SU Celebrates 90 Years
SALISBURY, MD---In September 1925, 105 women attended their first day of classes at the Maryland State Normal School at Salisbury.
This inaugural cohort both lived and studied in Holloway Hall, the new -- and only -- building on campus. They were taught by eight faculty, assisted by one librarian.
Today, nearly 8,700 students from 36 states and 69 nations learn from over 400 faculty at Salisbury University, now a 182-acre institution with 82 buildings!
SU celebrates its 90th anniversary during the 2015-16 academic year. Dr. Janet Dudley-Eshbach also marks her 16th year of leadership, making her the second longest-tenured president in University history. She also is the University System of Maryland’s longest serving female president.
“Times have changed!” Dudley-Eshbach said. “As we commemorate the birth of our 21st century university, I wonder if the founders could have even begun to envision the outstanding institution that their ‘normal school’ has become. Throughout the decades, however, one thing has remained consistent: a dedication to excellence in teaching and learning. The technology and methodology may change, but this commitment, I hope, will be everlasting.”
SU opened as a public institution on the Eastern Shore devoted to the training of teachers for Maryland schools. Over the years, its named changed and its focus expanded into a state liberal arts college and then a university. Male students and others from beyond the Shore enrolled; athletics and graduate programs were added; and departments and schools were created, with support from generous benefactors.
Today the campus serves the nation – and the world – thanks, in part, to the leadership of Dudley-Eshbach.
The Latin American literature and Spanish-language scholar has strategically transformed SU as a champion of diversity, study abroad and academic excellence. Students from diverse families now comprise one-fourth of the student body; a Center for International Education and English Language Institute were created; and academic offerings have grown with online degrees, satellite sites across Maryland and in Germany, and two doctoral programs.
Dudley-Eshbach also has vastly improved SU’s physical facilities, changing the Route 13 skyline with over $350 million in award-winning new facilities. This includes the Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic Commons and new Sea Gull Stadium, both set to open in 2016. Building ties with the private sector and greater community also have been a priority.
“As we look forward to the future, we remember the traditions in which our campus is rooted,” Dudley-Eshbach said. “Holloway Hall, a historic Maryland landmark with its marble steps and soaring columns, is still representative of the promise and possibility that this University holds for so many students.”
For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU website at www.salisbury.edu.