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Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) is a private Evangelical Christian liberal arts college located in Marion, Indiana that is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination. IWU is the largest member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and the second largest Evangelical university in the United States in total students, second only to Liberty University. The University offers various liberal arts (including 78 undergraduate majors) and professional educational programs leading to the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Education and Master of Business Administration degrees, along with a doctoral program in Organizational Leadership. In addition, a Master of Divinity degree is planned to be offered in the near future through a new accredited seminary, pending accreditation approval.

History

The University mission states: "Indiana Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered academic community committed to changing the world by developing students in character, scholarship, and leadership." IWU's original campus, well recognized in Indiana for teacher education and a college of business, was known first as Marion Normal College (1890-1912) and then reopened as Marion Normal Institute (1912-1918).

In 1918 the Marion Normal Institute relocated to Muncie, Indiana, joining the Indiana Normal Institute to form what would eventually become known as Ball State University. Because the Indiana Conference of The Wesleyan Methodist Church operated the Fairmount Bible School 10 miles south of Marion, a group of local citizens asked them to move to the vacant property and open a normal school in Marion. So in 1918 – 1919 the church raised $100,000 to endow the school, moved the Fairmont Bible School to Marion, and added a new teacher education program to become Marion College. The actual year of incorporation was 1919; however, the first classes were not offered until the fall of 1920, which became the official year of inception.

From 1920 to 1988, Marion College operated as a developing liberal arts institution with growing programs, offering the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees since the first graduating class of 1921. A Master of Arts in Theology was begun in 1924 and offered continuously until 1950. Master’s degree programs were initiated again in 1979 in Ministerial Education and Community Health Nursing. Master’s degree programs were begun in Business in 1988, in Primary Care Nursing in 1994, and in Counseling in 1995.

A new administration was initiated by the Board of Trustees with the presidency of Dr. James Barnes in 1987. The name of the institution was changed to Indiana Wesleyan University, reflecting the influence of the institution across the state - well beyond the boundaries of the city of Marion, its connection with The Wesleyan Church and Christian higher education, and the development of increasing numbers of graduate programs.

Having already established a solid liberal arts college, in 1983, University leadership decided to begin offering courses and degrees to working adults during evening hours and Saturdays, forming what would eventually become the innovative College of Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS). This decision proved to be very successful and massively affected IWU’s future, wiping out the school's sizable debt and funding the expansion and revitalization of the Marion campus, eventually transforming the college into a major evangelical Christian university. The CAPS program provides the majority of the funding used in campus renovation and construction projects, keeping student tuition at a relatively low level compared with other similar colleges.

Enrollment in the CAPS program has grown tremendously since 1985 when the first courses were offered. IWU has grown by more than 200 percent since 1990 to educate nearly 15,000 students, 11,500 of whom are taking courses online or at IWU's CAPS educational centers in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Site-based classes are held at 11 education and conference centers: Indianapolis (2), Fort Wayne, IN, Shelbyville, IN, Kokomo, IN, and Columbus, IN; Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky; and Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dayton, Ohio. Classes are also held at more than 80 off-campus locations in Indiana. Many private universities across the country are attempting to copy IWU's successful program.

In 2000, the University organized its academic structure into three colleges; the College of Arts and Sciences (traditional four-year liberal arts education), the College of Graduate Studies (traditional semester-based graduate degrees), and the College of Adult and Professional Studies (non-traditional, accelerated programs for working adults).

IWU is currently the fastest-growing university and the largest private university in Indiana. Among the 105 members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (the main organization of evangelical colleges in the US and Canada), IWU is by far its largest member with nearly 15,000 students enrolled as of September 2007. The next largest member, Azusa Pacific University, has less than 8,000 students. The University currently employs more than 200 full-time faculty, over 400 full-time administrative and staff members, and more than 700 adjunct faculty members.

On July 1, 2006, Dr. Henry Smith succeeded Dr. James Barnes as president of IWU. Dr. Barnes served as president from 1987-2006 and is credited with transforming IWU from a small, struggling Christian college into one of the largest and most successful evangelical Christian universities in the world. Dr. Barnes now serves as University Chancellor.

Wesley Seminary

Wesley Seminary is a proposed Evangelical Christian theological seminary affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination that will be located on the campus of IWU. In 2008, IWU administrators and the Board of Trustees endorsed the concept of the seminary. The seminary is currently under consideration to be accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is expected to launched in the fall of 2009, pending accreditation approval. Wesley would be the first seminary in the history of the Wesleyan Church, which is one of the only Evangelical denominations that does not currently require pastors to hold a seminary degree for ordination. The seminary would offer the Master of Divinity degree along with other advanced ministry degrees and would have its own building and student housing on campus.

Honors

In 2007, the University was named "One of the Top Masters Universities in the Midwest" by U.S. News and World Report, ranked 62nd among 138 schools. In the 2008 edition, IWU jumped up to 31st in the rankings and in the 2009 edition, the University moved up to 28th.

The New Media Consortium recently recognized IWU as a world leader in its innovative approaches to the use of technology. IWU is the first member institution of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities to be selected. President and CEO of the New Media Consortium, Dr. Larry Johnson, identifies IWU as "a place where smart, creative people are devising innovative solutions to challenges we all face in teaching and learning. The dedication to excellence here is palpable, and students and faculty are the clear beneficiaries."

The University was one of 12 independent colleges chosen nationally to receive the Foundation of Excellence Award from the Policy Center on the First Year of College. As a result, the university is helping to develop programs and best practices that many institutions across the country will view as the gold standard for outstanding first-year programming.

The Best Christian Workplaces Institute, a research-based organizational and human resources consulting firm, recently named the University one of the three Best Christian Workplaces in America. The Institute has surveyed 400-plus Christian organizations, with more than 40,000 employees, during the last four years.

The Center for Life Calling and Leadership has developed a national reputation for excellence grounded in groundbreaking research and innovative application.

Two faculty members have recently received Fulbright research grants.

The University has also been named one of the "Top Ten Conservative Colleges" in the U.S. by the Young America's Foundation four years in a row.

Enrollment

Indiana Wesleyan's total enrollment has grown tremendously the past 20 years, from a student total of 2,000 in 1987 to nearly 15,000 in 2007. This rapid growth has made IWU the largest institution in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the largest private university in the state of Indiana, and the fastest-growing university in Indiana.

The population of traditional students living in university-owned residence facilities has increased from 442 students in 1989 to nearly 2,500 in the fall of 2007.

Enrollment in the College of Adult and Professional Studies programs has increased more than 900 percent, from 1,250 students in 1989 to more than 11,500 students in the fall of 2007. With IWU’s continued expansion around the Midwest, enrollment in the adult programs is projected to double during the next decade.

Main Campus

Indiana Wesleyan University is noted for its award-winning 300 acre main campus in Marion, Indiana. During the past two decades, nearly $250 million in new construction and renovation have transformed IWU into a debt-free, student-focused, state-of-the-art university. Since 1990, over 50 construction projects have been completed, including 20 residence halls and 16 academic/administrative buildings, along with 11 adult and professional studies structures around the Midwest. Fort Wayne-based architectural firm,Design Collaborative, has designed the majority of the campus facilities. A national poll recently ranked IWU's campus #1 in the U.S. among Evangelical Christian universities. IWU has also been ranked #1 in the nation for spiritual atmosphere by Campus Life magazine.

As the University continues to grow, new facilities are constantly being built. Chief among them is a new $22 million chapel/auditorium (where required chapel services will be held 3 days a week) currently under construction and scheduled for completion in January 2010. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 4, 2008 and a webcam of the construction can be viewed here: . With 3,800 seats, the new chapel will be one of the largest theaters in the Midwest. It will even be larger than the famous Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, home of the Academy Awards.

Athletics

The University offers eight intercollegiate sports for both men and women. The Wildcats compete in the Mid-Central College Conference and are the conference's winningest school. IWU is also a member of the NCCAA Division I and NAIA Division II.

Former athletic director, Dr. Mike Fratzke, was the MCC conference president and was voted the 2007 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year.

The University has earned a national reputation for athletic excellence and in recent years, has dominated the MCC. IWU has won the MCC Conference Commissioners Cup a record seven consecutive years, and placed among the Top 20 in the NAIA United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup Standings nine straight years. The University has also won 8 national championships in the last two years alone.

2006-2007

The 2006-2007 school year was a record year for IWU sports, winning conference championships in 10 of the 14 MCC sports, which is a conference record. Both the men's and women's soccer and basketball teams captured MCC championships, the first school to do so. In addition, the men's golf team captured its second straight NCCAA National Championship and the women's tennis team won the NCCAA National Championship as well (the program's third overall). The men's basketball team qualified for the NAIA national tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history. However, the story of the year was the record-breaking women's basketball team, who captured the first NAIA National Championship in school history by defeating College of the Ozarks in the final. The Wildcats posted a perfect 38-0 record, becoming the first basketball team in NAIA history to go undefeated.

2007-2008

The 2007-2008 school year started well for the Wildcats, including MCC championships in men's (2nd in a row) and women's soccer (10th in a row), women's tennis (17th in a row), men's (3rd in a row) and women's cross country, women's volleyball (2nd in a row), and men's golf. Both the men's and women's soccer teams and the women's volleyball team (6th in a row) secured MCC Tournament championships as well. The men's soccer team posted a 14-3-1 regular season record, the best in program history, reached #6 in the NAIA national rankings (also a record mark), and won the NCCAA Midwest Regional Championship, as well as being ranked #1 in the NCCAA national poll for most of the season. The women's soccer team also won the NCCAA National Championship (the program's fourth overall) and finished with a season record of 21-2-1, the best in school history. IWU was well on its way to securing its seventh straight MCC Commissioners Cup.

In December, the women's basketball team broke a 24 year old NAIA record by winning their 48th consecutive game. Despite losing 4 starters from the previous season, they started 2007-2008 18-0, extending their record mark by winning a staggering 56 consecutive games. The historic streak was snapped, however, on January 12, 2008 in a loss to MCC rival Bethel College. Despite being picked to finish fourth in the preseason MCC coaches poll, the Wildcats exceeded expectations and finished the season in second place in the MCC, behind Bethel College. In the MCC Tournament championship, the Wildcats lost again to Bethel for the third time in the season. However, IWU received an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament, where, though favored, they lost in the first round against William Jewell College. The women ended their season with a 28-6 overall record, 3 of the losses coming against Bethel.

While the women's season started brightly and faded at the end, the men's was the exact opposite. Following a record season in which they were MCC champions and qualified for the Elite Eight for the first time at the NAIA National Tournament, the men were picked to finish first again in the preseason MCC coaches poll. However, they finished a disappointing fourth with a poor 9-7 conference record. More misery ensued with a shocking loss at home to arch-rival Taylor University in the MCC Tournament first round, which ensured that there would be no return trip to the NAIA's. Despite another bad loss at home to MCC rival Spring Arbor University in the NCCAA Regional Final, the Wildcats still qualified for the NCCAA National Tournament in Oakland City, Indiana, as the #1 seed. On March 20, 2008, IWU avenged their earlier loss to Spring Arbor by defeating them 74-61 in the National Championship. The Wildcats finished the season with an overall record of 23-11. The NCCAA national title was the program's first since IWU won it at home in 1995, and the second in program history.

The men's basketball national championship was IWU's third of a record-setting five NCCAA national titles during the 2007-2008 school year. The women's soccer team won their championship in November, the men's indoor track and field team won in February, the men's outdoor track and field team won in May at IWU, and the women's tennis team also won in May at IWU. In addition, the men's baseball team nearly added a sixth national title, but lost in the NCCAA national championship. In March, IWU clinched their record seventh straight MCC Commissioners Cup, with an 18 point lead over nearest rival, Bethel College.Indiana Wesleyan was also awarded the President's Cup of the NCCAA as the best overall athletic program. IWU cruised to the cup with 119 points with a massive lead over runner-up Cedarville University, which had 77.75 points. It is clear that IWU is the dominant school in the entire NCCAA.

Championships

The men's sports began MCC play in 1968 and the women's sports began MCC play in 1986. The University holds the record for MCC conference championships with 113 titles.

The University has 23 national championship titles, including 1 NAIA national championship from the record-setting 2006-2007 women's basketball team that went 38-0. The other 22 titles are NCCAA national championships.

World Changers

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The University vision states: "Indiana Wesleyan University will prepare each student to become a world changer. We will accomplish this by drawing students into an integrated experience of intellectual challenge, spiritual growth, and leadership development." In order to communicate that vision to its students, IWU requires all freshman, beginning during the 1999-2000 school year, to take Becoming World Changers: Christian Faith and Contemporary Issues (UNV180).

Beginning with the 2008-2009 academic year, IWU adopted The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical as a required textbook for its World Changers course. (Note: This course is required for all incoming Freshmen and serves as the university's "Freshman Seminar" course.) Its author, Shane Claiborne, writes that the church has lost its way and calls for a return to the early church. He calls for the church to embrace "substantive justice" and calls for eliminating poverty while accusing his critics of selectively reading the Bible.. He also writes that "the world cannot afford the American dream.". He is scheduled to speak in chapel on October 13, 2008.

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website
• Website of the Wesleyan Church

References

1. ^ Indiana Wesleyan University | Alumni
2. ^ Indiana Wesleyan University
3. CCCU : About Us | Members
4. Indiana Wesleyan University
5. http://www.indwes.edu/news/2008/IWU-Moves-up-in-US-News-Rankings.htm
6. Young America's Foundation In The News
7. Indiana Wesleyan University Athletic Department
8. Indiana Wesleyan University Athletic Department
9. College of Arts and Sciences - Indiana Wesleyan University
10. Indiana Wesleyan University Athletic Department
11. Mid-Central College Conference - 2007 Men's Soccer
12. ^ Indiana Wesleyan University Athletic Department - 2007-08 Women's Basketball
13. Indiana Wesleyan University Athletic Department - 2007-08 Men's Basketball
14. Indiana Wesleyan University Athletic Department News
15. Mid-Central College Conference
16. Indiana Wesleyan University Athletic Department News
17. Indiana Wesleyan University Athletic Department - Quick Facts
18. http://www.indwes.edu/catalog/179.htm Indiana Wesleyan Is . . . retrieved 08/28/2008
19. http://www.indwes.edu/catalog/pages/GeneralEducation.asp General Education Requirements retrieved 8/28/2008
20. ^ The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) ISBN 0310266300

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