrative structure
Ferris State University is governed by a board of trustees which has general supervision of the institution and controls and directs institutional expenditures. Members of the Board serve eight-year, staggered terms as appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the State Senate.[31]
The president of the university is appointed by the board of trustees as its principal executive officer and serves at its pleasure. The president is an ex-officio member of the board without the right to vote. At present, the university is led by its 19th president, Bill Pink, who was inaugurated on June 30, 2022.
Student government
The mission of the Student Government of Ferris State University is to represent student interests in all aspects of campus life as well as maintain open channels of communication between students, faculty, staff, administration, and the Big Rapids community.[32]
The General Assembly of Student Government is composed of two voting bodies; a House of Representatives and a Senate. Each registered student organization (RSO) in good standing is eligible to hold one seat on the House of Representatives. Senators are elected by the students in their respective academic colleges.[33]
The leadership rests in the Cabinet; president, executive vice president, treasurer, director of finance, and director of internal assessment.[33]
Year in and year out, nearly 400 student-athletes have the opportunity to compete for the Bulldogs on a regional and national level for conference titles and NCAA Championships. Ferris' men's club ice hockey won the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II national title in 1994. In March 2018, the men's basketball team won the NCAA Division II national championship. The football team won back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships in December 2021 and December 2022.
Sports
Top Taggart Field, Ferris State's football stadium
Ferris State has seen a dramatic drop in enrollment in recent years. In 2013 total enrollment was 14,707.[34] In 2021 total enrollment had dropped to 10,361.[4]
Ferris State Torch
The Ferris State Torch is a student-run newspaper first published in 1931. It is a weekly publication between 16 and 28 pages in length with a circulation of just under 5,000. The Torch has been completely student-governed, with the exception of a faculty adviser and business manager. The Department of Languages and Literature acts as a liaison between the publication and the rest of the university.
Greek life
There are 27 Greek organizations on campus, subdivided into four different groups: Interfraternity Council fraternities, Black Greek Council Fraternities & Sororities, Panhellenic Council Sororities, and Professional Fraternities & Sororities.
The adoption of the new Ferris alma mater song, "Ferris Fidelity" and its first performance under direction of composer Graham T. Overgard were at the Christmas concert in 1957.[35]
Jeff Hephner, actor known for his recurring role as Matt Ramsey during the third season of The O.C., and as the lead Morgan Stanley Buffkin in the 2008 television series Easy Money. He currently plays the recurring role of football coach Red Raymond on The CW series Hellcats.
State University of New York at Oswego is a public university in Oswego, New York. It has a total student population of 6,756 and the campus size is 700 acres.
Dartmouth College is host to many fraternities and sororities, and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. In the fall of 2022, 35 percent of male students belong to a fraternity and 36 percent of students belong to a sorority. Greek organizations at Dartmouth provide both social and residential opportunities for students and are the only single-sex residential option on campus. Greek organizations at Dartmouth do not provide dining options, as regular meal service has been banned in Greek houses since 1909.
McKendree University (McK), formerly McKendree College, is a private university in Lebanon, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1828 as the Lebanon Seminary, it is the oldest college or university in Illinois. The school was renamed McKendree University beginning in the 2007–08 academic year. McKendree enrolls approximately 1,960 students representing 25 countries and 29 states. In the undergraduate program, on average there are 51% females and 49% males. The institution remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
Professional fraternities, in the North American fraternity system, are organizations whose primary purpose is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is restricted to students in that particular field of professional education or study. This may be contrasted with service fraternities and sororities, whose primary purpose is community service, and social fraternities and sororities, whose primary purposes are generally aimed towards some other aspect, such as the development of character, friendship, leadership, or literary ability.
While the traditional social fraternity is a well-established mainstay across the United States at institutions of higher learning, alternatives – in the form of social fraternities that require doctrinal and behavioral conformity to the Christian faith – developed in the early 20th century. They continue to grow in size and popularity.
Cultural interest fraternities and sororities, in the North American student fraternity and sorority system, refer to general, social organizations oriented to students having a special interest in a culture or cultural identity.
Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣΑΙ) is an international music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public. Sigma Alpha Iota operates its own national philanthropy, Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc. Sigma Alpha Iota is a member of the National Interfraternity Music Council and the Professional Fraternity Association.
While most of the traditional women's fraternities or sororities were founded decades before the start of the 20th century, the first ever specifically Christian-themed Greek Letter Organization formed was the Kappa Phi Club, founded in Kansas in 1916. Kappa Phi was a women's sisterhood that developed out of a bible study and remains one of the largest nationally present Christian women's collegiate clubs today. Later organizations added more defined social programming along with a Christian emphasis, bridging the gap between non-secular traditional sororities and church-sponsored bible study groups, campus ministries and sect-based clubs and study groups.
The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in 1978. Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate degrees as well as undergraduate degrees. PFA groups seek to develop their members professionally in addition to the social development commonly associated with Panhellenic fraternities. Membership requirements of the PFA are broad enough to include groups that do not recruit new members from a single professional discipline. The PFA has welcomed service and honor fraternities as members; however, Greek letter honor societies more commonly belong to the Association of College Honor Societies.
Kappa Sigma Kappa (ΚΣΚ) is the name of three separate college fraternities, sharing a common history and traditions but disconnected by decades and a break in organizational continuity. The original incarnation of Kappa Sigma Kappa was formed at Virginia Military Institute on September 28, 1867. Most of its active chapters merged into Phi Delta Theta in 1886.
Nu Sigma Nu (ΝΣΝ) was an international professional fraternity for medicine, now existing as a handful of stable remaining chapters. It was founded on 2 March 1882 by five medical students at the University of Michigan, who identified as their immediate object "to further the best interests of our profession." Later, its purpose was more fully stated as, "To promote scholarship, the development of better teaching, and generally in raising medical education to a higher level."
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