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Kutztown University Profile

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Profile

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania was established in 1866 and is currently one of the largest public universities in Pennsylvania’s state education system, which has approximately 14 schools. The school itself is located in the rural town of Kutztown Pennsylvania. The footprint of the site is split into 2 large facilities, one being the north side of the campus which is considered the academic side, and the second being the south side of campus down the hill from Main Street that contains student housing, athletic facilities, the main dining hall, and finally health service facilities. Kutztown is unique because it’s located within commuter distance of the two small Pennsylvania cities of Allentown, and Reading. The footprint of the site is large for a State school with approximately 326 acres of park like property that winds through the small rural town.

The physical layout observes historic buildings, sport facilities, and cultural meeting places shared by students, and local residents. The campus itself has approximately 61 buildings including lecture, residential, research, and dining facilities. KU also has a large sports pavilion on the eastern edge of campus that houses several fitness centers and team facilities. The overall campus map is typical for a university setting with wide sidewalks, grass field meeting places, and park like benches. The pedestrian flow of traffic within the facility was centered on both sides of campus due to the time of day. Students at KU can attend classes on the south side and stay to relax with in the McFarland Student Union Building off College Blvd.

Students were also observed walking down the hill from Main Street to the south dining hall off Court Lane going to, and from lunch. My student tour guide told me that students take advantage of several other dining options on campus including the food court within the Academic Forum, and coffee shops within the library and recreation center. KU students also walk, and drive on Main Street to downtown Kutztown to enjoy local restaurants that cater to college students. These areas of the campus get busy at all hours of the day when school is in session according to my student guide. The main internal areas of pedestrian traffic were found on Main Street, and the sidewalks from the dining halls to the academic buildings and student union.

The KU campus also has several green areas within the footprint for outside activities and socializing including the McFarland Student Union Building (SUB) Great Lawn, The Campus Mall that connects all the residence halls on the south side, and green areas outside of the Grim Science Building. I observed heavy pedestrian traffic from these areas of the campus. The physical footprint of the massive university also observes several roads and parking lots that allow students to walk onto campus at several different locations. The internal campus setting provides students and employees with several types of student services including health, physical fitness, library, and cultural meeting places.

The campus buildings and open spaces were very clean and well maintained during my observations. These open spaces allow students the ability to interact with each other in a non-educational manner due to the high number of observed meeting places on campus. KU students, faculty, and employees enjoy a community, within a community lifestyle in regard to on, and off campus activities and resources. The university also provides several critical student resources including student recreation, performing arts, astronomy facilities, health & wellness center, and a cultural center. Housing recourses on campus is a challenge for the university due to the increasing popularity of the institution. The school has been going through a growth period with the development of new academic, and residence life centers over the past few years but KU can only accommodate 4,600 students on campus. For this reason, KU only guarantees housing for freshman students through a first come, first served basis.

The published demographic information for the university describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. Kutztown has developed a large campus community to offer students a Liberal Arts and Science, Research, and Engineering educational format to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors.

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania: The University is home to a very large campus population of approximately 3,581 male, and 4,806 female full, and 264 male, and 660 female part-time students. The school also has a graduate population of 283 male, and 701 female students enrolled in graduate school programs. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 90% of students are from Pennsylvania. Others are from 20 states, and 63 foreign countries. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including 86% of students are white, 1% Asian Americans, 7% are Black, 3% are Hispanic.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

KU has a very large educational system for a state school, which offers Liberal Arts, and Sciences, and Engineering programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Freshman Class: 8,928 applied, 5,780 accepted, 1,889 enrolled. SAT Verbal 490, SAT Math 500. ACT 22 Application Deadline: Open

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Kutztown does not guarantee housing for all undergraduate students who have filed their intent to reside on campus by the stated deadline and who have continuously registered as full time students. Housing administrators urge students to apply for housing in a timely manner because its first come, first served. KU has developed several new residence halls to reduce the overcrowded housing issue on campus including Dixon Hall which is a new 6 story residence building that has 856 bed capacity, and University Hall building that provides housing for 393 students.

Kutztown also has upper classman housing within Golden Bear Village South that provides condo/style apartment buildings. Golden Bear has a total of 8 buildings and 206 student apartments. Finally, KU has Golden Bear West that provides students townhouse/style facilities for upper classman. Golden Bear West consists of 18 townhouses.

Off Campus Housing

KU has been described as a medium sized public university within a small residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community is to re-assert the point that KU’s network of facilities has encapsulated it’s real estate holdings within the area. The campus footprint allows every student to have housing within walking distance to university facilities. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other university housing demands. The university itself has only 50% of it’s student population living on campus, the rest of it’s students commute to school which reduces the need, or demand for off campus housing. Students who want off campus housing can find information about available resources on the quick links page.

Campus Life

Kutztown University is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with a relaxed social, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a diverse community with students from all over the world. The local community of Lancaster Valley only adds to the college’s international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. KU also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way. The physical campus environment is clean and well maintained and the economic conditions are favorable to students and local residents due to the available services in walking distance to the school. The KU campus has also been going through a growth period with new campus facilities for students, administrators, educators, and local residents to enjoy. These new modern style architecture buildings highlight the schools commitment to higher education now, and in the future.

The emotional climate of the entire community is positive because students are involved with local community, and campus groups. An observation of this very positive emotional climate can be found by looking at the endless student flyers posted within the student union that describe upcoming activities and they invite all students to enjoy the clubs, performing arts, and public discussions on world events. This issue of school culture and emotional attachment is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community.

Kutztown has done a good job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 160 academic clubs, student organizations, and over 37 intramural sports activities. Recreational sports and student clubs are so big at KU that the school had to build several venues to support student activities including the Keystone field house, the Recreation, and Risley Student Activity Centers, the Academic Forum, and finally, the Student Union Building (SUB). KU also has a Greek presence on campus with 1% of male students belonging to 8 national fraternities, and 1% of female students involved with 9 national sororities.

Kutztown University is also home to more than 24 men’s, and women’s teams that compete in NCAA Division II team sports. The university has a state of the art sports facility for the teams within Keystone Field. KU uses Keystone Hall for men’s, and women’s basketball games, the university also has a state of the art swimming pool inside Keystone Hall for team activities. Social networking beyond the campus walls is also a very important issue to be observed at KU. Students at the university are encouraged to participate in externships with alumni to gain real world experience. These programs, along with internships and global learning centers offer important information about studying abroad. These types of programs help to round out educational activities on campus.

Campus life at KU can be considered very active due to several notable student venues including the McFarland Building (SUB), which is the main student center on campus. The SUB is a muti-story facility that provides student activities, meeting rooms, and a main contact point for all the university’s student clubs. The union building also has a food court in the basement that provides students with several different food options during the day. The university also has several student run performing arts venues that allows students to enjoy more than athletic excellence, it gives them the opportunity to experience performing arts, history, and cultural events. The downside of campus life is the school’s reputation for being a suit case college. KU has addressed this student life issue by providing new housing facilities and campus events on the weekends to entice students to stay on campus all week long.

Community Profile

Kutztown Pennsylvania has been described as a quiet small town that was built around it’s local college with students, and local residents enjoying the Lancaster Valley landscape. The town has also been described as a family centered residential community within driving distance to several large cities including Harrisburg, Reading, and Allentown. Kutztown also has an intellectual side due to its historical neighborhood architecture and close physical relationship to KU. The town is favorable to students and local residents because it offers several local pedestrian walkways along Main Street, which links students, and local residents to several restaurants and local shops within the eastern edge of town.

The community has a small town feel to it when you are walking to neighborhood eateries on the eastern & western edges of town. Residents and students also enjoy several social destinations when walking, or driving on the KU campus, including Keystone Hall & field house for school athletics, and the Schaeffer Auditorium for student theatre productions. You can also find several national food, and consumer chains in the area on Route 222 on the southeastern edge of the campus. Kutztown itself is located within the center of the state, which makes it convenient to several suburban communities and highway networks.

Amtrak provides regional rail service along the Harrisburg Line which links to several large cities within the northwestern corridor. Kutztown also has several main roadways that connect the community to major state highways including Route 222 south to Reading, and 222 north to Allentown. Local transportation networks continue to the northeast with connections to Route 78, and 476 that links to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and Interstate 95. Shopping, restaurants, and hotel chains can be found within these major transportation networks after a short drive from the campus.

The following demographics for the town of Kutztown Pennsylvania describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 5,067 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. KU has strong relationship with the township because they share community services including public safety, and cultural resources. An example of this commitment can be observed through the university’s community services handbook that describes educational, and health care programs and services.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 48% residents are male, 52% are female. 97% of residents are white, 1% is African American, 1% is Hispanic or Latino, and 1% is Asian. The median age of population is 24 years old. 88% of residents are 18 years old or over, and 16% of town residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Kutztown is also interesting. 96% of all housing units within the township are occupied. 49% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 51% of units are owner-occupied. 4% of total available housing was vacant.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a college experience. Kutztown enjoys all four seasons of weather including large amount of snow in the winter months. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. Pennsylvania also gets it’s share of rain during the spring and summer months as well.

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Quick Links Page

Below is a sample list of local hotels & restaurants in Kutztown P.A. National hotel & restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found on within nearby Allentown, Reading, and Bethlehem. Below is a sample list of these travel resources.

Main Street Inn (Bed & Breakfast)
401 W. Main Street
Kutztown P.A. 19530

Local Restaurants in Kutztown

Allentown, Bethlehem & Reading Area Hotels

Comfort Suites of Allentown
3712 Hamilton Boulevard
Allentown P.A. 18103
Holiday Inn Allentown Center City
904 West Hamilton Street
Allentown P.A. 18101
Holiday Inn Express
3620 Hamilton Boulevard
Allentown P.A. 18103
Four Points By Sheraton Hotel
Allentown Airport, 3400 Airport Rd
Allentown P.A. 18109
Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel
300 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Comfort Suites
120 West Third Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18015
Hampton Inn & Suites
200 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Historic Hotel Bethlehem
437 Main Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Courtyard Marriott
2160 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Fairfield Inn by Marriott
2140 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Country Inn & Suites
405 North Park Road
Reading P.A. 19610
Hampton Inn Reading
1800 Paper Mill Road
Reading P.A. 19610
Homeland Suites Hotel
2801 Paper Mill Road
Reading P.A. 19610
Days Inn Reading
Paper Mill Road
Reading P.A. 19610
The Inn at Reading
1040 Park Road
Reading P.A. 19610
Wyndam Hotel Reading
100 North Fifth Street
Reading P.A. 19610

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Allentown P.A. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found on Route 78, 476, and 22.

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Reading P.A. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found on Route 12 & 222

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