Northeastern University, Boston

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For other uses of this name, especially Northeastern University (Liaoning), see Northeastern University (disambiguation)

Northeastern University
Motto	Lux, Veritas, Virtus (Light, Truth, Virtue)
Established	1898
Type	Private
Endowment	$650 million
President	Dr. Joseph Aoun
Faculty	1854
Undergraduates	12,080
Postgraduates	4,268
Location	Boston, MA, USA
Campus	Urban 67 acres (271,139 m²)
Colors	Red & Black
Mascot	Husky
Athletics	Huskies 17 Division I/I-AA NCAA teams
Affiliations	New England Association of Colleges and Schools
Website	www.neu.edu

Northeastern University (NU) is a top-tier private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, in the New England region of the United States. Northeastern's campus is located among Boston's Fenway and Roxbury neighborhoods, arrayed partly along Huntington Avenue.

Northeastern is perhaps best known for its distinctive "co-op" program, which encourages students to alternate semesters of study with periods of paid work with co-operative partners in business and industry. The Co-Op program allows the University to not only provide students with a degree at graduation, but also an extensive resume. Employers from around the world participate in the program, providing an avenue for internships and post-graduation employment. Employers include top ranked international law firms, banks and corporations, including many of the Fortune 500 companies. The undergraduate business school is ranked number 26 in the country by Business Week.

[edit] History

Northeastern Huskies.

Northeastern was established in 1898 as the "Evening Institute for Younger Men" at the Huntington Avenue YMCA. The Institute catered to needs of the rapidly growing immigrant population in Boston. Within a few years of its formation, it offered classes in law, engineering, and finance. In 1909 the school began offering day classes and it moved to a new location on Huntington Avenue in 1913. The school was officially organized as a college in 1916, and in 1922 it was renamed "Northeastern University of the Boston Young Men's Christian Association." The University continues to rent space for undergraduate housing in the adjacent Huntington Avenue YMCA. In a period of rapid campus expansion, the University purchased the Huntington Avenue Grounds (former Boston Red Sox ballpark) in 1929, but was unable to build on the land due to financial constraints during The Great Depression.

In 1935, the College of Liberal Arts was added to Northeastern, and the University's name was simplified to "Northeastern University." In 1937 The Northeastern University Corporation was established, creating a board of trustees made up of 31 members of the NU Corporation and 8 members of the YMCA. In 1948 Northeastern separated itself completely from the YMCA.

Following World War II, Northeastern began admitting women, and in the boom of post-war college-bound students, Northeastern created a College of Education (1953), University College (now called the School of Professional & Continuing Studies) (1960), College of Pharmacy, and College of Nursing (1964), subsequently combined into the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, College of Criminal Justice (1967) and College of Computer Science (1982), which has since been renamed the College of Computer and Information Science.

Northeastern Boathouse on the Charles River.

Since its inception, the University had been a commuter school with many part-time and evening students, and by the early 1980's had grown to a staggering 60,000 enrollees. In the 1980s, the University decided to drastically reduce the number of enrolled students in an effort to better fit the mold of the more prestigious schools around it.

Since 1996, President Richard Freeland has ushered in an extraordinary stage of institutional change: average SAT scores increased more than 200 points, retention rates rose dramatically, and applications have doubled. President Freeland oversaw Northeastern’s largest expansion ever, opening $455 million in new facilities. The institution has also become substantially more selective, leading to a more-qualified, but less diverse, student body.

During the transition, students endured annual tuition hikes, a re-organization of the co-operative education system, and the introduction of a new academic calendars introduced at the insistence of the faculty. The new calendar features two traditional semesters and two summer "minimesters", and replaced the popular quarter system.

Throughout the transformation, President Freeland's oft-repeated goal was to crack the Top 100 of the U.S. News rankings. With this goal accomplished as they reached number 98 , and with the transformation from commuting school to national university complete, he stepped down from the presidency on August 15, 2006. His successor is Dr. Joseph Aoun, formerly a dean at USC.[1]

[edit] The Campus

Panorama facing northwest from Ruggles Station entrance on Forsyth Street. From left to right: Ryder Hall, Behrakis Health Sciences Center, O'Bryant African-American Institute (Since Torn Down), West Village F, Meserve Hall, Shillman Hall, Nightingale Hall.

Northeastern's campus spans three of Boston's neighborhoods: Back Bay, Fenway, and Roxbury. The campus is something of an urban oddity; despite its location in central Boston, Northeastern is home to a remarkable amount of green open space.

Historically, Northeastern had ranked among the ugliest campuses in the United States. Twice called a “Concrete Jungle” by the APA (American Planning Association) in the late 1970’s and again in the mid 1980’s. The road to Northeastern was paved in blacktop and concrete.

A site master planning competition awarded a multi-million dollar contract to revive and rejuvenate the campus and the process was started in 1988 with the creation of the new Northeastern Quad and Mt Rider. A small oval of land centrally located at the campus main entrance that was refurbished by the donations of the graduating class of 1989.

What was once a concrete square, outside of the library and student center, was transformed with brick pavers and granite curb stones, in a scalloped design that would eliminate all square corners, a concept developed by the outgoing class of 1989 in a “Northeastern News” poll and suggestion to the President Box that was presented to the board of Trustees in March 1988. The “No Corners” campaign kicked off with a fund raiser at the Ell Student Center on Parents weekend in October 1988. The later selection of a nationally recognized green space landscape architect in 1990 started a renewal plan that continues today. Since the late 1990’s Northeastern has been considered a model of design for an urban university and has been twice won the “most beautiful new or renovated exterior space” award presented by the American Institute of Architects in 2001 and again in 2004.

In 2003, Northeastern was awarded the prestigious gold medal by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. A unique feature of the University is its well-traveled network of underground tunnels that link 13 major campus buildings for easier travel during inclement weather. However, due to city regulations preventing expansion of the tunnels under major city streets and underground rivers under the campus, the tunnels primarily service the buildings on the university's early campus space (i.e., buildings developed during the 1980's through the present are not served by the tunnel system).

[edit] Snell Library

Snell Library, the heart of Northeastern's academic life, holds 985,000 volumes and welcomes over two million visitors a year. Snell's Reference, Instruction, and Peer Tutoring programs, Meet the Author talks, and computer labs play an integral role in the intellectual life of the campus.

Snell is home to the Favat Center; a comprehensive and current collection of children's literature and K-12 curriculum resources, instructional materials, and related information in a variety of formats to support courses offered by the NU School of Education for the practice of teaching. Snell is also home to three computer labs operated by Information Services Customer Services. The InfoCommons and InfoCommons II are labs available to all NU students, faculty, and staff. The other lab is used as a teaching lab.

The NU Libraries received federal depository designation in 1962 under the sponsorship of Massachusetts Congressman John W. McCormack. As a selective depository, the Libraries receive forty-five percent of the federal publication series available to depository libraries.

The Snell Library is also home to the Northeastern University archives department (located in the basement level), which includes the Benjamin LaGuer papers collection.

The Snell Library opened in 1990. It was designed by the Cambridge-based firm The Architect's Collaborative (TAC). The cost of the building was $35 million.

[edit] West Village

West Village A North or "High Rise"

West Village H

West Village was originally Northeastern University's largest parking area. In the early 1990s, Northeastern plotted the land into several sections to be turned into residence halls as well as academic buildings. The West Village area was opened in 1999 with the opening of West Village A, and was completed in 2006 with the opening of West Village F, which houses the Honors Program offices, the John D. O'Bryant African-American Institute (the original Institute building was leveled during the construction of WVF), housing for freshmen in the honors program (breaking the tradition of freshmen living on the Hemenway Street area of campus), and classrooms.

The construction of West Village has been the cause of some controversy on campus and in the community, namely concerns about construction noise and the loss of parking spaces where the buildings are now located. The Museum of Fine Arts was also concerned about the height of West Village H (which houses the University's College of Computer and Information Science, as well as a dormitory for students over 21 years of age), and whether it would cast a shadow on the Museum during the day. The construction of West Village F brought two complaints: first, the John D. O'Bryant African-American Institute became the only cultural center on campus not to have its own building. Second, the presence of honors freshmen in West Village F angers many upperclass students, because West Village had previously been limited to only upperclassmen housing. Upperclassmen in the honors program have been particularly upset, because there is no building reserved exclusively for upperclass honors students (although there are several floors in West Village C). Additionally, rooms in West Village F are larger and newer than rooms in West Village C. However, the controversy and complaints have been low-key compared to that of other construction and expansion projects the university has undertaken.

The following buildings make up West Village, in order of completion:

• West Village A (opened 1999): Residence Hall; separated into two sections, West Village A North and South. Although it is one building, you must exit West Village A North to enter South and vice versa. Frequently referred to as "High Rise" and "Low Rise," which causes some confusion among visitors and new students now that the taller West Village H has opened.
• West Village B (opened 2001): Residence Hall.
• West Village C (opened 2001): Residence Hall. Several floors are set aside for upperclassmen in the honors program. Contains one classroom used by the Registrar during the day for classes and for hall activities in the evening.
• Behrakis Health Science Center (opened 2002): Contains classrooms, laboratories, and the Admissions Visitor Center. Behrakis Center is also designed to act as a response center in the event of a mass public health emergency in the city of Boston; it can be converted into a fully functional hospital in 24 hours.
• West Village E (opened 2002): Residence Hall.
• West Village G (opened 2004): Residence Hall. Also contains several classrooms.
• West Village H (opened 2004): Residence Hall. West Village H is currently open to students who are over the age of 21. The building is also the new home of the College of Computer and Information Science and has several classrooms, offices and computer labs.
• West Village F (opened 2006): Residence Hall for the freshman honors program (breaking the tradition of freshman residing on the Hemenway Street area of campus). Also includes the John D. O'Bryant African-American Institute (the original Institute building was leveled after construction of West Village F), offices for the Honors Program, and classrooms.

[edit] South Campus (Columbus Avenue)

Northeastern University's southernmost section of campus is located along Columbus Avenue in Roxbury, parallel to the Orange line. The University expanded south into Roxbury at the same time as they were building West Village. In 2001, Davenport Commons was opened, providing 585 students housing in two new, state-of-the-art residence halls while 75 families representing a range of incomes have been able to purchase a condo or townhouse at or below Boston’s market value. Davenport Commons also created more than 2000 square feet of commercial space on Tremont Street and has received an enthusiastic response from city residents, students and its occupants. ^[2]

In the spring of 2004, the Student Government Association and NU's Administration announced plans to build an athletic complex and football field where the Columbus Parking Lot now stands by 2014.

During the summer of 2006, Northeastern University proposed a new residence hall further away from the main campus at the corner of Tremont Street and Ruggles Street. The building was approved by the city in January of 2007. Construction on the building, which is located on land known as Parcel-18, began in late February 2007. The building is expected to open in the Fall of 2009. .^[3]

The following buildings make up the Southern Campus, with their respective opening dates:

Residential Buildings

• Davenport Commons A - 2000
• Davenport Commons B - 2000
• 780 Columbus Avenue - 2001
• 10 Coventry - 2003

Administrative Buildings

• Columbus Place (716 Columbus Ave) - 1997
• Renaissance Park (1135 Tremont St)

Athletic Buildings

• Badger and Rosen Facility (Squashbusters) - 2003

Parking Lots

• Renaissance Parking Garage
• Columbus Parking Lot & Garage

[edit] Public Transportation

Of the many colleges and universities in the greater Boston area, Northeastern has the best overall access to both intercity and intracity public rail and bus transportation as it is serviced directly by two of the four color coded subway and streetcar subsystems. The larger part of Northeastern's campus is directly adjacent to Huntington Avenue and is accessible by the MBTA (known simply as the 'T' locally); three Green Line (all "E" Branch) stops (Symphony, Northeastern, and Museum of Fine Arts) and two Orange line (Massachusetts Avenue and Ruggles) (which also has commuter rail service) stops. Riders can connect easily via a short ride to the Red line or Blue line by either of the Orange or Green Lines.

[edit] Presidents

Presidents of Northeastern (with years of tenure and campus buildings named in their honor):

• Frank Palmer Speare (1898-1940, Speare Hall residence hall)
• Carl Stephens Ell (1940-1959, Ell Hall and the former Ell Student Center, now the Curry Student Center)
• Asa S. Knowles (1959-1975, Knowles Hall law school building)
• Kenneth G. Ryder (1975-1989, Ryder Hall arts and humanities classroom building)
• John A. Curry (1989-1996, Curry Student Center)
• Richard M. Freeland (1996-2006)
• Dr. Joseph Aoun (2006-Present)

[edit] Academics

As a top tier national university, Northeastern offers undergraduate degrees in numerous professional programs. The University recently allotted $75 million towards the "Academic Investment Plan" (AIP). Over five years, the University plans to enhance its academic programs in three areas: undergraduate education, core graduate professional programs, and centres of research excellence. The cornerstone of the Academic Investment Plan is the expansion of University faculty by 100 tenured and tenure-track professors between 2005 and 2009. Additionally, the University plans to expand its undergraduate majors and advance research in areas of interdisciplinary sciences and engineering, namely biotechnology, nanotechnology, and sensing and imaging.

In the 2007 US News and World Report college ranking, Northeastern is ranked 98th on the list of "Top National Universities", a list of hundreds of universities across the nation. Northeastern also ranked #1 for Best Co-ops/Internships the only time that US News ranked schools on this characteristic. In 2007, the undergraduate business school ranked 26th in the nation according to Business Week and the Criminal Justice School is the top ranked program in the country by US News.

Northeastern offers undergraduate degrees through the University's seven undergraduate day colleges listed below.

[edit] Colleges and schools

Colleges listed including Schools and degrees offered

• Bouvé College of Health Sciences (Associate's, BS, Pharm. D)
  • The School of Health Professions (BS)
  • The School of Nursing (BS)
  • The School of Pharmacy (Pharm. D)
• The College of Arts and Sciences (BA, BS)
  • The School of Education
  • The School of Journalism
  • The School of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy
• The College of Business Administration (BSBA, BSIB (International), MS, MBA)
• The College of Computer and Information Science (BA, BS, MA, Ph.D.)
• The College of Criminal Justice (BS)
• The College of Engineering (BS)
  • The Graduate School of Engineering (MS, Ph.D.)
  • The School of Engineering Technology (BS)
• The School of General Studies (BS)
• The School of Law (JD)
• The School of Professional and Continuing Studies (Associates, BA, BS, MA, MS, M.Ed, Ph.D.)
• The School of Technological Entrepreneurship (BS, MS)

[edit] Athletics

Main article: Northeastern University Huskies

Northeastern has a long history of outstanding athletic teams. Dan Ross played football at Northeastern long before setting the Super Bowl record for receptions in a game. Reggie Lewis still holds the men's basketball career scoring record.

Most of the Northeastern University athletic teams now compete in the Colonial Athletic Association; the school switched from the America East Conference to the CAA for the 2005-06 athletic season. In their first year in the more prestigious league, the men's basketball team finished in 6th place (out of 12 teams) and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. The CAA would prove to be a competitive conference in the 2006 NCAA Basketball Tournament, as George Mason University advanced all the way to the Final Four.

Northeastern's hockey program competes in the high competitive Hockey East Conference. They are not known as a dominant team, usually finishing in the middle of the pack, although they have made some major upsets in the past. Their last NCAA appearance was 1994. They are also a particpant in the annual Beanpot tournament between the four major Boston-area colleges. Northeastern has won the annual event 4 times in its 54-year history.

In the Club Sports area NU has a very unique program in the sport of Rugby. The rugby program was started in 1984 by a group of students from NU and included some athletes from other schools in the area. Due to university policy the team could not gain formal recognition and was not allowed to use the "Husky" name. Therefore, the name "Maddogs" was chosen by the lads. In about 1986 the university did grant the rugby program formal recognition but the Maddog name remains with the rugby program to this day. The Maddogs compete in the top division of Collegiate rugby in the country. If they are to be measured by the company they keep, their competiton Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, and Westpoint, to name a few, would suggest the quality of the rugby being played at Northeatsern.

In the more recent past a "Lady Maddog" program was started and we are very proud of our lady dogs, as they to have advanced to compete in the highest level of competition in the country.

[edit] Student Life and Activities

Although Northeastern's student population tends to be considered somewhat fractured, a result of alternating cycles for the co-op program, there is still substantial student involvement in a number of activities. Several distinct student-run entities, including the Student Government Association (SGA), the Council for University Programming (CUP), and the Resident Student Association(RSA) organize activities for both Northeastern students as well as the surrounding community.

[edit] Student Publications

The most widely circulated publication is The Northeastern News, a weekly newspaper assessing the recent events around the campus. While the News does contain student-composed editorials and other information pertinent to the Northeastern community, its most well-read feature is the Crime Log, a page containing various entries from the Campus Safety log, including the "Crime Log Entry of the Week."

Other publications include the humor magazine Times New Roman, as the cultural magazine Onyx, and the Northeastern Voice.

[edit] School Statistics & Awards

[edit] Awards & Recognition

• In 2002, the campus was designated an Engineering Research Center by the National Science Foundation.
• Since 2002, NU has received three major awards for design excellence including the 2005 Harleston Parker Medal from the Boston Society of Architects.
• In 2004, NU was one of six institutions to be selected by the National Science Foundation as a center for research in nanotechnology.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Business

• Richard Egan - co-founder of EMC
• Shawn Fanning - founder of Napster (dropped out)
• Roger Marino - co-founder of EMC and former part-owner Pittsburgh Penguins
• Joseph McConnell - Chief Financial Officer, W.B. Mason Co.
• Sean McGarr - president of Webster Hall Entertainment
• Michael A. Rossi - founder, Dotcommerce Ltd.

[edit] Entertainment & Sports

• Kevin Antunes - music director and keyboardist for Justin Timberlake
• Jose Juan Barea - Dallas Mavericks
• Harry Barnes - 1969 San Diego Rockets, NBA
• Michelle Bonner - Anchor for ESPN SportsCenter and ESPNEWS
• Joe Callahan - 1939-40 Boston Braves
• Barbara Kopple - Documentary filmmaker
• Jane Curtin - movie actress and founding member of SNL (dropped out)
• Devendra Banhart - Folk singer
• Damien Fahey - a former host of MTV (dropped out)
• Jim Fahey - NHL defenseman of the New Jersey Devils
• Fernie Flaman - NHL Hockey Hall of Famer
• Alex Garcia - Food Network chef
• "Wild" Bill Hunnefield - MLB 1926-31 Chicago White Sox, 1931 Cleveland Indians, Boston Braves, and NY Giants
• Sean Jones - NFL LA Raiders, Houston Oilers, Green Bay Packers
• Aisha Kahlil - Dancer, singer
• Reggie Lewis - Boston Celtics
• Dave Leitao- basketball coach
• Will McDonough - Boston Globe sportswriter
• Dan McGillis - NHL defenseman San Jose Sharks, Flyers, Boston Bruins
• Michael Ryan - NHL left winger for the Buffalo Sabres
• Perry Moss - 1986 Washington Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, 1987 Golden State Warriors
• Chris Nilan - Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, NY Rangers
• Patrice O'Neal - Comedian & Actor
• Don Orsillo - TV Broadcaster
• Carlos Peña - MLB First Baseman/Outfielder Oakland Athletics,Detroit Tigers,Boston Red Sox
• Bruce Racine - NHL goaltender of the St. Louis Blues
• Dan Ross - NFL Cincinnati Bengals and Super Bowl MVP
• Jocko Thompson - 1948-51 Philadelphia Phillies, Red Sox draftee
• Johnny Tobin - MLB 1932 NY Giants
• Rick Weitzman - 1968 World Champion Boston Celtics
• Wendy Williams, syndicated radio host
• George Yankowski - 1942 Philadelphia A's, 1949 Chicago White Sox
• Ian Prescott - Hockey Goalie and Sports Television Personality
• Shane O'Mara - Member of the U.S. national rowing team

[edit] Government & Politics

• Demetrius J. Atsalis member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1998 - present)
• Bruce J. Ayers - member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1998 - present)
• Thomas Calter - member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 2007 - present)
• Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera - member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1998 - present)
• Robert A. DeLeo - (B.A.), member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1991 - present)
• James Franklin Jeffrey - U.S. Ambassador
• Lyndon LaRouche (dropped out)

[edit] Science & Technology

• Gregory Jarvis - Astronaut
• Albert Sacco - Astronaut
• Dana Vered - Organic Chemist

[edit] Notable faculty

• M. Shahid Alam
• Ed Bullins
• Joe Castiglione
• Nicholas Daniloff
• Michael Dukakis
• James Alan Fox [4]
• Matthias Felleisen
• William M. Fowler
• Gary Goshgarian
• Harlan Lane
• Jack Levin
• Karl Lieberherr
• Pran Nath
• Robert B. Parker
• Albert Sacco

[edit] Student Organizations

[edit] Student Media

• The Northeastern News (newspaper)
• Spectrum (literary magazine)
• The Onyx Informer (cultural publication)
• WRBB (radio station)
• NUTV (television station)
• NU Times New Roman (humor newspaper)
• Tastemakers Magazine (music magazine)

[edit] Student Groups

[edit] General

• Student Government Association (SGA)
• Resident Student Association (RSA)
• Council for University Programs (CUP)

[edit] Greek

• Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEΠ)

• Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ)

[edit] Ethnic/Cultural

• Northeastern University Cultural and Language Learning Society (NUCalls) in partnership with the sister organization The Global Languages Group at George Washington University
• NU Arab Student Association (ArabSA)
• Caribbean Student Organization (CSO)
• Latin American Student Organization (LASO)
• Northeastern Black Student Association (NBSA)
• Hatian Student Organization (HSU)
• Northeastern African Student Organization (NASO)
• John D. O'Bryant African American Institute Unity Gospel Ensemble
• Hillel
• Cape Verdean Student Association (CVSA)

[edit] Professional

• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• XCEL (Females' Center for Excellence and Leadership)
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• NSBE
• Engineers Without Borders (EWB)
• Northeastern University Public Relations Student Society of America (NUPRSSA)
• Northeastern University Society of Health-System Pharmacists (NUSHP)

[edit] Political/Religious

• Christian Student Union
• Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry
• Habitat For Humanity
• Agape Christian Fellowship
• Islamic Student Association
• Intervarsity Christian Fellowship
• Hillel

[edit] Activity-oriented

• Huskiiers and Outing Club (NUHOC)
• NU Bands
• NU & Improv'd
• Nu Scene Improv Group
• Silver Masque

• NU Downhillers

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Northeastern University Website
• Northeastern University Student Government Association
• Northeastern University Council for University Programs
• Northeastern University Resident Student Association
• Northeastern Livejournal Community

• Northeastern University Athletics
• Northeastern University College Democrats
• Northeastern University College Republicans
• Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority- Northeastern University Chapter
• Alpha Delta Phi - Northeastern University Chapter
• Die Hard Dogs Fan Website