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West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Encyclopedia : W : WE : WES : West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania, is a public university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, 36 miles (54 km) west by north of Philadelphia. It is one of the 14 state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

West Chester is ranked by US News & World Report number 56 Universities–Master's (North). West Chester University is one of the most selective if not the most selective of the PASSHE. The university is also ranked among the "Best Colleges in the Northeast" by Princeton Review.

West Chester University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS).

Contents

Mission

West Chester University, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a public, regional, comprehensive institution committed to providing access and offering high-quality undergraduate education, select post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, and a variety of educational and cultural resources for its students, alumni, and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania.

History

Although its founding year is 1871, the University in fact has deeper roots tracing from West Chester Academy, a private, state-aided school that existed from 1812 to 1869. The academy enjoyed strong support from the highly intellectual Chester County Cabinet of the Natural Sciences of the pre-American Civil War decades. It was recognized as one of Pennsylvania's leading preparatory schools, and its experience in teacher training laid the groundwork for the normal school years that were to follow.

As the state began to take increasing responsibility for public education, the academy was transformed into West Chester Normal School, still privately owned but state certified. The normal school admitted its first class, consisting of 160 students, on September 25, 1871. In 1913, West Chester became the first of the normal schools to be owned outright by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

West Chester became West Chester State Teachers College in 1927 when Pennsylvania initiated a four-year program of teacher education. In 1960, as the Commonwealth paved the way for liberal arts programs in its college system, West Chester was renamed West Chester State College, and two years later introduced the liberal arts program that turned the one-time academy into a comprehensive college.

In recognition of the historic merit of the campus, in 1981 the West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings included in this historic district are Philips Memorial Building, Ruby Jones Hall, Recitation Hall, and the Old Library. Except for Philips, these buildings are all constructed of native Chester County serpentine stone.

West Chester State achieved another major milestone with passage of the State System of Higher Education bill. West Chester became one of the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on July 1, 1983. Along with its new name – West Chester University of Pennsylvania – the institution acquired a new system of governance and the opportunity to expand its degree programs.

West Chester has received growing recognition as the nation's center for formal poetry. Its annual conference on form and narrative in poetry began in 1995 and is now the nation's largest poetry conference. It has also established a poetry center which sponsors readings and an annual book competition oriented toward formal poetry. It has also established Iris Spencer awards recognizing undergraduate achievement in formal poetry.

Philips Memorial Building
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Philips Memorial Building


Recitation Hall

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Recitation Hall











Old Library

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Old Library








Ruby Jones Hall

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Ruby Jones Hall









Messikomer Hall

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Messikomer Hall







West Chester University is in West Chester, a town that has been the seat of government in Chester County since 1786. With a population of about 20,000, the borough is small enough to have the pleasant aspects of a tree-shaded American town, large enough to contain essential services and the substance of a vigorous community, and old enough to give the student exposure to America's early history. Students can walk to West Chester's many churches. The town has excellent stores and a fine hospital. 


West Chester was settled in the early 18th century, principally by members of the Society of Friends. In the heart of town is its courthouse, a classical revival building designed in the 1840s by Thomas U. Walter, one of the architects for the Capitol in Washington, DC. West Chester today is part of the rapidly growing suburban complex surrounding Philadelphia and offers interesting opportunitities for the study of local, county, and regional government in a period of change and growth.


Philadelphia is 25 miles to the east and Wilmington 17 miles to the south, putting the libraries, museums, and other cultural and historical resources of both cities in easy reach. Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, and other historical attractions are near West Chester. New York City and Washington, DC are easily accessible by car or train.



Programs of Study

The Bachelor of Arts is offered in American studies, anthropology, art, biology, communication studies, communicative disorders, comparative literature, English, French, geography, German, history, Latin, liberal studies, literature, philosophy, philosophy–religious studies, political science, political science–international relations, political science–applied public policy, psychology, Russian, social work, sociology, Spanish, theater arts, and women’s studies.


The Bachelor of Science is offered in accounting, athletic training, biochemistry, biology, biology–cell and molecular biology, biology-ecology, biology–medical technology, biology-microbiology, chemistry, chemistry–biology (premedical), computer and information sciences, criminal justice, economics, finance, forensic chemistry, geoscience–earth systems, geoscience–environmental geosciences, geoscience–geology, health and physical education, health science–general, health science–respiratory care, liberal studies–science and mathematics, liberal studies–professional studies, prebusiness-economics, prebusiness-finance, prebusiness-management, prebusiness-marketing, pharmaceutical product development, physics, physics-engineering, public health–environmental, public health–health promotion, and public health–nutrition.


The Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the Bachelor of Fine Arts (studio arts), and the Bachelor of Music (general, instrumental, keyboard, music education, and vocal) degrees are also offered.


The Bachelor of Science in Education degree is offered in biology, chemistry, citizenship education, communication, early childhood education, earth-space science–astronomy, earth-space science–geology, elementary education, English, French, German, Latin, mathematics, physics, Russian, social studies, Spanish, and special education.


Paraprofessional studies are available in law, medicine, and theology. In cooperation with the Pennsylvania State University, West Chester University offers a 3-2 dual-degree program combining liberal arts, physics, and engineering. Also available are early admission assurance programs with Drexel School of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Temple University School of Medicine. The University provides special admission opportunities and scholarships to the Widener School of Law–Harrisburg Campus.


Certification programs are available in health and physical education teacher certification, driver education and safe living, and outdoor recreation.


Interdisciplinary areas of study with transcript recognition include ethnic studies, Latin American studies, Russian studies, and women’s


West Chester University of Pennsylvania offers graduate study leading to the M.A., M.B.A., M.Ed., M.M., M.P.H., M.S., M.S.W., M.S.N., and M.S.A. degrees. The Master of Arts is offered in biology, communication studies, communicative disorders, English, French, geography, history, Holocaust and genocide studies, mathematics, music history, philosophy, physical sciences (earth science), psychology (general, clinical, and industrial/organizational psychology), Spanish, and teaching English as a second language. The Master of Business Administration is awarded in four concentrations: economics/finance, general business administration, management, and technology and electronic commerce. The Master of Education and/or certification is available in early childhood education, elementary and secondary school counseling, elementary education, French, German, history, Latin, reading, school health, secondary education, Spanish, and special education. The Master of Music is offered in music education, music theory or composition, and performance. The Master of Science is offered in computer science, criminal justice, educational research, environmental health, higher education counseling, and physical education. The Master of Science in Administration is awarded in eight concentrations: health services, human resource management, leadership for women, long-term care, public administration, sport and athletic administration, training and development, and urban and regional planning. West Chester University also offers the Master of Public Health, the Master of Social Work, the Master of Science in Nursing, and the Master of Science in applied statistics degrees. Certificate programs are offered in administration, computer science, geography, gerontology, Holocaust and genocide studies, integrative health, leadership for women, literacy, music, teaching English as a second language, and teaching and learning with technology.



Institute for Women

The Institute for Women is an independent body designed to represent the interests of women on the campus. It serves as the parent organization for the Women's Center, the Women's Studies Program, and the Title IX and Sex Discrimination Board. The institute is headed by a director and a Board of Directors. 


The institute sponsors a number of activities to enhance the self-esteem and career success of women at the University: the Woman-in-Residence Program, Grace Cochran Research on Women Award, Visiting Professor Program, Graduate Grant and Endowed Book Funds. The institute prepares periodic reports on the status of women at the University and has also secured Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship Grants for mature or second-career women. The Institute for Women is located in 211 Main Hall. 



The Frederick Douglass Society

Drawing its content from our campus history of social consciousness and its structure from a variety of models in public life, the Frederick Douglass Society of West Chester University is the organization of African-American faculty and staff at West Chester. Named in 1983 for one of the 19th century's most distinguished advocates of human freedom, the organization is oriented toward self-help and improvement by offering a collective voice in the affairs of the university. Its programs also aim to stimulate other groups on campus to enrich our climate. The society annually raises money for scholarship funds, in order to increase the economic options available to the student body generally and to blacks and other ethnic groups as well. It also seeks, by the example of Douglass, to promote an intellectual standard that is not only grounded in excellence but profoundly rooted in the public mission of higher education. 



Off-Campus Programs

Through the Junior-Year-Abroad program, students may spend one or more semesters at the University of Ghana, Ghana; University of Edinburgh, Scotland; University of Wales, Swansea; Leeds University, England; and Paul Valery University, France. West Chester also sponsors a number of annual courses, which include study abroad during spring, summer, and winter breaks.


West Chester University participates in the National Student Exchange Program, in which students spend up to a year at any one of more than 170 member schools across the United States, broadening their cultural and academic horizons. Automatic transfer of credit is arranged.



Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium

The Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports West Chester University by providing a grant for the Summer Space Program and through the support of two academic scholarships for West Chester University students enrolled in Mathematics and Science degree programs. Each academic year we seek applications from qualified students for the these scholarships. The applications are reviewed by a committee of three faculty members (Geography/Planning, Mathematics, Geology/Astronomy departments). In the fall of 2004-2005 we broke with the convention of awarding two scholarships because we had, amongst the applicants, three students that were very closely matched by the Committee evaluation. These three students were all awarded a $1000.00 scholarship for the academic year.




The Golden Rams perform pre-game, halftime, or post-game at all home and select away WCU football games in Pennsylvania and in Delaware. In addition to games are parades and high school marching band competitions, where the Band performs for tens of thousands of excited fans throughout the course of a fall season. In previous years, the Golden Rams have performed in the Macy's parade, Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade, Philadelphia Eagles games and the annual Collegiate Marching Band Festival in Allentown, PA. 


Students represent many states throughout the Northeastern U.S. and are enrolled in a variety of majors. Less than half of the 225+ marching members are music majors. Comprising the Brass, Woodwinds, Drumline, Pit, and the world-famous Colorguard, each member of this student-run organization shares the responsibility and enjoyment of spreading excitement and bringing crowds to their feet everywhere they go. 



Athletics




Ehinger Gymnasium

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Ehinger Gymnasium






The athletic teams at West Chester University of Pennsylvania are named The Golden Rams. Students participate in NCAA Division II athletics in the PSAC conference. West Chester University has won national championships in women's basketball, women's lacrosse, women's swimming, women's field hockey, and men's soccer. [link]


In 1961, the Men's Soccer team won the NCAA Championship. Jerry Yeagley was a player on West Chester's championship team before going on to win six NCAA Championships and six National Coach of the Year Awards as the Men's Soccer coach at Indiana University.



Guest Lecturers



Student Organizations


Student Government


Academic/Professional


Special Interest


Greek Life


Governing Councils


Fraternities


Sororities


Honoraries


Other


Musical Organizations


Religious Organizations


Service Organizations


Media/Publications


Sports Clubs


Honor Societies



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