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The mountain view from the highest point on campus, overlooking the residence halls

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At Mansfield, the mountains shape our relationship to the land and serve as a metaphor. A popular section of the required First Year Experience Course each year is "Climb that Mountain" which connects the first year college student experience to mountaineering and rock climbing. Previous mottos and taglines of the university, as well as key points of important university addresses have surrounded the idea of mountains and climbing to success, including "there is no elevator to success, you have to climb the mountain" and "actually, the sky isn't the limit".

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The Mansfield University Creed (Character, Scholarship, Culture, Service) is displayed throughout campus and in campus documents. The Creed is intended to be a foundation for the campus community, exemplifying the values of the campus.

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The South Hall Mall is at the center of campus and is a space for community activism, activities, and socializing 

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As both a current employee and an alum of Mansfield, I have experienced its culture through both lenses. At Mansfield, students tend to build close, meaningful connections on campus across faculty, staff, alumni, and students. For example, both when I was a student and now, students know their food service workers by name and also tend to know the other students on campus, and many faculty and staff. Campus employees of all types will collaborate together in the spirit of collegiality. Because people know each other, the culture on campus is to care about each other. Often, employees donate to sick banks and collections to support other employees experiencing hardships; faculty, staff, and other students support student fundraisers for clubs/organizations; and when a university department or program (or the institution as a whole) is at risk, the entire campus community often acts together in support (see two recent examples of protests and activism, below). Another important part of Mansfield's culture is its informal and accessible nature. Faculty and administration who have worked at Mansfield for some time often wear casual clothing to work ("business flannel" in colder months) and many faculty go by their first names with their students. These steps that make the campus more informal also make the campus less intimidating, especially for first-generation students and their families, who often come to campus from the surrounding region.

These elements impact our culture powerfully and shape how Mansfield behaves in decision-making, (and most recently, in opposition to changes imposed by the integration into Commonwealth University). Much of the unrest caused by the integration at Mansfield is not about the change itself, but by changes in process that prevent the culture of caring at Mansfield from supporting its community in ways it has previously. Additionally, the integration has created an "insider" and "outsider" experience--folks on Mansfield's campus can identify their own, and are often suspicious of administrators from other campuses (who often wear suits) and are frequently believed to not share the same level of care about the campus community.

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Class of 2017 Commencement Coin (front and back)

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For a span of years under President Fran Hendricks, students were presented with a coin during commencement. These coins were designed by a committee of faculty, staff, and students to include symbols of Mansfield University. The front of the coin features North Hall and the University name and founding year, as well as Red and Black rolling hills celebrating the mountains on which the University was built. The 15 red and black circles represent the 15 original graduates of Mansfield. On the back, each of the University's previous names circle the Mansfield University Creed: Character, Scholarship, Culture, Service.

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Students' credentials are conferred in the Spring each year on Karl Van Norman Field. The commencement location overlooks the Tioga River Valley and Pennsylvania Route 6. The commencement procession is led by faculty, who then create an aisle through which graduates walk to take their seats. The procession is occasionally stalled by students seeking out and hugging their faculty members as they move through.

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Former Mansfield University President Rod C. Kelchner, for whom the campus rec center is named. 

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President Kelchner is one of the most successful Presidents in Mansfield's history, overseeing the University during one of its largest periods of enrollment. President Kelchner was a President, Head Football Coach, Faculty Member, Admissions Counselor, and Dean of Students at different points in his career, and students chose to honor him by naming Rod C. Kelchner Fitness Center after him. President Fran Hendricks (2013-2017) honored former President Kelchner with a Presidential Coin of Excellence for his service to campus, and his particular influence in inspiring President Hendricks to attend Mansfield. In an address to the first year class in 1985, President Kelchner asked of the student body: "Who 50 years from now will be the Straughns and Steadmans? Who will add something to the university that will be talked about 50 years from now?" President Kelchner went on to become one of the people who is talked about decades from the date of that address, as his sentiment then frames how we teach students about leadership on campus today.

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Mansfield Fight Song: "Red and Black Victorious"

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Mansfield Fight Song: "Red and Black Victorious"

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Mansfield University's Fight Song, "Red and Black Victorious"

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In 2022, Mansfield joined Lock Haven and Bloomsburg Universities to create Commonwealth University. On each campus, individual brands are maintained for athletics and admission purposes, though the campus officially bears the name Commonwealth University - Mansfield.

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A black and white photo of North Hall Library before its renovation

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One of Mansfield's traditions is the sharing of our campus ghost story, and swapping tales of paranormal experiences had in North Hall Library. In the original ghost story, a student named Sarah is said to have lived (and died) in North Hall while it was a women's dormitory, and so loved her time at Mansfield that she couldn't bear to leave campus, even in death. While different versions of the story share varied causes of Sarah's demise, Sarah is said to haunt the upper stories of North Hall, especially the stacks in the designated quiet area on the fourth floor. Some students believe in Sarah and some do not (especially those who review records from the time Sarah was said to have attended Mansfield and find there was no such student). However, many library staff argue that while they may not believe in Sarah, they do believe in a paranormal presence that resides in North Hall.

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From top to bottom/left to right: students engaged in a sit-in protest and Harrisburg Rally in support of APSCUF, 2016; Hate Has No Home Rally and March, 2023

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As noted later in this project, students were a powerful driving factor in saving North Hall from demolition. This tradition of activism is echoed by student engagement through protests, rallies, and sit-ins, especially surrounding times when the culture, future of programs, faculty, or the University as a whole seems to be at risk.

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English Department Faculty and Alumni at Homecoming, 2022

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Because of small class sizes and a small faculty population overall, many students and faculty build close connections during students' time at Mansfield.

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Mansfield Flags are placed along the sidewalks in Mansfield Borough during Welcome Week and Homecoming 

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The University is the 5th largest employer in Tioga County, which is the tenth poorest county in Pennsylvania by per capita income. Additional residents of the County are also employed through vendors and contractors utilized by the University, like Aramark and Goodwill Industries. The majority of Mansfield students from Pennsylvania come to Mansfield from Tioga county and adjacent counties. As a result, connections to the community are strong. Students frequent downtown restaurants and events, and members of the community utilize campus spaces for events like high school graduations, summer camps, and dual enrollment/early start programs.

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Each academic year begins with Convocation, a ceremony to begin the academic year. This event is a part of new student welcome, and all students participate in convocation.

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Mansfield's first logo as Mansfield University, featuring the mountains and forests of campus and the region

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The sunset over the mountains on Cardiac, a hill through the center of campus that leads from the residence halls to athletic complexes and first-year parking

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Commonwealth University - Mansfield is situated in the Pennsylvania Wilds region, in Northern Appalachia, on an Eastern slope overlooking the Tioga River Valley. This area of what is now called Pennsylvania is the traditional home of the Haudenosaunee and Susquehannock people. Because of its mountain location, Mansfield is home to especially scenic views, hilly walks to class, and the aptly named Mountaineer mascot.

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A map of Pennsylvania featuring Mansfield's location

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Location: Mansfield, Pennsylvania (Tioga County)
Approximate full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,372
Institution Type: Public, 4-year, rural
Athletic Affiliations: PSAC Division II; Collegiate Sprint Football League
Mascot: The Mountaineers/The Mountie

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Music has always been an important part of Mansfield's history and culture. Music is studied in Butler Music Center, named for a much-beloved professor of music and composer, William George Butler, who composed the Mansfield alma mater, "Mansfield, Hail!" in 1917.

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Virtual Alma Mater - Mansfield University

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Belknap Hall (Left) and Retan Center (Right) are former K-12 school buildings 

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Education remains an important and popular major at Mansfield, and many academic buildings are former local elementary, middle, and high school buildings that have been acquired by the University since its founding. This focus on education and access since its founding contributes to the philosophy of accessible education for the region, which is an integral part of the university culture to this day.

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Simon B. Elliott, 1874, at the dedication of North Hall

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Mansfield has had a focus on access to education for all since the early days of its existence. This quote from Simon B. Elliott in 1874 encapsulates that spirit, which is interwoven in the culture of campus.

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In 1892, Mansfield University (then Mansfield State Normal School) hosted the first ever night football game against Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, PA). The game ended in a 0-0 tie due to unsafe conditions.

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Former Mansfield President Rod C. Kelchner, in a statement in favor of saving North Hall, 1983

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The spirit of Mansfield has been that of overcoming challenges since the beginning. That sentiment is demonstrated here through President Kelchner's statement in favor of saving North Hall (built in 1874, but closed in 1982-1996 while plans were made to demolish it--student and faculty activism saved North Hall and resulted in its conversion to a library). To love and care about Mansfield is to fight for it to exist through the challenges it experiences, regardless of what those challenges may be.

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Mansfield Classical Seminary became Mansfield State Normal School, joining Millersville and Edinboro as the first three State Normal Schools in Pennsylvania. Normal Schools were intended for the education of teachers. Mansfield State Normal School became Mansfield State Teachers College, then Mansfield State College, before becoming Mansfield University and ultimately Commonwealth University - Mansfield

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In January 1857, Mansfield Classical Seminary opens its doors to 105 students. Four months later in April, it burns to the ground. Founders vow to rebuild, and MCS reopens in 1859.

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Mansfield Mountaineers play Army in the 2023 Sprint Football season home opener

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Night football is still a tradition at Mansfield. The Mansfield Mountaineers (now a Sprint Football team) play a night football game each year, commemorating the first-ever night football game. There are also events and activities commemorating the game held in Mansfield borough, where the game was first played.