Troy University

Infobox_University
name =Troy University
native_name =
latin_name =


motto =
established =1887
type =Public
endowment =$27,178,000 [ [http://www.nacubo.org/Images/All%20Institutions%20Listed%20by%20FY%202007%20Market%20Value%20of%20Endowment%20Assets_2007%20NES.pdf] ]
staff =
faculty =
president =
provost =
principal =
rector =
chancellor =Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr.
vice_chancellor =
dean =
head_label =
head =
students =29,580 [ [http://www.troy.edu/irpe/archives/2007-2008/2008-factbook/Fact-Book-2008.pdf] ]
undergrad =21,610
postgrad =7,970
doctoral =
profess =
city =Troy
state =AL
country =USA
campus =rural
free_label =
free =
colors =Cardinal, black, and silver
colours =
mascot =T-Roy
fightsong ="Trojans, One and All"
nickname =Trojans
affiliations =
footnotes =
website =http://www.troy.edu
address =University Ave.
Troy, Alabama 36082
telephone =[phone]
coor =
logo =

Armed Forces.

The Princeton Review recognizes Troy University as "One of the Best in the Southeast". It can boast the 63rd best graduate school, and is ranked among the top in many other categories. In 2008, Troy University was ranked as the 25th best university in the United States for international students by the Institute of International Education. Troy University's main campus offers several degrees that are unique or are offered by a select few colleges and universities, including a masters level degree in Health Care Administration, Human Resource Management, and a bachelor of science degree program in deaf-interpreting, while Troy's learning center in Atlanta, Georgia, offers one of the only certification programs in polygraph science in the country. In December 2007, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education gave Troy University the approval to begin the university's first doctoral program: the Doctorate in Nursing Practice. The Troy University Montgomery campus located in downtown Montgomery is home to the award-winning Rosa Parks Library and Museum. Troy's broadcast journalism program has a sterling reputation and the university's student-led television news broadcast took home the Southeast's top spot at the most recent 2007/2008 awards banquet at the University of Mississippi.

On April 16, 2004, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the institution from Troy State University to Troy University. The transition to the new name was completed in August 2005 concurrent with the merger of all the associated satellite campuses into a single, unified system and administration. Trustees said they believe the name change allows the university system to reflect its quality, funding sources and global mission better. The name change was the fifth in the school's history. When created by the Alabama Legislature on February 26, 1887, it was officially named the "Troy State Normal School". The school was located in downtown Troy until moving to the present location in 1930. In 1929, the name was changed to "Troy State Teachers College" and it subsequently conferred its first baccalaureate degree in 1931. In 1957, the legislature voted both to change the name to "Troy State College" and to allow it to begin a master's degree program. The name was changed once again in 1967 to "Troy State University".

In May 2008, the university began the silent phase of a comprehensive capital campaign called "Building Beyond Boundaries" that will target massive fundraising efforts encompassing all areas of the university.

tudent Life

Fraternities and Sororities

There are currently nine sororities at Troy University. Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, and Sigma Gamma Rho represent the National Pan-Hellenic Council while Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Chi Omega, Kappa Delta, and Phi Mu make up the National Panhellenic Conference.

There are currently several fraternal organizations on campus: Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Tau Kappa Epsilon, FarmHouse, Pi Kappa Phi, and Sigma Chi. The school's chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon was reinstated in April 2008 and restarted operations as a new colony. A recent colony of Kappa Sigma fraternity was removed from campus by the national fraternity office because it did not meet the requirements to establish a full chapter. Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, and Phi Beta Sigma make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities at Troy University. Troy is also home to a chapter of the Christian fraternity Gamma Phi Delta.

There are five Greek organizations that function under the supervision of the John M Long school of music: Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, Sigma Alpha Iota, Tau Beta Sigma, and Phi Boota roota.

Religious and Other Organizations

The university is home to numerous religious campus organizations such as the Wesley Foundation, Baptist Campus Ministries, Pentecostal Campus Ministries, and the Christian Student Center (Church of Christ), all of which have stand-alone physical facilities on the Troy campus.

The Tropolitan

The school newspaper, the Tropolitan (commonly referred to as "The Trop"), is located on the bottom floor of Wallace Hall. It is a weekly publication, written and produced entirely by students. The Palladium, is located in adjacent offices in the same building.

Also located in Wallace Hall is Troy University Television, also referred to as TrojanVision. Troy University Television is unique in that it broadcasts two live entirely student produced newscasts at noon and five o'clock daily, one of the few universities in the area to do so.

The "Sound of the South" Marching Band

Music is an integral part of Troy University. The university boasts 29 faculty in the School of Music, over 200 undergraduate music majors, and fields a variety of music ensembles including a Symphonic Band, two Concert Bands, two Jazz Bands, a Trumpet Ensemble, Pep Band, Brass Quintet, and more.

The Sound of the South plays halftime shows at all Troy home football games and many of the away games. The band is noted for traveling as much as the football team, some recent trips were University of Nebraska, University of Miami, University of Arkansas, Mississippi State University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, and Florida State University. The Sound has been featured at numerous bowl games, including the Peach Bowl, the Senior Bowl, the Blue-Gray Football Classic, the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, and has also been featured in halftime performances for the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over the past two years, the band has performed for over 450,000 fans.

The band has recorded for the Warner Brothers Marching Band Promotional Compact Disc since 1998, which is distributed to over 38,000 bands. This is thanks in part to current director of bands Ralph Ford who has composed and arranged over 130 pieces of music for symphonic band, concert band, jazz band, and marching band [ [http://www.soundofthesouth.org/Staff/ford_bio.htm] ] .

Athletics

Troy State Normal School began its sports program in 1909 when it fielded its first football team. Through the early years Troy's athletics nicknames were not official and varied by the sport and the coach. Eventually teams all began to use the name "Troy State Teachers", but when the athletic teams moved into NAIA competition the nickname was then was changed to the "Red Wave". In the early 1970's when the student body voted to change the name to Trojans after many felt that Red Wave was too similar to the University of Alabama's nickname, the Crimson Tide. Prior to becoming a member of NCAA Division One athletics in 1993, Troy University was a member of the Gulf South Conference of the NCAA Division II ranks. Troy's primary rivals were Jacksonville State University, Livingston University (now the University of West Alabama), and the University of North Alabama.

Football

Troy University football began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined the conference for all other sports in 2005. In 2001, Troy defeated Mississippi State University at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi, by a count of 21-9 to notch the Trojans' first victory over a BCS level program. Troy has beaten both the University of Missouri and Oklahoma State University of the Big XII conference in 2004 and 2007 at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium on the Troy University campus. The Trojan football team made its first bowl game appearance in the Silicon Valley Football Classic on December 30, 2004, but lost to Northern Illinois, 34-21. In 2006, Troy won the Sun Belt Conference for the first time after defeating Middle Tennessee in dramatic fashion toward the end of the 2006 season. Troy represented the Sun Belt conference in the 2006 New Orleans Bowl where the Trojans defeated the Rice Owls of Conference USA by a score of 41-17. Troy won the NAIA national football championship in 1968 and the NCAA Division II national football championship in 1984 and 1987.Troy football head coach Larry Blakeney is entering his 18th season as head coach. He has led the program to three Southland Football League titles and two Sun Belt Conference titles, as well as guided the Trojans to seven FCS playoff appearances and two FBS bowl games. Blakeney boasts an overall record of 136-68-1 as head coach at Troy. Blakeney is the winningest coach in the Troy University history and he is the 4th winningest collegiate coach all-time in the state of Alabama, only behind greats Paul "Bear" Bryant, Cleve Abbott, and Ralph "Shug" Jordan. Blakeney is just one of two coaches to ever take a football program from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF’s Gene McDowell).

Basketball

The Troy University men's basketball team is under the direction of head coach Don Maestri. Head coach Don Maestri is the winningest coach in Troy University history and he has won numerous conference coach-of-the-year awards during his tenure at Troy University. On January 12, 1992, Troy defeated DeVry University of Atlanta by the score of 258-141, in what is the highest scoring game in college basketball history. The Trojans competed in the 2003 NCAA tournament in Nashville against Xavier University. In 2004, Troy was an NIT participant in a match up against Niagara University. In 2008, Don Maestri was inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Dothan, AL.

The Troy University women's basketball team is currently under the direction of head coach Michael Murphy. The women's basketball program last competed in the NCAA tournament in 1997 under the direction of then head coach, Jerry Hester.

Baseball

The Troy University baseball team won two Division II national championships in 1986 and 1987 under the leadership of legendary baseball coach Chase Riddle. One of Troy's most significant victories in baseball came in April 1998 when the Trojans knocked off the #3 nationally ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide by a score of 8-4 at Riddle-Pace Field on the Troy campus. Under the direction of current head coach Bobby Pierce, the Trojan baseball program has competed in the NCAA Division One tournament in 2006 and 2007. Troy also competed in the 1995 and 1997 NCAA Division One tournament under then head coach John Mayotte.

Rodeo

Troy University has one of the top collegiate rodeo programs east of the Mississippi River. The program's governing body is the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. The rodeo program's home facility is the Pike County Cattlemen's Arena in Troy where it hosts a three-day rodeo each October that features college rodeo programs from throughout the southern region of the United States. Troy University calf roper Ben Mayworth won the 2007 national title in Casper, Wyoming, at the National Finals Collegiate Rodeo.

Campus Features

Trojan Oaks Golf Course

Troy University maintains a 9-hole championship golf course on the campus for use by the general public, golf team, and students. Students are given a discount on Tuesday and Wednesday to encourage teenage and young adult participation in the sport.

The Trojan Oaks is 3,211 yards from the longest tee. The par for the course is 36 with a course rating is 35.5 and a slope rating of 125 [ [http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/golf-course.asp?course=161] ] . The course was built and opened in 1977 under the supervision of Chancellor Ralph Wyatt Adams. The greens and fairways are both Bermuda Grass. [ [http://www.thegolfcourses.net/golfcourses/AL/8451.htm] ]

National Band Association Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors

The Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors was established on the campus of what was then knows as Troy State University in Troy, Alabama by the National Band Association in 1979. The Hall of Fame contains the picture and biographies of band directors who have distinguished themselves is some way or who have made significant contributions to the field of band directing, conducting, or leadership.

Confucius Institute

The Confucius Institute is a non-profit public institute which aims at promoting Chinese language and culture and supporting local Chinese teaching internationally through affiliated Confucius Institutes. Its headquarters is in Beijing and is under the The Office of Chinese Language Council International or Hanban. The first Confucius Institute in the state of Alabama will open at Troy University in the fall of 2008.

Notable Alumni

External links

* [http://www.troy.edu/ Troy University Main Campus]
* [http://www.troytrojans.com/ Troy University Athletics]
* [http://www.troy.edu/ecampus/ Troy University eCampus]
* [http://dothan.troy.edu/ Troy University Dothan Campus]
* [http://montgomery.troy.edu/ Troy University - Montgomery Campus]
* [http://phenix.troy.edu/ Troy University - Phenix City Campus]
* [http://trop.troy.edu/ Troy University Official Newspaper of Troy University]

References