Point Park University

Beginnings

The university began in 1933 as a one-room business school called Business Training College with an initial enrollment of 50 students, under the direction of Dorothy Finkelhor, a New York native, and her husband, L. Herbert Finkelhor. Finkelhor provided her students with business and secretarial skills. At the same time, she served in multiple roles as teacher, the dean of women, social chairman, janitor, telephone operator, admissions and finance director, and registrar.^[2]

Becoming a college

By 1960, the business school had grown to nearly 880 students and moved to the university's current academic center, Academic Hall, on Wood Street in central Downtown Pittsburgh. The Finkelhors' small secretarial school became "Point Park Junior College,"^[3] named for the city's historic Point State Park. The junior college added two-year programs in engineering technology, education, and journalism. It also acquired a performing arts space at The Pittsburgh Playhouse in the Oakland neighborhood.^[4] In 1966, the college became "Point Park College."^[3]

Thirty-four years after forming the college, Dorothy Finkelhor retired in 1967.^[5] Finkelhor's son-in-law Arthur M. Blum succeeded her as president.^[6] Blum purchased the Sherwyn Hotel, a 20-story building across from Academic Hall, which became Lawrence Hall.^[7]

In the early 1970s, John V. Hopkins succeeded Blum,^[5] and in time enrollment grew beyond 1,000 students. In 1981, the school introduced its first postgraduate program, a master's degree in journalism and mass communication.^[3]

J. Matthew Simon became the college's next president in 1986,^[5] overseeing the acquisition of a new library, program growth, and the school's largest endowment. Simon retired in 2007, having taught at Point Park as a professor in the Department of Natural Sciences and Engineering Technology after his tenure as president.^[8]

Growth and change

Katherine Henderson was appointed president of the college in 1997.^[5] In 2003, the college was officially renamed Point Park University^[3], and the administration began an aggressive $1 million branding campaign to attract more enrollment. Two years later, Henderson resigned from the presidency of Point Park while on a sabbatical.^[9]

The board of trustees named Paul Hennigan as Henderson's permanent successor at the beginning of the 2006 fall term. Hennigan has continued developing a new strategic plan. As part of the plan, the university purchased several downtown properties for development.^[10] Point Park is also involved in the city's efforts for downtown revitalization, owning properties along the coveted Fifth and Forbes corridor.^[11] Point Park purchased the building occupied by the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh on the Boulevard of the Allies in the spring of 2008.^[12]

In 2015, the university began property development to create what it called a "New Academic Village," a multi-block area downtown that includes dining, recreation, housing, athletics, student services, and other general-use buildings.^[13] With the introduction of this initiative, Point Park evolved into one of the largest investors in Downtown Pittsburgh real estate development.^[14] The following year, Point Park University added a new center for journalism at the former location of Nathan's Famous hot dogs.^[15]

Department of Public Safety

The Campus is covered by the "Point Park University Department of Public Safety", a campus police agency which provides patrol and crime prevention services to the university.^[17] Point Park University was cited in 2017 as having the highest campus crime rate per student in Pittsburgh.^[18] The department, and in particular the Police Division, have been recognized for innovation in campus law enforcement, for example having become the first campus police agency in Pennsylvania to issue body-worn cameras to officers, and the creation of an anonymous tip app.^[19][20]

The executive of the Point Park University Department of Public Safety is the Assistant Vice President of Public Safety and Chief of Police, currently Jeff Besong, and is appointed by Point Park University.^[21] The department consists of two divisions:^[22] The Police Division provides patrol and crime scene interaction, while the Public Safety Division provides dispatch and security monitoring services.^[22][23] The Police Division was established in 2011 with five officers, and was initially limited to bike and foot patrol,^[24][25] and became accredited by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association in March 2013.^[26][27]

Student government

The Student Government Association (SGA), formerly known as the United Student Government (USG) is the representative student government of Point Park University. SGA comprises two entities, the Executive Cabinet and the Legislative Body.^[28]

U View Television

U View Television is the student-run television station, which posts exclusively to YouTube.^[29]