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The George Washington University (GWU) is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian university located in Washington, D.C.. Founded in 1821 as The Columbian College on land provided by former President George Washington, the university has since developed into one of the world's leading educational and research institutions. The original 43 acre campus, located in the city's historic Foggy Bottom neighborhood, is situated a few blocks from the White House and the rest of the National Mall. The Mount Vernon campus, which was acquired in 1999, is connected to the main campus by a shuttle. As of 2005, George Washington's endowment and other trust funds total approximately $823 million. George Washington is currently ranked 53rd on U.S. News & World Report's list of Top U.S. universities.[link]

In addition to 4,500 staff members, The George Washington University enrolls an even balance of undergraduate and graduate students; roughly 11,000 of the former and 10,000 of the latter. Applications dropped for the class of 2006 as compared to 2005.

George Washington's student newspapers are The Hatchet [link] and The Daily Colonial. [link], and its student radio station is WRGW [link]. It is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference for college athletics. The official school colors are buff (yellow-brown) and blue.

History

George Washington had long argued for the creation of a university in the District of Columbia and, in his will, even bequeathed fifty shares of the Potomac Company to suport such an institution. "I give and bequeath in perpetuity the fifty shares which I hold in the Potomac Company (under the aforesaid Acts of the Legislature of Virginia) towards the endowment of a UNIVERSITY to be established within the limits of the District of Columbia, under the auspices of the General Government, if that Government should incline to extend a fostering hand towards it."[link]

Aware of Washington's wishes, a group of men, led by Luther Rice, a Baptist minister, later raised funds to purchase a site for a college to educate missionaries and the clergy. A large building was constructed on what is now Meridian Hill, and on February 9 1821, President James Monroe approved the Congressional charter creating The Columbian College. President Monroe, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, the Marquis de Lafayette and other dignitaries attended the College's first commencement exercises in 1824. The college's buildings were used as a hospital during the Civil War.

Various other departments have occupied other buildings around Washington, including what is now the National Museum of Women in the Arts on New York Avenue NW.

Despite its auspicious beginnings, the university often was bedevilled by financial crises in its first one hundred years of existence.

The name of the institution was changed to Columbian University in 1873 and to The George Washington University in 1904. The university became one of the first institutions in the United States to grant a Ph.D. in 1888.

Since the 1970s, under the leadership of presidents Lloyd Hartman Elliott and Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, GWU has become a major undergraduate and graduate institution. It has grown immensely in recent years and is at present the largest private landowner in the District of Columbia, and second largest overall (behind the federal government).

In June 1999, the university purchased the Mount Vernon College for Women near Georgetown, which became the George Washington University Mount Vernon Campus.

Academics

The George Washington University has a distinguished medical school and its own hospital. It boasts a highly ranked law school The George Washington University Law School and one of the leading schools of international affairs in the United States, the Elliott School of International Affairs. It also has a distinguished record in the fields of engineering, political science, public affairs, business, and computer science.

In addition to offering courses on its Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses, GW faculty teach a large number of graduate courses in the suburbs of Washington (in Maryland and Virginia).

Organization

The university is made up of a number of colleges that have different disciplines within them.

Campus

The university has three campuses: The main campus in Foggy Bottom, the Mount Vernon campus in northern Washington, D.C., and the Virginia campus in Ashburn, Virginia. The university also owns land and buildings around the Foggy Bottom campus that are not used for academic purposes; these include the mall at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave, and the land under the International Monetary Fund building.

Foggy Bottom Campus

This is the main campus, occupying 43 acres (170,000 m²) and over one hundred buildings on fourteen city blocks, plus portions of other blocks.

The major and notable buildings are:

Mount Vernon Campus

This wooded campus, located on 23 acres (93,000 m²) in northwest Washington, D.C., was purchased by GWU in 1999. It was exclusively a woman's college, but since the acquisition it is now co-ed, though it still has a large emphasis on women's academics and athletics. The Eckles Memorial Library serves this campus, and there are NCAA Division 1 fields for women's softball, women's and men's soccer, and women's and men's lacrosse. There are six residence halls on this campus.

GW is planning on building another large residence hall on the campus that will house another 500 students.

The Halls are:

Virginia Campuses

The George Washington University has several Virginia Campuses. Among these are the Alexandria Graduate Education Center in Alexandria, VA; Graduate Education Center, Arlington in Arlington, VA; Hampton Roads Center in Newport News, VA; and the GW Virginia Campus - Loudoun in Ashburn, VA. This does not include the various satellite locations where classes are regularly held (Chesapeake, Mechanicsville, McLean, Richmond, and Virginia Beach, VA).

Students and faculty

There were 10,394 undergraduate (not including Non-Degree Students) and 12,634 graduate students enrolled for the Fall 2005 academic semester. In 2001, there were 1,508 full-time and 2,725 part-time members of the faculty.

Student government

The Student Association (SA) is the official undergraduate and graduate student government of The George Washington University. The SA is fashioned after the federal government with three co-equal branches of government. The President and Executive Vice President, however, are separately and popularly elected. The Senate is divided by the schools of the University, including but not limited to the GW Law and Medical Schools. Student elections are generally held in February or March of the Spring semester and are administered electronically in designated locations and/or via paper ballot. To be elected, candidates for President and Executive Vice President must receive at least 40% of the student vote (or a run-off election is triggered).

Historically, SA presidents have fared well in the political arena. Former SA president Edward "Skip" Gnehm was the Ambassador to Kuwait during the Gulf War and received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award and two Presidential Meritorious Service Awards. Former SA president John David Morris (1989-1990) currently serves as a city councilman in Peoria, Illinois, and Al Park (1994-1995) is a New Mexico state representative and possible candidate for New Mexico Attorney General. Famed actor Alec Baldwin once ran for SA President as a sophomore and narrowly lost. After his defeat, he transferred to NYU to pursue an acting career.

The Student Association Executive Vice President chairs the Student Senate and assists the President in the performance of his duties.

The Student Association Senate is composed of 29 voting members, of which 15 are undergraduate students and 14 are graduate students. Seats are distributed proportionally based on each school's population. There are also two undergraduate and two graduate at-large Senate seats.

The student government also includes a Student Court. The Student Court adjudicates disputes between student groups and among the branches of the government.

Clubs and traditions

There are over three hundred and fifty student organizations at the University, including organizations of common interest or political activism, ethnic organizations, and Greek organizations. It is also home to one of the first virtual student organizations in the United States named ETLSO. The Educational Technology and Leadership Student Organization (ETLSO) caters to the needs of distance education students.

Political and International Organizations

The George Washington University is home to several large and active political organizations. With over 430 members, the [GW College Republicans] is an active campus organization, and was named the Best Chapter of 2005 by the College Republican National Committee. Notable guest speakers hosted by the organization in the past include Ann Coulter, Jack Kemp, Sam Brownback, Norm Coleman and George Allen. The Democratic Party is represented by the GW College Democrats, the only organization on campus recognized by both The George Washington University and The Democratic Party. They are one of the largest organizations on campus, with approximately 1500 members, and they have hosted many notable speakers in the past including Senator Edward Kennedy, Representative Dennis Kucinich, and former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe.

The International Affairs Society (IAS) is another one of the largest student organizations, with over 350 dues paying members. IAS activities range from hosting speakers and panels on current events, visiting area institutions such as foreign Embassys, Model United Nations participation, many social events, and hosting and organizing MUN conferences for secondary students. Separately from the IAS, Delta Phi Epsilon (professional), a foreign service fraternity, has recenty been rechartered at GWU.

GW's Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC for short) is one of the most active chapters in the country. Last year, the club staged protests against prominent drug companies, organized the National SGAC conference (held on GW's Campus), lobbied senators to increase their support for global health initiatives, helped to create free HIV-testing days for students and distributed buckets of condoms to residence halls. The club is currently working to reduce the cost of HIV testing at GW, although the administration has been slow to respond. D.C. currently has the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country (119 per 100,000).[link]

The Puerto Rico Statehood Society (PRSS) is another prominent student organization on campus. Making its arrival to campus in the fall of 2005, the organization aims to raise awareness about the territorial situation of Puerto Rico and advocates in favor of the admission of Puerto Rico as the 51st state. As one of the fastest growing student organizations on campus, PRSS activities include major guest speaker events to active lobbying activities on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for Puerto Rico. PRSS has been credited by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico as being one of the most effective grassroots organizations of its type. In February 2006, PRSS made history by becoming the first organization of its type to host a major speaking event with former Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Rossello. To many political elements, this well-attended event was seen as a testament to the organization's power and potential. Held on campus, it also served to boost the case for Puerto Rican statehood. PRSS has also been credited for publically interrogating various United States Senators on national television through the C-SPAN Network, regarding their stance on Puerto Rico statehood including Senators Tom Coburn and Sam Brownback.

Greek-Letter Organizations

There are 12 recognized fraternities on campus, including Alpha Epsilon Pi, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Phi Epsilon, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Sigma Kappa, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Theta Delta Chi. Sigma Chi was approved for recolonization in 2006, and is projected to be chartered in late Spring 2007. There are also a number of unrecognized fraternities, including Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Alpha Mu (also called SAMMY on campus), Alpha Pi Epsilon (or "Apes," formerly Zeta Beta Tau) There are 8 Panhellenic sororities on campus, including [Alpha Delta Pi], Alpha Epsilon Phi, [Alpha Phi], Delta Gamma, Kappa Kappa Gamma, [Phi Sigma Sigma], [Sigma Delta Tau], and Sigma Kappa. Pi Beta Phi was approved for colonization by the Panhellenic Association in 2006.

Theta Tau, the USA's oldest and foremost engineering fraternity is active on campus, as is the national honor fraternity Phi Sigma Pi. Additionally there are two community service based Greek-letter organizations on campus: Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, and [Epsilon Sigma Alpha], which was founded in Spring 2003 and is currently the only community service sorority on campus.

Other Organizations

Intramural sports are also very popular in addition to the NCAA Division I varsity teams.

GWU is home to an active student theater community. Student theater organizations include [Generic Theatre Company], 14th Grade Players, [Forbidden Planet Productions (FPP)], and [receSs].

The [GW Chess team/club] was reconstituted in September of 2005 and now competes with other universities nationally. It is currently coached by Grandmaster Lubosh Kavalek, who is also an alumnus.

In 2003 [the GW Gaming League] was founded. The league has become quite popular, and has gained event sponsorship from such corporations as Electronic Arts, Universal Pictures, and Red Bull. It has even appeared in a [Washington Post article.]

The [Daily Colonial] is an online, student-run newspaper. Founded in 2004 it has received recognition across campus as a "Journalist's Newspaper" and has grown exponentially in readership and staff since its inception. Fueled completely by volunteer students it boasts a collection of staff writers that are truly committed to the cause of journalism and news reporting.

Also found online is [WRGW], an online, student-run radio station that boasts programming from 8 AM until 12 AM every day during the school year. Their programming includes a wide and interesting range of music and talk shows. For decades, WRGW has served as the flagship station for GW Men's and Women's Basketball games and other sporting events in both the Spring and Fall. Recently, the station has expanded into broadcasting Women's and Men's soccer, Women's Lacrosse and Women's Softball. The station also sponsors concerts (including Matisyahu, Straylight Run, and Washington Social Club) and other major campus events.

The Hippo

Though the official mascot is the Colonial, since 1996 the placement of a bronze hippo in the center of campus has caused the [Hippo] to become an unofficial minor mascot for the administration. There is also a secret society, founded by President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, called the Order of the Hippo. Little is known about the organization, whose rituals are shrouded in what has been described by some observers as "contrived secrecy"; hard evidence does indicate, however, that its members include not only high-ranking officials of the University administration but also several hand-picked members of the student and alumni populations. In spring 2005, the Order came under increased scrutiny and criticism in the student media after allegations surfaced concerning the Order's allowance of both hazing activities and usage of alcohol by underage members during Order functions and gatherings -- activities that violate the University's student code of conduct, and towards which the University administration itself has taken a zero-tolerance policy when dealing with fraternities, sororities, and other student social groups.

School songs

The school fight song, "Hail to the Buff & Blue" or "The GW Fight Song" is as follows:

Hail to the buff! (buff!)
Hail to the blue! (blue!)
Hail to the buff and blue!
All our lives we'll be proud to say,
We hail from GW! (go big blue!)
Oh by George we're happy we can say,
We're GW here to show the way!
So raise high the buff! (buff!)
Raise high the blue! (blue!)
Loyal to GW!
(You bet we're!)
Loyal to GW! (fight!)
The school's Alma Mater as presently sung today was rewritten from its original version in 1970:

Hail Alma Mater,
To thy spirit guiding,
Knowledge thy closest friend
In its strength abiding,
Pledge we fidelity
Ne'er its place resigning,
Hail thee George Washington.

Athletics

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GW has an extensive Division I program that includes Men's Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Women's Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Women's Softball, Squash, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Women's Volleyball, and Water Polo.

The teams are called the Colonials and have achieved great successes in recent years including a first round victory in the Men's NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament in 2004 and basketball beating No. 9 Michigan State and No. 12 Maryland in back to back games to win the 2004 BB&T Classic. The Men's Basketball team went on to win the Atlantic 10 West Title and the Atlantic 10 Tournament Title (earning an automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

The team began the 2005 season ranked 21st in the Associated Press poll, and is now ranked #14 in the AP poll, and #11 by ESPN. They had a record of 26-2 (16-0 in the A-10) going into the 2006 NCAA Tournament led by power forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Omar Williams, Danilo Pinnock, Mike Hall and Maureece Rice. Their only loss of the regular season came to North Carolina State and they also lost in the A-10 tournament to Temple, after completing a perfect regular season in the A-10. The 2005-2006 season has been the team's best ever, surpassing the start of the 1953-1954 season. Karl Hobbs, a former player and coach under Jim Calhoun at the University of Connecticut is in his fifth year as head coach. Hobbs is a fan favorite -- often receiving as much applause during his entrance to games as the athletes. Known for his outward shows of emotion during games that include stomping his foot and slamming his clipboard, Hobbs is considered one of the up-and-coming coaches in the NCAA.

They received a #8 seed in the tournament in the NCAA Tournament and came back a from a large second half deficit to defeat #9 seed UNC-Wilmington, but then lost to Duke, the top overall seed in the tournament.

The official student supporters' group of the men's basketball team is called the [Colonial Army]. It is one of the largest student organizations on campus.

Colonials athletic teams compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The university's colors are buff and blue (buff being a color similar to tan, but often represented as gold or yellow). The colors were taken from George Washington's uniform in the Revolutionary War.

GW's football team won the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas in 1957. The school last competed in the sport in 1966 as a member of the Southern Conference.[link]

Presidents

Noted alumni

Noted faculty

External links

 


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