Westcliff University
 | |
| Type | Private for-profit |
|---|---|
| Established | 1993 |
| President | Anthony Lee |
| Students | 2,779[1] |
| Location | , , United States 33°41′08″N 117°50′53″W / 33.68551713609263°N 117.84801296513112°W |
| Campus | 24 acres (0 km2) |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Nickname | Warriors |
| Website | www |
The Westcliff University (WU) is a private, for-profit university in Irvine, California. Founded in 1993, it offers bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees as well as certificate programs and continuing education courses.[1] WU is a California Benefit Corporation, obligating it to pursue the public benefit by always considering the impact of its business decisions on its employees, suppliers, the environment, and the community at large.
History
Westcliff University was founded in 1993 with a focus on online education in the fields of business and education.[2]
In 2019, a federal court approved Westcliff University's plan to purchase the Western State College of Law and revert it to for-profit status.[3] The ABA allowed continued accreditation under the ownership of Westcliff University in December 2019.[4]
Campus
The university moved to a new campus in 2018, located in the Von Karman Creative Campus area of Irvine, California.[5]
The new location expanded the university's campus space more than four times larger than the previous facility.[5] The campus is centered by the main building housing classrooms, faculty offices, administrative services, and study areas as well as a multipurpose building for athletics and recreation, career fairs, and other events.[5] The university's location at the Von Karman Creative Campus places Westcliff in the first large-scale creative office community in Orange County.[6]
Westcliff also holds in-person classes at Plaza Tower in Cerritos, California housed in Plaza Tower located near the I-605 and Artesia Freeway interchange.[7]
Academics
The university offers various online and hybrid programs focused in business, IT, and education fields, programs include: one-year certificates, bachelor's degrees, postbaccalaureate certificates, master's degree, and doctorate degrees.[1] The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WSCUC), Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), and Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). It is also approved by California's Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).[8]
Colleges and schools
Westcliff University offers 21 areas of study and confers degrees from two colleges.[1] The university is classified as a Special Focus Four-Year: Business & Management School by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.[9] The university has an 10-to-1 student-faculty ration and offers bachelor's degrees and master's degrees through its two colleges and one law school:[1]
- College of Business
- College of Education
- Western State College of Law
Enrollment
International students make up 89% of the university's undergraduate enrollment.[10] As of Fall 2018, California residents account for 9% of the student population.[10] 98% of undergraduate enrollment are categorized as full-time. Eighty-one percent of undergraduate are registered in online programs, 1% enrolled in hybrid programs, and 18% enrolled in on-campus programs.[10] Graduate curriculum is spread across the programs more evenly with 37% enrolled in online programs, 47% enrolled in hybrid coursework, and 16% in on-campus programs.[10]
Athletics
Westcliff's athletic teams are known as the Warriors. The university competed as an independent program until 2020 when it joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) in March.[11] The university currently fields teams in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men's and women's beach volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, men's and women's track and field, and men’s and women’s volleyball. The university also sponsors a varsity ESports team. Along with the move to the NAIA, the university announced further expansion of the athletic program with the addition of men's and women's tennis, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's surfing, men's and women's water polo, softball and cheerleading.[12]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Fast Facts". Westcliff University. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ "Westcliff University Announces Launch of New Degree Programs in STEM-related Fields". Business Wire. January 6, 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ Park, Jeong (15 August 2019). "Western State College of Law in Irvine has a new buyer". Orange County Register. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ "American Bar Association Approves Western State College of Law Accreditation". www.businesswire.com. 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
- ^ a b c "New Campus – 16715 Von Karman Avenue, #100, Irvine, CA 92606". Westcliff University. August 9, 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ Paltiel, Benjamin (April 29, 2019). "Outdoor WiFi And Electric Cars: How Tech Reshaped A 24-Acre Irvine Office Park". BisNow. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Catalog and Student Handbook 2019 – 2020" (PDF). Westcliff University. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Westcliff University Accreditation". www.westcliff.edu.
- ^ VSN Staff (31 March 2020). "NAIA Approves Five Institutions for Membership". Victory Sports Network. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ Petersen, Brandon (March 31, 2020). "Westcliff Athletics Joins the NAIA". Retrieved March 31, 2020.
External links
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