2012-13 Edition

First Impressions: (MD)

Educated Quest.com Background

Introduction to Salisbury 1 University Founded in 1925, Salisbury University has emerged from a public teacher’s Background college into a university with four privately-endowed colleges of business, lib- eral arts, science and education/professional studies. Salisbury received uni- versity status in 1988. Over the past two decades the University’s total enroll- ment has grown from 4,500 to more than 9,000 students, with around 7,500 being undergraduates.

As Salisbury has grown it has become a more desired institution among not only residents, but also students in nearby states including Dela- ware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. More recently, resi- dents of New England states have come to make up a larger share of the stu- dent body. Around 14 percent of the University’s student body comes from U.S. states other than Maryland, according to the school’s 2014-15 Common Data Set, very high for a public college that is not the flagship research univer- sity in its state, nor a public honors college. Out-of-state students represented a fifth of last year’s incoming freshman class. The University is permitted, per the Maryland Legislature, to admit and enroll as much as 30 percent of the stu- dent body from from other states and nations.

Salisbury University is competitively priced, charging lower tuition and fees within Maryland than several other public schools including the University of Maryland-College Park, the University of Maryland- County, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The only private college within Maryland of similar academic scope, Loyola University in Baltimore, is far more expensive. However, several liberal arts colleges in Maryland including Goucher, Hood, McDaniel, Mount St. Mary’s and Washington have shown a willingness to discount aggressively enough to interest students who are inter- ested in a smaller school.

Salisbury has been able to separate itself from the other Maryland public col- leges and universities through its location as well as academic programs.

2 Maryland’s Eastern Shore is one of the most popular tourist and recreation dian GPA for students most recently admitted in 2012, 2013 and 2014 was and retirement destinations in the U.S., easily accessible to beaches in Dela- 3.70. One good reason to consider Salisbury: the school, while larger than lib- ware and Ocean City. The University has developed strong programs in the eral arts colleges and several similar public institutions, admits students to the Biological and Environmental Sciences, Exercise Science, Nursing and Respi- University versus a major (with the exception of the guaranteed Nursing pro- ratory Therapy. Salisbury has also done more to encourage business students gram). No student is capped out of a popular major as s/he might be at a to become entrepreneurs than most other universities. The school was most larger university. recently selected to host casting (business plan presentation) calls for Shark Tank, the popular ABC television show. Salisbury has also hosted its own busi- Notable alumni include Frank Perdue, former president of Perdue Farms, ness plan competition for nearly 30 years as well as the regional Maryland known on television as the “tough man who made a tender chicken;” Steve Shore Hatchery. The Perdue School of Business is accredited not only in Busi- Bisciotti, owner of the NFL’s and Dan Quinn, recently hired ness, but also in Accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools as head coach of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, among many others. of Business (AACSB). The University of Maryland-College Park, by compari- Salisbury is an institution that is emerging because of its reasonable sticker son, is not similarly accredited. Towson is, although it has more than twice as price, its uniqueness through programs offered by the four privately-endowed many students as Salisbury. In addition, having been founded as a teacher’s schools as well as an attractive location for many college students to spend college, Salisbury is well invested in its education programs. four years. It is one of the best values in the U.S. for a good or very good stu- Salisbury is moderately selective. Approximately 55 percent of the students dent who must be cost conscious but does not want to attend a much larger who applied for the class that entered in 2014 were offered admission. About a . quarter of those admitted, 1150 students, decided to come. The middle 50 per- cent of the SAT range for these students was between 1070 and 1230 (out of 1600) for the Critical Reading and Math sections of the test. Over 60 percent of the admitted students scored below 600 on each section. SAT and ACT scores are less important for admission than they are at most emerging public schools. Salisbury offers test-optional admissions for students who have a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher in a college-preparatory program. However, the scores are required to be considered for merit scholarships.

Freshman retention has averaged 83 percent for the freshman classes that entered between 2011 and 2013. Most recently, near half of the class (47 per- cent) that entered in 2010 graduated within four years. These numbers are likely to improve. Over the past three years Salisbury has successfully at- tracted students who have presented stronger academic credentials. The me-

3 Costs

Tuition and Fees Scholarships 2 Debt This year Salisbury charged Maryland residents just over $8,500 in tuition and fees; Costs non-residents were assessed just under $17,000. The Total Cost of Attendance, in- cludlng tuition and fees, room and board and estimates for indirect charges for books, supplies and other essentials was approximately $23,100 for a Maryland resi- dent, $31,500 for a non-resident. In-state tuition and fees increased by just over five percent from the previous year; room and board charges went up by slightly more than two percent. Prospective students and their families should plan for an average annual increase of four percent for both.

Low prices often mean low debt. Among Salisbury students who graduated in 2013, nearly 40 percent had no loans at all, according to the Project on Student Debt. The average student borrower borrowed approximately $23,500, $3,500 less than s/he was allowed to borrow through the Federal Stafford Student Loan program. Parent PLUS debts are also low. In 2011, the last year data was available from the Chroni- cle of Higher Education, just under 1,400 Salisbury parents borrowed an average of $9,700. This was $2,300 below the national average for all parent PLUS borrowers.

Salisbury parents who had to borrow might have taken out loans because the Univer- sity, while charging a reasonable price, could not meet the full financial need for most of its students. On average, Salisbury met just under over half (52 percent) of its stu- dents’ financial need according to the school’s 2014-15 Common Data Set. Forty-two percent received need-based scholarships through Pell Grants, state scholarships or the University’s funds; the average award was just under $5,900. Merit awards are few. Only 12 percent of the undergraduates received such awards in 2013-14. They averaged approximately $2,300. More generous merit-based awards are available to students interested in the sciences.

Salisbury awards scholarships through the four individual schools as well as the Alan and Patti Guerrieri Scholarship Fund. Given the SAT score range for the University (1060 to 1230, both out of 1600), it is fair to say that students who might have fallen in the middle of the applicant pool at the flagship state universities such as the Uni- versity of Maryland-College Park could qualify for a merit award from Salisbury as could students who considered mid-sized schools such as The College of New Jer- sey. Salisbury’s sticker prices are approximately $3,000 more than the in-state charges for the more selective New Jersey public schools (Rutgers, Rowan Univer- sity, The College of New Jersey and of New Jersey)

5 Comforts

On-Campus Housing 3 Local Housing Market Salisbury has a two-year residency requirement for students who do not have family Comforts residing near campus. The room and board charge, averaging $10,600, is quite rea- sonable for a school in the MidAtlantic U.S. Students typically move off campus after their sophomore year. While nearly all of the first-year students who entered Salis- bury last year lived on campus, as did most of the sophomores, over 70 percent lived off campus.

Salisbury offers cluster-style and suite-style residence halls for first-year students. Clusters are single-sex, essentially wings off a floor with a set of rooms (including sin- gles, doubles and triples) sharing a common bathroom. Opting for a triple room in a cluster-style hall can save a student $1,500 over a standard double room. Each suite-style hall links two rooms with a common bathroom. Depending on enrollment, the University makes spaces available to first-year students in Chesapeake Hall, which offers apartment-style living for up to eight students (four double rooms, two bathrooms) and Dogwood Village, which offers single rooms in small single-story cot- tages. All Salisbury residence halls are air conditioned, unusual for any college and laundry is included with the room charges. The University also offers 18 Living- Learning Communities (LLCs), with four for the Honors Program, the rest by major or interests. Students in the LLCs take a designated set of first-year classes together as well as live together.

Sea Gull Square, the University’s affiliated apartment complex, houses juniors and seniors. The Square offers three floor plan options: 2 bedroom/2 bath, 4 bedroom/2 bath and 4 bedroom/4 bath at charges ranging from around $8,300 to $8,600 for 12 months. These may be a good living option for students who want to remain on cam- pus during the summer or semester break to work as well as take classes (the Uni- versity has two summer sessions as well as a between semester Winter Session).

But, although the University does not ask students for security deposits, off-campus apartments might be the less expensive option over 12 months. Unlike most colleges that have a high percentage of students living off campus, Salisbury helps students with their search by hosting Housing Fairs where landlords and their marketing agents may speak with students on campus during the school year. The Off-Campus Housing office also produces an excellent guide to help students find a rental. It is quite possible to find rentals for less than the charges for Seagull Square, especially for students who have access to a car.

7 Community

Campus Environs 4 School Spirit Salisbury University is dominated by a colonial red-brick theme that Community appears to be common in College Park as well as the smaller liberal arts colleges throughout the State of Maryland. However, the most recent buildings that the University has completed, the Guerri Uni- versity Center, the Teacher Education and Technology Center, Hen- son Hall (for the sciences) and the Perdue School of Business are quite modern. The $111 million Academic Commons, currently un- der construction, will combine the student center, student services, conferences facilities and the University’s main library into a larger structure that would be the dominant building at much larger univer- sities. The University will also open a vastly-renovated Sea Gull Sta- dium next fall for football and .

It is very easy to walk around this campus, which also has more than adequate parking. However, Route 13 has extraordinarily busy rush hour traffic through campus as well as extremely busy intersec- tions and excessively long waits at traffic lights. This highway crosses through the major retail shopping opportunities in Salisbury. It is also a major thoroughfare for people on route to Ocean City, Delaware beaches and the Tidewater region of Virginia. There are also some rough edges around the campus off this highway be- tween the shopping centers and West College Avenue, the northern- most edge of campus.

Liquor law violations are, by far, the most often reported crime at Salisbury, according to the University’s 2014 Clery Report. While there were no more than 33 arrests for alcohol-related violations in the years between 2011 and 2011 on a campus with approximately

9 2,300 residents in residence halls, there were at least 294 discipli- The University allows all students to have cars. They’re especially nary referrals each year, which is serious. Drug law violations were useful. Salisbury is within two hours drive of Baltimore, Norfolk few, but they also trended upward. There were nine reported arrests ,Philadelphia and Washington D.C. but has no connections to these as well as four disciplinary referrals related to drugs in 2011. By cities through mass transit. The community is served by a regional 2013 these numbers rose to 18 and 33. airport with U.S Air service to Charlotte and Philadelphia.

Salisbury competes in 21 varsity sports at the Division III (non- Overall, Salisbury, as a region, has everything that most college stu- scholarship) level. The Sea Gulls have won 18 national team cham- dents would want with the exception of easy access to larger cities pionships (15 in Field Hockey and Men’s Lacrosse) as well as 160 and a major indoor concert/entertainment venue immediately conference titles. The University’s major sports rivals are Frostburg nearby. The drive to campus from the cities leaves the impression State University (MD) in football and (also MD) that the campus and community are quite isolated although there is in lacrosse. The lacrosse rivalry, won most recently by Salisbury, is more to do than college students are likely to find at many other called the War on the Shore. In addition to college sports, the Salis- ocean front communities in Delaware, New Jersey, New York or Vir- bury area also hosts the Delmarva Shorebirds, the Single-A minor ginia. But more choices also bring more traffic congestion past the league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles as well as the Salisbury Rol- University campus. lergirls, an all-female professional roller derby team.

While the area immediately surrounding the campus offers little to students aside from housing and fast food, shopping are dining op- tions are plentiful to the North and Ocean City is a half hour drive to the south. Those who love the water can learn to sail for free as well as enjoy the Ocean City beaches (and bars) during the shoulder seasons (September-October and April-May). Ocean City is also reachable by bus for a $3 fare. Greek life is relatively unimportant at Salisbury. Only ten percent of the student body belongs to fraterni- ties or sororities. While these organizations have access to meeting spaces they do not have their own housing.

10 Curriculum

Academics Honors Programs 5 Experiential Learning General education requirements at Salisbury are similar to many liberal arts schools Curriculum with some exceptions. All students, regardless of their school or major must take not only an English Composition course, but an English Literature class as well. They must also take a year of History at the introductory level. They must also take a Per- sonalized Health/Fitness class. The University also asks undergraduates to take cred- its in at least two Natural Sciences as well as at least three credits in Math. While stu- dents do not need to know their major on their first day of classes (more than 40 per- cent of freshmen enter undecided) it does help to have some academic direction when choosing general education courses over the first two years. Each of the four endowed schools has its own requirements; general education courses should be selected with care when a student’s possible majors are offered by more than one of the schools. It is also advised that students who would prefer not to take a foreign language take at least three years in high school.

There are two ways to view enrollments by school at Salisbury. The first is that the Fulton School of Liberal Arts has the largest enrollment with approximately 2,100 of the University’s 8,000 undergraduates. The second is that the vast majority of stu- dents are not majoring in the humanities or social sciences within the University. Within the Fulton School nearly a third of the students major in either Communication Arts or Psychology. The Henson School of Science and Technology enrolled only 60 fewer students than the Fulton School. Approximately half of the Henson students majored in the Biological Sciences or Nursing. The Perdue School of Business is the smallest undergraduate unit with approximately 1,600 students. The Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies has nearly 1,800 undergraduates. More than 500 major in Elementary Education while nearly 550 major in Exercise Science. Salis- bury is the only public institution in Maryland that grants this degree.

Each of the four schools has strengths as well as unique features. However, they do not work on the same academic paths. The Henson and Seidel Schools require 128 credits through a four-course load. Fulton and Perdue require 120 through a five- course load.

Within the Fulton School, students interested in the visual arts can earn either a BA or a BFA; the BFA is more intensive in the discipline. Students interested in Geogra- phy can study Human Geography within Fulton and “harder” Physical Geography and Geographic Information Systems courses within the Henson School. Fulton also

12 offers a unique major in Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution that nicely comple- land’s larger public universities, however, more than a third of the faculty (most likely ments majors in Political Science, International Business and International Studies. in the two pre-professional schools and the Nursing program) teach part time.

The Henson School, in addition to offering the “hard” geography courses also offers Salisbury students gave their faculty a rating of 3.80 (out of a possible 5.00) on Rate- more options in STEM subjects than most mid-sized universities including Actual Sci- MyProfessors. com. They held their faculty in higher regard than students at the Uni- ence, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Engineering Physics and a dual- versity of Maryland-College Park and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County as degree program in Biological and Environmental Sciences. Both the Chemistry and well as Towson University. They held them in equal regard with students at St. Mary’s Physics majors offer pre-engineering tracks. There is also a 3-2 engineering program College of Maryland, a public liberal arts honors college. Salisbury students also held with the University of Maryland-College Park. their faculty in higher regard than students at Loyola-Maryland as well as all of Mary- land’s private liberal arts colleges, excluding nearby Washington College. The Salis- The Perdue School of Business offers tracks in Corporate Finance, Financial Plan- bury faculty was also more highly regarded than faculties at schools such as George ning and Investments within the Finance major. Economics majors may choose be- Mason University, The College of New Jersey, Ramapo College of New Jersey and tween a BA and a BS degree; the BA is suggested for students who are more inter- the University of Mary Washington (VA). ested in academic research. Perdue students also have the option of taking on a dual degree program with Grenoble University in France, as well as accelerated pro- Salisbury is also one of the few schools, public or private, that offers a Sophomore grams leading to the Bachelor’s degree and the MBA within five years. Those who Experience to encourage second-year students to use the academic advising, career prefer to take on a liberal arts or sciences major can opt for a Marketing Manage- services and student services that are available to them as they get close to declar- ment minor. The Bachelors/MBA option is especially attractive to Accounting majors. ing a major. The State of Maryland allows Accounting graduates to sit for the CPA exam after completing their Bachelor’s degree, but will not certify them until they have com- pleted an additional 30 credits in accounting and business courses at the graduate level. The University also has a program for students who are interested in sales ca- reers.

The Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies, in addition to the Educa- tion and Exercise Science programs, administers majors in Community Health, Medi- cal Laboratory Science, Respiratory Therapy and Social Work. Because of the distri- bution of majors within the Seidel School and the Henson School, pre-health advis- ing serves the students enrolled in both. Interestingly, if the Nursing programs were placed in the Seidel School along with the other health-related majors, the Seidel School would be the largest of the University’s four undergraduate schools and the Henson School would be the smallest.

Seventy percent of the undergraduate classes at Salisbury have fewer than 30 stu- dents. Only nine classes had 100 or more students during the 2013-14 academic year. The University advertises a student-faculty ratio of 16 to 1, lower than Mary-

13 Connections

Alumni Relations 6 Career Services Salisbury, like most emerging public regional universities, is trying to engage Connections its alumni not only through regional networking clubs but also through the ac- tivities that they participated in as students. As of October, 2011, the last date the University has made alumni demographics available, there were more than 39,000 living alumni. While the University charted alumni in 49 of 50 states (North Dakota was the exception), the greatest concentration are in Maryland, especially the Baltimore-Washington Corridor. Salisbury has granted more than 8,000 degrees since 2011. The alumni count is likely to ex- ceed 45,000 now.

Given the recreational draw of the area, it is probably not uncommon to see alumni return to campus. The campus is close enough to Baltimore, Philadel- phia, Norfolk, Washington D.C. and Wilmington to make it possible for stu- dents to knock on doors, provided that they have access to a car. Among the nearly 18,000 Salisbury University alumni registered in LinkedIn.com, 56 per- cent reside, or nearly 10,000 reside along the Baltimore-Washington Corridor or in Delaware. Approximately 1,200 more live in or around Philadelphia. While nearly 4,000 of these alumni are employed in Sales or Education, nearly 1,000 are entrepreneurs.

Salisbury hosts fall and spring job fairs for students of all majors as well as a separate fairs for education and health professions. There is also an annual Internship Fair as well as a Summer/Part-time Job Fair. The larger fairs attract just over 100 employers. The completion of the larger Academic Center may enable the career center to host more. Salisbury also hosts networking nights as well as evenings with alumni speakers. The University also participates in a Selective Liberal Arts Consortium with five private Maryland liberal arts col- leges as well as the University of Mary Washington (VA) a public liberal arts school that co-hosts more career events. Approximately 75 percent of Salis- bury students graduate with at least one internship experience. The same per- centage are employed within six to nine months after graduation.

15 Conclusions 7 Summing up Salisbury University offers several very attractive options in education, entrepreneur- Conclusions ship, environmental studies and the health fields (especially nursing and gerontol- ogy). It is also the best value in Maryland for students who are interested in an ac- credited business school. The students also show a high regard for the education they receive.

The University is also located within a popular resort region that would be a fun (and relatively inexpensive) place for a college student to spend four years. Salisbury has also managed to raise funds for some large and significant buildings, including their science center, the Perdue College of Business and the soon-to-open Academic Cen- ter, in a very difficult economy

But Salisbury is also located at least two hours from any major city that is likely to offer employment opportunities for its students and recent graduates. While there are many opportunities near campus for students interested in health and fitness fields as well as education, employment options are more limited for other majors. In addi- tion, the alumni base, like most institutions that have been more regionally known in the past, is geographically thin beyond the Baltimore-Washington Corridor. However, making connections in that region appears to be easy for the diligent student.

Salisbury has tremendous appeal to students who want a reasonably-priced public education but do not want to attend a very large public school. Maryland residents are fortunate to have this option at a very reasonable cost. Out-of-state students get a very good deal as well.

Ed Quest’s Report Card

Salisbury University

Four-Year/ Freshman Six-Year Costs Comforts Community Curriculum Connections Retention Grad Rates

C+/B B A A B+ A B+

17 The End

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