document_title: Decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire

question_text: which war during the mid 1800s weakened the economy of the ottoman empire

question_tokens: which war during the mid 1800s weakened the economy of the ottoman empire

text: Decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire

text: Main issues of the period[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: The rise of nationalism swept through many countries during the 19th century, and it affected territories within the Ottoman Empire. A burgeoning national consciousness, together with a growing sense of ethnic nationalism, made nationalistic thought one of the most significant Western ideas imported to the Ottoman Empire. The empire was forced to deal with nationalism from both within and beyond its borders. The number of revolutionary, secret societies which turned into political parties during the next period rose dramatically. Uprisings in Ottoman territory had many far-reaching consequences during the 19th century and determined much of the Ottoman policy during the early 20th century. Many Ottoman ruling elite questioned whether the policies of the state were to blame: some felt that the sources of ethnic conflict were external, and unrelated to issues of governance. While this era was not without some successes, the ability of the Ottoman state to have any effect on ethnic uprisings was seriously called into question.

text: The Russian extension in this century developed with the main theme of supporting independence of Ottomans' former provinces and then bringing all of the Slav peoples of the Balkans under Bulgaria or using Armenians in the east sets the stage. At the end of the century from Russian perspective; Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and autonomy of Bulgaria was achieved. That alarmed the Great Powers. After the Congress of Berlin the Russian expansion was controlled through stopping the expansion of Bulgaria. The Russian public felt that at the end of Congress of Berlin thousands of Russian soldiers had died for nothing.

text: The military of the Ottoman Empire remained an effective fighting force until the second half of the eighteenth century, when it suffered a catastrophic defeat against Russia in the 1768-74 war.[2] Selim III came to the throne with an ambitious effort in military reforms in 1789. He failed. Selim III was replaced by Mahmud II in 1808 who established martial law of Alemdar Mustafa Pasha. His first task was to ally with the Janissaries in order to break the power of the provincial governors. He then turned on the Janissaries and removed them from power during Auspicious Incident in 1826. Efforts for a new system (1826–1858) began following the Auspicious incident.

text: The stagnation and reform of the Ottoman Empire (1683–1827) ended with the dismemberment of Ottoman Classical Army. The issue during the decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire (1828–1908) was to create a military (a security apparatus) that could win wars and bring security to its subjects. That goal took multiple Sultans with multiple reorganizations during this period. At the end of this period, with the Second Constitutional Era in 1908, -with a degree of- Ottoman military became modernized and professionalized in the form of European Armies.

text: Modernization 1828–1839[edit]

text: 1808–1839 Mahmud II[edit]

text:
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text: Mahmud II had to deal with multiple issues inherited from generations past. These issues lasted all through his reign. Shortly, the Eastern Question with Russia, England, and France, and military problems arising from mutinous Janissaries and factious Ulemas. He also faced numerous internal conflicts with Egyptians, Wahabbis, Serbians, Albanians, Greeks and Syrians, and had administrative problems from rebellious Pashas, who would fain have founded new kingdoms on the ruins of the House of Osman.

text: Mahmud understood the growing problems of the state and the approaching overthrow of the monarchy, and began to deal with the problems as he saw them. For example, he closed the Court of Confiscations, and took away much of the power of the pashas. He personally set an example of reform by regularly attending the Divan, or state council. The practice of the sultan's avoiding the Divan had been introduced two centuries prior, during the reign of Suleiman I, and was considered to be one of the causes of the decline of the Empire. Mahmud II also addressed some of the worst abuses connected with the Vakifs, by placing their revenues under state administration. However, he did not venture to apply this vast mass of property to the general purposes of the government.

text: Serbs, 1810s[edit]

text: In 1804 the Serbian Revolution against Ottoman rule erupted in the Balkans, running in parallel with the Napoleonic invasion. By 1817, when the revolution ended, Serbia was raised to the status of self-governing monarchy under nominal Ottoman suzerainty.[3] In 1821 the First Hellenic Republic became the first Balkan country to achieve its independence from the Ottoman Empire. It was officially recognised by the Porte in 1829, after the end of the Greek War of Independence.

text: Greeks, 1820s[edit]

text: In 1814, a secret organization called the Filiki Eteria was founded with the aim of liberating Greece. The Filiki Eteria planned to launch revolts in the Peloponnese, the Danubian Principalities, and capital with its surrounding areas. The first of these revolts began on 6 March 1821 in the Danubian Principalities which was put down by the Ottomans. On 17 March 1821, the Maniots declared war which was the start of revolutionary actions from other controlled states. In October 1821, Theodoros Kolokotronis had captured Tripolitsa, followed by other revolts in Crete, Macedonia, and Central Greece. Tensions soon developed among different Greek factions, leading to two consecutive civil wars. Mehmet Ali of Egypt agreed to send his son Ibrahim Pasha to Greece with an army to suppress the revolt in return for territorial gain. By the end of 1825, most of the Peloponnese was under Egyptian control, and the city of Missolonghi was put under siege and fell in April 1826. Ibrahim had succeeded in suppressing most of the revolt in the Peloponnese and Athens had been retaken. Russia, Britain and France decided to intervene in the conflict and each nation sent a navy to Greece. Following news that combined Ottoman–Egyptian fleets were going to attack the Greek island of Hydra, the allied fleet intercepted the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet in the battle of Navarino. Following a week long standoff, a battle began which resulted in the destruction of the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet. With the help of a French expeditionary force proceeded to the captured part of Central Greece by 1828.

text: The Greek War of Independence saw the beginning of the spread of the Western notion of nationalism, stimulated the rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire, and eventually caused the breakdown of the Ottoman millet concept. Unquestionably, the concept of nationhood prevalent in the Ottoman Empire was different from the current one as it was centered on religion.

text: The Auspicious Incident, 1826[edit]

text: Mahmud II's most notable achievements include the abolition of the Janissary corps in 1826, the establishment of a modern Ottoman army, and the preparation of the Tanzimat reforms in 1839. By 1826, the sultan was ready to move against the Janissary in favor of a more modern military. Mahmud II incited them to revolt on purpose, describing it as the sultan's "coup against the Janissaries". The sultan informed them, through a fatwa, that he was forming a new army, organised and trained along modern European lines. As predicted, they mutinied, advancing on the sultan's palace. In the ensuing fight, the Janissary barracks were set in flames by artillery fire resulting in 4,000 Janissary fatalities. The survivors were either exiled or executed, and their possessions were confiscated by the Sultan. This event is now called the Auspicious Incident. The last of the Janissaries were then put to death by decapitation in what was later called the blood tower, in Thessaloniki.[4][unreliable source]

text: These marked the beginning of the modernization and had immediate effects such as introducing European-style clothing, architecture, legislation, institutional organization and land reform.

text: Russia, 1828–1829[edit]

text: The Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 did not give him time to organize a new army, and the Sultan was forced to use these young and undisciplined recruits in the fight against the veterans of the Tsar. The war was brought to a close by the disastrous Treaty of Adrianople. While the reforms in question were mainly implemented to improve the military, the most notable development that arose out of these efforts was a series of schools teaching everything from math to medicine to train new officers.

text: Egypt, 1830s[edit]

text: Later in his reign, Mahmud became involved in disputes with the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, Muhammad Ali, who was technically Mahmud's vassal. The Sultan had asked for Muhammad Ali's help in suppressing a rebellion in Greece, but had not paid the promised price for his services. In 1831, Muhammad Ali declared war and managed to take control of Syria and Arabia by the war's end in 1833. In 1839, Mahmud resumed the war, hoping to recover his losses, but he died at the time news was on its way to Constantinople that the Empire's army had been signally defeated at Nezib by an Egyptian army led by Muhammad Ali's son, Ibrahim Pasha.

text: Economy[edit]

text: In his time the financial situation of the Empire was dire, and certain social classes had long been oppressed by burdensome taxes. In dealing with the complicated questions that arose, Mahmud II is considered to have demonstrated the best spirit of the best of the Köprülüs. A Firman of 22 February 1834 abolished the vexatious charges which public functionaries, when traversing the provinces, had long been accustomed to take from the inhabitants. By the same edict all collection of money, except for the two regular half-yearly periods, was denounced as an abuse. "No one is ignorant," said Sultan Mahmud II in this document, "that I am bound to afford support to all my subjects against vexatious proceedings; to endeavour unceasingly to lighten, instead of increasing their burdens, and to ensure peace and tranquility. Therefore, those acts of oppression are at once contrary to the will of God, and to my imperial orders."

text: The haraç, or capitation tax, though moderate and exempting those who paid it from military service, had long been made an engine of gross tyranny through the insolence and misconduct of government collectors. The Firman of 1834 abolished the old mode of levying it, and ordained that it should be raised by a commission composed of the Kadı, the Muslim governors, and the Ayans, or municipal chiefs of Rayas in each district. Many other financial improvements were effected. By another important series of measures, the administrative government was simplified and strengthened, and a large number of sinecure offices were abolished. Sultan Mahmud II gave a valuable personal example of good sense and economy, organised the imperial household, suppressed all titles without duties and eliminated all the positions of salaried officials without functions.

text: Tanzimat Era 1839–1876[edit]

text: In 1839, the Hatt-i Sharif proclamation launched the Tanzimat (from Arabic: تنظيم tanẓīm, meaning "organisation") (1839–76), period. Previous to the first of the firmans, the property of all persons banished or condemned to death was forfeited to the crown, which kept a sordid motive for acts of cruelty in perpetual operation, besides encouraging a host of vile Delators. The second firman removed the ancient rights of Turkish governors to condemn men to instant death at will; the Paşas, the Ağas, and other officers were enjoined that "they should not presume to inflict, themselves, the punishment of death on any man, whether Raya or Turk, unless authorized by a legal sentence pronounced by the Kadi, and regularly signed by the judge."

text: The Tanzimat reforms did not halt the rise of nationalism in the Danubian Principalities and the Principality of Serbia, which had been semi-independent for almost six decades. In 1875, the tributary principalities of Serbia and Montenegro, and the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, unilaterally declared their independence from the empire. Following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, the empire granted independence to all three belligerent nations. Bulgaria also achieved virtual independence[citation needed] (as the Principality of Bulgaria); its volunteers had participated in the Russo-Turkish War on the side of the rebelling nations.

text: The government's series of constitutional reforms led to a fairly modern conscripted army, banking system reforms, the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the replacement of religious law with secular law[5] and guilds with modern factories.

text: 1839–1861 Abdülmecit I[edit]

text: The Ottoman Ministry of Post was established in Istanbul on 23 October 1840.[6][7] The first post office was the Postahane-i Amire near the courtyard of the Yeni Mosque.[6] In

text: The introduction of the first Ottoman paper banknotes (1840) and opening of the first post offices (1840); the reorganization of the finance system according to the French model (1840); the reorganization of the Civil and Criminal Code according to the French model (1840); the establishment of the Meclis-i Maarif-i Umumiye (1841) which was the prototype of the First Ottoman Parliament (1876); the reorganisation of the army and a regular method of recruiting, levying the army and fixing the duration of military service (1843–44); the adoption of an Ottoman national anthem and Ottoman national flag (1844); the institution of a Council of Public Instruction (1845) and the Ministry of Education (Mekatib-i Umumiye Nezareti, 1847, which later became the Maarif Nezareti, 1857); the abolition of slavery and slave trade (1847); the establishment of the first modern universities (darülfünun, 1848), academies (1848) and teacher schools (darülmuallimin, 1848);

text: The Ottoman Ministry of Post was established in Istanbul on 23 October 1840.[6][7] The first post office was the Postahane-i Amire near the courtyard of the Yeni Mosque.[6]

text: Samuel Morse received his first ever patent for the telegraph in 1847, at the old Beylerbeyi Palace (the present Beylerbeyi Palace was built in 1861–1865 on the same location) in Istanbul, which was issued by Sultan Abdülmecid who personally tested the new invention.[8] Following this successful test, installation works of the first telegraph line (Istanbul-Adrianople–Şumnu)[9] began on 9 August 1847.[10]

text: Identity Card and Ottoman Census, 1844[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: While the Ottoman Empire had population records prior to the 1830s, it was only in 1831 that the Office of Population Registers fund (Ceride-i Nüfus Nezareti) was founded. The Office decentralized in 1839 to draw more accurate data. Registrars, inspectors, and population officials were appointed to the provinces and smaller administrative districts. They recorded births and deaths periodically and compared lists indicating the population in each district. These records were not a total count of population. Rather, they were based on what is known as “head of household”. Only the ages, occupation, and property of the male family members only were counted.

text: The first nationwide Ottoman census was in 1844. The first national identity cards which officially named the Mecidiye identity papers, or informally kafa kağıdı (head paper) documents.

text: In 1856, the Hatt-ı Hümayun promised equality for all Ottoman citizens regardless of their ethnicity and religious confession; which thus widened the scope of the 1839 Hatt-ı Şerif of Gülhane. Overall, the Tanzimat reforms had far-reaching effects. Those educated in the schools established during the Tanzimat period included Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and other progressive leaders and thinkers of the Republic of Turkey and of many other former Ottoman states in the Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa. These reforms included[11] guarantees to ensure the Ottoman subjects perfect security for their lives, honour and property;

text: Establishment of the Ministry of Healthcare (Tıbbiye Nezareti, 1850); the Commerce and Trade Code (1850); establishment of the Academy of Sciences (Encümen-i Daniş, 1851); establishment of the Şirket-i Hayriye which operated the first steam-powered commuter ferries (1851); the first European style courts (Meclis-i Ahkam-ı Adliye, 1853) and supreme judiciary council (Meclis-i Ali-yi Tanzimat, 1853); establishment of the modern Municipality of Istanbul (Şehremaneti, 1854) and the City Planning Council (İntizam-ı Şehir Komisyonu, 1855); the abolition of the capitation (Jizya) tax on non-Muslims, with a regular method of establishing and collecting taxes (1856); non-Muslims were allowed to become soldiers (1856); various provisions for the better administration of the public service and advancement of commerce; the establishment of the first telegraph networks (1847–1855) and railways (1856); the replacement of guilds with factories; the establishment of the Ottoman Central Bank (originally established as the Bank-ı Osmanî in 1856, and later reorganised as the Bank-ı Osmanî-i Şahane in 1863)[12] and the Ottoman Stock Exchange (Dersaadet Tahvilat Borsası, established in 1866);[13] the Land Code (Arazi Kanunnamesi, 1857); permission for private sector publishers and printing firms with the Serbesti-i Kürşad Nizamnamesi (1857); establishment of the School of Economical and Political Sciences (Mekteb-i Mülkiye, 1859);

text: In 1855 the Ottoman telegraph network became operational and the Telegraph Administration was established.[6][7][9]

text: Crimean War, 1853–1856[edit]

text: The Crimean War (1853–1856) was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining Ottoman Empire. Britain and France successfully defended the Ottoman Empire against Russia.[14]

text: Most of the fighting took place when the allies landed on Russia's Crimean Peninsula to gain control of the Black Sea. There were smaller campaigns in western Anatolia, the Caucasus, the Baltic Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the White Sea. It was one of the first "modern" wars, as it introduced new technologies to warfare, such as the first tactical use of railways and the telegraph.[15] The subsequent Treaty of Paris (1856) secured Ottoman control over the Balkan Peninsula and the Black Sea basin. That lasted until defeat in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.

text: The Ottoman Empire took its first foreign loans on 4 August 1854,[16] shortly after the beginning of the Crimean War.[17]

text: The war caused an exodus of the Crimean Tatars. From the total Tatar population of 300,000 in the Tauride Province, about 200,000 Crimean Tatars moved to the Ottoman Empire in continuing waves of emigration.[18] Toward the end of the Caucasian Wars, 90% of the Circassians were exiled from their homelands in the Caucasus and settled in the Ottoman Empire.[19] During the 19th century, there was an exodus to present-day Turkey by a large portion of Muslim peoples from the Balkans, Caucasus, Crimea and Crete, By the early 19th century, as many as 45% of the islanders may have been Muslim, had great influence in molding the country's fundamental features. These people were called Muhacir under a general definition.[20] By the time the Ottoman Empire came to an end in 1922, half of the urban population of Turkey was descended from Muslim refugees from Russia.[21] Crimean Tatar refugees in the late 19th century played an especially notable role in seeking to modernise Turkish education.[21]

text: Armenians, 1860s[edit]

text: Armenian national awakening is influenced by the Age of Enlightenment and the rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian national movement developed in the early 1860s. The factors contributing to its emergence made the movement similar to that of the Balkan nations, especially the Greeks. The Armenian élite and various militant groups sought to improve and defend the mostly rural Armenian population of the eastern Ottoman Empire from the Muslims, but the ultimate goal was the creation of an Armenian state in the Armenian-populated areas controlled at the time by the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire.

text: 1861–1876 Abdülaziz[edit]

text: Abdülaziz continued the Tanzimat and Islahat reforms. New administrative districts (vilayets) were set up in 1864 and a Council of State was established in 1868. Public education was organized on the French model and Istanbul University was reorganized as a modern institution in 1861. Abdülaziz was also the first sultan who traveled outside his empire. His 1867 trip included a visit to the United Kingdom. The Press and Journalism Regulation Code (Matbuat Nizamnamesi, 1864); among others.[11] 1876 the first international mailing network between Istanbul and the lands beyond the vast Ottoman Empire was established.[6] In 1901 the first money transfers were made through the post offices and the first cargo services became operational.[6] In 1868 homosexuality was decriminalised[22]

text: The Christian millets gained privileges, such as in the Armenian National Constitution of 1863. This Divan-approved form of the Code of Regulations consisted of 150 articles drafted by the Armenian intelligentsia. Another institution was the newly formed Armenian National Assembly.[23] The Christian population of the empire, owing to their higher educational levels, started to pull ahead of the Muslim majority, leading to much resentment on the part of the latter.[21] In 1861, there were 571 primary and 94 secondary schools for Ottoman Christians with 140,000 pupils in total, a figure that vastly exceeded the number of Muslim children in school at the same time, who were further hindered by the amount of time spent learning Arabic and Islamic theology.[21] In turn, the higher educational levels of the Christians allowed them to play a large role in the economy.[21] In 1911, of the 654 wholesale companies in Istanbul, 528 were owned by ethnic Greeks.[21]

text: In 1871 the Ministry of Post and the Telegraph Administration were merged, becoming the Ministry of Post and Telegraph.[7] In July 1881 the first telephone circuit in Istanbul was established between the Ministry of Post and Telegraph in the Soğukçeşme quarter and the Postahane-i Amire in the Yenicami quarter.[10] On 23 May 1909, the first manual telephone exchange with a 50 line capacity entered service in the Büyük Postane (Grand Post Office) in Sirkeci.[10]

text: Bulgaria, 1870s[edit]

text: The rise of national awakening of Bulgaria led to the Bulgarian revival movement. Unlike Greece and Serbia, the nationalist movement in Bulgaria did not concentrate initially on armed resistance against the Ottoman Empire. After the establishment of the Bulgarian Exarchate on 28 February 1870 a large-scale armed struggle started to develop as late as the beginning of the 1870s with the establishment of the Internal Revolutionary Organisation and the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee, as well as the active involvement of Vasil Levski in both organisations. The struggle reached its peak with the April Uprising of 1876 in several Bulgarian districts in Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia. The suppression of the uprising and the atrocities committed by Ottoman soldiers against the civilian population increased the Bulgarian desire for independence.

text: Albanians, 1870s[edit]

text: Because of religious ties of the Albanian majority of the population with the ruling Ottomans and the lack of an Albanian state in past, nationalism was less developed among Albanians in the 19th century than among other southeast European nations. Only from the 1870s and onwards did a movement of ‘national awakening‘ evolve among them - greatly delayed, compared to the Greeks and the Serbs. The 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War dealt a decisive blow to Ottoman power in the Balkan Peninsula. The Albanians' fear that the lands they inhabited would be partitioned among Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece fueled the rise of Albanian nationalism.

text: Ottoman Constitution, 1876[edit]

text: The reformist period peaked with the Constitution, called the Kanûn-u Esâsî (meaning "Basic Law" in Ottoman Turkish), written by members of the Young Ottomans, which was promulgated on 23 November 1876. It established the freedom of belief and equality of all citizens before the law. The empire's First Constitutional era, was short-lived. But the idea of Ottomanism proved influential. A group of reformers known as the Young Ottomans, primarily educated in Western universities, believed that a constitutional monarchy would give an answer to the empire's growing social unrest. Through a military coup in 1876, they forced Sultan Abdülaziz (1861–1876) to abdicate in favour of Murad V. However, Murad V was mentally ill and was deposed within a few months. His heir-apparent, Abdülhamid II (1876–1909), was invited to assume power on the condition that he would declare a constitutional monarchy, which he did on 23 November 1876. The parliament survived for only two years before the sultan suspended it. When forced to reconvene it, he abolished the representative body instead. This ended the effectiveness of the Kanûn-ı Esâsî.

text: 1876 Murat V[edit]

text: After Abdülaziz's dethronement Murat was enthroned. It was hoped that he would sign the constitution. However, due to health problems Murat was also dethroned after 93 days; he was the shortest reigning sultan of the Empire.

text: First Constitutional Era, 1876–1878[edit]

text: The First Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire was the period of constitutional monarchy from the promulgation of the Kanûn-ı Esâsî (meaning "Basic Law" in Ottoman Turkish), written by members of the Young Ottomans, on 23 November 1876 until 13 February 1878. The era ended with the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Abdülhamid II.

text: 1876–1879 Abdul Hamid II[edit]

text: Russo-Turkish War 1877–1878[edit]

text: The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had its origins in a rise in nationalism in the Balkans as well as in the Russian goal of recovering territorial losses it had suffered during the Crimean War, reestablishing itself in the Black Sea and following the political movement attempting to free Balkan nations from the Ottoman Empire. As a result of the war, the principalities of Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, each of which had de facto sovereignty for some time, formally proclaimed independence from the Ottoman Empire. After almost half a millennium of Ottoman domination (1396–1878), the Bulgarian state was reestablished as the Principality of Bulgaria, covering the land between the Danube River and the Balkan Mountains (except Northern Dobrudja which was given to Romania) and the region of Sofia, which became the new state's capital. The Congress of Berlin also allowed Austria-Hungary to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina and Great Britain to take over Cyprus, while the Russian Empire annexed Southern Bessarabia and the Kars region.

text: Congress of Berlin, 1878[edit]

text: The Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878) was a meeting of the leading statesmen of Europe's Great Powers and the Ottoman Empire. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that ended with a decisive victory for Russia and her Orthodox Christian allies (subjects of the Ottoman Empire before the war) in the Balkan Peninsula, the urgent need was to stabilise and reorganise the Balkans, and set up new nations. German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who led the Congress, undertook to adjust boundaries to minimise the risks of major war, while recognising the reduced power of the Ottomans, and balance the distinct interests of the great powers.

text: As a result, Ottoman holdings in Europe declined sharply; Bulgaria was established as an independent principality inside the Ottoman Empire, but was not allowed to keep all its previous territory. Bulgaria lost Eastern Rumelia, which was restored to the Turks under a special administration; and Macedonia, which was returned outright to the Turks, who promised reform. Romania achieved full independence, but had to turn over part of Bessarabia to Russia. Serbia and Montenegro finally gained complete independence, but with smaller territories.

text: In 1878, Austria-Hungary unilaterally occupied the Ottoman provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Novi Pazar, but the Ottoman government contested this move and maintained its troops in both provinces. The stalemate lasted for 30 years (Austrian and Ottoman forces coexisted in Bosnia and Novi Pazar for three decades) until 1908, when the Austrians took advantage of the political turmoil in the Ottoman Empire that stemmed from the Young Turk Revolution and annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina, but pulled their troops out of Novi Pazar in order to reach a compromise and avoid a war with the Turks.

text: In return for British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli's advocacy for restoring the Ottoman territories on the Balkan Peninsula during the Congress of Berlin, Britain assumed the administration of Cyprus in 1878[24] and later sent troops to Egypt in 1882 with the pretext of helping the Ottoman government to put down the Urabi Revolt; effectively gaining control in both territories (Britain formally annexed the still nominally Ottoman territories of Cyprus and Egypt on 5 November 1914, in response to the Ottoman Empire's decision to enter World War I on the side of the Central Powers.) France, on its part, occupied Tunisia in 1881.

text: The results were first hailed as a great achievement in peacemaking and stabilisation. However, most of the participants were not fully satisfied, and grievances regarding the results festered until they exploded into world war in 1914. Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece made gains, but far less than they thought they deserved. The Ottoman Empire, called at the time the "sick man of Europe", was humiliated and significantly weakened, rendering it more liable to domestic unrest and more vulnerable to attack. Although Russia had been victorious in the war that occasioned the conference, it was humiliated at Berlin, and resented its treatment. Austria gained a great deal of territory, which angered the South Slavs, and led to decades of tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bismarck became the target of hatred of Russian nationalists and Pan-Slavists, and found that he had tied Germany too closely to Austria in the Balkans.[25]

text: In the long-run, tensions between Russia and Austria-Hungary intensified, as did the nationality question in the Balkans. The Congress succeeded in keeping Istanbul in Ottoman hands. It effectively disavowed Russia's victory. The Congress of Berlin returned to the Ottoman Empire territories that the previous treaty had given to the Principality of Bulgaria, most notably Macedonia, thus setting up a strong revanchist demand in Bulgaria that in 1912 led to the First Balkan War in which the Turks were defeated and lost nearly all of Europe. As the Ottoman Empire gradually shrank in size, military power and wealth, many Balkan Muslims migrated to the empire's remaining territory in Balkans or to the heartland in Anatolia.[26][27] Muslims had been the majority in some parts of Ottoman Empire such as the Crimea, the Balkans and the Caucasus as well as a plurality in southern Russia and also in some parts of Romania. Most of these lands were lost with time by the Ottoman Empire between 19th and 20th centuries. By 1923, only Anatolia and eastern Thrace remained as the Muslim land.[28]

text: Istibdat 1879-1908[edit]

text: 1879–1908 Abdul Hamid II[edit]

text: Abdul Hamid is also considered one of the last sultans to have full control. His reign struggled with the culmination of 75 years of change throughout the empire and an opposing reaction to that change.[21] He was particularly concerned with the centralization of the empire.[29] His efforts to centralize the Sublime Porte were not unheard of among other sultans. The Ottoman Empire’s local provinces had more control over their areas than the central government. Abdul Hamid II's foreign relations came from a “policy of non-commitment."[30] The sultan understood the fragility of the Ottoman military, and the Empire’s weaknesses of its domestic control.[30] Pan-Islamism became Abdülhamid’s solution to the empire’s loss of identity and power.[31] His efforts to promote Pan-Islamism were for the most part unsuccessful because of the large non-Muslim population, and the European influence onto the empire.[32] His policies essentially isolated the Empire, which further aided in its decline. Several of the elite who sought a new constitution and reform for the empire were forced to flee to Europe.[32] New groups of radicals began to threaten the power of the Ottoman Empire.

text: Egypt 1880s[edit]

text: After gaining some amount of autonomy during the early 1800s, Egypt had entered into a period of political turmoil by the 1880s. In April 1882, British and French warships appeared in Alexandria to support the khedive and prevent the country from falling into the hands of anti-European nationals.

text: In August 1882 British forces invaded and occupied Egypt on the pretext of bringing order. The British supported Khedive Tewfiq and restored stability with was especially beneficial to British and French financial interests. Egypt and Sudan remained as Ottoman provinces de jure until 1914, when the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers of World War I. Great Britain officially annexed these two provinces and Cyprus in response.

text: 1893–96 Ottoman Census[edit]

text: In 1867, the Council of States took charge of drawing population tables, increasing the precision of population records. They introduced new measures of recording population counts in 1874. This led to the establishment of a General Population Administration, attached to the Ministry of Interior in 1881-1882.

text: The first official census (1881–93) took 10 years to finish. In 1893, the results were compiled and presented. This census is the first modern, general and standardized census accomplished not for taxation nor for military purposes, but to acquire demographic data. The population was divided into ethno-religious and gender characteristics. Numbers of both male and female subjects are given in ethno-religious categories including Muslims, Greeks, Armenians, Bulgarians, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Latins, Syriacs and Gypsies[33][34]

text: Armenians, 1890s[edit]

text: Although granted their own constitution and national assembly with the Tanzimat reforms, the Armenians attempted to demand implementation of Article 61 from the Ottoman government as agreed upon at the Congress of Berlin in 1878.[36]

text: Autonomists[edit]

text: During 1880 - 1881, while the Armenian national liberation movement was in its early stage; lack of outside support and inability to maintain a trained, organized Kurdish force diminished Kurdish aspirations. However, two prominent Kurdish families (tribes) mounted opposition to the empire, based more from an ethno-nationalistic stand point. The Badr Khans were successionists while the Sayyids of Nihiri were autonomists. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 was followed in 1880 - 1881 by the attempt of Shaykh Ubayd Allah of Nihri to found an "independent Kurd principality" around Ottoman-Persian border (including the Van Vilayet) where Armenian population was significant. Shaykh Ubayd Allah of Nihri gathered 20,000 fighters.[37] Lacking discipline, his man left the ranks after pillaging and acquiring riches from the villages in the region (indiscriminately, including Armenian villages). Shaykh Ubayd Allah of Nihri captured by the Ottoman forces in 1882 and this movement ended.[37]

text: The Bashkaleh clash was the bloody encounter between the Armenakan Party and the Ottoman Empire in May 1889. Its name comes from Başkale, a border town of Van Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. The event was important, as it was reflected on main Armenian newspapers as the recovered documents on the Armenakans showed an extensive plot for a national movement.[38] Ottoman officials believed that the men were members of a large revolutionary apparatus and the discussion was reflected on newspapers, (Eastern Express, Oriental Advertiser, Saadet, and Tarik) and the responses were on the Armenian papers. In some Armenian circles, this event was considered as a martyrdom and brought other armed conflicts.[39] The Bashkaleh Resistance was on the Persian border, which the Armenakans were in communication with Armenians in the Persian Empire. The Gugunian Expedition, which followed within the couple months, was an attempt by a small group of Armenian nationalists from the Russian Armenia to launch an armed expedition across the border into the Ottoman Empire in 1890 in support of local Armenians.

text: The Kum Kapu demonstration occurred at the Armenian quarter of Kum Kapu, the seat of the Armenian Patriarch, was spared through the prompt action of the commandant, Hassan Aga.[40] On 27 July 1890, Harutiun Jangülian, Mihran Damadian and Hambartsum Boyajian interrupted the Armenian mass to read a manifesto and denounce the indifference of the Armenian patriarch and Armenian National Assembly. Harutiun Jangülian (member from Van) tried to assassinate the Patriarch of Istanbul. The goal was to persuade the Armenian clerics to bring their policies into alignment with the national politics. They soon forced the patriarch to join the procession heading to the Yildiz Palace to demand implementation of Article 61 of the Treaty of Berlin. It is significant that this massacre, in which 6000 Armenians are said to have perished, was not the result of a general rising of the Muslim population.[40] The Softas took no part in it, and many Armenians found refuge in the Muslim sections of the city.[40]

text: Reform program[edit]

text: The Kurdish (force, rebels, bandits) sacked neighboring towns and villages with impunity.[41]

text: The central assumption of the Hamidiye system—Kurdish tribes (Kurdish chiefdoms cited among Armenian security concerns) could be brought under military discipline—proved to be "Utopian". The Persian Cossack Brigade later proved that it can function as independent unit, but Ottoman example, which was modeled after, never replaced the tribal loyalty to Ottoman Sultan or even to its establishing unit.

text: In 1892, first time a trained and organized Kurdish force encouraged by the Sultan Abdul Hamid II. There are several reasons advanced as to why the Hamidiye light cavalry was created. The establishment of the Hamidiye was in one part a response to the Russian threat, but scholars believe that the central reason was to suppress Armenian socialist/nationalist revolutionaries.[42] The Armenian revolutionaries posed a threat because they were seen as disruptive, and they could work with the Russians against the Ottoman Empire.[42] The Hamidiye corps or Hamidiye Light Cavalry Regiments were well-armed, irregular, majority Kurdish cavalry (minor amounts of other nationalities, such as Turcoman) formations that operated in the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire.[43] They were intended to be modeled after the Caucasian Cossack Regiments (example Persian Cossack Brigade) and were firstly tasked to patrol the Russo-Ottoman frontier[44] and secondly, to reduce the potential of Kurdish-Armenian cooperation.[45] The Hamidiye Cavalry was in no way a cross-tribal force, despite their military appearance, organization, and potential.[46] Hamidiye quickly find out that they could only be tried through a military court martial[47] They became immune to civil administration. Realizing their immunity, they turned their tribes into “legalized robber brigades” as they steal grain, reap fields not of their possession, drive off herds, and openly steal from shopkeepers.[48] Some argue that the creation of the Hamidiye “further antagonized the Armenian population” and it worsened the very conflict they were created to prevent.[49]

text: Kurdish chieftain also taxed the population of the region in sustaining these units, which Armenian's perceived this Kurdish taxation as an exploitation. When Armenian spokesmen confronted the Kurdish chieftain (issue of double taxation), it brought about enmity between both populations. The Hamidiye cavalry harassed and assaulted Armenians.[50]

text: In 1908, after the overthrow of Sultan, the Hamidiye Cavalry was disbanded as an organized force, but as they were “tribal forces” before official recognition, they stayed as “tribal forces” after dismemberment. The Hamidiye Cavalry is described as a military disappointment and a failure because of its contribution to tribal feuds.[51]

text: Armenians[edit]

text: A major role in the Hamidian massacres of 1894-96 has been often ascribed to the Hamidiye regiments, particularly during the bloody suppression of Sasun (1894). On July 25, 1897 the Khanasor Expedition was against the Kurdish Mazrik tribe (Muzuri Kurds) who owned a significant portion of this cavalry. The first notable battle in the Armenian resistance movement took place in Sassoun, where nationalist ideals were proliferated by Hunchak activists, such as Mihran Damadian, Hampartsoum Boyadjian, and Hrayr. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation also played a significant role in arming the people of the region. The Armenians of Sassoun confronted the Ottoman army and Kurdish irregulars at Sassoun, succumbing to superior numbers.[52] This was followed by Zeitun Rebellion (1895–1896), which between the years 1891 and 1895, Hunchak activists toured various regions of Cilicia and Zeitun to encourage resistance, and established new branches of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party.

text: In this area, something resembling a civil war between Armenians and Muslims (involving Hamidiye (cavalry)) raged for months before being brought to an end through mediation by the Great Powers. However instead of Armenian autonomy in these regions, Kurds (Kurdish tribal chiefs) retained much of their autonomy and power.[53] The Abdulhamid made little attempt to alter the traditional power structure of “segmented, agrarian Kurish societies” – agha, shayk, and tribal chief.[53] Because of their geographical position at the southern and eastern fringe of the empire and mountainous topography, and limited transportation and communication system.[53] The state had little access to these provinces and were forced to make informal agreements with tribal chiefs, for instance the Ottoman qadi and mufti did not have jurisdiction over religious law which bolstered Kurdish authority and autonomy.[53]

text: The 1896 Ottoman Bank takeover was perpetrated by an Armenian group armed with pistols, grenades, dynamite and hand-held bombs against the Ottoman Bank in Istanbul. The seizure of the bank lasted 14 hours, resulting in the deaths of 10 of the Armenian men and Ottoman soldiers. The Ottoman reaction to takeover saw further massacres and pogroms of the several thousand Armenians living in Constantinople and Sultan Abdul Hamid II threatening to level the entire building itself. However, intervention on part of the European diplomats in the city managed to persuade the men to give, assigning safe passage to the survivors to France. Despite the level of violence the incident had wrought, the takeover was reported positively in the European press, praising the men for their courage and the objectives they attempted to accomplish.[54]

text: Economy[edit]

text: Economically, the empire had difficulty in repaying the Ottoman public debt to European banks, which caused the establishment of the Council of Administration of the Ottoman Public Debt. By the end of the 19th century, the main reason the empire was not overrun by Western powers was their attempt to maintain a balance of power in the area. Both Austria and Russia wanted to increase their spheres of influence and territory at the expense of the Ottoman Empire, but were kept in check mostly by Britain, which feared Russian dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean.

text: Image gallery[edit]

text:
Mahmud II

Abdülmecid

Abdülaziz

Murad V


document_title: List of Los Angeles Chargers seasons

question_text: when is the last time the chargers made the playoffs

root

text: List of Los Angeles Chargers seasons

text:
This article is part of series of

Los Angeles Chargers history

Los Angeles Chargers (1960)

San Diego Chargers (1961–2016)

Los Angeles Chargers (2017–present)

List of seasons

v
t
e

tag: table

text: The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football franchise based in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The club was founded in 1959 by Barron Hilton and played the 1960 season in Los Angeles as part of the American Football League (AFL). In the next season, the Chargers moved to San Diego.[1] In 2017, the Chargers relocated back to the Los Angeles area.

tag: p

text: The franchise has experienced three major periods of success. The first was from 1960 to 1965, when the Chargers were AFL West champions five times and AFL champions once. The second was from 1978 to 1982, when the Chargers had winning seasons (seasons with more wins than losses) in each of these years, and won three consecutive division championships for the second time in franchise history. The most recent accomplishments range from 2004 to 2009, with the franchise reaching the playoffs five times in six years. Their only Super Bowl appearance was in 1994.

text: The Chargers have experienced three notable periods of decline. Between 1970 and 1977, the Chargers never won more games than they lost as part of a 13-year period without playing in the postseason, including four consecutive years last in their division from 1972 to 1975, in which year they bottomed out before two late wins avoided the NFL's first 0–14 season. From 1983 to 1991, they never placed higher than third in their division and did not make the playoffs. From 1996 to 2003, the team had no winning seasons, and had their worst season ever, winning only one of 16 games in 2000.[2]

text: The Chargers have been division champions nine times including 2009, all of them in the AFC West. They have been conference champions six times, but only once since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. As of the end of the 2010 season, the Chargers had played 787 regular and post-season games in 51 seasons, and have appeared in the post-season 16 times.[2]

text: Seasons

text:
AFL Champions (1960–1969)
Conference Champions
Division Champions
Wild Card Berth

text:
Season
Team
League
Conference
Division
Regular season
Postseason results
Awards
Head coaches

Finish
Wins
Losses
Ties

Los Angeles Chargers

1960
1960
AFL

West
1st
10
4
0
Lost AFL Championship (at Oilers) 16–24

Sid Gillman

San Diego Chargers

1961
1961
AFL

West
1st
12
2
0
Lost AFL Championship (Oilers) 3–10

Sid Gillman

1962
1962
AFL

West
3rd
4
10
0

Earl Faison (ASG MVP)
Sid Gillman

1963
1963
AFL

West
1st
11
3
0
Won AFL Championship (1) (Patriots) 51–10
Lance Alworth (MVP)
Keith Lincoln (ASG MVP)
Sid Gillman

1964
1964
AFL

West
1st
8
5
1
Lost AFL Championship (at Bills) 7–20
Keith Lincoln (ASG MVP)
Sid Gillman

1965
1965
AFL

West
1st
9
2
3
Lost AFL Championship (Bills) 0–23
Frank Buncom (ASG MVP)
Sid Gillman

1966
1966
AFL

West
3rd
7
6
1

Sid Gillman

1967
1967
AFL

West
3rd
8
5
1

Speedy Duncan (ASG MVP)
Sid Gillman

1968
1968
AFL

West
3rd
9
5
0

Sid Gillman

1969
1969
AFL

West
3rd
8
6
0

John Hadl (ASG MVP)
Charlie Waller

1970[A]
1970
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
5
6
3

Charlie Waller

1971
1971
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
6
8
0

Harland Svare (2–2)
Sid Gillman (4–6)

1972
1972
NFL
AFC
West
4th
4
9
1

Harland Svare

1973
1973
NFL
AFC
West
4th
2
11
1

Harland Svare (1–6–1)
Ron Waller (1–5)

1974
1974
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
5
9
0

Don Woods (OROY)
Tommy Prothro

1975
1975
NFL
AFC
West
4th
2
12
0

Tommy Prothro

1976
1976
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
6
8
0

Tommy Prothro

1977
1977
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
7
7
0

Tommy Prothro

1978
1978[B]
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
9
7
0

Tommy Prothro (1–3)
Don Coryell (8–4)

1979
1979
NFL
AFC
West
1st
12
4
0
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 14–17

Don Coryell

1980
1980
NFL
AFC
West
1st[C]
11
5
0
Won Divisional Playoffs (Bills) 20–14
Lost AFC Championship (Raiders) 27–34

Don Coryell

1981
1981
NFL
AFC
West
1st[D]
10
6
0
Won Divisional Playoffs (at Dolphins) 41–38 (OT)[E]
Lost AFC Championship (at Bengals)[F] 7–27
Kellen Winslow (PB MVP)
Don Coryell

1982[G]
1982
NFL
AFC

6th
6
3
0
Won First-Round Playoffs (at Steelers) 31–28
Lost Second-Round Playoffs (at Dolphins) 13–34
Dan Fouts (OPOY,
PB MVP)
Don Coryell

1983
1983
NFL
AFC
West
5th
6
10
0

Don Coryell

1984
1984
NFL
AFC
West
5th
7
9
0

Don Coryell

1985
1985
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
8
8
0

Don Coryell

1986
1986
NFL
AFC
West
5th
4
12
0

Leslie O'Neal (DROY)
Don Coryell (1–7)
Al Saunders (3–5)

1987[H]
1987
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
8
7
0

Dan Henning

1988
1988
NFL
AFC
West
4th
6
10
0

Dan Henning

1989
1989
NFL
AFC
West
5th
6
10
0

Dan Henning

1990
1990
NFL
AFC
West
4th
6
10
0

Bobby Ross

1991
1991
NFL
AFC
West
5th
4
12
0

Bobby Ross

1992
1992
NFL
AFC
West
1st
11
5
0
Won Wild Card Playoffs (Chiefs) 17–0
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Dolphins) 0–31

Bobby Ross

1993
1993
NFL
AFC
West
4th
8
8
0

Bobby Ross

1994
1994
NFL
AFC
West
1st
11
5
0
Won Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) 22–21
Won AFC Championship (at Steelers) 17–13
Lost Super Bowl XXIX (vs. 49ers) 26–49

Bobby Ross

1995
1995
NFL
AFC
West
2nd
9
7
0
Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 20–35

Bobby Ross

1996
1996
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
8
8
0

Bobby Ross

1997
1997
NFL
AFC
West
5th
4
12
0

Kevin Gilbride

1998
1998
NFL
AFC
West
5th
5
11
0

Kevin Gilbride (2–4)
June Jones (3–7)

1999
1999
NFL
AFC
West
4th
8
8
0

Mike Riley

2000
2000
NFL
AFC
West
5th
1
15
0

Mike Riley

2001
2001
NFL
AFC
West
5th
5
11
0

Mike Riley

2002
2002
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
8
8
0

Marty Schottenheimer

2003
2003
NFL
AFC
West
4th
4
12
0

Marty Schottenheimer

2004
2004
NFL
AFC
West
1st
12
4
0
Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Jets) 17–20 (OT)
Marty Schottenheimer (COY)
Drew Brees (CBPOY)
Marty Schottenheimer

2005
2005
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
9
7
0

Shawne Merriman (DROY)
Marty Schottenheimer

2006
2006
NFL
AFC
West
1st
14
2
0
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 21–24
LaDainian Tomlinson (MVP, OPOY)
Marty Schottenheimer

2007
2007
NFL
AFC
West
1st
11
5
0
Won Wild Card Playoffs (Titans) 17–6
Won Divisional Playoffs (at Colts) 28–24
Lost AFC Championship (at Patriots) 12–21

Norv Turner

2008
2008
NFL
AFC
West
1st
8
8
0
Won Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 23–17 (OT)
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Steelers) 24–35

Norv Turner

2009
2009
NFL
AFC
West
1st
13
3
0
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jets) 14–17

Norv Turner

2010
2010
NFL
AFC
West
2nd
9
7
0

Norv Turner

2011
2011
NFL
AFC
West
2nd
8
8
0

Norv Turner

2012
2012
NFL
AFC
West
2nd
7
9
0

Norv Turner

2013
2013
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
9
7
0
Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Bengals) 27–10
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Broncos) 17–24
Philip Rivers (CBPOY)
Mike McCoy

2014
2014
NFL
AFC
West
3rd
9
7
0

Mike McCoy

2015
2015
NFL
AFC
West
4th
4
12
0

Mike McCoy

2016
2016
NFL
AFC
West
4th
5
11
0

Joey Bosa (DROY)
Mike McCoy

Los Angeles Chargers

2017
2017
NFL
AFC
West
2nd
9
7
0

Keenan Allen (CBPOY)
Anthony Lynn

Total
435
438
11
(1960–2017, Regular season only)

11
17
—
(1960–2017, Post-season games only)

446
455
11
(1960–2017, Total for all games; 1 AFL Championship, 3 NFL Titles)

text: Footnotes

text:
A As a result of the AFL-NFL merger, the league was broken into two conferences; the AFL teams moved into the American Football Conference.
B This season included the Holy Roller game.
C The Chargers finished ahead of Oakland in the AFC West based on better net points in division games.
D The Chargers finished ahead of the Denver Broncos based on better divisional record.
E This game is known as The Epic in Miami.
F This game was known as the Freezer Bowl.
G The 1982 season was shortened by a strike, so the league was divided up into two conferences instead of its normal divisional alignment.
H The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from 16 to 15 games.

tag: ul


document_title: Missouri State University

question_text: when did southwest missouri state became missouri state

text: Missouri State University

text: History[edit]

text: Missouri State University was formed as the Fourth District Normal School, by legislative action on March 17, 1905. Like other normal schools of the day, the school's primary purpose was the preparation of teachers for the public school system.

text: Classes began on June 11, 1906 with the first class totaling 543 students in an off-campus facility. The first permanent campus building was Academic Hall. Its cornerstone was laid on August 10, 1907 and construction was completed in January 1909. The building is now known as Carrington Hall, named after William T. Carrington, the first president of the State Normal School. It serves as the University's administrative center.

text: The Fourth District Normal School became Southwest Missouri State Teacher's College in 1919 to reflect its regional and academic emphasis. Throughout the interwar period, the College's programs expanded to include liberal arts and sciences in the curriculum, thus facilitating a name change to Southwest Missouri State College in 1945. A burgeoning student population throughout the 1950s and 1960s resulted in the establishment of residence halls, accompanied by a growth in post-graduate studies. This led to a third name change in 1972, to Southwest Missouri State University. In 1973, enrollment surpassed 10,000 students for the first time.[11]

text: By 1985, SMSU had grown into the second-largest public university in the state, leading administrators to support a bill to change the name to Missouri State University, which eventually died in committee in the Missouri General Assembly. In 1990, enrollment surpassed 20,000 students for the first time, but further attempts to rename the school throughout the 1990s and early 2000s also failed. However, the state legislature did grant the university a statewide mission in Public Affairs in 1995.

text: In 2004, with the election of Springfield native Matt Blunt to the governorship and the approaching centennial of the university's founding, new support developed for the name change. It was opposed by the University of Missouri System (which operates the four campuses of the University of Missouri), which feared that the name change would lead to duplication of academic programs and ongoing battles for students and state funding. In 2005 the name-change bill was passed, following a late-night compromise between University of Missouri System President Elson Floyd and then-Southwest Missouri State President John Keiser, stating that Missouri State University would not duplicate certain professional programs offered by the University of Missouri. The bill to rename the University finally passed the Missouri Senate (25–7). On March 1, 2005, after more than seven hours of debate, the bill passed the Missouri House (120–35). Governor Blunt signed it into law on March 17, 2005—the centennial anniversary of the University—at the Plaster Student Union where several student leaders and state leaders were present.

text: Presidents[edit]

text: Presidents of the college include:[12]

text:
William Thomas Carrington, 1906–1918
Clyde Milton Hill, 1918–1926
Roy Ellis, 1926–1961
Leland Eldridge Traywick, 1961–1964
Arthur Lee Mallory, 1964–1971
Duane G. Meyer, 1971–1983
Marshal Gordon, 1983–1992
Russell Keeling (interim), 1992–1993
John Keiser, 1994–2005
Michael T. Nietzel, 2005–2010
James E. Cofer, 2010–2011
Clifton M. "Clif" Smart III, 2011–present[2]

tag: ol

text: Academics[edit]

text: Divisions[edit]

text: Missouri State University's academic divisions include:

text:
College of Arts and Letters – Art & Design; Communication; English; Media, Journalism & Film; Modern & Classical Languages; Music; Theatre & Dance
College of Business (COB) – School of Accountancy; Computer Information Systems; Fashion & Interior Design; Finance & General Business; Management; Marketing; Technology & Construction Management
College of Education – Childhood Education & Family Studies; Counseling, Leadership, & Special Education; Greenwood Laboratory School; Reading, Foundations, & Technology
College of Health and Human Services – Biomedical Sciences; Communication Sciences & Disorders; Health, Physical Education & Recreation; Nursing; Physical Therapy; Physician Assistant Studies; Psychology; School of Social Work; Sports Medicine & Athletic Training
College of Humanities and Public Affairs – Defense & Strategic Studies; Economics; History; Military Science; Philosophy; Political Science; Religious Studies; Sociology, Anthropology, & Criminology
College of Natural and Applied Sciences – Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Geography, Geology, & Planning; Hospitality & Restaurant Administration; Mathematics; Physics, Astronomy, & Materials Science
Missouri State Outreach[13]

text: Missouri State Online[14]

text:
William H. Darr College of Agriculture
Graduate School

text: The University offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and over 45 graduate programs. For the 2009 fiscal year the University awarded 4,093 degrees.[15] The Springfield campus had 721 full-time instructional faculty in fall 2009, of which 46 percent were female and 60 percent were tenured. The student-faculty ration is 20-to-1.[16] Nearly 90 percent of full-time ranked faculty members have the most advanced degree available in their field.[16] During its 2009 fiscal year, MSU received 196 grants totalling $20,901,035. Freshmen entering for the fall 2010 semester had an average ACT score of 24.1 (well above both the state and national averages[17]) and a high school grade point average of 3.60.[18]

text: College of Business[edit]

text: The MSU College of Business is the largest college of business in Missouri and one of the largest in the Midwest.[19] Missouri State’s COB is housed in David D. Glass Hall, a 4-story, 185,000-square-foot (17,200 m2) state-of-the-art building. Glass Hall is named in honor of MSU alumnus and former Wal-Mart CEO David Glass.[20] Not only has the COB received the highest level of accreditation available, but all programs in the College of Business are fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Among colleges and universities in the nation offering business degrees, only 10 percent have been granted this status.[21] The College of Business underwent a major renovation in 2016 to update the building and provide more space for academic activities.

text: Cost of attendance[edit]

text: MSU reported the typical annual cost of attendance for the 2012-13 academic year as $14,996 for Missouri residents and $21,342 for non-residents. This included tuition and required student fees of $6,792 for residents and $13,138 for non-residents, $7,204 for room and board, and $1,000 estimated for books and supplies.[22] These costs reflected action taken on March 30, 2012, by the MSU Board of Governors to increase tuition by approximately 3% ($6.48 per credit hour) for in-state undergraduates. Out-of-state undergraduate tuition was also increased by $24 per credit hour, and a $25-per-credit-hour fee for upper-level courses in the business school was initiated.[23]

text: LNU-MSU[edit]

text: In June 2000, Missouri State University entered into an agreement with Liaoning Normal University of the People's Republic of China to establish the Missouri State Branch Campus Dailan (LNU-MSU College of International Business) on the campus of LNU. As an educational cooperation project between the two universities, the Branch Campus received formal approval from the governing bodies of both universities, the Missouri State Board of Governors and the Bureau of Education of Liaoning Province, China.[24]

text: Public affairs mission[edit]

text: Missouri State University has a statewide mission in public affairs granted by the state legislature in 1995.[25] The mission is stated as having three broad themes: Ethical Leadership, Cultural Competence and Community Engagement. The goal of the Ethical Leadership component has been articulated by MSU as "students will articulate their value systems, act ethically within the context of a democratic society, and demonstrate engaged and principled leadership." The stated objective of the Cultural Competence component is "students will recognize and respect multiple perspectives and cultures." Two goals have been articulated for the Community Engagement portion of the mission. They are that "students will recognize the importance of contributing their knowledge and experiences to their own community and the broader society" and "students will recognize the importance of scientific principles in the generation of sound public policy."[26] The public affairs mission is emphasized and enhanced by designated Public Affairs Professorships and a Provost Fellow for Public Affairs, special scholarship programs, grant program, Excellence in Community Service Awards, a yearly week-long Missouri Public Affairs Academy for high school students, a campus-wide public affairs emphasis week and the annual MSU Public Affairs Conference which brings together a diverse group of speakers and panelist for public discussions of various aspects of the public affairs mission. Past conference speakers have included Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Nawal El Saadawi, Les Garland, John Edwards and Frances Hesselbein.

text: Study Away Programs[edit]

text: Students at Missouri State University have the opportunity to spend as little as a week or as much as an entire academic year studying abroad while receiving academic credit. The Study Away Programs Office, located in the Jim D. Morris Center, has partnerships with several program providers and direct exchange agreements that allow students to go more or less anywhere in the world. Students at Missouri State University are encouraged to learn more about Study Away opportunities by dropping by the Study Away Office, checking out the Study Away webpage, or attending a Study Away 101 Information Session.[27]

text: Campus[edit]

text: Missouri State University’s main campus, containing over 40 buildings, is located on 225 acres (91.1 ha) in central Springfield. National Avenue forms the eastern boundary, with South Holland and Kimbrough Avenues to the west, Cherry and Elm Streets to the north, and Grand Street to the south. John Q. Hammons Parkway bisects the campus, running north and south. The campus contains a variety of architectural styles, with the oldest buildings exhibiting a Neoclassical style and newer buildings displaying a mix of Modern styles including International, Brutalist, Bauhaus and High-tech, unified through the use of light-colored stone and concrete exterior materials.

text: Facing National Avenue is the "Historic Quadrangle," containing Carrington Hall (1908), Hill Hall (1923) and Siceluff Hall (1927), as well as Cheek Hall (1955) and Ellis Hall (1959). South of that area is Pummill Hall (1957), Karls Hall (1958) and Craig Hall (1967), which contains the Coger Theater and is the site of an annual outdoor summer tent theatre program.

text: In the center of campus is the Duane G. Meyer Library, constructed in 1980 and named after a former president of the University. It contains over 877,000 books, subscriptions to over 3,500 periodicals and newspapers with back issues on microfilm, microfiche, and microcard, and full text electronic access to over 20,000 periodicals. In addition, the library contains over 934,000 state, federal and United Nations government documents. The Meyer Library was renovated and expanded in 2002, and included the addition of the Jane A. Meyer Carillon, one of only 164 such instruments in the United States. In front of Meyer Library is the five-level, multi-jet John Q. Hammons Fountain (named for the MSU alumnus and hotel developer).

text: Other major academic buildings are located south and west of the Meyer Library. These include Temple Hall (1971), Kemper Hall (1976), Glass Hall (1988) and Strong Hall (1998). The majority of the north side of the campus is dedicated to student residences and recreational areas; however, Greenwood Laboratory School, a fully functioning K-12 school, is also located in this area.

text: Jane A. Meyer Carillon[edit]

text: The Jane A. Meyer Carillon is located in the center of the Missouri State University campus, at the southwest corner of the Duane G. Meyer Library. At 140 feet (43 m) tall, it is the tallest carillon in the Midwestern United States and serves as a campus icon and focal point. It was dedicated on April 13, 2002. The total weight of the 48 bronze bells and cast-iron clappers is 32,000 pounds, with the largest bell weighing 5,894 pounds, or nearly three tons. The complete carillon and its supporting tower structure weighs 2.5 million pounds. Funds for the purchase of the bells and keyboard and for the construction of the tower were provided by Ken and Jane Meyer, longtime friends of the University and supporters of the arts. Jane Meyer was a former organ student of the MSU Department of Music. The carillon’s 48 bronze bells, cast-iron clappers and keyboard were purchased from and installed by Royal Eijsbouts, a prestigious bell making firm from the Netherlands. The carillon plays the standard Westminster chime sequence every 15 minutes, with the first of the hourly bells marking the exact start of each hour. The department of music also coordinates and presents special concerts throughout the year.

text: Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts[edit]

text: Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts is a 2,220-seat center located in the northwest corner of the campus. Juanita K. (as referred to by locals) not only hosts the University's music, dance and theatre department performances, it is home to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. It is the Springfield area’s major performance hall and presents a regular schedule of national touring companies and prominent individual performers. The hall includes multi-level boxes and moveable orchestra pit; spacious backstage facilities with individual, crew and chorus dressing rooms, cast lounge, green room, loading dock and break areas; an expansive multi-level lobby; public and private reception areas; full-service front-of-house, technical and support staff offices; an on-site computerized box office; and a 5-level parking garage adjacent to the building.[28]

text: Athletic facilities[edit]

text: Southeast of Meyer Library is the Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex. Originally built in 1930, the athletic field became the stadium in 1941 and was known for many years as Briggs Stadium in honor of Coach A. W. Briggs, longtime head of Missouri State's athletic department. In 2014, the stadium was converted to a football-specific field surface and other renovations were made for a more intimate fan experience. The playing surface was replaced and moved closer to the west grand stand. In addition, the student side (east side) was fully replaced from the ground up and includes game day locker rooms, a new scoreboard and a party platform called "The Clif".[29] The facility was renamed after a major expansion and renovation in the 1980s that included installation of an artificial playing surface, an all-weather track, a second level of seating, twelve racquetball courts, men's and women's locker rooms, five classrooms, and a fitness center. Immediately north of Plaster Sports Complex is McDonald Arena, built by WPA labor in 1940. It served as the university's central indoor arena until construction of the John Q. Hammons Student Center on the campus' north-west edge in 1976. That venue was in turn replaced as the primary indoor sporting venue by construction of the adjacent 11,000-seat JQH Arena in 2008.

text: IDEA Commons[edit]

text: IDEA Commons (short for Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship, and Art) is an urban research park in Downtown Springfield that blends together residential, retail and entertainment facilities supported by various university programs. Currently the Jordan Valley Innovation Center (JVIC) and "Brick City" are located within the IDEA Commons. The JVIC is a Missouri State University research center providing "hands-on" learning and experience for students, as well as support and business opportunities for affiliated businesses. Within the JVIC are three operating units: The Center for Applied Science and Engineering (CASE), The Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences (CBLS), and Springfield Innovation, Inc. (SI2). The JVIC is located in the former Missouri Farmers Association milling facility. Brick City, located at 305 West Mill Street, was renovated for the Fall 2008 semester to house several elements of the MSU Art and Design department. Missouri State University won the University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) 2009 Award of Excellence for their work on IDEA Commons at the UEDA annual symposium. MSU’s IDEA Commons beat 34 other institutions, including two other finalists, North Carolina State University and the University of Memphis, for the award.[30]

text: Darr Agricultural Center[edit]

text: The Darr Agricultural Center is located on 90 acres (36.4 ha) near the intersection of Kansas Expressway and Sunshine Street in southwest Springfield. The Darr Center serves as a laboratory and field experience classroom for the study of livestock management, equine studies, horticulture, agronomy, animal science, and wildlife conservation and management. Improvements in 2007 included extensive renovation of the main arena, as well as the addition of a stalling barn, a multi-use barn, office space, bovine and equine handling facilities, a research laboratory, a classroom, and a two-bedroom apartment for graduate student housing.[31] In 2010 MSU announced a $6.5 Million expansion of the facility to include construction of a new Learning Center with a large classroom and lecture hall equipped with an animal entrance and specialized pen; classrooms with distance learning technology; and laboratories to facilitate research in the areas of water quality, soil chemistry, horticultural sciences, animal physiology and more. The building will also include a conference space and a 400-person capacity banquet hall available for public and private events. The new facility is to be LEED Silver certified, incorporating sustainability features such as site filtering of storm water runoff, occupancy sensors that control lighting and temperature, use of natural light, and ground source heat-pump systems.[32]

text: OurPromise[edit]

text: OurPromise is Missouri State University’s newest capital campaign. The goal is to raise a total of $125 million allocated as $20 million for student scholarships, $15 million for faculty endowments, $40 million for enhancement for programs/community engagement, $1.5 million investment in the West Plains campus, and $48.5 million for facilities. Facility enhancements include improvement and expansion of the Darr Agricultural Center, a 90-acre (36.4 ha) hands-on learning center five miles (8 km) from the main Springfield campus; construction of a new 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2). student recreation center; further development of the IDEA Commons; additions to the Greenwood Laboratory School and enhancement of the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center. The money will also help pay off bonds spent on the 11,000-seat JQH Arena.[33]

text: Residential life[edit]

text: Campus housing[edit]

text: The Missouri State University main campus contains nine residence halls. Wells House, the first campus residence hall, houses 490 men and women. Freudenberger House (referred to by students as "Freddy") is a five-story, U-shaped residence hall, designed with 2-, 3- and 4-person rooms to accommodate 740 men and women on single-gender floors. Woods House provides 376 men and women with accommodations on single-gender floors and features a 10th floor common area with sweeping views of the surrounding area. Blair-Shannon House accommodates 729 men and women in a suite-style format with the living areas on single-gender floors. Hammons House is an eight-story residence hall that accommodates 584 men and women on single-gender floors. A twin residence hall of Hammons House, Hutchens House is an eight-story residence hall offering housing accommodations for 605 men and women on five mixed-gender floors. Scholars House provides lodging for 115 students who are Honors Program participants or Presidential Scholarship recipients. Kentwood Hall, originally built as the luxury Kentwood Arms Hotel (1926) and whose guests included President Harry S. Truman and comedian Groucho Marx, accommodates 136 upper-class men and women and non-traditional students in a co-ed environment. Sunvilla Tower is an 18-story apartment facility that houses 186 upper-class men and women in a coed environment.

text: Computer labs, fitness rooms, laundry rooms, music practice rooms, kitchen facilities, and public meeting or study spaces are located in each residence. Available services include free laundry, free cable TV, WI-FI in public areas (full wireless access in Woods and Scholars Houses) and 24-hour front desk assistance. Within select houses are floors designated as "Living-learning Communities" (LLCs). These have a particular theme such as first-year experience, sophomore experience, or College of Health and Human Services majors. Certain floors are also designated as "quiet living environments." All residential areas are smoke and tobacco free.[34]

text: Campus dining[edit]

text: MSU provides three on-campus dining centers offering an all-you-can-eat cafeteria format. The oldest and busiest is Blair-Shannon Dining Hall (located on the first floor of Blair-Shannon House) which employs a staff of 60 and serves over 19,000 meals per week during the fall and spring semesters. Garst Dining Center is located between Hammons House and Hutchens House. Along with traditional fare and hours, Garst also offers "after hours" dining with a reduced menu from 9:00–11:00PM during the fall semester. After hours dining switches to Blair-Shannon for the second half of the year. Kentwood Dining Center is located in the historic Kentwood Hall. Smallest of the on-campus dining centers, Kentwood was remodeled in 2002, and provides a more traditional atmosphere, with exposed brick walls and an open fireplace.[35]

text: A number of other dining options are also available on the MSU campus. Table service dining is provided at the Union Club located on the Fourth Floor of the Plaster Student Union. The Union Club is open to all students, staff, faculty, and friends of the Missouri State campus for lunch only. Also located in the Plaster Student Union is Chick-Fil-A; Panda Express, Subway Subs and Salads; Papa John's Pizza; Red Mango, featuring fresh fruit smoothies and yogurt; and Starbucks, located downstairs.[36] Boomer's Café and a convenience store are located on the first floor of Hammons House. Boomer's (named for MSU's bear mascot) provides a menu of hot breakfast items, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and Mexican food, as well as Starbucks coffee. Starbucks is also offered, along with grab-and-go items, at Cafe a la Cart on the first floor of Strong Hall. Most of the campus dining venues are managed and operated by Missouri State Dining Services in Partnership with Chartwells.

text: Robert W. Plaster Student Union[edit]

text: The four-story Robert W. Plaster Student Union (PSU), is located in the center of campus between the main academic and residential areas. This building provides a place for students to dine, socialize, study, shop, and see films and guest speakers in the theater. It also houses a bank, convenience store, copy shop, ticket outlet, and video game/media store. A variety of meeting rooms are located in the PSU and over 15,000 meetings are hosted there each year.[37] Offices located in the Plaster Student Union include Student Engagement, Student Conduct, Multicultural Resources, Zip Card, Campus Recreation, Outdoor Adventures, Sodexo Campus Services, Citizenship and Service-Learning, Conference Services, various Student Organizations, the Dean of Students, Judicial Affairs, Disability Support Services, and Student Orientation, Advisement & Registration (SOAR). The PSU also includes the Leland E. Traywick Parliamentary Room. Dedicated on February 18, 2004, it is named to honor a former MSU president and his introduction of shared governance, including the establishment of the Faculty Senate, during his presidency. A bronze bear statue was dedicated to the University in 1999 and stands at the front entrance of the student union. Also located in front of the PSU is the North Mall, location of the "Bear Paw." The Bear Paw is an outdoor plaza and performance area constructed for concerts, forums, rallies, demonstrations, and other similar public activities. Any member of the university community (students, faculty, staff) may reserve the Bear Paw, and when not reserved it is available for expressive activities on a first come, first served basis.[38]

text: Campus recreation[edit]

text: The Level One Game Center, located in the Plaster Student Union, offers eight bowling alleys, billiards and table tennis. An active Intramural sports program includes competition in basketball, billiards, bowling, disc golf, dodgeball, flag football, futsal, golf, racquetball, sand volleyball, soccer, softball, table tennis, tennis, track, ultimate, volleyball and weight lifting. Two large intramural fields with artificial turf, electronic scoreboards and stadium lighting are located on East Harrison Street near Scholars House. A Fitness and Wellness Program offers a variety of group classes and activities to students, including classes with licensed instructors in Pilates, Yoga, Belly Dance and Zumba. The campus Outdoor Adventures program also provides opportunity and equipment rentals for activities such as rock climbing, caving, camping, canoeing and kayaking in the surrounding Ozark Mountains.

text: In 2012, two years after breaking ground, the 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center was opened. The center features an indoor jogging track (6.5 laps = 1 mile), multipurpose rooms, locker rooms, a sauna, basketball courts, an expansive fitness center, rock climbing and bouldering walls, multi-purpose activity courts, lounge areas with computer stations and flat panel TVs, a wellness center, and a 7,000 sq ft (650 m2) recreational pool with 3 lap lanes, underwater bench seating w/ 12 hydrotherapy back jets, lighted spray features, ramp and stair entry, water current channel for water walking & therapy, open water area for basketball, volleyball and Hydro-Power classes, a zip-line, and a spa.

text: Student organizations and groups[edit]

text: Campus-wide organizations[edit]

text: There are over 300 student organizations at Missouri State. Student organizations are grouped into eight categories according to their main purpose. These include Academic/Professional, Greek, Honorary, Religious, Service, Social, Sports, and University.[39]

text: The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official voice of the student body at Missouri State University. SGA strives to find solutions to campus issues by making policy recommendations to the administration. SGA is a forum for problems, concerns, questions, suggestions, and ideas as they relate to student life on campus. SGA serves as the governing body for all students and student organizations on campus. SGA was established in 1921 and has been active on campus ever since. There have been 88 presidents elected as of 2009. SGA is entirely funded by student fees. Meetings are held each Tuesday at 5:30PM and are open to the public.

text: The Student Activities Council (SAC) is a student-run programming board dedicated to enhancing the college experience at Missouri State. SAC orchestrates activities and programs in the Plaster Student Union and around the campus. By effectively utilizing the Student Involvement Fee, SAC aims to provide educational, entertaining, cultural, and leisure opportunities to complement the students' academic experience.

text: The Policy debate program (Holt V. Spicer Debate Forum) began one year after the university's founding, and Craig Hall is named for the first coach (Virginia Craig). The program participates in National Debate Tournament & Cross Examination Debate Association, competing head to head at tournaments against major universities such as Harvard, Dartmouth, Northwestern, USC, Emory, and the University of Michigan. The program has several historical and recent successes, reaching the final four in the NDT twice (1973, 2008) and the final four in CEDA five times (1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2008), including its 1992 CEDA National Championship.

text: The Pride Band is the university's marching band. The Pride consists of 300 student musicians. The band plays at every home football game and has been featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City (1988, 1996, 2001), the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena (1995 and 2008), and the Orange Bowl Parade in Miami (1988). They have appeared in the Louisiana Superdome for the New Orleans Saints, in the Trans World Dome for the St. Louis Rams, at Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs, and at Mile High Stadium for the Denver Broncos. In December 2005 the Pride Band traveled to London, England to be the honor band in the London New Year's Day parade, and was the Honor Band in the 2009 McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago, Illinois.

text: The MSU Army ROTC program was established in 1952. Since 1970, MSU has been the headquarters of the ROTC "Bear Battalion" in partnership with six other Springfield-area colleges (Evangel University, College of the Ozarks, Southwest Baptist University, Drury University, Baptist Bible College and Central Bible College). As of July 2008, the Bear Battalion had commissioned 1,721 Army officers including ten General Officers: LTG Neal T. Jaco, LTG John E. Miller, MG Fred F. Marty, MG Robert L. Gordon, MG Robert F. Pennycuick, MG David E. White, MG Jarrett J. Robertson, BG William A. West, BG Tony L. Stansberry and BG J. Marty Robinson.[40]

text: "The Standard" is the university's student-run newspaper. It is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper's content is entirely created and edited by the student staff.

text: "The Underground" is an unofficial student publication serving Missouri State University. It is produced by a staff of student volunteers and publishes twice-a-month.

text: "Ozarks News Journal" is a half-hour Public Affairs TV News Magazine produced fall and spring semesters by broadcast journalism students in the Media, Journalism & Film Department. The show airs weekly on Media Com cable 22 in Springfield.

text: "KSMU" 91.1 FM is the university's licensed public radio station, broadcasting National Public Radio content, local news and classical music. Its state-of-the-art studios are located in Strong Hall. The station has received numerous awards, including the 2002 National Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for News Series, the 2001 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for Feature Reporting, the 1987 National Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTNDA for Investigative Reporting, The Missouri Broadcasters Association Excellence Award in Documentary Public Affairs in 2002 and 2000, Certificates of Merit for Feature Reporting, Public Affairs Reporting, and Complete News from the Missouri Broadcasters Association, three Public Radio News Directors Incorporated Awards, and the Missouri State Teachers Association Award for Excellence in Education Reporting.[41]

text: MSU is also the licensee operating Ozark Public Television, providing PBS programming and instructional television services to 549,540 households in Southwest Missouri and the adjoining three state area.[42] KOZK, the PBS member station in Springfield airs on digital channel 23, virtual channel 21, and a sister station, KOZJ, airs in Joplin, Missouri as digital channel 25, virtual channel 26. The stations digital signal multicasts as 21.1/26.1: OPT-High Definition; 21.2/26.2: OPT-ED (Airs telecourses from MSU as well as miscellaneous PBS programming); and 21.3/26.3: Create, a how-to/DIY network. The broadcast and studio facilities are located in Strong Hall.

text: Fraternity and sorority life[edit]

text: National Panhellenic Conference member organizations at MSU include: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, Sigma Kappa and Sigma Sigma Sigma. National Pan-Hellenic Council members include: Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho and Zeta Phi Beta. Interfraternity Council members include: Alpha Gamma Sigma, Alpha Kappa Lambda, Delta Chi, Delta Sigma Phi, Kappa Alpha Order, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Omega Delta Phi, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Pi, Sigma Chi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Theta Chi, and Tau Kappa Epsilon. Additional independent Greek organizations include Sigma Alpha Chi,[43] Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Xi Omicron Iota.[44]

text: In October 2009, the Missouri State University Panhellenic received the Risk Management Award at the National Panhellenic Conference Annual Meeting.[45]

text: Athletics[edit]

text: Varsity sports[edit]

text: Missouri State University sponsors NCAA Division I inter-collegiate athletic teams in men's and women's basketball, golf, soccer, swimming and diving; men's baseball and football; and women's cross country, field hockey, softball, track, and volleyball. MSU teams are nicknamed the Bears, and team colors are maroon and white. The Missouri State University Bears are members of the Missouri Valley Conference for all sports except football (Missouri Valley Football Conference), men's swimming and diving (Mid-American Conference), and field hockey (Mid-American Conference). Football competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Missouri State teams have made 52 NCAA championship appearances since moving to Division I in the 1982–83 season.[16] The men's basketball team reached the Sweet Sixteen in 1999, women's basketball made the Final Four in 1992 and 2001, baseball made the College World Series in 2003, and volleyball earned their 1000th win Nov. 17, 2006 (only the second team in NCAA history to do so). In 1974, the women's softball team won the AIAW national championship.

text: Football, Soccer and Field Hockey games are played at Plaster Sports Complex. Men's and Women's Basketball games are played at JQH Arena, and Volleyball games, as well as Swimming and Diving competitions, are held at Hammons Student Center. Softball games are played at Killian Softball Stadium, which underwent a $2.7 million renovation in 2009. The Bears baseball team shares 7,986-seat Hammons Field, located a few blocks north of the MSU campus, with the Springfield Cardinals of the AA Texas League.

text: Conference realignment[edit]

text: Missouri State has remained steadfast in their approach to Conference Realignment. There are plans in the works to improve Plaster Sports Complex, which include the removal of the track. Missouri State is exploring options of building an on-campus soccer and track-and-field on-campus stadium as well as a future Field Hockey on-campus stadium. Athletics Director Kyle Moats has told reporters that "Missouri State is not actively seeking new conference membership, but is keeping their options open."

text: During the 2011 Football Season, a Missouri State athlete tweeted that the school had received an invitation to Conference USA, but later it was denied by Kyle Moats.[46]

text: Club teams[edit]

text: Missouri State University also sponsors several strong club teams. The MSU Handball team has won the National Collegiate Handball Team Championship 10 times, including seven years straight (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006 and 2008). MSU handball players have also captured the individual women's title nine times and the men's title six times. The team was founded in 1988 and is under the leadership of coach Tommy Burnett.

text: In 2001, Missouri State started a club Ice Hockey team, Missouri State University Ice Bears Hockey, that competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association. In 2009 the Ice Bears made their fourth straight ACHA Central Region post season tournament appearance. In 2014, the Missouri State University Ice Bears won the Central Division Regionals and made their first ACHA National Championship Appearance in their 13-year existence. In 2015 the Ice Bears made their second consecutive National Championship Tournament appearance in Salt Lake City Utah. After a 30-2 vote the Ice Bears joined the WCHL in ACHA Division 1 for the 2015-16 season. Ice Bears home games are played at Mediacom Ice Park.

text: Missouri State also has a club Lacrosse team, founded in 2003, that competes in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) Division II in the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference (GRLC). In 2009 and 2010, the Bears received an automatic qualifier for the MCLA National Championships in Denver, Colorado, after winning the GRLC championship. Since 2003, MSU lacrosse has fielded 5 All-Americans, 41 All-Conference players, 2 GRLC Tournament MVP's, and 2 GRLC Division II Coach of the Year Awards.

text: Additional club sports at Missouri State include a bowling team, pistol team, rodeo team, roller hockey club, water ski team, wrestling club, and men's and women's club soccer teams.

text: Traditions and insignia[edit]

text: "The Scotsman" was officially adopted as the university's fight song in the 1960s. The Fight Song is sung after every home football touchdown. The traditional alumni song of Missouri State is performed at every commencement ceremony and sometimes played at athletic events or other ceremonies.

text: The traditions of school colors and the school mascot were established during the 1906 school year, before the first permanent building (Carrington Hall) was even constructed. A joint committee of faculty and students decided on the colors of maroon and white to represent the University. The same committee also selected the Bear as the official school mascot, basing their choice on the design of the state seal of Missouri. The colors and mascots are reflected on the school seal.[47]

text: Controversy[edit]

text: Chinese MBA program: In 2011 the university's executive M.B.A.program for students from China came under scrutiny after an article in the Springfield News-Leader questioned the financial relationship between Missouri State and its Hong Kong-based agent, alleging that students were paying double the amount that MSU was receiving. The executive M.B.A. program accepts cohorts of students who come through a sponsor: a provincial or municipal government agency, a university, or a corporation. Missouri State's agent, the International Management Education Corporation (IMEC), identifies and develops relationships with sponsors, who identify and prepare students, screening them for work experience, a minimum grade-point average at the undergraduate level (2.75) and English language proficiency. IMEC then provides MSU with a cohort of a minimum of 30 students, and the sponsors send MSU the students' applications for review. The fees students pay vary by sponsor and range from $15,000 to $22,000. IMEC was contracted to pay Missouri State between $10,103 and $11,886 per student; resulting in between 20 and 55 percent of the student fee being retained by IMEC. IMEC defended the fees claiming they cover marketing/promotion/recruiting and the related overhead costs as well as additional costs including intensive English training, exams, advice on applications and documentations, visa application fees and service and orientations provided by IMEC. University officials defended the program and arrangement stating that it had allowed Missouri State to quickly grow the executive M.B.A. program without having to spend university resources recruiting and marketing overseas. The program has had 370 students since it started in 2007. However, the chair of the Faculty Senate said professors have periodically raised questions about the quality and oversight of the various China initiatives, and had prepared a list of questions for the president in light of the article, expressing a desire to ensure that proper oversight was in place to avoid compromising quality.[48] Following translation and re-publication of information from the News-Leader article by Chinese newspapers, MSU reported that it received calls from several program sponsor organizations in China that they would no longer participate in the program. The university continued to defend the program, arguing that mistranslations of the article had provided an incorrect view of the program's academic rigor and stating that it intended to meet with sponsors and answer any questions about the program.[49]

text: Non-discrimination on basis of sexual orientation: In 2006, the university modified its nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation as an officially protected status. The addition reads: "... the University does not discriminate on any basis (including, but not limited to, political affiliation and sexual orientation) not related to the applicable educational requirements for students or the applicable job requirements for employees." Former University president John Keiser had firmly opposed the change as did the Student Government Association during 2004 when Student Body President Chris Curtis moved to change the SGA constitution to mirror the university's. However, the policy was quietly changed on September 18, 2006 during a meeting held for the first time outside of Springfield in St. Louis. It is generally believed this move was to avoid the mostly conservative citizens of Springfield and add this policy "under the radar" of the critics of the change.[50] Missouri Governor Matt Blunt quickly released criticism of the policy change calling it "unnecessary and bad;" also saying the decision "bows to the forces of political correctness".[51]

text: Grading policy: Missouri State University converted to a plus or minus grading system instead of the standard A, B, C, D and F system starting with the Fall 2009 term. Individual professors can decide whether to use this grading system in their classes. Under the new grading scale, a C− will not qualify as a passing grade for courses requiring a C or better.[52]

text: Tobacco-free campus: Citing the proven detrimental health effects of tobacco use, effective August 15, 2010, Missouri State University enacted a policy further restricting the use of tobacco products on the campus. Smoking is allowed only at designated smoking areas outside JQH Arena, Plaster Stadium, Hammons Student Center, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall during performances or events, and inside of private vehicles located on University parking lots. The use of smokeless tobacco is prohibited at all locations on campus.[53]

text: Notable alumni[edit]