Weber State Profile 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 legislature renamed the institution Weber State University, effective New Year's Day 1991. Thus dawned Weber State's current role as Utah's metropolitan university. With a student body of approximately 13,500 drawn predominantly from the Wasatch Front, but including students from 43 states and 29 foreign countries, the university prides itself in offering a student-centered environment for learning. Its 57 buildings house abundant classrooms and laboratories, plus excellent student computing facilities, an outstanding performing arts center, a spacious library, and a well-equipped health and fitness center. Through its seven colleges and forty-three departments 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 Univeristy also cultivates opportunities for faculty and students to transcend disciplinary boundaries. Exten sive 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 is large and complex enough to offer a stimulating educational challenge without losing its historic dedication to the welfare of individual students. Through active membership in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the university remains current with national trends and issues. As Utah's metropolitan university Weber State seeks to work closely with the northern Utah community, as well as with partners throughout the state. Through WSU Continuing Education and Community Service, educational programs are available at nontraditional times and places. With one of the five most extensive cooperative education programs in the nation, Weber State gives students a chance to turn the community into a classroom. Weber State is Utah's leader in collaboration with elementary and secondary schools to improve education and teaching. Some thirteen alliances have been organized to link WSU faculty and schoolteachers in fields such as the sciences, history, mathematics, geography, foreign languages, performing arts, English. An exciting new model for training teachers on location in local schools has been successfully piloted in English. 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 community economic development through programs that build on the university's special strengths and give undergraduate students unique opportunities to work on projects benefiting local business and industry. For example, 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. The Center for Business and Economic Training and Research assists small businesses. High-quality vocational and applied technology programs remain an important component of education at WSU. For example, collaborations with General Motors and Toyota have made the automotive technician training program one of the best in the nation. Radiologic Sciences at Weber State recently was designated by the U. S. Secretary of Education as the outstanding vocational program in this region of the country. As the cultural center for the northern Wasatch Front, Weber State offers a wide variety of attractions. It is home of 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. Touring groups such as the King' s Singers, Canadian Brass, and Bolshoi Ballet have appeared during the past year. An emerging commitment to internationalizing Weber State education, such as a recent cooperative agreement with Lithuania's Vytautus Magnus University, is broadening the perspective of campus and community.