The University

East Stroudsburg University, a comprehensive university in northeastern Pennsylvania offering nearly 57 undergraduate and more than 21 graduate degrees and certification programs, is one of the 14 institutions in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

East Stroudsburg Normal School opened its doors on September 4, 1893.

A faculty of 15 greeted a group of 320 students who had entered the two-year programs in elementary and science education.

Although the Normal School was originally privately owned, ownership was transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1920, and the name was changed to East Stroudsburg State Normal School.

In 1927, the right to confer the degrees of Bachelor of Science in education and Bachelor of Science in health education was granted, and the school’s name then became the State Teachers College at East Stroudsburg.

In 1960, the college’s name was changed to East Stroudsburg State College, reflecting the addition of liberal arts and science curricula.

In November 1982, the State System of Higher Education was authorized by Act 188 of 1982.

The college officially became East Stroudsburg University on July 1, 1983.

Location

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is nestled in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains. The combination of quiet woodlands, mountain streams, and refreshing clean air has made the Poconos famous as a resort area for more than 100 years.

Because of the university’s location in the Poconos, students take advantage of the many scenic, historic, and recreational sites, including the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Bushkill Falls, and the Pocono ski areas. Others have found that the resorts and restaurants offer an excellent opportunity for employment. In addition, the area offers fine restaurants, high-quality entertainment, and excellent shopping. Situated on a hill facing Prospect Street in the community of East Stroudsburg, the university is characterized by large areas of grassy expanses comfortably shaded by a variety of towering trees.

The campus is located approximately 75 miles west of New York City and Newark, 85 miles northeast of Philadelphia, 40 miles southeast of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, and 40 miles northeast of the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton area. Students and faculty alike enjoy the opportunities and advantages of visits to the metropolitan areas.

The university, which is located approximately one-quarter mile from the East Stroudsburg exit off Interstate 80, Exit 308, is within easy reach of major highway systems and commercial air services.

Accreditation

East Stroudsburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Education.

Accreditations awarded to academic programs include:

• All eligible teacher education programs offered by East Stroudsburg University are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
• The undergraduate Athletic Training Professional Practice degree program and the graduate Athletic Training degree program are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.
• Th undergraduate Biochemistry degree program is accredited by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
• The undergraduate Computer Science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET (Board of Engineering and Technology). 
• The undergraduate Exercise Physiology, Sport and Exercise Conditioning, and graduate Exercise Science degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.  
• The undergraduate Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism degree program is accredited by Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration.
• The undergraduate Nursing degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). In addition, the program is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
• The undergraduate and the graduate Public Health degree programs are  accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.
• The undergraduate Recreation Services Management degree program is accredited by the Council on the Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COARPT).
• The undergraduate Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
• The graduate Speech-Language Pathology degree program is accredited by the Council of Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a member of the Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education.

Pennsylvania’s 14 public universities comprise the State System, with a combined enrollment of more than 100,000 making it the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth.

The 14 State System universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 500,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The 14 State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

East Stroudsburg University and its faculty are committed to assuring a safe and productive educational environment for all students. In order to meet this commitment and to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and guidance from the Office for Civil Rights, the University requires faculty members to report incidents of sexual violence shared by students to the University's Title IX Coordinator. The only exceptions to the faculty member's reporting obligation are when incidents of sexual violence are communicated by a student during a classroom discussion, in a writing assignment for a class, or as part of a University-approved research project. Faculty members are obligated to report sexual violence or any other abuse of a student who was, or is, a child (a person under 18 years of age) when the abuse allegedly occurred to the person designated in the University protection of minors policy.

Information regarding the reporting of sexual violence and the resources that are available to victims of sexual violence is set forth at:

ESU web page, Title IX: Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence, esu.edu/titleix

The Campus and Academic Buildings

The campus of East Stroudsburg University includes 63 buildings located on approximately 258 acres in East Stroudsburg Borough and Smithfield Township.

The majority of ESU’s facilities are located in East Stroudsburg, Pa.  These buildings include academic facilities, nine residence halls, a 1,000-seat dining hall, a student center, a 60,000 square-foot Recreation Center, athletic facilities, a library and more. 

• The 130,600-squarefoot Warren E. '55 and Sandra Hoeffner Science & Technology Center opened in August 2008. The facility includes a planetarium and observatory, as well as a wildlife museum of natural history as well as 17 teaching laboratories, nine research laboratories, a multi-use 200-seat auditorium, classrooms, and offices.  In addition to serving our students the museum, planetarium and observatory also provide an educational venue for school children who visit there throughout the year as well as public viewings/shows on weekends.
• Stroud Hall remains the primary academic building at ESU. This four-story classroom building contains lecture halls, computer and language laboratories, instructional spaces, and office areas.
• Beers Lecture Hall, which opened in 1997, seats 150 students and serves as a distance learning facility.
• The Fine and Performing Arts Center consists of two theaters, a gallery, concert hall, rehearsal areas, various art studios, and classrooms.
• The Koehler Fieldhouse and Natatorium serves as the primary physical education and intercollegiate athletics facility.
• Zimbar-Liljenstein Hall houses the Graduate & Extended Studies office, the Student Enrollment Center, a teaching gymnasium, and academic classrooms and office areas for physical education and sport management, as well as the Mekeel Child Care Center.
• The Moore Biology Building contains a large group lecture hall, a greenhouse and wildlife museum as well as classroom and lecture spaces.
• Gessner Science Hall is home to ESU’s Business and Management College and features a Bloomberg Lab facility which opened in 2018.
• DeNike Center for Human Services houses classrooms and has laboratory areas for the departments of health, nursing, and recreation services management
• Rosenkrans Hall, is where you’ll find academic facilities for digital media and technologies classrooms and labs.
• The renovated, 30,200-square foot Monroe Hall reopened in August 2012. Converted from a residence hall to instructional space, this facility contains two computer laboratories, four classrooms, a 68-seat stepped auditorium, three conference rooms, and offices. It also houses the ESU Communication Sciences & Disorders department along with the Communication department.

The nine residence halls include six traditional residence halls and the addition of three suite-style housing facilities, built since 2017.  In total, ESU provides its students with 3,248 beds in order to experience the on-campus lifestyle.  Nearby, on 46 acres of ESU’s property, resides University Ridge, a ten-building student apartment complex that provides an additional 541 beds to ESU students.

Each of the suite-style facilities houses a separate university function.  The University Police Station is housed on the ground floor of Hemlock Hall; an alternative recreation center and spin studio may be found on the ground floor of Hawthorn Hall; and a Health and Wellness Center for students will soon be established in the ground floor of Sycamore Suites.

Meals are served to students in Dansbury Commons, the main dining hall for campus.  In addition to the capability of feeding up to 1,000 students at a time, Dansbury Commons is also home to a Starbucks, a multi-purpose room for campus meetings and initiatives as well as a P.O.D. (Provisions on Demand) for students who need a quick grab-and-go snack or meal.

ESU’s current University Center includes a food court, commuter lounge, game room, student activities offices, and the University Store.  But change is on its way as we prepare to break ground for a new Keystone Commons.  This new state-of-the-art facility will include a career services center, a multicultural center, an international center, a student veterans center, an eSports gaming room, student senate and club offices, W.E.S.S. (the student radio station), The Stroud Courier (the student newspaper), a food court and the bookstore.

Across campus, the Mattioli Student Recreation Center is a full-service fitness center featuring high end exercise equipment, an elevated running track, 4 basketball courts, racquetball courts and more for the exercise enthusiasts.

Located on Smith Street, Kemp Library provides ESU students, faculty, staff and visitors with materials, services, equipment, spaces, and environments that support the University’s academic curricula, assists campus constituents with their study, research, and informational needs, and stimulates cultural development.

ESU also boasts the 6,430 square-foot Abeloff Center for the Performing Arts, an auditorium space that seats approximately 800 individuals and is home to many different meetings, musical and dance performances, concerts and guest speakers. 

Located in Smithfield Township, ESU’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, built in 2010, is located on the corner of Brown Street and Route 447. This 51,000 sq. ft. facility is a driver of economic development support for Monroe County and home to innovators and entrepreneurs whether they be students, faculty, staff or community members.  The Innovation Center includes ESU's Economic Development and Entrepreneurship Division, Business Accelerator Program, Office of Sponsored Projects and Research, Office of Workforce Development, Wet Lab Facilities, Entrepreneurial Leadership Center, ESU's Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, and Computer Training Labs.

Less than 10 miles from campus, ESU affiliate, The Student Activity Association, Inc. owns Stony Acres, a 119-acre off-campus student recreation area near Marshalls Creek, which includes a lodge and a small lake. Considered a wildlife sanctuary, Stony Acres is a 119 acre facility in Marshalls Creek, Pa., that serves as a recreational site and field campus for students, faculty and staff.  While providing outdoor recreational activity and social opportunities, the site also promotes co-curricular involvement and fosters leadership development. 

Lastly, ESU opened an additional location in Bethlehem, Pa. (the Lehigh Valley Center) in 2012 and also partners with Northampton Community College in Bethlehem to provide convenient educational experiences for students in the fields of nursing, public health and business management.  ESU’s Lehigh Valley Center offers opportunities for the adult learner as well as the traditional undergraduate student.  The Center offers undergraduate degree completion, continuing education, non-degree programs, certificate programs and accelerated graduate degree opportunities.

Computing and Communication Services

The university Computing and Communications Center supports administrative computing, academic computing and telecommunications. Administrative computing is served by the Banner student information system, encompassing more than 30 online systems and providing services to the students, faculty and staff.

The academic computing network consists of 30 UNIX or Windows based servers that are connected to approximately 2,200 personal computers provided to support instruction, Internet access, campus network access, and email. They are located in 35 computer laboratories across campus. There is an open-access computer lab in each residence hall.

Additionally, many academic departments maintain discipline-specific computer laboratories for their curricula. Wireless computing zones are located throughout campus and outdoors. Students can connect to the Internet in these areas using a standard wireless device or smart phone. In addition, faculty and students use wireless for conducting specialized labs in a variety of courses. Helpful computing information can be found at esu.edu/ac.

Additionally, the Office of Computing and Communication Services supports faculty, administration, students, and affiliated businesses with services such as local and long distance telephone, voice mail, digital cable TV, and Internet.

The McGarry Communication Center is the campus base for the Instructional Resources Department, including the audiovisual, graphics, and television services units. The Communication Center houses two television studios and is the distribution center of campus cable television as well as the community-wide ESU television telecasts. WESS 90.3 FM radio is also located in the Center.

Kemp Library

Kemp Library provides all students, faculty and staff with numerous opportunities to acquire information in pursuit of their academic and career goals.  The library offers a wide variety of resources and services to help achieve these goals.  The collection includes not only physical items such as print books and journals, but also a large number of electronic resources, such as EBSCO databases, electronic journals and e-books.  The library strives to provide 24/7 access to electronic resources via the library website. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take advantage of the library’s services including Inter-Library Loan, Reference and Research Assistance and to contact faculty librarians to schedule individualized instructional sessions or personal assistance.  The library also provides quiet spaces for study as well as comfortable areas for group discussions.  For more information about Kemp Library, visit the website - www.esu.edu/library.