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| Widener University | |
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| Motto: | Mens Sana In Corpore Sano (Sound Mind in Sound Body) |
| Established | 1821, Preparatory school 1862, College |
| Type: | Private |
| Endowment: | $85.8 million2007 NACUBO Endowment Study |
| President: | Dr. James T. Harris III |
| Faculty: | 309 full-time |
| Students: | 6,571 |
| Undergraduates: | 3,282 (2,789 day, 493 evening) |
| Postgraduates: | 3,289 (1,589 law students) |
| Location: | Chester, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Campus: | Urban, 108 acres (.44 km²) |
| Colors: | Widener Blue and Gold |
| Nickname: | Pride (introduced in 2006), formerly the Pioneers and the Cadets (when PMC) |
| Athletics: | 20 varsity teams, Division III (MAC) |
| Website: | www.widener.edu |
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Widener University is a private, coeducational university located in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Its main campus sits on 108 acres (.44 km²), just 14 miles south of Philadelphia. The university has three other campuses: two in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg and Exton) and one in Wilmington, Delaware.
About 3,300 undergraduates and 3,300 graduate students attend Widener in eight degree-granting schools. The university offers associate\'s, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in areas ranging from traditional liberal arts to professional programs.
Widener was founded in 1821 and has undergone several name changes. It was known as Pennsylvania Military College after 1892, and adopted the Widener name in 1972.
The Carnegie Foundation classifies Widener as a Doctoral/Research University and a Community Engagement Institution.
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Founded in 1821 as a preparatory school for boys in Wilmington, Delaware, the institution now known as Widener University moved to Pennsylvania in 1862, and was granted collegiate powers and privileges via universal charter by the Pennsylvania legislature in April of that year. It was known from 1892 to 1972 as Pennsylvania Military College, though it had officially become PMC College in 1966 when a nonmilitary, coeducational component was added. In 1972, the name Widener College was adopted after the prominent Widener family of Philadelphia, and the Corps of Cadets disbanded (an Army ROTC program still exists). Graduate programs were introduced in 1966 and the School of Law acquired in 1975.
In recognition of its comprehensive offerings, Widener College became Widener University in 1979. Today, Widener is a four-campus university offering more than 80 programs of study.
Throughout its long history, the university has undergone several name changes. The following table details the various names Widener has gone under as well as any significant organizational changes that occurred during each period.
| 1821–1846 | The Bullock School for Boys, founded by John Bullock in Wilmington, Delaware |
| 1846–1853 | The Alsop School for Boys |
| 1853–1859 | Hyatt\'s Select School for Boys
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| 1859–1862 | Delaware Military Academy |
| 1862–1892 | Pennsylvania Military Academy
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| 1892–1966 | Pennsylvania Military College (also known as PMC) |
| 1966–1972 | PMC Colleges (for Pennsylvania Military College and Penn Morton College, the civilian component)
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| 1972–1979 | Widener College
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| 1979- | Widener University
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Widener consists of four campuses, the main campus in Chester, Pennsylvania, plus campuses in Wilmington, Delaware; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Exton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1866 after the school moved to Chester, the 108 acre Main Campus consists of 97 buildings and serves all undergraduate day students as well as University College students. It also contains all graduate programs (business, education, engineering, nursing, social work, physical therapy, and clinical psychology) except for the School of Law.
Opening in 1976, the Delaware Campus consists of 16 buildings across 40 acres and is 12 miles from the Main Campus. It contains the School of Law (shared with the Harrisburg Campus) as well as the Legal Education Institute. Some classes for University College students and graduate business students are also held here. The 21 acre Harrisburg Campus, opening in 1989, contains the School of Law (shared with the Delaware Campus) and has graduate programs in nursing and social work. Starting in 2004, the Exton Campus is the newest Widener campus, located in a business park 25 miles from the Main Campus. It primarily serves University College students and contains Widener\'s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) which provides continuing education programs for retired adults.
Widener\'s comprehensive offerings range from liberal arts to professional programs and include over 50 undergraduate majors, 30 minors and more than 30 graduate programs of study. In particular, programs in engineering, computer science, business, nursing and hospitality management have generated the most praise from students according to a survey conducted by The Princeton Review.Widener University: What Widener Students Say About Academics. The Princeton Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-10. Widener boasts a undergraduate student to faculty ratio of 12:1 with 90% of the full-time faculty having doctorates or the highest degree in their field. In addition, class sizes are kept small with 61% of all classes containing less than 20 students.America Best Colleges 2008: National Universities: Highest Proportion of Class Under 20. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2008-09-08..
The university comprises the following schools:
In 2007, Washington Monthly magazine ranked Widener 47th out of all national universities in the country.The Washington Monthly 2007 College Guide. Washington Monthly. Retrieved on 2007-08-22. These rankings are based on how well a university benefits the country including such factors as promoting social mobility, scientific and humanistic research, and service, including ROTC and the Peace Corps. Widener is also currently named one of the "Best Northeastern Colleges" by The Princeton Review.The Best Northeastern Colleges. The Princeton Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
The 2008 Best Colleges list from U. S. News and World Report classifies Widener as a Tier 3 National University.America Best Colleges 2008: National Universities. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-09-08. It also ranks Widener\'s undergraduate engineering program 65th among all programs whose highest engineering degree is a bachelor\'s or master\'s.America Best Colleges 2008: Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.. Out of the 262 national universities ranked, Widener is tied for 45th in the category "Highest Proportion of Classes Under 20 Students" and tied for 37th in "Economic Diversity" among its students.America Best Colleges 2008: National Universities: Economic Diversity among all schools. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-09-08. The U.S. News and World Report\'s 2008 Best Graduate Schools ranks several of Widener\'s graduate programs: clinical psychology → #145,America Best Graduate Schools 2008: Health: Clinical Psychology. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-03-30. health care management → #49,America Best Graduate Schools 2008: Health: Healthcare Management (Master\'s). U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-03-30. nursing → #141,America Best Graduate Schools 2008: Health: Nursing (Master\'s). U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-03-30. physical therapy → #173,America Best Graduate Schools 2008: Health: Physical Therapy. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-03-30. and social work → #140.America Best Graduate Schools 2008: Health: Social Work (Master\'s). U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
The Carnegie Foundation classifies Widener as a Doctoral/Research University whose undergraduate population is highly residential and selective.Institutions:Widener University-Main Campus. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Retrieved on 2007-03-31. It also one of 76 institutions classified as a Community Engagement Institution; only 2 other schools in the Philadelphia region share this classification, University of Pennsylvania and Bryn Mawr College.Carnegie Selects Colleges and Universities for New Elective Community Engagement Classification. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
Cooperative education
A co-op program is available as an option for all undergraduate students within the School of Engineering and School of Business Administration as well as computer science majors in the College of Arts and Sciences. This allows a student to still earn their degree in 4 years while gaining 1-year of work experience.
All students in the School of Hospitality Management are required to enroll in a co-op for a single semester (16 weeks) during their junior or senior year. The co-op work is full-time and counts as course credit. The school also has its own restaurant, the Heintz Dining Room, which is open to the public and run by the students.
Undergraduate research
All undergraduate students in engineering and computer science are required to complete a year-long research and design project during their final year. The projects are usually done in teams with a faculty advisor and culminates in a final presentation and demonstration. Other science majors have the option to participate in research with faculty members. This research is often presented at local or national conferences as well as published in scientific journals.
Honors program
The Honors Program in General Education consists of approximately 200 undergraduate students and provides smaller, seminar courses that fulfill the university\'s general education requirements. Students in the program must take at least 5 honors courses and also attend certain cultural events held on campus or in Philadelphia. Students who complete the program are awarded a Certificate of Honors in General Education at graduation. Admission to the program is based on the student\'s SAT scores, high school GPA and ranking.
ROTC
The Army ROTC program traces its origins back to when the university was originally a military college. Today, the Army ROTC program offers 2, 3 and 4-year scholarships as well as traditional instruction in military science. The program also sponsors students from the following local area schools: Villanova University, Penn State Abington, West Chester University, Cheyney University, Penn State Brandywine and Neumann College. About 25% of students in the program are nursing majors. The university produced more Army Nurses than any other school in the 2006-2007 academic year.Widener University: Army ROTC Nursing. Widener University. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
Widener students can also participate in the Air Force ROTC program at Saint Joseph\'s University.
Widener has 20 varsity teams (10 for men and 10 for women) participating in Division III within the Middle Atlantic Corporation (MAC). Formally known as the Pioneers, their nickname changed to the Pride in the Fall of 2006 based on a student poll.Widener University Announces New Mascot. Widener University. Retrieved on 2007-03-31. Widener sports teams include:
The Schwartz Athletic Center is home to basketball, swimming, indoor track and volleyball. It houses a championship size 8-lane swimming pool, squash/racquetball courts and administrative offices for the athletic department. Schwartz is also home to the new Wellness Center, opened in April 2006 to provide the faculty, staff and students with additional recreational and fitness opportunities. In addition to exercise equipment, the Wellness Center provides fitness classes and a 24-foot climbing wall.
Opening in 1994, Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium seats over 4,000 people and has a turf playing field surrounded by an 8-lane track. The stadium houses the football, soccer, men\'s lacrosse, and outdoor track & field teams. In addition, Edith R. Dixon Field, opening in 2005, houses the women\'s field hockey and lacrosse teams. It sports an artificial turf, lighting and a scoreboard. The field is also used for the intramural teams.
The football team has had recent success winning the MAC championship in 2007, the ECAC Southwest Bowl in 2006Widener Tallies 14-7 Victory for Southwest Championship. Eastern College Athletic Conference. Retrieved on 2007-03-10. and the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl in 2005.Widener Wins ECAC South Atlantic Championship Bowl. Eastern College Athletic Conference. Retrieved on 2007-03-10. Its greatest success has been winning the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1977 and 1981 and reaching the semi-finals in 1979, 1980, and 2000.Conference Champs and Postseason Appearances. Widener University. Retrieved on 2007-03-10. Additionally, Widener football has won 17 MAC championships, the most of any team in the conference. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson played for Widener in the early 70s. He went on to be an all-pro NFL player and was selected to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team as well as the College Football Hall of Fame.
The men\'s basketball team has won 14 MAC titles and appeared in the NCAA Division III Tournament 16 times, advancing to the "Sweet 16" in 1987 and 2006, the "Final 4" in 1985 and the championship game in 1978. The men\'s lacrosse team has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 6 times since 2000 and has won 10 MAC titles between 1996 and 2007.
The Philadelphia Eagles held their summer training camp on Widener\'s campus between 1973 and 1979. The movie "Invincible" depicts the campus during the Eagles\' 1976 summer training camp.Reel deal for these longtime Iggles fans. Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved on 2007-04-27. Since 2006, the Philadelphia Soul have held practices at Widener as well.
Widener enrolls approximately 6,600 total students including 3,300 undergraduate and 3,300 graduate students. Among full-time undergraduate students, the male/female ratio is nearly 1:1 (51% male, 49% female). 61% of undergraduates choose to live on the Main Campus while the remaining students commute. Approximately 54% of all full-time undergraduates are from Pennsylvania with 45% coming from the rest of the country (predominantly Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia) and 1% originating from outside the U.S.Widener University: Student Body. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-04-24. The acceptance rate for undergraduate applicants in Fall 2007 was 66%.Widener University. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
The university has over 100 student clubs including honor societies, religious organizations, media groups and special interest clubs. Greek Week, Spring Carnival and Homecoming are among the popular events on campus.Widener University: Extracurriculars. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
WDNR is the student-run campus radio station playing a variety of music including hip-hop, rock, metal and punk, along with a sports talk call-in show. It also broadcasts local football games. Other media outlets include the weekly newspaper, The Dome, a student literary journal and a television station.
Widener has 6 fraternities and 3 sororities. Approximately 12% of all undergraduates are members. Widener\'s Greek organizations include:
Widener is one of only 22 colleges that is a member of Project Pericles, an organization promoting social responsibility and addressing civic apathy among students. It is also one of only 76 institutions classified as a Community Engagement Institution by the The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Only two other schools in the Philadelphia region share this classification - University of Pennsylvania and Bryn Mawr College.
Widener has several initiatives aimed at benefiting the surrounding community. These include:
In 2006, the university established a new charter school near the Main Campus in Chester to serve local residents from kindergarten to grade 5. Named the Widener Partnership Charter School, the school utilizes the university\'s programs in education, social work, nursing and clinical psychology. This collaboration involves the participation of Widener faculty and students to not only provide educational support but also provide additional assistance outside of school through counseling and health services.
Classes in the charter school started in September 2006 enrolling 50 students in both kindergarten and grade 1. The school plans on adding a new grade each year until grade 5 and an enrollment of 300 students is reached. However, there have been some complaints by the Chester Upland School District that this and other charter schools take funds away from the local public school system. With this, the school district is contemplating placing a cap on their charter school enrollment with many parents being split on the issue.Chester Upland charter plan assailed. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on 2007-05-03.
A $50 million revitalization project was started in 2007 that will add significant new opportunities and services to the university and surrounding area. The project, named University Crossings, will include a hotel, bookstore, coffee shop, restaurant and apartments. The project is expected to have an overall economic impact of $1 million to Chester as well as creating 60 new jobs.Ground broken on $50M University Crossings project. Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-13. Its completion date is set for the fall of 2008.
As of 2007, there are 53,363 total living alumni, 11,771 of which are School of Law alumni.Quick Facts. Widener University. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
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