Iowa Wesleyan College

Iowa Wesleyan College is a private four-year liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church located Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Full-time undergraduate enrollment at Iowa Wesleyan is approximately 800.

The college is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to offer academic program leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music Education degrees.

Iowa Wesleyan is recognized as a pioneer in higher education in America, founded in 1842, it is today one of the oldest coeducational colleges located west of the Mississippi River. Among its innovations include unique concepts of undergraduate lab science, career experience, and service learning.

The college occupies a central campus of historic red brick buildings and modern structures, including National Register of Historic Places designates Pioneer Hall and Old Main. The college's Chapel, erected in 1896, is currently undergoing a complete renovation. Following the successful presidency of Dr. William N. Johnston, Dr. Jay K. Simmons took office as the college's 28th president in July 2008.

Academic Programs

Students at Iowa Wesleyan can gain a variety of degrees in the fields of Business, Education, Fine Arts, Human Studies, Lang. Literature, Nursing, and Science Math and Computer Science.

Being ahead of the time, Iowa Wesleyan started it's Responsible Social Involvement program, or "RSI" in the late 1960's. This program has two main goals:

1: Service to the Greater Community, and

2: Having students particiapte more actively in their own education.

RSI allows students hands-on experiences outside the traditional realms of textbooks, classrooms, and professors.

tudent Life

Iowa Wesleyan College offers many acitivies for students to get invovled with oustide the classroom, including the Student Government Association, the Student Union Board, Intramurals, College Radio (IWCR), Hall Councils, Student Ambassadors, as well as a number of performing groups such as the Theatre Club.

Greek Life

Greek Life has a rich history at Iowa Wesleyan College. Currently there are only two active chapters on campus, the Iowa Alpha chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity which has been on campus since 1871 and the Beta chapter of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, which has been on campus since 1902, and is the oldest chapter of Alpha Xi Delta in the country.

The P.E.O. Sisterhood was also founded at Iowa Wesleyan College on January 21, 1869.

Other Greek Organizations to have been on campus: .

Natinal Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Sororities

Pi Beta Phi, 1868-2006

Phi Mu, 1914-1943

Zeta Tau Alpha, 1918-1987

North American Interfraternity Conference (IFC) Fraternities

Beta Theta Pi, 1868-1915

Delta Tau Delta, 1875-1980

Sigma Phi Epsilon, 1913-1976

Lambda Chi Alpha, 1924-1974

Tau Kappa Epsilon, 1947-1954

Phi Kappa Tau, 1968-1984

Athletics

Iowa Wesleyan is an NAIA Division II college, and a member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference. Their mascot is the Tiger.

Iowa Wesleyan offers sponsors twelve intercollegiate sports for men and women. For men, basketball, soccer, track, baseball, football, and golf are offered. The sports for the women are identical, except for volleyball, which is offered alternatively of football. Iowa Wesleyan will reinstate Cross Country for men and women beginning in August of 2009.

In 2006, for the first time in college history, both the men's and women's teams qualified for the NAIA National Basketball Tournament.

Alumni

Noted college alumni include Belle Babb "Arabella" Mansfield, the first woman lawyer in the United States; James Van Allen, world-renowned astrophysicist and discoverer of the Van Allen radiation belt circling the earth, Peggy Whitson, current NASA Astronaut and William Andrews Clark, early 20th century business magnate. Motion picture pioneer and founder of United Artists, Mary Pickford, was an early notable awarded an honorary degree from Iowa Wesleyan.

External links

* [http://www.iwc.edu/ Official Site]

1. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 20th Edition