Chadron State College


Chadron State College is a four-year public college located in Chadron, Nebraska, in the northern part of the Nebraska Panhandle. It is one of three public colleges in the Nebraska State College System. It has open admission and an acceptance rate of 100%. It has a four-year graduation rate of 19%, which is well-below the national average.
The school opened in June 1911, although a previous institution dated from the late 19th century. The college has an enrollment of about 3,000 students. Five of its 25 major buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Chadron State College was founded in 1909 by the Nebraska Legislature to provide a higher education institution in northwest Nebraska. The Board of Education of State Normal Schools selected Chadron as the location of its fourth institution in January, 1910. The school opened in June, 1911.
Chadron State College is the only four-year and graduate-degree granting college in western Nebraska, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and subject-oriented accrediting agencies.

Presidents

  1. Joseph Sparks
  2. Robert I. Elliott
  3. E.L. Rouse
  4. Wiley G. Brooks
  5. Barton L. Kline
  6. F. Clark Elkins
  7. Edwin C. Nelson
  8. Larry G. Tangeman
  9. Edwin C. Nelson
  10. Samuel H. Rankin
  11. Thomas L. Krepel
  12. Janie C. Park
  13. Richard R. Rhine

    2006 Spotted Tail wildfire

In late July 2006, the college was in danger of damage from a wildfire. The Spotted Tail fire was caused by a lightning strike on July 26 about seven miles south of Chadron. By July 28, the wildfire reached the edge of Chadron and the college campus. Fire crews prevented the wildfire from reaching the campus. The Pine Ridge escarpment south of the college, including C-Hill, was deforested as a result of the fire.

Facilities

The campus has 25 major buildings, five of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Their replacement value is more than $60 million and they provide more than 1 million square feet of floor space. Classrooms and laboratory and research facilities are available in seven classroom buildings and the library.
The library contains the equivalent of more than 250,000 volumes. Its automated catalogue is part of the Nebraska State College network.
Since the 1980s, the college has built several new facilities, including the Edwin and Avis Nelson Physical Activity Center, a wood-fired heating plant, the Student Center, the Lindeken-Carillon Clock Tower, a softball field, the Chicoine Center athletic facility, the Eagle Ridge housing complex, and the Rangeland Complex. An outdoor track is under construction as of 2020. Multiple buildings have been renovated since 2004, including Joseph Sparks Hall, which houses administrative and alumni offices; Edna Work Hall, a dormitory; the former Administration Building, now called Old Admin, which houses academic programs and classrooms; and Don Beebe Stadium, including the rebuilt Con Marshall Press Box and Elliott Field. The college's Math Science Building is set to be renovated in mid-2020.
, one of the buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Students can live in seven housing spaces.

Buildings

Dormitories
Other campus buildings, areas and offices
Chadron State College offers more than 50 majors leading to bachelor's degrees and professional studies options. Pre-professional programs in the health sciences are available, including the Rural Health Opportunities Program conducted jointly with the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Training is offered in several academic and pre-professional programs. The academic areas are divided into the School of Liberal Arts; the School of Business, Mathematics, and Science; and the School of Professional Studies and Applied Sciences. The college offers four-year degrees as well as graduate programs leading to master's degrees. Pre-professional training is offered for careers in medicine and law. The college closed its Honors Program in 2008 following a decline in interest and support.
Through its distance learning programs, the college provides off-campus and online services throughout western Nebraska. About 50 courses are available each semester in Scottsbluff at Western Nebraska Community College or the Panhandle Education Center. Courses also are offered at Alliance, North Platte, and Sidney.
Chadron State College offers courses and workshops each summer. The college has online classes available throughout the year.

Activities

There are more than 70 student clubs and organizations on campus. Athletes have earned 97 All-American and 38 Academic All-American/Scholar-Athlete honors since 1980. In addition, the college has an Army ROTC program and a rodeo team.
The college helps support the Post Playhouse at nearby Fort Robinson each summer. The Galaxy Series and Distinguished Speaker Series have brought noted entertainers and speakers to the college, including 2005 U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser.
The APVMA Pre-Vet Symposium was held at Chadron State College in March 2004. It was the first time a school without a College of Veterinarian Medicine had hosted the symposium.

Athletics

Chadron State College, whose athletic teams are known as the Eagles, competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. Chadron State sponsors 11 varsity athletic teams: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, women's golf, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, and wrestling.

Notable alumni