View source for Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

{{Short description|Satellite campus of Penn State University}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Promotional|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Penn State Behrend
 | former_names           = Behrend Center (1948–1959)<br />Behrend Campus of Penn State (1959–1973)<br />Behrend College of the Pennsylvania State University (1973–1987)
 | image                  = Penn State Behrend entrance, June 2024.jpg
 | motto                  = 
 | established            = {{start date and age|1948|6|28}}
 | type                   = [[Public university|Public]] [[satellite campus]]
 | endowment              = 
 | staff                  = 
 | faculty                = 200
 | chancellor             = Ralph Ford
 | president              = [[Neeli Bendapudi]]
 | students               = 4,400 (as of 2023)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psbehrend.psu.edu/about-the-college|title=About the College|website=psu.edu|access-date=12 April 2018}}</ref>
 | postgrad               = 
 | doctoral               = 
 | profess                = 
 | city                   = [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]]
 | state                  = [[Pennsylvania]]
 | country                = U.S.
 | campus                 = {{convert|854|acre|km2}}
 | colors                 = Dark Royal Blue and White{{color box|#000099}}{{color box|white}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://visualeditorialstandards.psu.edu/?s=colors |title=Visual and Editorial Style Manual &#124; Graphic Identity System |publisher=Ur.psu.edu |access-date=September 3, 2011}}</ref>
 | mascot                 = [[Nittany Lion]]
 | nickname               = Behrend Lions
 | parent                 = {{nowrap|[[Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth campuses|Pennsylvania State University]]}}
 | sporting_affiliations  = [[NCAA Division III]] - [[Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference|AMCC]], [[Collegiate Water Polo Association|CWPA]], [[Mountain Pacific Sports Federation|MPSF]]
 | footnotes              = 
 | website                = {{URL|https://behrend.psu.edu/}}
 | coor                   = 
 | logo                   = Penn State Behrend logo.svg
}}

'''Penn State Erie, The Behrend College''', officially '''Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College''' and often shortened to '''Penn State Behrend''', is a [[Public university|public]] [[satellite campus]] of [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State University]] and is located just outside [[Erie, Pennsylvania]]. It is among the largest of Penn State's [[Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth campuses|commonwealth campuses]], with about 4,400 students enrolled in Behrend programs on campus and online. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in four academic schools: The [[Sam and Irene Black School of Business]], the School of Engineering, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of Science, which includes the Nursing Program.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Drive |first1=4701 College |last2=Erie |last3=Pa 16563 814-898-6000 |title=Behrend At a Glance |url=https://behrend.psu.edu/about-the-college/at-a-glance |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Penn State Behrend |language=en}}</ref> Penn State Behrend also offers five master's degrees, as well as a range of continuing education trainings through its Community and Workforce Programs.

== History ==
The land that became Penn State Behrend was donated to the university by Mary Behrend on June 28, 1948 in memory of her husband, Ernst, co-founder of [[Hammermill Paper Company]]. The first class of 146 students enrolled at what was then known as the '''Behrend Center of Pennsylvania State College''' that fall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Timeline |url=https://behrend.psu.edu/about-the-college/college-history/historical-timeline |website=behrend.psu.edu |publisher=Penn State Behrend |access-date=29 October 2023}}</ref>

When the Penn State system was reorganized in 1959, The Behrend Center became the '''Behrend campus of Penn State'''. Enrollments and the physical presence of the campus grew quickly in the 1960s and early 1970s. On January 20, 1973, the [[Penn State Board of Trustees]] granted four-year college and graduate status to Penn State Behrend, making it the first Penn State location outside University Park to achieve such status.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Drive |first1=4701 College |last2=Erie |last3=Pa 16563 814-898-6000 |title=College History |url=https://behrend.psu.edu/about-the-college/college-history |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Penn State Behrend |language=en}}</ref> At that time, the school was renamed as the '''Behrend College of the Pennsylvania State University'''.

The school took on its current name, the Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College, in 1987. Since then, the college continues to grow, and features an active residential campus, more than $8 million of sponsored faculty research, and more than two dozen outreach initiatives to benefit business and industry, area K-12 students, and the [[Erie, Pennsylvania]] community.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Drive |first1=4701 College |last2=Erie |last3=Pa 16563 814-898-6000 |title=Behrend At a Glance |url=https://behrend.psu.edu/about-the-college/at-a-glance |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Penn State Behrend |language=en}}</ref>

== Campus ==
Penn State Behrend's 854-acre campus includes more than fifty buildings, a recognized [[Arboretum at Penn State Behrend|aboretum]], and the scenic [[Wintergreen Gorge]], a six-mile canyon.

The college is also home to Knowledge Park, a 100-acre research and development complex on campus, with 21 businesses employing 600 people.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |title=Behrend At a Glance |url=https://behrend.psu.edu/about-the-college/at-a-glance |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Penn State Behrend |language=en}}</ref>

The newest building on campus is Erie Hall, a $28.2 million fitness, recreation, and wellness center that replaced the college's original athletics gymnasium, also called Erie Hall.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Drive |first=4701 College |last2=Erie |last3=Pa 16563 814-898-6000 |title=Check Out the New Erie Hall |url=https://behrend.psu.edu/news-events/behrend-magazine/summer-2023/check-out-new-erie-hall |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=Penn State Behrend |language=en}}</ref>

==Academics==
The average class size is 21, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1. The college offers four associate degrees, nearly 40 bachelor's degrees, and five master's degrees, as well as more than 50 minors and certificates.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |title=Undergraduate Majors and Minors |url=https://behrend.psu.edu/Academics/academic-programs/majors-minors |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Penn State Behrend |language=en}}</ref>

Penn State Behrend is accredited by the [[Middle States Commission on Higher Education]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pennsylvania State University, The |url=https://www.msche.org/institution/0544/ |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Middle States Commission on Higher Education |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Student life==
[[File:Lilley Library, Penn State Erie.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lilley Library, Penn State Erie]]Penn State Behrend offers more than 140 clubs and organizations on campus, including academic clubs, fraternities and sororities, service organizations, and cultural societies.

===The Behrend Beacon===
''The Behrend Beacon'' is the student newspaper. It is published weekly during the academic year.

===BVZ Radio===
The college is also home to ''BVZ Radio'' ("The Voice Of Behrend"), an online streaming radio station. The station is managed by a student management team. All show programming is produced by students. BVZ often broadcasts live events on the Behrend campus and in the Erie area.

===Fraternities and Sororities===
Behrend has a Greek life system with several fraternities and sororities on campus. 

== Athletics ==
Penn State Behrend men and women compete as the Behrend Lions in 24 varsity sports. Penn State Behrend is a member of [[NCAA Division III]], the [[Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference]] and the [[Eastern College Athletic Conference]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psblions.com/landing/index|title=Penn St.-Behrend|website=Penn St.-Behrend|access-date=12 April 2018}}</ref>

===Varsity sports===
{| class="wikitable"; style= "text-align: "
! width= 150px style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Penn State Nittany Lions|border=1|color= white }}"| Men's sports
! width= 150px style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Penn State Nittany Lions|border=1|color= white }}"| Women's sports
|-
|Baseball || Basketball
|-
|Basketball || Bowling
|-
|Cross country || Cross country
|-
|Golf || Golf
|-
|Soccer || Soccer
|-
|Swimming || Softball
|-
|Tennis || Swimming
|-
| Track and Field{{sup|1}} || Tennis
|-
|Volleyball || Track and Field{{sup|1}}
|-
|Water polo || Volleyball
|-
|Wrestling || Water polo
|-
| colspan=2 style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Penn State Nittany Lions|border=1|color= navy blue}}"| {{small|{{sup|1}} – includes both indoor and outdoor}}
|}

===Club sports===
Students also participate in five intercollegiate club teams: cheerleading, ice hockey, and men's and women's lacrosse, and rugby. Behrend also has a competitive esports team.

==Points of interest==
* [[Arboretum at Penn State Behrend]]
* [[Wintergreen Gorge]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{ccat}}
* {{oweb}}
* [https://www.psblions.com/ Athletics website]

{{Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth Campuses}}
{{Public universities in Pennsylvania}}
{{Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference navbox}}
{{United East Conference navbox}}
{{Erie sports}}
{{authority control}}

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[[Category:Penn State Erie, The Behrend College| ]]
[[Category:Education in Erie, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Erie County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1948]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania State University colleges]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania State University campuses|Behrend]]