Western Michigan University

Informazioni Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University is a dynamic, student-centered research university with an enrollment of nearly 25,000. WMU is focused on delivering high-quality undergraduate instruction, advancing its growing graduate division and fostering significant research activities. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching places WMU among the 76 public institutions in the nation designated as research universities with high research activity. U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of American colleges and universities includes WMU as one of the nation’s top-100 public universities. Undergraduate students at WMU may choose from 140 program offerings while graduate students may select from 67 master’s, one specialist and 29 doctoral programs. A number of programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels have attained national recognition. Also enriching the quality of campus life are some 275 registered student organizations and a full array of NCAA Division IA intercollegiate athletic teams. The University’s commitment to the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge and insight has resulted in initiatives that reward faculty and student research, scholarship and creative activity. In a typical year, WMU faculty and staff conduct $30 to $40 million in externally funded research on topics ranging from nuclear physics and specialized education to developing technology that enables more efficient flight and more environmentally friendly public transportation. Instructional programs are designed to increase students’ capacity for learning and service to society, as well as meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. WMU is Michigan’s fourth largest higher education institution, attracting a diverse and culturally rich student body from across the United States and some 80 other countries. Its nearly 900 full-time faculty members have been trained at some of the world’s finest institutions and they bring to the University a global perspective that enhances the learning environment. WMU’s campuses encompass more than 1,200 acres and 151 buildings. Its main campus, close to downtown Kalamazoo, features some of the finest instructional and performance facilities in the Midwest as well as residence halls equipped to house more than 5,700 students. The University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Business Technology and Research Park are located three miles away on the Parkview Campus, while its nationally recognized College of Aviation is based at the W.K. Kellogg Airport in nearby Battle Creek. Among WMU’s newest instructional centers is the 200,000-square-foot College of Health and Human Services building, a state-of-the-art facility that houses award-winning programs and features specialized labs for such areas as biofeedback, orthotics and motion research. The University also has an off-campus study site in Kalamazoo and six regional sites around the state, all of which provide primarily graduate and professional education. Branch campuses are located in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Muskegon and Traverse City. Founded in 1903, WMU rapidly grew from a regional teachers college to an internationally regarded institution of higher education. What was once Western Michigan College became Western Michigan University in 1957, when the state designated it as the fourth public university in Michigan.