Wesleyan University

This article concerns Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut; a number of other colleges and universities have names that include Wesleyan.

Wesleyan University founded in 1831, is a private, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded by Methodist leaders and residents of Middletown, the now-secular university was the first college or university to be named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Wesleyan shares a common Methodist heritage with about twenty other U.S. colleges and universities also named after Wesley.

Today, Wesleyan occupies a unique position in American higher education between the major research universities and the leading liberal arts colleges. It emphasizes instruction, but also supports research, particularly in the sciences and mathematics.

History

Wesleyan was founded as an all-male Methodist college in 1831. In 1872 it became one of the first U.S. colleges to experiment with coeducation, allowing a small number of female students to attend--a venture known as the "Wesleyan Experiment". Some of Wesleyan's male alumni believed that coeducation lowered Wesleyan's prestige relative to its peer institutions, and thus from 1912 to 1970, Wesleyan was once again an all-male college. When Wesleyan began reintegrating women in 1970, many female scholars had already found their place at the all-female Connecticut College in nearby New London, founded by Wesleyan alumnae in 1911.

Wesleyan became fully independent of the Methodist Church in 1937, after ties waned during the early 20th century. The Princeton Review now rates Wesleyan among the top ten schools where "Students Ignore God on a Regular Basis", indicating a lack of religious sentiment. Today, many regard Wesleyan as a haven for counter-culture intellectuals, social progressives, and political activists.

Wesleyan is one of the three small New England colleges that comprise the "Little Three" (or the "Little Ivies"): Amherst and Williams Colleges are the others.

Although Wesleyan's endowment more than doubled from 1995 to 2005, as of 2006 it stands at approximately $563,000,000, well below that of many of its peer institutions.

Student Body

With a class size of slightly over 700, Wesleyan accepts just 28 percent (class of 2009) of those who apply, making it one of the most selective colleges or universities in the U.S. (On a scale from 60 to 99, the Princeton Review rated Wesleyan's Admissions Selectivity at 97). In 2006, it was ranked 12th among the top liberal arts colleges in the country by US News. In the initial Washington Monthly rankings, it ranked second among liberal arts colleges, after Wellesley College.

For a small college, Wesleyan's student body is highly diverse. Students hail from 49 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and 45 foreign countries. Thirty-four percent of the class of 2009 identified themselves as students of color. The Princeton Review lists Wesleyan among the top five U.S. schools where the "Gay Community ^* Accepted".

Wesleyan's student body is famous for its activism, particularly minority, feminist and gay-rights organizations. This served as the inspiration for the 1994 movie PCU, which satirizes an exaggeratedly Politically Correct University.

Undergraduate Programs

Wesleyan's 39 academic departments offer over 900 courses each semester. Undergraduates receive the Bachelor of Arts in one (or two) of 44 concentrations. No minor concentrations are offered. Wesleyan is highly supportive of interdisciplinary programs. For example, one can pursue a custom-designed major, known as a University Major. Double majors are also popular. Most classes at Wesleyan are small--the average class size for both graduates and undergraduates is approximately 19 students.

Several of Wesleyan's undergradute programs are particularly well-known. For example, Wesleyan's program in World Music employs leading teaching musicians and Ethnomusicologists, representing a variety of musical traditions. Javanese Gamelan, South Indian Classical, West African, African-American, and Experimental have been permanent components of the Music Department since the 1960's. A Masters degree in World Music and a PhD in Ethnomusicology are offered.

Wesleyan is also known for its film studies department. The Cinema Archives, run by renowned film historian Jeanine Basinger, documents the film industry during the 20th Century. The archives contain the personal papers of Elia Kazan, Frank Capra, Ingrid Bergman, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, John Waters, Roberto Rossellini, Gene Tierney, Raoul Walsh, and others.

Wesleyan's theater department is highly regarded. For example, Wesleyan is home to Second Stage, the first student-run college theater company in the country. Second Stage produces at least one show per weekend during the school year, either in the fully-equipped Patricelli '92 Theater or alternate spaces around campus. The '92 Theater became available for student run productions when the Center for the Arts opened in 1974, providing the Theater Department with what was then a state-of-the-art facility.

Wesleyan offers an astronomy program comparable to those at much larger universities. The Van Vleck Observatory, built in 1914, sits atop Foss Hill near the center of the Wesleyan campus. According to the department's web site, "The telescopes are used for research-based observing programs and sky watching events open to Wesleyan students and the general public." The university owns three telescopes. A 16-inch, and a 20-inch are both used for weekly public observing nights, open to the Wesleyan community and the general public. The third telescope, the 24-inch Perkins telescope, is used primarily for research, including for senior and graduate student thesis projects, as well as for departmental research programs. The Perkins scope is one of the largest telescopes in New England. Wesleyan also has a partnership with the WIYN .9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. Students and faculty have the opportunity to spend time in Arizona doing research with the telescope.

Wesleyan also offers two rigorous, interdisciplinary concentrations: the College of Social Studies (CSS) and the College of Letters (COL). Founded in 1959, and housed in the Public Affairs Center, CSS combines the disciplines of History, Economics, Philosophy, and Government. It is sometimes referred to as the "College of Suicidal Sophomores" due to the particularly intensive nature of its sophomore program. COL requires a semester abroad in the sophomore year, and combines the disciplines of literature, history, and philosophy. In the past, there were two other interdisciplinary concentrations: the College of Quantitative Studies (CQS) and College of Science in Society (CSIS).

Departments and Majors

The following is a list of undergraduate departments and programs. Each department offers one or more major programs of study, except as noted.

African American Studies
American Studies Program
Anthropology
Archaeology Program
Art and Art History
- Art History
- Art Studio
Asian Languages and Literatures
- (No separate major, see East Asian Studies)
Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Classical Studies
- Classics
- Classical Civilization
College of Letters
College of Social Studies
Dance
Earth and Environmental Sciences
East Asian Studies Program
Economics
- Economics
- Mathematics-Economics
English
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Film Studies
German Studies
Government
History
Latin American Studies Program
Mathematics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Medieval Studies Program
Music
Neuroscience and Behavior Program
Philosophy
Physical Education
- (No corresponding major)
Physics
Psychology
Religion
Romance Languages and Literatures
- French Studies
- Italian Studies
- Romance Studies
- Spanish Literature
Russian and East European Studies Program
Russian Languages and Literatures
Science in Society Program
Sociology
Theater

Certificate Programs

Wesleyan's certificate programs are "designed to bring coherence to programs of study that include courses from many departments and programs." They are:

Certificate in Environmental Studies
Certificate in Informatics and Modeling
Certificate in International Relations
Certificate in Jewish and Israel Studies

Graduate Programs

Wesleyan features 11 graduate departments. Graduates receive the Master of Arts, Master of Science, and/or Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Generally, Wesleyan's graduate programs retain a small college atmosphere similar to the undergraduate program. For example, departments feature small administrative staffs, close student-faculty interaction, and open laboratory facilities. Administrators limit graduate course enrollment to 18 students or less.

In 1953, Wesleyan pioneered the study of liberal arts at the graduate level, with the Graduate Liberal Studies Program. To date, hundreds of educational institutions have followed suit with similar programs, including many of the world's leading research universities. Wesleyan's Graduate Liberal Studies Program offers both the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (M.A.) and the Certificate of Advanced Studies (C.A.S.). The former requires 36 credit hours of study, and culminates in capstone project or thesis. The latter requires 30 credit hours of additional study and a thesis.

The following is a list of graduate departments and programs. Some departments offer more than one program, as noted.

Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Earth Science
- Environmental Science
Liberal Studies
- Certificate of Advanced Studies
Mathematics
Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Music
- Ethnomusicology
Physics
Psychology

Student Activism

Regarding need-blind admissions

Wesleyan employs a need-blind admission policy. Financial circumstances are not considered when deciding whether to admit, wait list, or turn down an applicant. In 1982, trustees announced that, following federal cuts to student aid, Wesleyan would begin to consider financial circumstances when admitting wait-listed students. Students protested the decision, and though trustees did not back down from their recommendations, Wesleyan raised enough money for financial aid to avoid putting the new policy into effect. In 1992, the administration again considered a moratorium on need-blind admissions. A student group, Students for Financially Accessible Education (SFAE), organized a series of actions, including rallies, a silent vigil encircling a trustee meeting, a sit-in in an administation building, and a camp-out on its lawn. Wesleyan's need-blind admissions policy was preserved and remains today. For several years, SFAE continued to raise awareness about financial accessibility, offering interest-free loans to students with financial emergencies, and raising money for financial aid through energy conservation campaigns. The group appears to be dormant at this time.

Recent activism

In 2001 students of the United Student Labor Action Coalition occupied the admissions building during the month of April to protest the University's use of sub-contracted janitors who were not being paid a living wage. As part of the nationwide Justice for Janitors campaign, USLAC demanded that the University ammend its contract with the service contractor to provide for a living wage and to let the janitors form a union if so desired. As April is the peak of college admissions season for prospective students, USLAC had a considerable amount of leverage as the University found itself with a severe public relations problem. After about two days the University conceeded to the student demands.

2004 saw a resurgence in activism at Wesleyan. In December 2004, over 250 students took over South College, the building housing President Douglas Bennet's office, to protest the lack of student voices in administrative decision making. The building occupation was followed by a forum the next day, in which President Bennet promised to respond to student demands in January 2005.

Another controversy in the same period was the status of the campus radio station, WESU, founded in 1939 as the second college radio station in the United States (KUOA at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas was the first, in 1936). Since 1988, WESU's format had been entirely free-form, with DJs having complete freedom to program what they will. The university had, at that time, announced its intent to seek some sort of affiliation with National Public Radio, and to drastically change the station's format. In October 2005 a consensus was reached on at least some aspects of the station's future, with the appointment of Ben Michael as the station's general manager. Michael, a volunteer at the station since 1998, was widely perceived as the students' and station staff's "candidate" for the position.

Issues relating to sex, sexuality, and gender are prominent on campus. A student organization on sexuality defines alternative sexuality broadly: "Why do we now use LGBTTQQFAGIPBDSM... to describe our communities? LGBTTQQFAGIPBDSM is an acronym that many people use to be inclusive of sexually dissonant identities. It includes Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Flexual, Asexual, Genderqueer, Intersex, Polyamourous, BDSM (bondage/ disciple, dominance/ submission, sadism/ masochism)...", with the ellipses indicating an indefinite continuation, and that the list is not comprehensive.

Para La Familia

Para La Familia is a student group that was founded at Wesleyan University in the Fall of 2004. It is dedicated to create the same resources for Spanish speaking parents and students that exist for English speaking parents and students. The need for this service arises from the fact that some parents are left excluded from what the college process is. So far the group has had three events, the first being November 14th 2004, then April 16th 2005, and the most recent one on November 12th and 13th with each event gaining increasing attendance. The first event included two families, the second held seven families, and the most recent event held approximately twenty families. The main purpose of the group is to integrate Spanish speaking families into the Wesleyan community. http://www.wesleyan.edu/wsa/paralafamilia

Notable alumni

For a list of notable alumni of Wesleyan University see: List of Wesleyan University people.

Notes

Profile of the Class of 2009 (PDF), Wesleyan University Office of Admission, accessed 23 Jan 2006.
New York Times, "Protest over Aid Ends at Wesleyan," 19 May 1982, B5.
New York Times, "Ability to Pay Becomes Factor in Admissions," 6 May 1990, 51. that the article cites Wesleyan as a school where need-blind admissions remained.
Peter Isbister, Need Blind in Need and Justin Tamplin, Recycling and Beyond. Both from Hermes, Sep. 1996, on university website. Retrieved 5 February 2006.
Students for Democratic Action On the December resistance, opinion piece in Wesleyan Argus. No date, apparently December 2004. Retrieved 26 Nov 2005.
Fragments//WESU History on website of WESU-FM. Retrieved 26 Nov 2005.
Adrian Peterson, Discovered At Last - The Oldest Radio Station In The World, originally aired over Adventist World Radio's "Wavescan" program. Retrieved 26 Nov 2005.
November 23, 2004 WESU press release. Retrieved 26 Nov 2005.
Students for Democratic Action, op. cit.
http://bartik.brynmawr.edu/students/lfriedma/queer/definitions.html#flexual, accessed 1 Nov 2005
http://www.wesleyan.edu/queer, accessed 31 Oct 2005.
Wesleyan University Astronomy Department, accessed 31 Oct 2005.
Johns Hopkins Medical Archives, accessed 6 Feb 2006.

External links

Wesleyan University
The Wesleyan Connection - Official newsletter of the University administration
Wesleyan Student Assembly
The Wesleyan Argus - Primary student newspaper
Wesleyan's University Profile
Wesleyan's History
Articles on Wesleyan History by Students
Wesleyan University Second Stage
Wesleyan Cinema Archives Website
WESU Middletown Radio Station
WESU Magazine
Wesleyan University Athletics
Wesleyan University Press