Weber State Profile PRU! II1!; '**; 'at msmm •ftw- 3t:.wwd«« Historical Perspective Weber State University was founded in Ogden, Utah, as Weber Stake Academy on January 7, 1889, by the Weber Stake Board of Education of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The 1933 Utah Legislature established Weber College as a state junior college and placed it under the control of the Utah State Board of Education. Following World War II the college outgrew its downtown campus and moved to the present 400-acre site, spectacularly perched on the mountainside overlooking Ogden and the Great Salt Lake. In 1959 the Utah Legislature authorized addition of upper division courses, leading to award of the first baccalaureate degrees by Weber State College in 1964. The 1969 Legislature created the Utah System of Higher Education, comprising nine public institutions of higher learning, including Weber State. The system is governed by a State Board of Regents, and each institution has its own Board of Trustees; members of both boards are appointed by the governor. In 1990 the state legislature renamed the institution Weber State University, effective New Year's Day 1991, appropriately symbolizing its role as Utah's premier public, undergraduate university. With a student body of 15,000 drawn predominantly from the Wasatch Front, but also including students from 42 states and 36 foreign countries, WSU takes pride in its student-centered environment for learning. Its forty buildings house abundant classrooms and laboratories, excellent student computing facilities, outstanding performing arts auditoriums, a spacious library, and a well-equipped health and fitness center. Through nearly fifty departments and programs in seven colleges Weber State offers undergraduate liberal education in the arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences, plus vocational and professional programs in the allied health professions, business, education, applied sciences, and technology. Master's degrees are available in professional accounting and education. An active and growing Honors program challenges the best of students, while a variety of support services aids those with particular needs. Academic studies are complemented by a wide range of cocurricular activities, including student government, a nationally-ranked forensics program, intramural and intercollegiate athletics, and performing arts. Mission Statement Weber State University provides learning opportunities appropriate to a comprehensive institution of higher education, welcoming learners from all regions and nations. The chief mission of Weber is to meet the educational needs of Utah through roles assigned by the State Board of Regents in the liberal arts and sciences and a variety of vocations and professions. Primarily committed to quality undergraduate education, Weber's selection of degree programs includes some advanced professional preparation. Students are admitted on the basis of demonstrated competence in skills that assure a reasonable chance of success in both college and career. Curricula emphasize further development of such skills, together with acquisition of knowledge and development of character. Eligibility for degrees requires meeting established standards of competence through outcomes assessment. Instructional programs are designed to prepare students for immediate employment or further study, at the same time equipping them through liberal education for lifelong learning in a changing world. The process of learning is emphasized, as well as accumulation of knowledge. Organized around traditional disciplines, Weber State University also cultivates opportunities for faculty and students to transcend disciplinary boundaries. Extensive personal contact between faculty and students creates an enriched learning environment both in and out of the classroom. Weber State University responds to its changing Utah environment through public service activities, as well as through conventional and innovative instruction. In order to insure the vitality needed for effective teaching and service, faculty engage in scholarship, research, artistic expression, and other professional pursuits. The University serves as a cultural center for its region and seeks to be a leader in addressing the particular needs of its students, stimulating community economic development, and improving public education. Distinctive Characteristics Weber State University is large and complex enough to offer a stimulating educational challenge, but still small enough to be concerned about the welfare of individual students. Through active involvement in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the university remains current with national trends and issues. WSU seeks to work closely as partners in learning with communities and organizations in northern Utah and throughout the state. Its instructional programs are available at nontraditional times and places through WSU Continuing Education and Community Services. With the third largest cooperative education program in the nation, WSU gives students a chance to turn the community into a classroom. WSU is Utah's leader in collaboration with elementary and secondary schools to improve learning and teaching at all levels. Fifteen partnerships have been organized to link WSU faculty with local teachers in fields such as the sciences, history, mathematics, geography, foreign languages, performing arts, English, and technology. The Early College offers a distinctive way for capable high school seniors to gain a year's worth of college credit while finishing high school. Weber State is also a leader in supporting economic development through partnerships that build on the university's special strengths and give undergraduate students unique opportunities to work on projects benefiting local business and industry. Two Utah Centers of Excellence have been established at WSU: The Center for Aerospace Technology specializes in designing, building, and orbiting small satellites, and the Center for Chemical Technology conducts research on problems posed by industries in the region. In addition, the Center for Business & Economic Training & Research, the Technology Assistance Center, and the Environmental Services Center help small businesses solve problems and build strengths. High quality applied technology programs remain an important component of education at WSU. For example, collaboration with General Motors and Toyota have made the automotive technician training program one of the best in the nation. WSU's Radiologic Sciences cluster recently was designated by the U.S. Secretary of Education as the outstanding vocational program in the region. As the cultural center for the northern Wasatch Front, WSU offers a wide variety of attractions. It is home to the renowned Utah Musical Theatre, a summer company that exemplifies the Department of Performing Arts' commitment to quality and integration of music, theatre, and dance. The Utah Symphony and Ballet West perform regularly on campus, and each year several touring groups from around the world appear. A growing international perspective is developing on campus through programs linking WSU faculty and students with numerous countries in Latin America, Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, the British Commonwealth, and the former Soviet Union.