2008-2009 Catalog - Virginia Wesleyan College

COLLEGE PROFILE7auditing officials, and requests related to the application foror receipt of financial assistance.)Any other access must have written authorization fromthe student, with the exception of certain “directoryinformation,” which includes the name, address, andtelephone number of the student, e-mail address, majorfield of study, dates of attendance, degrees, awards andhonors received (including dates), photographic view orelectronic images, and most recent previous educationalagency or institution attended.Students may obtain a copy of the college’s policyconcerning access to educational records from the Office ofthe Registrar.College ProfileThe Heritage of Virginia WesleyanVirginia Wesleyan College is a liberal arts college relatedto The United Methodist Church. Chartered in 1961 andopened in 1966, the college was born into an age ofcomplexity and rapid change and has developed a flexibleeducational program open to innovation in order to meetthe changing needs of today’s students. By design, VirginiaWesleyan is small, believing that the aims of liberaleducation are best achieved in a context where students andfaculty know each other well.The liberal arts and church-related heritages of theCollege complement each other and define the valuesaround which it has been built. The Methodist heritage ofthe college demands openness to truth, not narrowparochialism. The liberal arts were originally so namedbecause they were understood to be liberating, and this stillholds true. The liberal arts focus on the search for humane,social, and scientific principles which, after thoroughexamination, provide the basis for the understanding ofone’s self, of society, and of the world.Virginia Wesleyan seeks to attract students who desire astrong, individualized academic program, who want tostudy matters of concern to them, and who want to beinvolved with other students and professors in creating avital educational experience.The Liberal Arts and CareersWhile liberal arts colleges have traditionally preparedstudents for careers in the professions of teaching, law,business, the ministry, health professions, and the fine arts,Virginia Wesleyan believes that liberal arts studies alsoprovide a proper starting place for numerous otherprofessions. The ability to move upward and laterally in theworld of work frequently depends on the capacity toanalyze, synthesize, make appropriate value judgments,draw conclusions, and communicate results. Thedevelopment of such skills and dispositions is at the veryheart of liberal studies.The College offers approximately 40 majors whichrelate to various careers or to further graduate study. Theseare described later in this catalog.The FacultyAt the heart of the educational experience are thepersons who teach. Virginia Wesleyan has, by design,recruited faculty members whose primary interest andcommitment is to classroom teaching. In addition facultyare engaged in scholarly and artistic activities, andcommunity service. Members of the faculty have earneddegrees from over 140 different colleges and universities,both in the U.S. and abroad. The richness of thiseducational experience is felt in their influence at VirginiaWesleyan.The LibraryHofheimer Library is at the heart of the VirginiaWesleyan campus, both literally and figuratively. It islocated centrally–a minute’s walk from classrooms, dorms,fitness, and dining facilities alike–and provides the highestquality resources and services to meet the research andinformation needs of students, faculty, and staff.Academic resources include an extensive bookcollection, online access to scholarly journals and researchdatabases, individual and collaborative study spaces, a largecomputer lab, and librarians ready to assist students.Advanced research is also supported through interlibraryloan services and cooperative agreements with highereducational institutions both in and outside of theHampton Roads area.In addition to its important role in the academicprogram, the Library’s Starbooks Café, Laptop Lounge, andMarlin Movies collection make it a popular destination forrecreational activities, including relaxing, checking email,and meeting friends.The SettingThe setting of the college complements its dualcommitment to the development of the intellect and toinvolvement in society. Nestled on a 300-acre campus in theheart of Virginia’s largest metropolitan area, the college isphysically insulated from the bustle of the city traffic and yetthe vast resources of this metropolitan area are easilyaccessible. Regardless of your major at Virginia Wesleyan,you are only a few minutes away from a living laboratory.The Norfolk/Virginia Beach area is one of the fastestgrowing urban centers on the Atlantic coast. The college hasdeveloped opportunities for students to bring the theoreticaland practical together in this rich environment.Physical FacilitiesVirginia Wesleyan’s buildings, all constructed since1966, are situated in the midst of expansive lawns,numerous athletic fields, and pleasant woodlands. Thelong-range plan calls for four villages surrounding a centralacademic core. The following complexes and buildings,with completion dates noted, now house the college’sacademic, administrative, and residential functions.