Wayne State University

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Wayne State University
Wayne State University Official Seal

Motto: "Industry, Intelligence, Integrity"
Established: 1868
Type: Public University
Endowment: $210 Million
President: Irvin D. Reid
Faculty: 2,700
Students: 33,240 (Fall 2007)
Undergraduates: 21,145 (Fall 2007)
Postgraduates: 12,095 (Fall 2007)
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Campus: Urban
Colors: Green and Gold
Mascot: W The Warrior
Website: wayne.edu

Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center. Wayne State is a research intensive university with 12 schools and colleges offering more than 350 major subject areas to 33,000 graduate and undergraduate students. The WSU main campus encompasses 203 acres (822,000 m²) linking 100 education and research buildings in the heart of Detroit. It has six extension centers in the Metro Detroit area providing access to a limited selection of courses. The institution is a notable engine in metro Detroit's educational, cultural, economic, and educational landscape, as manifested through efforts such as its 75-acre research and technology park and its hosting of the Detroit Festival of the Arts.

Contents

[edit] Academic profile

Wayne State's comprehensive academic offerings are divided among twelve schools and colleges: the School of Business Administration, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts, The Graduate School, the Law School, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Library and Information Science Program, the School of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the Irvin D. Reid Honors College, and the School of Social Work [1].

Fall 2005 enrollment for the University was 33,137 students, the 28th-largest enrollment among the United States' 270 national, public, four-year, doctoral-degree-granting institutions. WSU also has the second largest international enrollment in Michigan with 2,783 international students and 750 visiting scholars from almost 100 countries. With more than 1,000 students, Wayne State University School of Medicine is the largest single-campus medical school, and the third-largest overall, in the United States.[1]

Wayne State University is Michigan's only urban research university, and is renowned particularly for its contributions in the sciences. Wayne State University is classified as a Research Intensive University (Very High research activity), or RU/VH, by the Carnegie Foundation, the same classification as the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and Michigan State University.[2] Wayne State is a constitutionally autonomous educational institution in the State of Michigan along with Michigan and Michigan State.

Maccabees Building on Wayne State University campus.
Maccabees Building on Wayne State University campus.

According to the 2006 Academic Ranking of World Universities, Wayne State University ranked in the 201-300 range worldwide, placing in the same tier as Brandeis University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Syracuse University, University of Notre Dame, and Wake Forest University, among others [2]. Wayne State ranked 63rd among American universities according to the National Science Foundation Research Rankings [3]. The 2007 "America's Best Colleges" list compiled by US News and World Report placed Wayne State in the Fourth Tier among "national", doctoral degree-granting institutions within the United States. [4]

Several of Wayne State's individual programs are well regarded. The School of Medicine ranked 22nd among the nation's 125 medical schools, according to the National Science Foundation, while its physics and physical science programs ranked in the top 50 nationwide [5][6]. The Law School has been ranked in the top 100 programs in the US News Law School Rankings, though its ranking fluctuates.[7]. The doctoral program in the College of Nursing was ranked fifth in the country [8]. Wayne State also is known for its strong urban policy programs, ranking 20th in the nation according to US News and World Report [9]. Wayne State's Honors Program was recently elevated from program status to becoming a full Honors College, named in honor of the university's ninth president Irvin D. Reid. The Honors College curriculum affords students the opportunity to become immersed in the Detroit community, participate in service learning, and perform meaningful undergraduate research.

[edit] History

See also: Wayne State University Buildings
Old Main, one of the most historically important buildings on the Wayne State University campus.
Old Main, one of the most historically important buildings on the Wayne State University campus.

The first component of the modern Wayne State University was established in 1868 as the Detroit Medical College, now the School of Medicine. In 1881, the Detroit Normal Training School was established, now the College of Education. Old Main Hall was built in 1896 as Central High School, which later began adding college classes in 1913. Those classes evolved into the Detroit Junior College in 1917, the College of the City of Detroit in 1923, and now WSU's College of Liberal Arts.

In 1919, David L. Mackenzie - who served a dual role as Principal of Detroit Central High School and Detroit Junior College - was officially appointed first Dean of the college that he had originated in 1917. With Mackenzie at the helm, Detroit Junior College grew to become the third largest institution of higher learning in Michigan. The college was granted four-year degree status in 1923 - becoming the College of the City of Detroit; David L. Mackenzie continued as Dean until his death in 1926[10].

In 1920, the Merrill-Palmer Institute for child development was founded. It is presently known as the Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute.

In 1927, the Detroit Board of Education dedicated its newest high school to the memory of David L. Mackenzie. The three-story structure still stands on the city's west side at 9275 Wyoming Avenue; Mackenzie High School closed its doors for the last time in June, 2007.[11]

In 1933, the Detroit Board of Education organized the six colleges it ran- liberal arts, medical, education, pharmacy, engineering and a graduate school- into one university. In January 1934, that institution was officially named Wayne University.

Wayne University continued to grow, adding the School of Social Work in 1935, the Law School in 1927, and the School of Business Administration in 1946. Wayne University was renamed Wayne State University in 1956, and the institution became a constitutionally established university by popularly adopted amendment to the Michigan Constitution in 1959.

Purdy/Kresege Library, Mort Harris Fitness Center and Chatsworth Apartments.
Purdy/Kresege Library, Mort Harris Fitness Center and Chatsworth Apartments.

As Wayne State University, the institution grew with the additions of the College of Lifelong Learning in 1973, the School of Fine and Performing Arts and the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs in 1985.

The University Libraries have grown to include five libraries, the Library and Information Science Program and the Office for University General Education.

Over the last few years, WSU has been aggressive in constructing new green glass buildings, including a new Welcome Center, which was controversial because of its cost and the displacement of several local businesses. Several new residence halls have been built, to further university officials' goal of moving the college away from a commuter school.

[edit] Campus

Northeast Campus from the UGL.
Northeast Campus from the UGL.
The Hilberry Theater.
The Hilberry Theater.

WSU is located in the heart of Detroit's University Cultural Center, the home of renowned museums, galleries and theatres, most within walking distance. The WSU main campus encompasses 203 acres of nicely landscaped walkways and gathering spots, linking 100 education and research buildings. [12]. The campus is urban and features many architecturally interesting buildings. Some notable examples include Helen Deroy Hall, the Education Building, the Maccabees Building, Old Main, McGregor Memorial Conference Center, Chatsworth Tower Apartments, and Hilberry Theater. Some of these buildings were designed by notable architects such as Albert Kahn and Minoru Yamasaki.

[edit] Satellite campuses

Wayne State has six satellite campuses in and around the Metro Detroit area. The locations are:

[edit] Student life

Linsell House and Chemistry building.
Linsell House and Chemistry building.
Meyer and Ann Prentis Building, School of Business Administration.
Meyer and Ann Prentis Building, School of Business Administration.

[edit] Government

The student body government is headed by a Student Council. Some colleges of the university have a Student Senate which reports to the Student Council. The School of Law has its own Student Board of Governors.

The campus is protected by the Wayne State University Department of Public Safety. There are 46 commissioned officers that serve Wayne State and the surrounding Detroit area. The department consists of bike officers, canine officers, patrol officers, and investigators. The headquarters is currently sitting at 76 W. Hancock, Detroit, but will soon occupy there new home north of campus at 6050 Cass. Pubilc safety has been in existence since 1968. They sponsor several programs throughout campus such as the RAD (Rape Aggression Defense). Public Safety also host several orientations for new students and employees.

[edit] Media

  • The official student newspaper is The South End.
  • First published in Spring, 2004, The Wayne Review was a conservative journal set up in response to the supposed "liberal bias" of the The South End. It was funded independently through private donations and advertising, and was distributed monthly. Although The Wayne Review did contain conservative commentary, it did have some investigative stories. While the paper's contents are not available online, The Wayne Review maintained a blog where similar commentary can be found. History major Joe Koss was the first Editor-In-Chief. During the first few issues of publication, the paper has faced criticism regarding grammatical and layout problems, but improved with the addition of a larger editing staff.
  • The University also hosts the public radio station WDET.
  • The alumni association publishes Wayne State magazine.

[edit] Wayne State University Alumni Association

The Wayne State University Alumni Association was created in 1935 to provide a strong loyalty and support system to graduates of the university.

[edit] Housing

The university provides housing in the form of apartment living and residence hall living. [13]

Current university owned apartment buildings include University Tower, Chatsworth Tower, Helen L. DeRoy Apartments and Sherbrooke Apartments. The Forest Apartments were closed after the 2004-2005 school year and have since been demolished. The Chatsworth Annex apartments were demolished, and replaced with greenspace and volleyball courts after the 2004-2005 school year.

In the hopes of bringing more residents to campus, Wayne State opened two dormitory-style residence halls in 2002 (Yousif B. Ghafari Hall (formerly North Hall) and 2003 (South Hall). This was the first time since the closing of the Newberry Joy Dorms in 1987 that the University offered dorm living. For the Fall 2005 semester, the university opened The Towers Residential Suites. This residence hall is open to undergraduate (sophomore and above) and graduate students. The Towers Café is the largest on-campus dining facility and is supplemented by Warrior Dining, located in Ghafari hall.

[edit] Libraries

Walter Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs.
Walter Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs.

With approximately 3.4 million volumes, the Wayne State University Library System houses the 68th largest collection in the United States, according to the American Library Association [14]. Consisting of the Arthur Neef Law Library, the Purdy/Kresge Library, the Science and Engineering Library, the Shiffman Medical Library, the David Adamany Undergraduate Library, and the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs (housing predominantly historical archives), the System ranks among the top libraries according to the Association for Research Libraries[15] and is committed:

to being a national leader in the transition of library collections from print to electronic resources; to offering excellent client services; to training librarians (including school media specialists) in the information age; and to supporting academic research through the UGE 1000 Office. to developing and supporting student awareness of traditions, goals and structures of universities and their research libraries.The Library System Website

The David Adamany Undergraduate Library also boasts one of the largest computer labs in the nation with over 700 computer terminals for students and a couple dozen for use by community guests.

Adjacent to the campus is the Detroit Public Library, containing the fifteenth largest library collection in the nation. [16]

[edit] Attractions

Wayne State University is near many Detroit institutions, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Orchestra Hall, Comerica Park, Ford Field, Joe Louis Arena, the Detroit Historical Museum, the New Detroit Science Center, the Detroit Film Theatre, the Fox Theatre, the Fisher Theatre, the Gem Theatre, and the Detroit Opera House.

Wayne State University plays host to E2detroit in the fall. E2detroit continues to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship and economic diversity required for launching successful start-ups with sustained monetary growth. The event began in 2005 and has been gaining momentum ever since. This year's E2detroit brings together expert authors and speakers, successful leaders from the Detroit community, high-powered investors and Wayne State University MBA students for a two-day program including a student competition, keynote addresses and panel discussions.

The event is aimed at bolstering the economy of the State of Michigan and allowing small businesses to access the necessary tools for maintaining longevity. E2detroit is focused on establishing Michigan as a primary hub for enterprise and Wayne State University as a premier training ground for entrepreneurship.

The Cass corridor would be considered one of the University's most notable surroundings, with a venerable history and culture that has left an imprint on many of the WSU alumni.

The campus is located near the oldest operating bowling alley in the United States. This bowling alley, The Garden Bowl, is a place where both the students and locals engage in bowling, alcohol and music.

[edit] Athletics

The school's intercollegiate athletic program was established in 1917 by director of athletics David L. Holmes. Revered by his athletes, Holmes initially coached all sports. His track teams were nationally known into the 1950s; in his first ten years, he produced two Olympians from the school's Victorian-era gym. Although he had major ambitions for Wayne and scheduled such teams as Notre Dame and Penn State in the 1920s, the lack of facilities and money for athletics kept the athletic program small.

A student poll selected the name of "Tartars" for the school's teams in 1927. In 1999, the university changed the name to the "Warriors," due to a feeling that the Tartar name was dated and that not many people knew what a Tartar was.[3][4] However many still use the Tartar name (such as Tartar Beerpong) due to 'warriors' being too generic. Wayne State competes in men's baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, ice hockey, swimming and tennis, and women's basketball, cross country, fencing, ice hockey, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball.

WSU participates in NCAA Division II in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) for all sports except ice hockey.

Wayne State's men's and women's ice hockey programs compete at the NCAA Division I level in the College Hockey America (CHA) conference. Wayne State will be dropping their men's Division 1 hockey program at the end of the 2007-08 season.

National Championships:

  • 1975: Men's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1979: Men's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1980: Men's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1982: Men's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1982: Women's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1983: Men's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1984: Men's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1985: Men's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1988: Women's Fencing - NCAA
  • 1989: Women's Fencing - NCAA

Although Wayne State plays Division II in fencing, the NCAA combines all three divisions for its National Championship tournaments.

[edit] Notable graduates

[edit] Future development

As part of the Wayne First Campaign, Wayne State currently has 5 major developments in process on the main campus.[17]

  • Ground-breaking has occurred at the site behind the University Towers apartment complex to prepare for development of the new South University Village, a 155,000 square-foot, five-story, mixed-use building. The planned completion dates and openings are set for spring/summer of 2008. The project includes a residential/retail building and public parking structure
    • Phase Two will add another $20 million of new construction in 2010-2012 with a second five-story apartment or condominium project.
  • The School of Business Administration will receive a new home, including two 250-student auditoriums, group study locations, and new faculty offices.
  • The College of Engineering plans to build the 81,700 sq.ft. Marvin Danto Engineering Development Center for research and development programs. Danto contributed $3 million to the project, earning the namesake. New labs to occupy the EDC include the Urban Infrastructure Lab, the Advanced Propulsion and Alternative Technology Lab, the Nanotechnology Lab and the Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems Lab. Total cost: $27.3 million.
  • The Law School will receive new classrooms and offices, as well as the new Center for Civil Rights, which will be housed in a proposed building named for Judge Damon J. Keith.
  • The School of Medicine will break ground in September, 2007 for the Richard J. Mazurek, MD Medical Education Commons, which will house the Vera P. Shiffman Medical Library, student computing laboratories, examination and study areas, simulation labs, as well as a large multi-purpose auditorium.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ :#University of Illinois at Chicago, with four campuses, has the nation's largest medical school. Available online at: http://www.med.wayne.edu/about_the_school and http://www.uic.edu/depts/mcam/aboutcom.html
  2. ^ "Carnegie Classifications - Wayne State University." Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (website). Available online at: http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/sub.asp?key=748&subkey=14807&start=782
  3. ^ Wayne State University Press Release. July 29, 1999. http://www.media.wayne.edu/release.php?id=1301
  4. ^ New York Times. " BLACKBOARD - SCHOOL SPIRIT; Before and After: New Symbols for Old Schools" August 6, 2000 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A06EED91F3DF935A3575BC0A9669C8B63

[edit] External links

[edit] Links to specific colleges

Coordinates: 42°21′26.44″N, 83°4′12.38″W