University of Virginia's College at Wise
| University of Virginia - Wise Logo | |
| Type | Public college |
|---|---|
| Established | 1954 |
| Chancellor | David J. Prior |
Academic staff | ~140 |
| Students | 1,953 |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Rural, 400 acres |
| Colors | Red and Gray |
| Nickname | Highland Cavaliers |
| Website | www.uvawise.edu |
The University of Virginia's College at Wise, commonly called UVA-Wise, is a public liberal arts college, and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, located in Wise, Virginia. It is the only branch of the University of Virginia, and the westernmost public college in Virginia.[1]
History
UVA-Wise was founded by The University of Virginia in 1954 as Clinch Valley College of the University of Virginia, a two-year junior college. In June 1970, the school began to grant four-year baccalaureate degrees. Since that time, UVA-Wise has granted about 6,000 baccalaureate degrees. [2]
In 1999, Virginia's General Assembly renamed the school "The University of Virginia's College at Wise," following an unsuccessful effort to change the institution's name in 1991. [3] The College is commonly referred to as "UVA-Wise."
The College offers 29 majors, 27 minors and 23 teaching specialties. As of September 2007, the College's enrollment is about 1,953 students. [4] The College Board has expressed the desire to see the college grow to between 3,500 and 5,000 students by 2015.[5] Thus UVA-Wise is undergoing rapid growth, with several new buildings and campus beautification projects underway.[6]
Today
UVA-Wise is recognized by US News & World Report as the nation's top public liberal arts college. [7] UVA-Wise is a College of Distinction [8], which constitutes a nationally recognized college by education professionals as an excellent school, strongly focused on teaching undergraduates, home to a wide variety of innovative learning experiences, an active campus with many opportunities for personal development, and highly valued by graduate schools and employers for its outstanding preparation.
Notable Students
The first winner of Make Me a Supermodel (US) Holly Kiser was a student of UVA-Wise.
Zelma Mullins Pattillo, who was first president of the UVA-Wise Baptist Student Union, is an ordained minister and widely-known leader in the field of hospice chaplaincy.
Athletics
The school's athletic teams, known as the Highland Cavaliers,[9] compete on the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) level in the Mid-South Conference during the football season. Its other nine sports programs are members of the Appalachian Athletic Conference. As of 2006, the Highland Cavaliers' football team was ranked in the top 25 schools in the NAIA, and ranked #1 in total offense in all of the NAIA. Many students and alumni also follow the Virginia Cavaliers athletic teams.
