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Westminster College (Pennsylvania)

Coordinates: 41°07′09.69″N 80°19′39.60″W / 41.1193583°N 80.3276667°W / 41.1193583; -80.3276667
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Westminster College
TypePrivate
Established1852
Undergraduates1,450[citation needed]
Location
New Wilmington
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States
CampusSmall Town
ColorsBlue and White                           
MascotTitans
Websitewww.westminster.edu

Westminster College is a liberal arts college located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1852, it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Overview

Westminster is located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, a relatively small town 50 miles (80 km) north of Pittsburgh and 80 miles (130 km) south of Erie and Cleveland on a 300-acre (1.2 km2) campus.

Westminster formed as a result of a meeting on Jan. 21, 1852, between the Ohio and Shenango Presbyteries who desired to create a college that endorsed the values of Christianity while at the same time focusing on the emotional, educational, and social development of its students.

Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is ranked 15th among liberal arts colleges, according to the Washington Monthly 2007 Annual College Guide. Westminster is a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America’s Best Colleges, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of “The Best 366 Colleges” and “Best in the Northeast” by The Princeton Review, and was recognized by the Templeton Guide as a “Character Building College.” It has been rated by U.S. News and World Report as one of America's Best Colleges, is on the Princeton Review's 351 Best Colleges list, and has been called a "character building college" by the Templeton Guide; it is important to note that Westminster College, is not following the boycott of the college and university rankings that many other institutions are doing, including the group of liberal arts colleges known as the Annapolis Group, even though it is a liberal arts college itself.

Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus.

Quick Facts

Westminster is a coeducational, liberal arts college related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through the Synod of the Trinity.

Location: Westminster is located in New Wilmington, Pa., a quaint residential community. 65 miles (105 km) north of Pittsburgh, 80 miles (130 km) south of Erie, and 85 miles (137 km) southeast of Cleveland.

Campus: Over 300 tree lined acres - 22 buildings, several athletic fields, 10 tennis courts, 100-acre (0.40 km2) outdoor laboratory and Brittain Lake.

Students: 1,450 undergraduates, 200 graduate students 42% men, 58% women.

Faculty: 92% of the faculty hold terminal degrees.

Student/Faculty Ratio: 13:1

Accreditation: Westminster is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

East Central Colleges: Westminster is a charter member of the East Central Colleges Consortium, which maintains an office in Washington, D.C.

Libraries: McGill Library and J.S. Mack Science Library contain more than 224,000 volumes and provide facilities for individual study.

Religious Life: Optional weekly worship services, Sunday Vespers and Catholic Liturgy. Habitat for Humanity is the largest student organization on campus.

Curriculum and Calendar: 2 semester calendar (fall and spring), opportunities to travel during winter break, month of May internships.

Degrees: 39 majors, 6 pre professional programs

  • 3 undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music
  • Master of Education: degrees in English, History, and Certification as a Reading Specialist, Secondary School Guidance Counselor, Elementary Principal, School Superintendent, and Supervision (Ohio only).

Housing Facilities: 10 residential housing options

  • 7 - female halls including the newly renovated Thompson House
  • 2 - male halls
  • 1 - transitional living townhouse complex (The newly constructed Berlin Village)
  • Housing is guaranteed for all 4 years.
  • Each of the national fraternities also has a house with residence facilities.

Student Activities: 85 clubs and organizations, 5 national fraternities & 5 national sororities

Westminster College is a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News 2008 Guide to America's Best Colleges. Westminster is tied for seventh among Liberal Arts Colleges, and in the top ten in the country in graduation rate performance. Westminster College's 78% graduation rate was 15% higher than predicted. Of the 339 students who entered the College in the Fall 2000 semester, 68% graduated within four years, 77% graduated within 5 years of matriculation.

Athletics

The Westminster Titans compete in NCAA Division III athletics. Before moving to the NCAA, Westminster competed in the NAIA for several years. The Titans are a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

Publications

Westminster has two alumni publications and three student publications. The alumni publications are Westminster College Magazine, which is a quarterly magazine detailing on-campus and alumni activities and Westminster Weekly, a weekly e-mail to alumni, parents, students and other subscribers, containing announcements and press releases.[citation needed]. The student publications include The Holcad, a weekly student-run newspaper, Argo, the student-run yearbook, and Scrawl, a student-run yearly literary magazine.

Student Organizations

Student Government Association

The Student Government Association (SGA) exists primarily for governing and providing entertainment for the student body. As a prerequisite for executive council, committee chairs, and senators, students must have a GPA of 2.0. Overall, SGA serves as a connection between the students and the faculty and administration.[1] The SGA President for the 2008-2009 academic year is Ashley Carnahan.

Greek Life

The five social fraternities each have their own off campus house which junior and senior class brothers can live in. Each of the five sororities have their own respective hall in a sorority dorm building on campus that sisters can live in if they chose.

Fraternities

Sororities

Community Service

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ Westminster College Website
  2. ^ "Thomas W. Druce (Republican)". Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2000-01-15.

41°07′09.69″N 80°19′39.60″W / 41.1193583°N 80.3276667°W / 41.1193583; -80.3276667

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