Ohio Wesleyan University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Image:Wesleyansealnew.png
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| Motto | In lumine tuo videbimus lumen : "In Your Light We Shall See the Light" |
|---|---|
| Established | September, 1842 |
| Type | Private coeducational liberal arts |
| Endowment | $144.6 million (FY 2004) <ref name="NACUBO">2005 NACUBO Endowment Study. National Association of College and University Business Officers. 23 Jan 2006.</ref> |
| President | Mark Huddleston |
| Staff | 200 |
| Undergraduates | 1,850 |
| Postgraduates | 0 |
| Location | Delaware, Ohio, OH, USA |
| Campus | Suburban, 200 acres (0.8 km²) |
| Athletics | 21 varsity teams |
| Colors | Red and Black<ref>Ohio Wesleyan University Quick Facts. 2005.</ref>
<ref>Quick Facts.</ref> |
| Nickname | The Battling Bishops |
| Mascot | Battling Bishop 
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| Website | http://www.owu.edu
</sup> |
Ohio Wesleyan University (also Wesleyan or OWU, pronounced oh-WOO) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. Founded in 1842,<ref name="Peabody">Alexander, William M. [Peabody Journal of Education, Vol. 38, No. 4 (Jan., 1961), pp. 200-203 Ohio Wesleyan University ]. Ohio Wesleyan University. 1961.</ref> the school's charter provides that it "is forever to be conducted on the most liberal principles."<ref name="liberal">Ohio Wesleyan University Catalogue. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2004-09-01.</ref> Distinctive features of the university its commitments to internationalism and community activism.
In its 2007 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranks Wesleyan among the ten liberal arts colleges with the highest percentage of international students, a position the school has held for twelve consecutive years.<ref name='most-intl'>USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2006. US News and World Report. Retrieved on 2005-11-10.</ref> College guides such as Colleges That Change Lives, Barron's, Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report place Ohio Wesleyan among the top 100 U.S. liberal arts colleges.<ref name="usnews07">America's Best Colleges 2007 - Top Liberal Arts Colleges (95). USNews.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-26.</ref> Notable alumni include a U.S. Vice President and a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.<ref name="rowland">F. Sherwood Rowland. The Nobel Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-10-14.</ref>
The university campus covers 200 acres(0.81 km²) in central Ohio, about 25 miles(40 km) north of downtown Columbus.<ref name="centerofohio">Science In Your Backyard: Ohio. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved on 2006-10-14.</ref> This includes the main academic and residential campus along with Perkins Observatory and the Kraus wilderness preserves. Campus renewal efforts have resulted in new science and athletic facilities in recent years.<ref>Remembering Mr. Rickey. Ohio Wesleyan University: Remembering Mr. Rickey Campaign. Accessed on 3 October 2006.</ref>
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
The roots of Wesleyan reach back to 1841 when Adam Poe and Charles Elliott, leaders of the local William Street Methodist Church and residents of Delaware, Ohio, decided to establish a university "of the highest order" in central Ohio.<ref name="highestorder">Williams, W.G. (1894). Fifty years of history of the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, 1844-1894. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Print. and Pub. Co ASIN B0008602XQ</ref> When the Mansion House Hotel went on the market later that year, Poe encouraged the citizens of Delaware to purchase the property. Later, 172 people raised $10,000 and purchased it.<ref name="order">Elliot Hall Dedication. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2003-05-15.</ref> The hotel was constructed in the early 1830s, serving the health resort known for the "health-giving although odoriferous waters" of its Sulphur Spring.<ref name="elliott">Ohio Wesleyan University Catalogue. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-09-01.</ref>
Ohio Wesleyan opened its doors in 1844 as a Methodist-related but nonsectarian college.<ref name="liberal">Ohio Wesleyan University Catalogue. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2004-09-01.</ref> It was among the first of a number of institutions named for Methodism founder John Wesley.<ref name="amongfirst">Labaree, David F.. U.S. Colleges and Universities. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.</ref> The college originally admitted only male students, and began with an 29 students and three professors. It was housed in the renamed Elliott Hall, formerly the Mansion House Hotel.<ref name="elliott">Ohio Wesleyan University Catalogue. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-09-01.</ref>
By the end of the 19th century, the University would grow to contain several schools: a College of Liberal Arts (founded in 1844), a School of Music (1877), a School of Fine Arts (1877), a School of Oratory (1894), and a Business School (1895).<ref>Kukula, R. & K. Trubner (1923). Minerva: Jahrbuch der Gelehrten Welt. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter and Company</ref>
The Ohio Wesleyan Female College was established in 1853.<ref>Taylor, James M. (1991). Before Vassar Opened: A Contribution to the History of the Higher Education of Women in America. Boston: Ayer Co Pub ISBN 0-8369-6786-0</ref> In 1857, the female college moved to Monnett Hall, named for school benefactress Mary Monnett Bain. In 1877, the female college merged with the University, which became coeducational.<ref name="merged">Ohio Wesleyan University. Ohio Historical Society. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.</ref> Monnett Hall remained the center for women's housing on campus well into the 20th century. The Monnett Garden, which now stands between Sanborn Hall and Austin Manor, was constructed in 1990 to honor the former Monnett Hall.<ref name="monnettgarden">OWU Students Celebrate Sukkot. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref>
In the early days of the college, Ohio Wesleyan University presidents were frequently vocal in the national political debates of their times — namely slavery and the expansion of the United States.<ref name="1850issues">Roots of Secession: Slavery and Politics in Antebellum Virginia. University of North Carolina Press. Retrieved on 2005-10-15.</ref> Edward Thomson, president of Ohio Wesleyan in 1857, denounced the argument that southern Christians "should retain their slaves in obedience to state laws forbidding manumission," saying that "the soft and slippered Christianity which disturbs no one, is not the Christianity of Christ."<ref name="thompson">The Methodist Movement Comes to America and Impacts Slavery. Reve' M. Pete. Retrieved on 2003-01-01.</ref>
On August 5, 1846, the first president Edward Thomson delivered his inaugural address in which he maintained that "the college was a product of the liberality of the people of Delaware and that it was fortunate that Ohio Wesleyan was founded in a community divided in religious and political opinions because the friction of a mixed society prevents dogmatism and develops energy and pointed that the spirit of the college is the spirit of liberty".<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 22O</ref>
[edit] Campus expansion and the university presidents
The president is the chief administrator of Ohio Wesleyan University,<ref name="chiefadmin">The Corporation. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2003-10-15.</ref> and ex officio chair of the Board of Trustees. He is appointed by and is responsible to the other members of the Board, who delegate to him the day-to-day running of the university.<ref name="chiefadmin">The Corporation. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2003-10-15.</ref> Since Wesleyan's beginning, just 15 men have held the title of Ohio Wesleyan University president, while a few have served as interim president. Those who have held the office include lawyers, literary scholars, politicians, businessmen and clergymen.
The famous Dartmouth College case had opened a wide range of freedom for the establishment of private or denominational schools,<ref name="darthmouthcase">Dartmouth College Case. The Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.</ref> and the charter was issued by special legislative act. Just like many other institutions of higher learning, especially so in Ohio,<ref>Adams, I. & S. Ostrander(2002). Ohio: A Bicentennial Portrait. San Francisco, CA: Browntrout Publishers. ISBN 0-7631-5590-X, p. 114</ref> Wesleyan was originally founded for the training of protestant clergy,<ref name="earlymission">Delbanco, A.. Colleges: An Endangered Species?. The New York Review of Books. Retrieved on 2003-10-15.</ref> and even though its mission was soon broadened, nearly all presidents through the end of the 19th century were in holy orders. Nevertheless, even in the early days prospective ministers were a minority among the school's graduates.<ref>Henry Hubbart, Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years pp. 22-24</ref> Only three of the past presidents are actually graduates of the college.
Accounts on the school's first president Edward Thomson focus on flowing eloquence, interest in literature and philosophy. He helped to give the campus a certain abolitionist tinge of reform, as was the case with Oberlin College, along these lines by stating that the school would not obey the fugitive slave law and would be willing to suffer the extreme penalty in case of need.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 32</ref>
Under Frederick Merrick's presidency (1860-1873), the school focused as much on curriculum expansion as it did on fundraising. Less teacher than some of the others, Merrick's zeal significantly increased the school's coffers, but disappointment followed at the failure of his attempt to abolish fraternities in 1870-1872 and anxiety during the years of the construction of Merrick Hall.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 45</ref> Charles Payne's presidency lasted between 1876 and 1888. He was a 1856 Wesleyan University alumnus graduate and during his presidency, enrollment in the college increased three times and music education experienced a decided renaissance.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 68</ref> While no major buildings were built during his administration, Paynes' fame was strongly related to his reputation of being a disciplinarian.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 72-80</ref>
The Payne age of transition, was followed by Bashford's era of transformation during 1889-1904. The need of new departments and the value of specialized instruction were recognized. Bashford's aim was to improve the plant and offerings of the college; to make the schools curriculum and buildings on par with its new academic position.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 87</ref> The building history during that period included Monnett extensions, University Hall and Slocum Library. Athletics and physical education facilities were established and a start was made for a new gymnasium.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 88</ref> Development during the Bashford years meant establishments of departments for natural science (physics, zoology, geology), and new departments of speech, history, French, English and economics.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 90</ref> The new ideal of specialization brought an emphasis on professional preparation on the Doctor of Philosophy degree and on travel and study in Europe. Three professional schools were established during his presidency (of Law, of Medicine and of Theology) and the Doric Front was demolished.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 87</ref>
During the 1920s, under Herbert George Welch's and John W. Hoffman's presidencies chapel service was dropped, sororities came in.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 141</ref> Edgar Hall came into use and Selby Stadium was built; Austin Manor and Perkins Observatory was constructed and Stuyvesant Hall was planned.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 141</ref>
The 1930s were marked by an echo effect of The Great Depression years: even before 1929 there had been a shrinkage of enrollment, alumni giving decreased, faculty size remained the same resulting in the Soper (1928-1938) and Burgstahler's (1939-1947) administration battling mainly financial problems of survival.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 160</ref> During the early 1930s the Soper administration undertook curriculum adjustments.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 164</ref> Greek and Latin seemed to have run their course; business administration and economics continued to ride at high tide, with the social sciences, English, pre-medicine and history among the largest enrollments at the school. The registrar in these years stated that these years saw a student "increase from eastern states and from Ohio cities, the number of foreign students and the fact that about seven hundred of our students contemplated some form of further educational work".<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 174</ref> By the 1930s, the number of Methodist students had appreciably declined to a minority among the student body.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 175</ref>
[edit] Recent history
The new Science Center opened in 2004 to house all of the school's science departments.<ref>OWU Celebrates Progress of Science Center Renovation. News Archives Accessed on 9 October 2006.</ref>The project involved 100,000 square foot (9,290 square meters|m²) renovation including physically connecting the two old science facilities, as well as constructing 52,000 square foot (4,830 square meters|m²) of additional space and providing for an expanded and integrated science library, amphitheatre and a three-story atrium.<ref name="ScienceCenterDetails">Conrades-Wetherell Science Center at Ohio Wesleyan University. Turner Construction Accessed on 03 December 2006.</ref> An athletic fundraising campaign began in 2005.<ref>Project Background. Remembering Mr. Rickey Campaign Accessed on 9 October 2006.</ref>
Between 1996-2001 fiscal years, Ohio Wesleyan increased its expenditures per student by 23 percent, while the average increase over the same period for top tier liberal arts colleges was 17 percent.<ref name="AmherstStudy">Financial Changes and Measures of Success Among the Second Tier of Top Liberal Arts Colleges 1996-2001. Roger T. Kaufman Accessed on 11 September 2006.</ref> Economist Robert Lenke argued that this increase in spending per student contributed to an increase in the school's PhD creation rate;<ref name="LakeForestEcon">Accounting for the Difference in PhD Creation Rates Across Liberal Arts Colleges. Robert J. Lemke. Accessed on 8 October 2006.</ref> during the same time period, the PhD creation rate for Ohio Wesleyan graduates increased from 3.8<ref name="LakeForestEcon">Accounting for the Difference in PhD Creation Rates Across Liberal Arts Colleges. Robert J. Lemke. Accessed on 8 October 2006.</ref> to 5.3.<ref name="AmherstStudy">Financial Changes and Measures of Success Among the Second Tier of Top Liberal Arts Colleges 1996-2001. Roger T. Kaufman Accessed on 11 September 2006.</ref>
Mark Huddleston was named university president following a meeting of the Ohio Wesleyan Board of Trustees on Saturday morning, June 12 in 2004. He succeeded Thomas Courtice, who held office for 10 years before retiring that year.<ref>Mark Huddleston named president of Ohio Wesleyan University. Mark Huddleston named president of Ohio Wesleyan University Accessed on 2 December 2006.</ref> Huddleston's academic specialty is public administration, a field in which he has published widely, focusing on the senior federal career service and a variety of international issues.<ref>Mark Huddleston named president of Ohio Wesleyan University. Mark Huddleston named president of Ohio Wesleyan University Accessed on 2 December 2006.</ref>
Both academic and athletic achievements have marked Wesleyan's recent history. In mathematics, OWU's team has finished first five out of the last ten years at the Ohio Five mathematics contest.<ref>Five College Contest. Ohio Five. Accessed on 9 October 2006.</ref> In the athletics world, the Battling Bishops have captured four NCAA Division III national championships in soccer and basketball in the last two decades.<ref>The History of OWU Athletics. National Championships. Accessed on 3 December 2006.</ref>
[edit] Academics
[edit] Profile
For the entering class of 2010, Wesleyan admitted approximately 54% of the regular decision applications and achieved a yield of 28%.<ref name="regadmit2010">Ohio Wesleyan University 2006 Convocation. OWU. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref> In 2005, the college accepted 40% of its international applicants.<ref name="intladm">Ohio Wesleyan University - Studying Abroad in the US. Petersons. Retrieved on 2005-12-01.</ref> Approximately 35% of accepted applicants were granted merit aid<ref name="percentmerid">Aid Lets Smaller Colleges Ask, Why Pay for Ivy League Retail?. New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref> in the form of internal scholarships. OWU follows a need-blind admission policy: financial circumstances are not considered when deciding whether to admit applicants.<ref name="owuneedblind">College Freshmen Admission Policy Survey. BestSchoolsUSA. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>
Currently, 100% of tenured or tenure-track faculty members hold the Ph.D. or another terminal degree.<ref name="facultyterminal">About OWU. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-2.</ref>. The student-faculty ratio is 12.5:1, and faculty members teach all classes<ref name="facultyterminal">About OWU. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-2.</ref> The faculty is 37% female and 63% male with 10% from underrepresented groups.<ref name="facultyterminal">About OWU. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-2.</ref> Nearly 60% of class sections, excluding independent studies and senior theses, have fewer than twenty students enrolled.<ref name="usnews07">America's Best Colleges 2007 - Top Liberal Arts Colleges (95). USNews.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-26.</ref>
Ohio Wesleyan is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission<ref name="accr">Directory of HLC Affiliated Institutions. Higher Learning Commission. Retrieved on 2006-01-02.</ref> and is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association<ref name="wesleyanglca">[http://www.glca.org/Member%20Colleges/ Great Lakes Colleges Association Member Colleges]. The Great Lakes Colleges Association. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>, the Oberlin Group<ref name="wesleyanoberlin">Member Institutions. The Oberlin Group. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>, and the Five Colleges of Ohio<ref name="wesleyanohiofive">About US. The Five Colleges of Ohio. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>, a consortium of liberal arts colleges in Ohio that also includes Kenyon College, Oberlin College, College of Wooster, and Denison University.<ref name="wesleyanohiofive">About US. The Five Colleges of Ohio. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>
[edit] Curriculum, Degrees and Majors
The University has research departments and teaching faculties in most academic disciplines. Traditionally, Wesleyan tends to have a slight bias toward scientific subjects<ref>Crowl, G. H. (1979). History of the Geology and Geography Department, Ohio Wesleyan University. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Journal of Science. 79(1): 15.</ref>, but the University also has a number of very strong humanities and social science faculties<ref>Alexander, William M. (1961). Ohio Wesleyan University. USA: Peabody Journal of Education. Vol. 38, No. 4.</ref>, as well as a highly-respected fine arts department. Even in the school's early days, the school's stance on the curriculum could be summarized on what the course catalogue maintained the classical course in Greek and Latin and pure mathematics bring correctness in mental processes that an applied art, or a living and slightly inflected language do not permit.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 88</ref>
Nowadays, Ohio Wesleyan students are provided with a liberal arts education. Upon completion of 34 units of coursework, students may earn diplomas in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Bachelor of Music fields of study.<ref name="34units">Degree and Special Programs: Requirements for All Degrees. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.</ref> As of 2005, Ohio Wesleyan offered 39 different majors.<ref name="numbermajors">Majors and Courses of Instruction. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref> Each student is paired with an academic advisor early in the freshman year.<ref name="wesleyanadvising">Academic Advising. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref> All research and lectures are conducted by University Departments. Most extra-curricular activities are arranged by the Campus Programming Board and student clubs.<ref name="wesleyancpb">On-Campus Programming Essential to Recruitment Efforts. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>
[edit] Emphasis on internationalism
Academic internationalism has characterized Ohio Wesleyan University since early in its history. In the late 19th century the college established links with several international schools. A Wesleyan alumna, Elizabeth Russell, founded Kwassui Women's College in Nagasaki, Japan in 1879, a time when the predominant belief in Japan was that women's education was not important.<ref>Windolf, Paul, Francisco Ramirze (1989). Expansion and Structural Change: Higher Education in Germany, the United States, and Japan, 1870-1990. Contemporary Sociology. Vol. 27, No. 2.</ref> Today, Kwasuii Women's College is one of the top finishing schools for young women in Japan.<ref name="kwassuijp">Kwassui Institute. Kwassui Institute. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.</ref> The school enrolls approximately 2,100 college-age women and includes a middle and high school class of about 1,200 students.<ref name="kwassuistudents">About Kwassui Institute. Kwassui Institute. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.</ref><ref name="kwassui">Ohio Wesleyan University & Kwasuii Women's College Celebrate Over 100 Years of Connections. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.</ref> Ten year later, William Ehnis, class of 1898, traveled to Africa and opened a school in Mutare, Zimbabwe, a predecesssor of Africa University.<ref name="africauniv">Africa University. Africa University. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.</ref>
In the past 15 years, Ohio Wesleyan has been placed on a list compiled by the U.S. News & World Report for colleges that attract the highest percentage of international students.<ref name="departmentofeducation">Schools with Financial Aid for International Undergraduate Students. Mark Kantrowitz. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.</ref><ref name="departmentofeducation2">Choosing a School. Mark Kantrowitz. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.</ref><ref name="iied">International Students: Leading Institutions by Institutional Type. Institute of International Education. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.</ref><ref name="mostinternationalstudents">Most International Students. U.S.News & World Report. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.</ref> The growth of the international student population at the school was especially agressive in the early and mid-1990s.<ref name="chronicleOWUIntl">Desruisseaux, Paul [Chronicle of Higher Education, 12/10/99, Vol. 46 Issue 16, pA57, 5p, Ohio Wesleyan University ]. Foreign Students Continue to Flock to the U.S. 1999.</ref><ref name="chronicleOWUIntl2"> McMurtrie, Beth [Chronicle of Higher Education, 11/17/2000, Vol. 47 Issue 12, pA76, 1p, Ohio Wesleyan University ]. Foreign Students at U.S. Institutions, 1999-2000 2000.</ref> Adjusted for size of the school, Wesleyan is ninth among 118 American colleges and universities in total aid awards to international students and 69th in average award per international student.<ref name="oacac">American Institutions with financial aid for international undergraduates. OACAC. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.</ref> Growth in this area has been especially high among students from South East Asia.<ref name="southeastasia">Countries Currently Represented. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.</ref>
The United Nations flag, along with the flags of more than sixty represented nations and the U.S. flag, is flown on campus in University Hall in honor of the ideal of peaceful international relations.<ref name="intflags">Inauguration festival Saturday. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.</ref>
As part of a formal GLCA agreement, Ohio Wesleyan established an exchange program with Waseda University in 1962 to provide approximately 30 American students with opportunities to study in Japan and 30 Japanese students to study at Ohio Wesleyan each year.<ref name="waseda">Agreements with Overseas Institutions. Waseda University. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.</ref> Funded by a 2004 grant by the Lilly Endowment, the Office of Community Service started volunteering and service projects in Ghana, Russia, Honduras, Mexico, Ireland and South Africa in 2003.
The Salamanca Program also holds a significant place in the international life of the University. The program is a collaboration between Ohio Wesleyan and the University of Salamanca, and was founded by Conrad Kent in 1988.<ref name="salamanca">Ohio Wesleyan University: The Salamanca Program. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.</ref> The program provides an opportunity for the exchange of approximately one hundred students and faculty between the two universities each year. The academic collaboration frequently extends to joint participation in academic symposia: in 1993, members of the Salamanca faculty participated in a symposium on the Golden Age in Salamanca.
[edit] Campus
Wesleyan's campus is located near the downtown of Delaware, Ohio, and is bisected by Sandusky Street, the main north/south street through the heart of the city. The street informally divides the campus into east and west sectors -- the west sector made up of mostly residential and administrative buildings and the east one consisting of mostly academic buildings. Over the past decade there has been a building boom within Ohio Wesleyan, with a substantial addition to science, art and economic facilities on the Campus.
[edit] Wesleyan and Delaware, Ohio
Ohio Wesleyan and the City of Delaware in which the school resides hold a fairly positive relationship.<ref name="towngown">Can Bates and L/A excel together?. The Portland Phoenix. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.</ref> Located 20 minutes north of Columbus, Delaware is a community of 26,000 residents and the county seat of one of the ten fastest growing counties in the country.<ref name="DelawareOhioPop">Delaware. City Town Info. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.</ref> It is becoming increasingly diverse in ethnic and socio-economic terms due to its close proximity to Ohio's capital and easy access to I-71.<ref name="DelawareOhioEthnic">State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.</ref> The downtown street that borders campus has a historic feel and offers a number of shops and restaurants including a music store, clothing stores, gift shops, and a number of antique shops.
Students interact with local residents and institutions in a variety of programs. The college showcases several cultural and educational initiatives.
The Columbus Initiative is a student-lead initiative located in Hamilton Williams Campus Center.<ref name="colinithwcc">Campus Offices. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.</ref> The program is a experiential learning partnernship between the college and Columbus Public schools.<ref name="experientiallearning">Learning at Linden. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.</ref> More than 150 Wesleyan students are partake in tutoring and mentoring underprivileged Columbus, Ohio area students.<ref name="columbusinitiative">Learning at Linden. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.</ref> The program started in 1989.
Wesleyan Ambassadors (ISAP) is a university community-based international and cultural awareness program.<ref name="isap">New International Student Ambassador Program at OWU. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.</ref> The purpose of the program is to promote cultural diversity and ethnic awareness in the local community. The program is also a way to connect international students with the local community to experience aspects of American culture they wouldn't normally be exposed to. ISAP ambassadors have already made over a dozen presentations in local schools and been involved in two other events with local non-profit community organizations.
Progress OWU is a campus organization that organizes opportunities for students at the college and local schools to gain knowledge and experience in letting their voices be heard on numerous issues ranging from politics to public policy, corporate and social issues both on the campus and in Delaware, Ohio.<ref name="progressservice">Student Service Clubs, Organizations and Small Living Units. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.</ref>
The Student Assistantship Program (StAP) is another program that provides hands-on experiences in a professional setting for Ohio Wesleyan University students who desire to complement their liberal arts education with practical work experiences. The program matches students with research positions or internships in local businesses in Delaware, Ohio.
In the 1960s, Wesleyan donated the Arts Castle, then part of the University's Fine Arts department. It now serves as a home to the Delaware County Cultural Arts Center. The Arts Castle has a variety of programs designed to engage community members in artistic activity and offers classes ranging from ballet to fine arts.<ref name="artscastle">History of The Arts Castle. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.</ref>
In 2004, the University received a donation to rehabilitate the historic Strand Theatre, now owned by Wesleyan<ref name="strandpurchase">Gift Support Enables OWU to Purchase Strand Theatre. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.</ref>, in downtown Delaware.
[edit] Other facilities
Ohio Wesleyan operates several facilities outside its campus: The Philadelphia Business Center, Wesleyan in Washington, The GLCA Arts Program in New York, The Perkins Observatory, The Strand Theatre and the Kraus Wilderness Preserves.
The Perkins Observatory is located in Delaware but is separate from the main campus.<ref>How to find us. Perkins Observatory. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.</ref> The observatory is named for Hiram Perkins, who funded its construction with money he earned running a hog farm that fed Union troops during the US Civil War.<ref>Hiram Perkins. Perkins Observatory. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.</ref> Perkins was also a professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at the college. He died during the construction of the observatory. When the observatory was built in 1931, it housed a 69 Inch telescope, which was, at the time, the third largest in the world.<ref>69 Inch Mirror. Perkins Observatory. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.</ref> In 1961, this telescope was moved to Lowell Observatory's dark sky observing site on Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona, where weather conditions are much more favorable for astronomical observations.<ref>69 Inch Mirror Move. Perkins Observatory. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.</ref> The Perkins dome now houses a 32-inch telescope, which is one of the largest in Ohio. Perkins Observatory is now the most visible and most reliable source of information related to astronomy and space exploration in central Ohio.
The university also maintains offices for study abroad and scholarship programs. Wesleyan in Washington is one such program, which allows students to study for a semester in Washington, D.C. in research and internship positions.<ref>Learning in Washington. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-14.</ref> The Philadelphia Center is another off-campus facility program that offers students more than 800 internships over 900 field placements and independent living.<ref>Philadelphia Center Gives Students Taste of Life in the Big City. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.</ref>
[edit] Student life
Students come from about 44 states and about 47 foreign nations. The student body is about 10% Asian, 6% Hispanic, and 9% Black. 59% of Ohio Wesleyan students claim no religious affiliation.<ref name="secular">Student Life. eNotes. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.</ref>
An index criteria<ref>Windmeyer, S.(2006). The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students. Boston, MA: Alyson Publications, Inc. ISBN 1-55583-857-X </ref>, developed by CampusPride<ref name="wcsa">Campus PrideNet. Campus PrideNet. Retrieved on 2005-10-19.</ref>, comprising gay-affirmative policies, campus events, queer student pespectives, housing for LGBT, local hangouts and a resource center, places Ohio Wesleyan among the nation's gay-friendly colleges. The university is proactive in maintaining policies related to the six PrideNet criteria areas on recruiting and supporting students from the LGBT population.<ref name="affirmativeaction">Affirmative Action. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-10-19.</ref><ref name="admitpolicy">Statement of Non-Discrimination. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-10-19.</ref><ref name="glbtevents">Weekly, Monthly, and Annual Events. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-10-19.</ref><ref name="gay-friendly">Gay-Friendly Universities. Ramon Johnson. Retrieved on 2005-04-15.</ref><ref name="glbtcenter">Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Resource Center. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-10-19.</ref><ref name="glbtposition">Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center Position. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-10-19.</ref><ref name="queerminor">Women's and Gender Studies. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-10-19.</ref>
Nearly 18 percent of students at Ohio Wesleyan receive Federal Pell Grants, which mostly go to students whose family incomes are below $40,000.<ref name="pellgrantsOWU">Institutional Profiles: Ohio Wesleyan University. Peterson’s Undergraduate Financial Aid and Undergraduate Databases. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref> This measure is used widely to capture the degree of representation of economically disadvantaged groups.<ref name="pellgrantsmeasure">Overview. Peterson’s Undergraduate Financial Aid and Undergraduate Databases. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref><ref name="pellgrantsmeasure2">Where Do Pell Grant Dollars Go?. Diverse Education. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref><ref name="pellgrantsmeasure3">Study Affirms HC's Commitment to Socioeconomic Diversity. Hamilton College. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref><ref name="pellgrantsmeasure4">Socio-economic Make-up of Students: Oberlin College. Oberlin College. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref> This is a number comparable to the economic diversity, as measured by percentage of Pell Grant recipients, at Vassar College, Reed College, Colorado College and Hampshire College.<ref name="pellgrantsoverall">National Liberal Arts Colleges. Guy Gerbick. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref>
[edit] Housing
Ohio Wesleyan University has an on-campus house capacity of 1,600 students.<ref name="housingcapacity">Housing Options. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.</ref> First-year students are required to live on campus for the first two semesters at Ohio Wesleyan; upperclass students are placed in dormitories through a lottery system. Housing options include single-sex and coed dormatories, small living units, fraternities, and cooperative housing.
Thompson, Bashford, Stuyvesant and Smith Halls are traditional dormitories on campus. Welch Hall is designated as a "quiet" dorm for honors students.<ref name="welch">Welch Hall. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-01-01.</ref> Hayes Hall is an all-female dorm.
Approximately 200 upperclass students live in the Small Living Units (SLUs). SLUs are co-ops and quasi-autonomous associations united voluntarily to meet shared economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations in democratically-controlled houses. The houses are intended to provide students with an opportunity to live cooperatively with other students by sharing in regularly scheduled house chores, participation in the decision making process, and in some, sharing of the cooking responsibilities. Each unit houses a group of 15 students organized to promote a common jointly-aspired theme. The theme usually determines the co-op's name. Currently, the SLUs consist of The Peace and Justice House, The International House, The House of Black Culture, The Creative Arts House, The Women's House, The Modern Foreign Languages House, The House of Thought, the Habitat for Humanity House and the Tree House. The houses are owned by the University, and the co-ops must therefore follow the University's living policies. However, they elect their own officers and do not have Resident Advisors or faculty in residence like other on-campus residence halls. At the end of each academic year every existing and potential co-op must submit a house proposal describing its plans for theme promotion during the next academic year. The University Housing office places co-ops in houses every year on a competitive basis.
Off-campus housing is currently an option available only to junior and senior students<ref name="offcampusliving">Housing Options. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.</ref> and 17% of students live off-campus<ref name="percentoffcampusliving">Campus Housing. U.S.News & World Report. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.</ref>. Most students cite the school's policy on off-campus housing as one of the "worst things" about Wesleyan.<ref name="surveyoffcampusliving">Students tell it like it is. College Prowler Guide Book. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.</ref>
[edit] Organizations and activities
Students are generally actively involved in campus life: there are more than 95 student clubs and organizations.<ref name="campuslife">Ohio Wesleyan University. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-11-29.</ref>
The university features a variety of student journals, magazines, and newspapers. The oldest student organizations are in fact its literary clubs. The school student-run newspaper, The Transcript, is the oldest continuously published independent college student newspaper in the country.<ref name="transcriptchronology">General Info. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-11-29.</ref> The OWL is one of the nation's oldest college literary magazines, annually showcasing student work.<ref name="owlchronology">The OWL: Not Just for English Majors. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-11-29.</ref> Students operate the radio station WSLN "The Line" from a studio in Slocum Hall, with supervision from the Journalism Department.<ref name="wslninfo">WSLN 98.7 FM. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-11-29.</ref> Students are involved in several other literary and arts organizations: The Witness, an African-American student publication, Trident<ref name="trident">Trident. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-10-17.</ref>, a literary publication on Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance studies topics, Le Bijou, the college's yearbook.<ref name="lebijou">Arts and Media Organizations. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.</ref>
The Daily Bulletin<ref name="bulletin">Daily Bulletin. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.</ref> is the student-run daily bulletin. Other student publications include the weekly The Transcript<ref name="wesleyantranscript">The Transcript. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-20.</ref>, the electronic Connect2OWU<ref name="connect">Connect2OWU. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.</ref>, @Wesleyan<ref name="wesleyanmagazine">Alumni Magazine. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.</ref>, an online magazine, published four times a year, and several academic publications, such as The Civic Arts Review<ref name="carowu">The Civic Arts Review. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.</ref> and The Historian<ref name="bookreview">The Historian. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.</ref>, a journal of contemporary and relevant historical scholarship.
Social organization run the gamut from a chess club, ultimate frisbee club, a cappella group to finance-related organizations.<ref name="specialclubs">Special-Interest Clubs. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.</ref> A group of students established The Owtsiders in 1999, a completely student-run co-ed a cappella group that performs regularly on campus.<ref name="owtsid">The OWtsiders-Mixing Music and Fun. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-11-29.</ref> Other organizations include PRIDE, serving the LGBT community<ref name="lgbtOWU">Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center. GLBTRC. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.</ref>, The Babbling Bishops<ref name="babbling">Ohio Wesleyan's Premier Improv Comedy Troupe!. The Babbling Bishops. Retrieved on 2005-10-15.</ref>, an improvisational comedy troupe; ProgressOWU<ref name="progressclubs">Global Exchange. Global Exchange. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.</ref>, an activist group; the Campus Programming Board; and the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs.<ref name="wcsa">Student Organizations. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2005-10-15.</ref>
[edit] Activism
For many years, there has been an activist population on campus. The university is generally known for a strong left-leaning student body and an administration with a permissive attitude. In a 2004 poll, The Transcript found that OWU undergraduates favored Kerry over Bush by 70% to 29%, consistent with Kerry's margin in major eastern cities such as Boston and New York City. <ref name="liberalism">National youth vote lower than expected. The Transcript. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.</ref> The school falls into voting precincts 2-E and 2-F in the Delaware Township Precincts Map.<ref name="precincts">City & Township of Delaware Detail: Precincts. Delaware County, Ohio. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.</ref> Delaware County Board of Elections created the two precincts between 2000 and 2004. The election results in 2004 in these two precincts, measured in percentage of votes cast for president, revealed that more than 70 percent of voters voted for the Democratic candidate John Kerry.<ref name="2004votingresults">Another Stolen Election. Richard Hayes Phillips. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.</ref>
In 1966, students established an Upward Bound program, funded by Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, for students from lower-income and poverty areas to prepare for college.<ref name="upwardbound">Upward Bound Program. Upward Bound Office. Retrieved on 2005-01-01.</ref> The Arts Castle, the Early Childhood Center, the Big Pal/Little Pal Program, the Andrews House, the Office of Community Service and the International Ambassador High School Program are among the many programs founded the since the 1970s to provide services to the larger community in Delaware.
In April 2002, about a hundred Ohio Wesleyan students gathered in The Mall in Washington, DC in the second day of a weekend of protests for an array of causes, including the Middle East crisis, but also to denounce lending policies of The World Bank. <ref name="wesleyanagainstWB">Protesters Rally Outside World Bank, IMF Meetings. Islam Online. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.</ref> In February 2003 approximately 100 OWU students traveled to New York City to protest the war in Iraq with partial funding from the Wesleyan Chaplain's office. <ref name="wesleyanIRAQ">My first protest: This is what democracy looks like. The Transcript. Retrieved on 2003-02-13.</ref>
During Ohio Wesleyan University Against the War on October 05, 2004 and November 17, 2004, more than a hundred students held peace rallies in front of the Delaware city hall.<ref name="wesleyanagainstwar">Local Groups. United for Peace and Justice. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.</ref>
In 2004, the awarding of the Lilly grant "Vocation: Identity, Intellect, and Life Choices: A Move Toward Wholeness" and the prospect of the participation by Ohio Wesleyan in the Lilly Endowment program on vocation evoked an intense adverse response from a significant group of faculty members. An open letter signed by more than 40 faculty members questioned the appropriateness of the predominantly Christian focus of the grant.
On March 17, 2005 the Student Union on Black Awareness (SUBA) and College Democrats organized a protest<ref name="protest">Protest pleads for tolerance, diversity. The Transcript. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.</ref> on Sandusky Street in Delaware against racial injustice on campus and the country. University president Mark Huddleston also participated in the protest. During his own college years, current president Mark Huddleston mediated between protesters and administration, favoring classic liberal education over brick-throwers.<ref name="OWUHuddlestonprotest">Buffalo Police Then and Now. 1970 Violent Protests at University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. The Buffalo News. Retrieved on 2005-02-20.</ref>
In 2005, both Ohio Wesleyan students and the administration severely criticized and acted<ref name="OWProtestingCCC">Campus Crusade regroups after last year's controversy. The Transcript. Retrieved on 2006-21-03.</ref> against the Campus Crusade for Christ group. Students and administrators complained of being bullied by the ministry's members.<ref>McMurtrie, Beth. "Crusading for Christ, Amid Keg Parties and Secularism", Chronicle of Higher Education, May 18, 2005, p. A42.</ref> The most recent backlash at OWU has been due to the Campus Crusade's "Do You Agree with Adam?" campaign, which encouraged Christians campuswide to openly display signs of their faith. Most believed the resulting actions were aggressively intrusive, and much of the campaign incorporated chalking, which had been against the school's policy.<ref name="OWChalking">Colleges draw line on sidewalk chalk. CNN. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.</ref> As a result, several activist groups and the administration protested the organization's presence on campus and made it clear that the organization was not welcome on the Ohio Wesleyan campus.<ref name="OWProtestingCCC">Campus Crusade regroups after last year's controversy. The Transcript. Retrieved on 2006-21-03.</ref>.
[edit] Traditions
Many Ohio Wesleyan traditions date back to the college's earliest days. Monnett Weekend is an of the oldest traditions dating back to 1896.<ref>Henry Hubbart(1944). Ohio Wesleyan's First Hundred Years. Delaware, OH: Ohio Wesleyan University. p. 121</ref> This event welcomes female alumni, parents, and friends of the university. It was originally a celebration of Mother's Day. In fact, originally the event started as a girl's atheltic fete, hel in celebration of the organization of the Monnett Athletic Club. All events were scheduled on the Monnett Campus, and men were banned from the area while female students danced around the Maypole. During the early years of the college, men developed their own tradition by arriving on the Monnett Campus early in the morning and concealing themselves in trees from which to watch the festivities. Convocation is the formal beginning of the college year. The evening before classes begin, all members of the Wesleyan community (including the faculty, dressed in caps and gowns) gather in Gray Chapel to listen to an opening address and performances by students.<ref name="convocation">Convocation 2006: Successful Start to a New Year. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> Commencement is usually held on Mother's Day and parents, friends and graduating seniors gather in the Quad to hear a distinguished speaker and observe the awarding of diplomas.<ref name="commencement">The University. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> Several more recent traditions dating back to the 1960s and some even as early as the 1980s are part of the school's life. Homecoming has become an alumni event that takes place in early October.<ref name="homecomingOWU">Homecoming Aims for Increased Student Involvement. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> During Homecoming the school's team plays against one of Wesleyan's traditional rivals. As recently as 2004, arts events, a bonfire and a 5K were added to the program.<ref name="homecoming">Homecoming: New twist on old tradition. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> Fresh-X is an optional program for newly-admitted students. Generally, first-years are kept in the dark about it until it actually takes place.<ref name="fresh-x">Welcome to "Fresh X". Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> SpringFest is organized by the student board is a music event in the middle of April featuring a well-known musical band.<ref name="springfesttradition">Springfest funding in limbo. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> A newer campus tradition is the Midnight Breakfast, held during final exam week in both the fall and spring semesters. The campus dining room in Smith Hall is kept open until the wee hours of the morning, where students gather to study, chat, and have their professors and the college professor serve them meals.<ref name="midnightbreakfast">Ohio Wesleyan Campus Traditions. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> President's Ball is a formal gala event organized by the college president that takes place on the first Saturday of December.<ref name="presidentsball">Ohio Wesleyan Campus Traditions. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> OWU vs Denison is a fierce athletic rivalry with Denison University.<ref name="archrival">Men's Lacrosse. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> Sagan Colloquium is a semester-long series of speakers held each fall, which spotlights an issue of concern in the liberal arts.<ref name="sagan">What Makes Us Unique. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref>
Several school slang words exist on campus.<ref name="schoolslang">The Inside Scoop. College Prowler. Retrieved on 2006-12-1.</ref> HamWil refers to the Hamilton Williams Campus Center. HOT refers to the House of Thought. P&J refers to the Peace and Justice co-op unit. PS refers to the campus police known as Public Safety. Natty is the really cheap beer common at large parties. The Hill is the grassy area where fraternity houses are on.
The school mascot is the Battling Bishop, and the official school colors are crimson red and black.<ref name="colors">Quick Facts. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.</ref>
[edit] Athletics
- See also: Wesleyan-Denison LAX rivalry
Ohio Wesleyan participates in the NCAA's Division III and forms part of the North Coast Athletic Conference athletic conference. Ohio Wesleyan University has 21 varsity sports teams that are known as the Battling Bishops. Formal athletics at the college dates back to 1875 when the first football team was organized to play against other instituions. It took almost another 20 years before, Ohio Wesleyan join the OAC along with Oberlin College, Kenyon College, Ohio State, Case Western. In the 1980s, Wesleyan joined the North Coast Athletic Conference, an organization of which Wesleyan was a charter member.<ref>About NCAC. NCAC. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.</ref> The NCAC brings together a group of liberal arts institutions that share a common allegiance to the primacy of the academic mission over the athletic one.<ref>College Athletics: The Tail Wagging the Dog?. College News. Retrieved on 2006-06-21.</ref>
The men's lacrosse and soccer teams are the most historically successful of the varsity teams<ref>Ohio Wesleyan All-Americans. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.</ref> and lacrosse is the university's most intently followed sport.<ref>Ohio Wesleyan LAX Alumni. Ohio Wesleyan University. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.</ref> For seven of the last 12 years, Wesleyan has won the NCAC conference All-Sports Trophy for excellence in both women's and men's sports.<ref>