catalog 07-08 edited:05-06 catalog.qxd - Westminster College

catalog07-08edited:05-06catalog 9/26/2007 2:26PM Page3W E S T M I N S T E RA T A G L A N C EWestminster College, a selective, independent, four-year co-educationalresidential college, was established in 1851, with a liberal arts and sciencesfoundation that still stands today. Westminster’s general educationprogram is grounded in a commitment to liberal learning in the artsand sciences and providing its students with opportunities to explore theaesthetic, cultural, ethical, historical, scientific and social contexts, inwhich they will live, work and learn in the 21st century. In addition toproviding the broad view needed for perspective in today’s world,Westminster College provides the specialized training necessary forcareer success as well as preparation for advanced graduate and professionalstudies.Westminster offers a wide variety of majors, minors and preprofessionalprograms of study. In addition to these programs, studentsmay design a personalized program of study through the self-designedmajor. The College’s Office of International & Off-Campus Programsassists students seeking overseas study opportunities or pursuingexchange opportunities with sister institutions. The College maintainsaffiliations with a variety of institutions and programs which allow forstudents to choose from nearly 150 approved foreign and domestic programsin 40 countries.Westminster’s faculty hold degrees from some of the finest institutionsof higher learning. More than 72% percent of the College’s full-time facultyhold a doctorate or an equivalent terminal degree; several havereceived Fulbright grants; others are engaged in advanced research andscholarly study. These dedicated teacher-scholars combine a commitmentto the principles of liberal education with expertise in their disciplinaryspecialties and a devotion to the intellectual growth of their students.The College encourages close personal interactions between facultyand students, providing one of the vital cornerstones of excellence inteaching and learning. Student/faculty ratios of 14:1 ensure that studentsreceive personal attention.Small by design, the College enrollment was 952 students in fall 2006.Over 60 percent of these students came from Missouri. In addition, 26states and 50 foreign countries are represented in the student body.International students make up 12 percent of the student body placingWestminster as one of the top-25 baccaleaureate liberal arts colleges inthe country. The Westminster students are as illustrious as the faculty,with an average entering ACT of 24.5 and an average high school gradepoint average of 3.50. Approximately 45 percent of the students belongto one of the eight fraternities and sororities that keep the WestminsterCollege social scene active.Annual lectures at Westminster College include the John Findley GreenLectures, a distinguished series on economics, social and internationalaffairs; the endowed IBM Lecture Series, which brings to the campusleaders or professors in the area of business and finance; and the CrosbyKemper Lectures, in which authorities on British history and SirWinston Churchill come to speak at the Churchill Memorial.Westminster College is accredited by the North Central Association ofColleges and Schools. It competes at the NCAA Division III level in varsityathletics and is a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate AthleticConference. Men’s varsity sports include baseball, basketball, football,golf, soccer and tennis; women’s varsity sports include basketball, golf,soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. More than 20 intramural sportsare offered for men, women and coed teams.Westminster College offers a wide range of academic and need-basedsupport. In 2005-2006, more than $9,808,088 in financial aid wasawarded. About 98 percent of the College’s students receive aid in theform of scholarships, grants, loans, or work-study opportunities.Westminster College is located in Fulton, Missouri. Fulton is a pleasantcommunity of 12,000 people, located just off Interstate 70, 100 mileswest of St. Louis, 150 miles east of Kansas City and 70 miles north of theLake of the Ozarks. The Missouri School for the Deaf and WilliamWoods University are also located in Fulton. The University of Missouri-Columbia, Stephens College and Columbia College are 25 miles west ofFulton in Columbia. Jefferson City, the state capital and home of LincolnUniversity, is 20 miles to the south. The campus grounds encompass 80acres, the heart of which is a lovely, tree-shaded area enhanced by thestately Greek revival architecture of the surrounding campus buildings.Find additional information on Westminster news, press releases, specialevents, alumni connections, library resources, parent information,calendars, maps and community information onlineat www.westminster-mo.edu. Be sure to bookmark the page!