University of West Georgia

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University of West Georgia
Seal of University of West Georgia
Motto:	Educational Excellence in a Personal Environment
Established:	1906[1]
Type:	Public
Endowment:	$15,177,178[2]
President:	Dr. Beheruz N. Sethna
Provost:	Dr. Thomas J. Hynes
Students:	11,252[3]
Undergraduates:	9,230[3]
Postgraduates:	2,022[3]
Location:	Carrollton, Georgia, USA 33°34′18″N 85°06′53″W / 33.57167°N 85.11472°W / 33.57167; -85.11472
Campus:	Rural 644 acres (2.61 km2)
Former names:	Fourth District A&M School, West Georgia College, State University of West Georgia
Colors:	Red and Blue
Nickname:	Wolves
Mascot:	“Wolfie”
Athletics:	NCAA Division II
Affiliations:	Gulf South Conference
Website:	http://www.westga.edu

The University of West Georgia, or UWG, is a comprehensive, residential University located in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 50 miles (80 km) west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on a 645 acre (2 km²) campus including a recent land gift of 246 acres (1 km²) from the city of Carrollton in 2003.^[4] Off-campus classes are available in Dalton, Newnan, Georgia Highlands College in Rome, and at several other community locations throughout the state. For the past six years, the University has been named as one of the Best Southeastern Colleges by The Princeton Review.^[5]

Contents 1 History 2 Academics 2.1 Psychology program 3 Student life 4 Athletics 4.1 Athletic achievements 4.2 Future football stadium 4.3 The Coliseum 5 Notable alumni and faculty 5.1 Sports 5.2 Politics and society 5.3 Authors 6 External links 7 References

[edit] History

The University of West Georgia was originally founded as the Fourth District Agricultural and Mechanical School in Carrollton, Georgia in 1906 with the first class of 108 students entering in 1908.^[1] In 1933 the school's named was changed to West Georgia College and it became a two-year institution. West Georgia became a four-year institution in 1957.^[1]

[edit] Academics

The University offers numerous programs of study at the Undergraduate, Graduate, and Post-Graduate levels through the College of Arts and Sciences, the Richards College of Business, the College of Education, the School of Nursing, the Honors College, and the Graduate School. In addition, the university is one of few in the United States to hold a residential, early entrance to college opportunity for high school juniors and seniors, the Advanced Academy of Georgia. Advanced Academy students take college courses and reside on campus under the supervision of a professional residential staff.

[edit] Psychology program

The University is unique in that it is one of only two public universities in the United States offering a psychology program with a humanistic and transpersonal focus. In 1967 Mike Arons, a student of Abraham Maslow, Paul Ricoeur, and Jim Klee, became chair of the West Georgia psychology department. Jim Thomas, then on the psychology faculty at West Georgia, and others had asked Abraham Maslow to recommend someone to them to initiate a humanistic emphasis there, and Arons was Maslow's recommendation.^[6]

[edit] Student life

Students have access to more than 95 student organizations covering academics, cultural/international, departmental/educational, professional and honor groups, politics, religion, service, recreation and sports, and social fraternities and sororities.

UWG's marching band is known as "The Sound that Lights the South" and consists of over 140 members. Led by Dr. Douglas Overmier since 2003, it is known for its high energy and athleticism. Each performance finishes with the band dancing to the final number.

The pedestrian campus also includes a Library with 561,900 volumes, a Gym, computer labs, tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer fields, a nature trail, a quarter-mile (400 m) running track, and basketball courts.

The University also operates a noncommercial radio station (WUWG-FM) at 90.7 MHz FM. It has been on the air since 1973 (originally as WWGC-FM), serving all of Carrollton and Carroll County as well as the student body of the university. The station is a listener-supported affiliate of Public Radio International, with diverse programming from a wide variety of genres.

The world's only hand-painted replica of the Bayeux Tapestry is located at the University of West Georgia by the Art Department. It is displayed in the third floor atrium of the Humanities building. This replica was donated to the university by the city of Bayeux, France in 1997.

[edit] Athletics

The athletics program fields men's intercollegiate teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, and golf and women's teams in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, and volleyball. All intercollegiate sports are affiliated with NCAA Division II of the as a member of a member of the Gulf South Conference. In 2006, amid the Native American mascot controversy, the UWG changed its athletic nickname from the "Braves" to the "Wolves."

[edit] Athletic achievements

• Football holds one NCAA Division III National Championship for in 1982.^[7]
• Men's basketball holds one National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship in 1974.^[8]

• Co-ed Cheerleading holds eight consecutive NCAA Division II titles 2002-2009.^{[citation needed]}
• All-female Cheerleading has earned four NCAA Division II National Championships in 2004,2006, 2007, and 2008.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Future football stadium

Funding was recently secured for building an Alumni Stadium and Athletic Complex. The area of development will be on 250 acres granted to the University from the city of Carrolton in 2003. The project has garnered much attention from the 45,000 alumni and friends. The athletic complex will include a 9,000-seat football stadium as well as a 750-seat soccer stadium, varsity softball field and multi-field softball complex, football practice fields, and soccer practice fields. It is hoped that this project will aid this University in its quest to continue to attract additional students, potentially driving enrollment from 11,252 students to over 15,000 students. Once this enrollment goal is achieved, the institution desires to move from NCAA Division II to Division I. With a combination of good jobs and a robust student life, students are choosing to remain on campus for the weekends, thus removing the label UWG once had as a “suitcase college.” And, to aid in getting those students, alumni and fans to the site, Governor Sonny Perdue approved an appropriation of $1.9 million for a road and bridge infrastructure to connect the current campus to the 250 acres of land. The project has a total projected cost of $29 million.

The area of development is about 246 acres (1.00 km2) granted to the university from the city of Carrollton in 2003. The athletic complex will include a 9,000-seat football stadium as well as a 750-seat soccer stadium, varsity softball field, a multi-field softball complex, football and soccer practice fields and other fields for intramural sports. The funds will be raised from private donations and through a student fee approved by the Student Government Association. Construction began during the summer of 2008 and the current plan is to begin playing football in the Stadium in Fall of 2009.[2] ^[9]

[edit] The Coliseum

Opening in 2009, the 6,700-seat Coliseum is the new home of Wolves basketball and volleyball. This $30 million venue is the largest in the Gulf South Conference one of the finer arenas in all of Division II athletics.

The concourse level of the facility includes a two-story lobby that offers an area for event pre-function gatherings. The concourse level also features concession stands and restrooms.

The lower level of the facility houses the floor of the arena, spacious locker rooms for the men and women basketball teams, the volleyball team, visiting teams, and referees. Additionally, this level includes a trainer’s facility. The Coliseum has a maple wood floor surrounded by seating and a four-sided, state-of-the-art video scoreboard suspended over center court.

The upper level includes three large skyboxes for UWG officials, boosters, and friends to gather during events.

The Coliseum hosts UWG commencement ceremonies, concerts, and other various events. The Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA and AAAA Boys and Girls Basketball quarterfinal round of the playoffs are also held at this facility. [3]

[edit] Notable alumni and faculty

[edit] Sports

• Barry Evans - San Diego Padres pitcher ('78-'81), New York Yankees ('82)^[10]
• Brandon Jamison - Atlanta Falcons LB (2006), Carolina Panthers LB (2007-present)^[11]
• Rick Camp - Atlanta Braves Pitcher 1976-1985 ^[10]
• Foots Walker '74 - Former NBA player with Cleveland Cavaliers. Played on West Georgia National Championship team.^[12]

[edit] Politics and society

• Newt Gingrich - History teacher ('70-'78), U.S. Speaker of the House (1995-1999)^[13]
• Creflo Dollar - Pastor/Founder of World Changers International in College Park, GA^{[citation needed]}
• J. Willis Hurst '39 - Cardiologist to President Lyndon B. Johnson and author of The Heart, the premier textbook for cardiologists ^[14]
• C. Michael Greene '71 - Former president/CEO, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammys)^{[citation needed]}
• Dr. Julian Stanley '36 - Retired professor of psychology and director of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, an institute he founded in 1971 at Johns Hopkins University ^[15]
• Richard Glanton '68 - Noted Philadelphia attorney, served as president of the Barnes Foundation in 1990 and was instrumental in creating a museum at Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) for the foundation's art collection ^[16]

[edit] Authors

• Terry Kay '57 - Author of To Dance with the White Dog ^[17]

• David Bottoms MA '73 - Author of several volumes of poetry and two novels. Former poet laureate of Georgia. Inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. ^[18]

[edit] External links

• University of West Georgia
• UWG Wolves
• The Advanced Academy of Georgia
• AboutCarrollton.com

[edit] References

v • d • e University System of Georgia Research Universities University of Georgia • Georgia State University • Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) • Medical College of Georgia Regional Universities Georgia Southern University • Valdosta State University State Universities Albany State University • Armstrong Atlantic State University • Augusta State University • Clayton State University • Columbus State University • Fort Valley State University • Georgia College & State University • Georgia Southwestern State University • Kennesaw State University • North Georgia College & State University • Savannah State University • Southern Polytechnic State University (Southern Poly) • University of West Georgia State Colleges Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College • College of Coastal Georgia • Dalton State College • Gainesville State College • Georgia Gwinnett College • Gordon College • Macon State College • Middle Georgia College Two-year Colleges Atlanta Metropolitan College • Bainbridge College • Darton College • East Georgia College • Georgia Highlands College • Georgia Perimeter College • South Georgia College • Waycross College Independent research unit Skidaway Institute of Oceanography Governing body Georgia Board of Regents

v • d • e Gulf South Conference Western Division: Arkansas Monticello • Arkansas Tech • Christian Brothers • Delta State • Harding • Henderson State • Ouachita Baptist • Southern Arkansas Eastern Division: Alabama Huntsville • Montevallo • North Alabama • Valdosta State • West Alabama • West Florida • West Georgia