Widener University

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**Widener University**

Motto	Mens Sana In Corpore Sano (Sound Mind in Sound Body)
Established	1821
Type	Private
Endowment	$46.4 million [1]
President	Dr. James T. Harris III
Faculty	314 full-time, 283 part-time
Students	6,569
Undergraduates	3,055 (2,493 full-time, 562 part-time)
Postgraduates	3,514 (1,773 law students)
Location	Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
Campus	Urban, 108 acres (.44 km²)
Athletics	20 varsity teams, Division III (MAC)
Colors	Widener Blue and Gold
Mascot	Pride (introduced in 2006), formerly the Pioneers
Website	www.widener.edu

Widener University is a private, metropolitan university located in Chester, Pennsylvania. Its main campus sits on 108 acres (.44 km²), just 14 miles south of Philadelphia. Approximately 3,000 undergraduates and 3,500 graduate students attend Widener among its eight degree granting schools. The university offers associate's, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

1 History
- 1.1 Timeline
2 Campuses
3 Academics
4 Athletics
- 4.1 Athletic facilities
- 4.2 Athletic achievements
5 Student life
6 Community
- 6.1 Charter school
7 Notable alumni or attendees
8 External links

[edit] History

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 1967 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 140 programs of study.

[edit] Timeline

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 (military instruction introduced in 1858)
1859–1862 Delaware Military Academy
1862–1892 Pennsylvania Military Academy (relocated from Wilmington to West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1862; relocated to present Chester, Pennsylvania site in 1866)
1892–1966 Pennsylvania Military College
1966–1972 PMC Colleges (for Pennsylvania Military College and Penn Morton College, the civilian component)
1972–1979 Widener College
1979-Present Widener University

[edit] Campuses

Widener maintains the following four campuses:

Main Campus in Chester, Pennsylvania: The 108 acre Main Campus, dating back to 1866, 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.
Delaware Campus in Wilmington, Delaware: Acquired in 1975, 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.
Harrisburg Campus in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: The 21 acre Harrisburg Campus, started in 1988, contains the School of Law (shared with the Delaware Campus). It also has graduate classes for nursing and social work.
Exton Campus in Exton, Pennsylvania: Opening in 2004, the newest campus is located in a business park 25 miles from the Main Campus and primarily serves University College students. It also contains Widener's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) which provides continuing education programs for retired adults.

[edit] Academics

Widener's comprehensive offerings range from liberal arts to professional programs and include over 50 undergraduate majors 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^[2]. Widener boasts a undergraduate student to faculty ratio of 12:1 with 93% of the faculty having doctorates or the highest degree in their field.

The university is comprised of the following schools:

College of Arts and Sciences: The largest school at Widener provides over 25 undergraduate majors in the humanities, sciences and social sciences as well as pre-professional programs in law and medicine. All undergraduates within the college fulfill general education requirements in all three areas (humanities, sciences, social sciences) as well as take an interdisciplinary values seminar during their junior or senior year. The school mainly consists of undergraduate programs although a few master's programs do exist.
School of Business Administration: The School of Business Administration provides undergraduate programs in management, accounting, and economics as well as graduate programs in information systems, business administration, financial planning, and human resources. The school has recently revised its MBA program which is accredited by the AACSB.
School of Engineering: The school offers undergraduate programs in chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. It has recently introduced a minor in bio-engineering. Master's (MEng) programs exist in all the same fields in addition to computer and software engineering. A dual MEng/MBA program also exists with the School of Business Administration.
School of Hospitality Management: One of the earliest schools dedicated to hospitality management. The school provides undergraduate (B.S.) and graduate (M.S.) study in areas such as hotel and resort management, private club management, tourism, and casino and gaming operations. Its facilities include fully equipped production and demonstration kitchens as well as a restaurant, the Heintz Dining Room, open to the public.
School of Human Service Professions: This school is a collection of professional programs in education, social work, clinical psychology and physical therapy. It is comprised of the following academic units:
- Center for Education: The center provides bachelor's, master's and doctorate programs in education within a variety of areas including elementary education, special education, educational psychology and school administration.
- Center for Social Work Education: The center provides bachelor's (BSW), master's (MSW) and doctorate programs (PhD) in social work.
- Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology: Originally founded in 1970 by Hahnemann University's medical school, the program moved to Widener in 1989 and became the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology. The institute houses the second oldest PsyD program in the United States^[3]. The PsyD program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and allows a variety of concentrations including family therapy, forensic psychology, and organizational psychology. The institute is also home to the Neuropsychology Assessment Center and the Biofeedback Clinic and Certification Center which provides services and treatment to the public.
- Institute for Physical Therapy Education: The institute offers a full-time 3-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. The program is available for entry-level students as well as transitional students who are already licensed physical therapists. A pre-physical therapy program exists for undergraduates who wish to pursue the DPT degree.
School of Law
School of Nursing
University College: The University College serves part-time adult undergraduate students and offers both associate's and bachelor's degrees. Classes are held during the evenings or weekends and focus mainly on professional areas such as nursing, business, education and information systems. The college also contains the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute which provides continuing education classes to retired adults.

[edit] Rankings

In 2006, Washington Monthly magazine ranked Widener number 52^[4] out of all national universities in the country. 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. The 2007 Best Colleges list from U. S. News and World Report ranks Widener's undergraduate engineering program at number 61^[5] and its master's nursing program at number 205^[6] in the nation. Widener is currently named one of the "Best Northeastern Colleges"^[7] by The Princeton Review.

[edit] Notable programs

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 opportunities
All undergraduates 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 (particularly biology 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 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.

[edit] School of Law

The Widener University School of Law provides an ABA accredited program, and operates on two campuses, one in Wilmington, Delaware and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Originally founded in 1971 as the Delaware Law School, the institution became affiliated with Widener University in 1975 and graduated its first class of 267 that year. The Harrisburg Campus was added to the School of Law in 1989.

Widener provides an all-around comprehensive legal education program with special certificates available from the Health Law Institute, Institute of Delaware Corporate Law and Trial Advocacy Institute, all in Delaware, and the Law and Government Institute in Harrisburg. Students get real-life, hands-on experience working on court cases through legal clinics that specialize in environmental law, criminal defense and civil law including bankruptcy, family law and legal assistance on veteran benefits cases. The Health Law program is regularly ranked in the top 10 nationally. The Trial Advocacy Institute offers an eight-day, intensive training program that prepares students to become lawyers who can conduct themselves properly in a courtroom trial -- from opening statement to closing argument.

Both campuses offer a variety of pro bono work opportunities through the Public Interest Initiative on the Harrisburg campus to the Public Interest Resource Center on the Delaware campus. Students also participate in wide range of extra and co-curricular activities including Moot Court and Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Societies and three law reviews.

Students earn degrees through regular day and part-time evening divisions. The ambitious faculty published more than 40 articles and books in the past year. The Delaware campus is an East Coast Center for the National Judicial College, hosting continuing legal education opportunities for the nation's judges.

The Delaware campus is located north of Wilmington, the nation's corporate-law capital. Shopping, lodging, entertainment and recreation venues are just off campus, yet the leafy confines of the law school provide quiet tranquility for study. The Harrisburg campus is nestled in the Blue Mountains yet located only minutes from the Capitol Complex. Diverse cultural and recreational opportunities abound.

[edit] Athletics

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 mascot changed to the Pride in the Fall of 2006 based on a student poll.

[edit] Athletic facilities

The Schwartz Athletic Center is home to men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's indoor track and women's 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, men's and women's soccer, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's 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.

[edit] Athletic achievements

The football team has had recent success winning the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl in 2005^[8] and the ECAC Southwest Bowl in 2006^[9]. 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. Additionally, Widener football has won 16 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 12 MAC titles and appeared in the NCAA Division III Tournament 14 times, advancing to the "Sweet 16" in 1987 and 2006, the "Final 4" in 1985 and the championship game in 1978.^[10] The men's lacrosse team has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 5 times since 2000 and has won 9 MAC titles between 1996 and 2006.^[11]

[edit] Student life

WDNR is the student-run campus radio station playing a variety of music including hip-hop, rock, metal and punk. It also broadcasts local football games.

[edit] Community

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.

Since 2004, Widener has sponsored the Philadelphia Speakers Series which has had such notable speakers as Henry Kissinger, Walter Cronkite and Dave Barry.

[edit] Charter school

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.

[edit] Notable alumni or attendees

As of 2006, there are 53,966 total living alumni, 10,867 of which are School of Law alumni.

Cecil B. DeMille, legendary Hollywood director
Leslie C. Quick Jr., Founder Quick & Reilly Inc.
Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, NFL Football
Robert Franklin, Morgan Franklin Inc.
Joe Fields, All-pro center, New York Jets
Pat Quinn, former NHL Coach and General Manager
Matthew McGrory, World's tallest actor
Captain Daniel Wojciechowski, noted Iraq War Veteran
Brent Staples, New York Times editorial writer and author of Parallel Time
Colonel Wesley Combs Smith, Class of 1943
Burt Mustin, TV & Movie Actor, Created the role of Gus the Fireman on "Leave it to Beaver."
Max Gayer, Class of 1965 (noted Philadelphia businessman, radio and TV personality)
Jack Klotz, Class of 1955 NFL lineman
Bill Stern, Newsreel and sports commentator
Phil Martelli, St. Joseph University Head Basketball Coach, 1995-today
Khuram, Zaman, Succesfully argued Krystl v. United Parcel Service before the United States Supreme Court in 2006.
Patrick J. Murphy, U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania.