| Washington Adventist University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | "Gateway to Service" |
| Established | 1904 |
| Type | Private |
| President | Weymouth Spence |
| Students | 1,493[1] |
| Location | Takoma Park, MD, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Blue and Orange |
| Mascot | The Shock |
| Website | www.wau.edu |
Washington Adventist University is a Seventh-day Adventist liberal arts university operating in Takoma Park, Maryland, United States. Since 2008, when its new president Weymouth Spence announced a restructuring, the school has seen its enrollment increase by 50%.[1]
Contents |
WAU is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; the Adventist Accrediting Association of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; and approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Professional accreditations include the Department of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs of the National League for Nursing, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, and the Maryland State Department of Education.
The university offers undergraduate Associate and Bachelors degrees, as well as several Certificate programs. Graduate programs include the following: MBA, Masters of Nursing with Business Leadership, Masters in Public Administration, Masters of Religion, and Masters in Psychology. Adult evening courses towards accelerated bachelors degree programs are also available from the School of Graduate and Professional Services.
Washington Adventist University was established in 1904 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Washington Training College. In 1907, it was renamed Washington Foreign Mission Seminary, in 1914, Washington Missionary College, in 1961, Columbia Union College, and in 2009 received its current name.[2]
The current president of the college is Weymouth Spence, who has announced plans for structural changes to attempt to revitalize the school.[3] The changes are described in detail in a document called The Plan.[4] President Spence succeeded Randal Wisbey, who left in 2007 for La Sierra University. The resident agent is The Corporation Trust, Inc., in Baltimore, MD.
The campus occupies 19 acres (77,000 m2) in suburban Takoma Park, MD just north of the Washington D.C. line. There are 17 buildings including residence halls on campus. A new Music building is planned for construction, with the demolition of the old building to occur in Fall, 2010.
The university operates a radio station, WGTS, that plays contemporary Christian music.
The student body is diverse with students attending from a reported 40 states and 47 different countries. The University reports employing around 150 people.
WAU has 16 separate student clubs/organizations, including 6 honor societies. Musical and Art student groups include a touring orchestra, band, chorale, and black gospel choir. Other groups include the following:
WAU sports program includes both intercollegiate and intramural sports for men and women. Sports facilities and activities available to students include NCAA Division II Athletics (baseball and basketball), track and field, cross country, softball, and soccer. A volleyball club, running club, fitness club, racquetball and tennis courts, sports fields, and weight room complement the program. The school's team name is the Washington Adventist University Shock. The 2008 men's baseball team won the USCAA National Championship, the first national championship in the school's history. The "Iron Nine" of the Washington Adventist University baseball team have played in three national championship games between 2006 and 2009. Along with winning the title in 2008 they have been national runnerups in 2006 and 2009.
WAU also features a Sports-Acrobatics Exhibition Team. The Acro-Airs have performed across the country and for a variety of venues. The team does performances at schools and community events where they spread the message of healthy living including abstaining from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Washington Adventist University's Acro-Airs also perform Half-Time shows for NBA games. They have performed at games for the Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and others. A recent performance was at the "Discover Strathmore Open House 2009", which was sponsored in part by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus.
The Columbia Journal serves as the campus newspaper and is commonly referred to as the "CJ."
Many of the student body are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, though students of all faiths and belief systems may enroll. Weekly church services are held at the campus church, Sligo Church.
Washington Adventist University co-sponsors Adventist Colleges Abroad,[5] a program in which qualified students study overseas while completing requirements for graduation at Washington Adventist University. This language and cultural immersion is available in eight locations: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain, WAU undergraduate students may also study business courses in England through an exclusive partnership program with Newbold College just outside of London, England.
WAU nearly accepted a $25 million bid for the radio station owned by WAU, WGTS 91.9FM, from American Public Media Group in 2007. The Board of Trustees voted against selling the radio station in September 2007.
WGTS listeners and supporters ran multiple campaigns against the sale for months before the final decision was made by the board.
WAU would have used the sale payment to pay down about $5 million in debts and to increase its endowment of $4 million. The school, which has an enrollment of about 1,000 students, also anticipated that the proceeds would pay for constructing the first new building on campus in 37 years.[6]
In 2008, President Weymouth Spence announced he would eliminate or freeze up to 22 faculty and staff positions in order to restructure the school’s curriculum and relieve WAU's multimillion-dollar debt.
The announcement came as part of Spence's plan to restructure WAU into a health science-focused institution.
As a result, some students and faculty expressed uncertainty and displeasure regarding the change in school focus to local and school-wide media.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||