Wesleyan is a small, private, non-sectarian university of liberal arts
and sciences for men and women in Middletown, Connecticut. Established
in 1831, it was the first school in the U.S. to be named in honor of John
Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
Wesleyan provides academic opportunities and facilities usually found
only at larger universities. Wesleyan is among the most selective institutions
in the country. About 79 percent of its students were in the top tenth
of their secondary school classes. Median SAT scores for the class of 2004
are 700/690 Verbal and 700/690 Math. Although Wesleyan is academically demanding,
its atmosphere is welcoming and non-competitive.
Of approximately 2,700 undergraduates, roughly 50 percent are male and
50 percent female. Wesleyan has a full-time graduate enrollment of about
150 in the sciences, mathematics and ethnomusicology. Because of the University's
relatively small size, students readily find their niche in the classroom
and the community.
Learning at Wesleyan
Wesleyan's most important resource is its faculty. All 353 faculty teach
undergraduates; 285 conduct full-time instruction. The student-faculty
ratio is approximately 9:1. Wesleyan's faculty includes a Pulitzer Prize
winner, a MacArthur ("genius grant") Fellow and numerous recipients of
Rockefeller, Guggenheim and other national prizes for teaching and research.
30 percent are women and 10 percent are persons of color.
The University's curriculum offers more than 900 courses in 41 departments
and 50 major fields of study. The curriculum may be adapted to a student's
particular interests by means of independent study, double majors, tutorials,
study abroad and off-campus study projects. Students learn to conduct concentrated
research in the arts, humanities and sciences. Nationally recognized artists
provide instruction in the performing arts. Writing is an important part
of most courses and an extensive program is in place to support students
in developing their writing skills.
The Wesleyan Community
Wesleyan's first president, Willbur Fisk, said that education should have
two objects: "the good of the individual educated and the good of the world."
The University's aims have remained consistent with his vision throughout
its history. Long before multiculturalism became an educational watchword,
Wesleyan strove to bring together people from various social, racial, ethnic
and geographic backgrounds. The university embraces differences of outlook
and opinion. Students of color make up 35 percent of the class of 2004:
13 percent African-American, 14 percent Asian or Asian/Pacific American
and 8 percent Latino. Among undergraduates, 78 percent are from outside
New England and 5 percent are from outside the U.S.
Middletown is more than the stereotypical New England "college town."
A small manufacturing city of about 43,000 residents, situated along the
Connecticut River midway between Hartford and New Haven, Middletown has
a resident of color population of about 20 percent. Many Wesleyan students
are involved in community service and live side-by-side with their Middletown
neighbors.
Campus Life
Student-sponsored activities form the core of Wesleyan's social life. The
more than 125 student organizations at Wesleyan cover a range of interests:
martial arts, outdoor activities, community tutoring, a cappella singing,
literary magazines, theater and dance troupes, WESU-radio, political organizations
and ethnic interest and support groups of all stripes. New groups are being
formed constantly in response to student interest.
Athletics, both at the varsity, intramural and club level, are popular
and well-supported by the five-year old Freeman Athletic Center. Wesleyan
participates in Division III sports, with varsity teams in baseball (men),
basketball*, crew, cross-country*, field hockey, football (men), golf,
ice hockey*, indoor track, lacrosse, soccer*, softball (women)*, squash*,
swimming, tennis*, track and field, volleyball (women)* and wrestling.
Intercollegiate club sports include cycling (men and women), equestrian
(women), rugby (men and women), sailing (men and women), skiing (men and
women), ultimate Frisbee (men and women), volleyball (men)* and water polo
(men and women)*; as well as intramural badminton, bowling, floor hockey,
ping-pong and racquetball.
(*indicates intramural teams in addition to varsity)
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