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"An organization's culture is revealed and communicated through its symbols: GEICO's gecko, Target's bull's‐eye, Airbnb's Bélo, or Aflac's duck." (Bolman and Deal, 2021). Similar to these symbols, SRU embraces the concept of rocks, both in name and appearance. This particular rock is seated in the center of the quad on campus, and is built into the campus ritual of "Rub the Rock". The concept behind this practice is that students can run this rock on the way to class and they supposedly have good luck for an upcoming test!

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"Rock Solid Education" a visual representation 

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"Rock Solid Education" a visual representation 

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Going along with the whole rock culture on campus are the 4 rocks that connect both the "New Campus" where the quad and most academic buildings are, and "Old Campus" which houses the more traditional dorms and buildings. Each rock is designed to represent an academic year of a student: First Year, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. This concept actually creates a visual piece for the vision of SRU, which can be found here: https://www.sru.edu/about/mission-and-vision

As each year progresses, the rock representation because more polish and rounded, similar to the well-rounded ideals that the university promotes. Bolman and Deal (2021) highlight that a vision is the image of the future, and these rocks create a symbolic message for students on what is expected of them.

However, as a side note: I like to think of the rocks unfolding in reverse: We come in uniform and a little too perfectly primed to listen, but over time we grow and learn how to learn, thereby adapting into our unique selves.

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This is the rock for sophomores. You can see it is starting to round out.

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Further down the path is the Junior rock. I had to sneak this photo because it would be a little weird for the maintenance crew to see me with my phone pointed at them!

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And Lastly, here is the rock for Seniors! noticed how it is rounded completely and polished, creating that "well-rounded" perspective

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One aspect that tends to be forgotten, or at least not always acknowledged, is that SRU and the other PASSHE schools were designed to served their local communities and their education needs. Slippery Rock is unique in that while we were established to serve Butler and Butler County, because of our location we remain closely tied with other local areas, including Mercer County. This art installation is one which was provided by George Junior Republic, a local school organization designed to provide community-based care to at-risk youth across the country. The school and SRU have a rather symbiotic relationship, as many grads from our human services programs either work at GJR or have done internships there.

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Picture of Boozel Deb from the linked article in The Rocket

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Article about Boozel Deb: https://www.theonlinerocket.com/featured/2022/10/05/the-extraordinary-boozel-deb/

Bolman and Deal (2021) emphasize that the heroic icons of a university are not always the leaders, but rather the ordinary members doing extraordinary things. One such recent case on campus is that of "Boozel Deb" who arguably exemplifies the core values of campus that SRU promotes. Slippery Rock is big on it's Hello Tradition, where no matter who you are you can approach someone on campus and expect a friendly greeting. While this is not always the case, Boozel Deb was one such person who lived up to that standard. Students recognized as an icon, and through social media she developed a larger presence. So much so that she won a contest for a vacation from the Today Show!

SRU definitely has it's heroes and heroines throughout it's history, many of which have buildings on campus named after them. But Boozel Deb serves as one who did not need a title to represent the school.

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SRU was first established in 1889 as Slippery Rock Normal School. From it's early days, the university first provided Teacher training. Over the years, as the school changed it's name is mission, it eventually became the modern day Slippery Rock University in 1983; however, SRU's education degrees are still very popular in the surrounding regions. It is hard not to find a school district that doesn't have at least one SRU alum!

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One tradition that students begin with when they enter school at The Rock is the new student convocation. Designed to be the opposite to commencement, this is one of the two times where the entire graduating class is gathered together. This is where the culture of SRU is first established and implemented for the new students: there are guests speakers that engage with the traditions of campus, alumni who share their own advice, and even a reciting of the alma mater. This event provides the official opening ceremony to one's journey here.

Here is an article link for more info: https://www.sru.edu/news/082021b