Ohio Wesleyan University - Overview
Ohio Wesleyan University Encourages Global Perspectives
Many students choose Ohio Wesleyan University because of its strong international community and its growing focus on international issues. Ohio Wesleyan's student body includes one of the largest percentages of international students of undergraduate bachelor's-degree-granting institutions in the United States.
Ohio Wesleyan University students come from 47 states and 57 countries, and this diversity provides students with the opportunity to learn about global issues, not only from books, but also first hand from friends in their residence halls, on sports teams, in class, and in co-curricular activities. The global context is further developed by Ohio Wesleyan's study-abroad programs, which allow students to learn in nearly every continent in the world.
Ohio Wesleyan's new Theory-to-Practice grants and Sagan Fellows classes have opened the door to even more global opportunities. The initial Sagan Fellows classes traveled to Mexico to study migration, to Vietnam to better understand the effects of that conflict on the history of the 1960s and beyond, and to Japan to learn about international cooperation and competition in space explorations. Theory-to-Practice research projects involve students in work in India, Austria, France, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Romania, Tanzania, South Africa, Canada, and England. Even greater opportunities are on the horizon as the program expands.
OWU Mission Teams recently have carried out projects in Rome, El Salvador, Ghana, and Dominica, and those who have studied in Tanzania completed internships in agencies that serve local populations. Ohio Wesleyan University's emphasis on the international perspective prepares students to be leaders no matter where in the world they choose to be.
Preparing Students for Life with Real-World Opportunities
Today's students need real-world opportunities to apply classroom theories to practical realities. Ohio Wesleyan University provides a limitless number of entry points into meaningful internships and apprenticeships, life-changing mission experiences, and professional research.
OWU participates in the Great Lakes Colleges Association's New York Arts program, which places students in apprenticeships in all phases of the arts, from creation/performance to management. The Wesleyan in Washington program allows students to experience the legislative process as they work for elected officials and in government program offices in Washington, D.C. The Philadelphia Center's more than 1,000 internships provide opportunities for Ohio Wesleyan students to study, work, and live in a major urban center.
The university's Summer Science Research Program is a ten-week intensive experience in which students, from first-years to rising seniors, work one-on-one with faculty members on research projects of interest to both parties. The faculty mentors then help students learn to present their findings at the Patricia Belt Conrades Summer Science Research Symposium on campus in Delaware and later at regional and national meetings of prestigious scientific societies. These real-world opportunities give OWU students the chance to meet leading scientists in their disciplines, build networks, and get a jumpstart into a scientific career.
The Economics Management Fellows Program at Ohio Wesleyan University admits especially able first-year economics students and gives them access to special classes and seminars, accelerated entry into required classes, alumni networking events, and a trip to New York to meet with financial services executives.
These real-world opportunities on the Ohio Wesleyan campus in Delaware and off-campus in various locations complement exceptional classroom teaching and open a new window on the realities of post-collegiate life.
Ohio Wesleyan University Gives Students Outstanding Service Opportunities
Ohio Wesleyan's long history of service is a proud part of the university's heritage. Mission Teams composed of students, faculty, and staff are an integral element of the Ohio Wesleyan University experience. Each year, students serve in locations ranging from Appalachia to New Orleans to the Lakota Nation to El Salvador to Rome -- and beyond. OWU routinely sends 8 to 10 teams on these service trips; most small liberal arts colleges are able to field far fewer groups. However, service is not restricted to Mission Teams.
The Office of Community Service Learning helps match students with opportunities in local and regional agencies. One such project, the Columbus Initiative, pairs OWU student mentors with children in a Columbus, Ohio, public elementary school; throughout its 20-year history, this one program often has included approximately 5 percent of the university's entire student body. Other community service opportunities in Delaware can include crisis intervention work, service in local government offices, animal protection projects, environmental programs, translation and other services to the local Hispanic population, Big Brothers Big Sisters at a Delaware middle school, and many more.
On campus, students are encouraged to create projects of their own, and an Ohio Wesleyan University student has been awarded the Charles J. Ping Award for Community Service, presented by the Ohio Campus Compact, for 6 consecutive years. Interestingly, Ohio Wesleyan students' dedication to service doesn't end when they graduate. Approximately 80 percent of OWU alumni -- nearly twice the national average -- are involved in community service.