Overview
Ohio Wesleyan University Encourages Global Perspectives
Many students seek out and choose Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) in Delaware, Ohio, because of the presence of its strong international community and its growing focus on internationalism. Ohio Wesleyan's student body includes the largest percentage of international students of any undergraduate bachelor's-degree-granting university in Ohio and holds one of the top positions in the United States in that category.
Ohio Wesleyan University students come from 47 states and 50 countries, and this diversity provides students with the opportunity to learn about global issues not only from books, but also first hand from friends they meet in their residence halls, on sports teams, in class, and in co-curricular activities. Internationalism is further developed by Ohio Wesleyan's study-abroad programs, which allow students to learn in nearly every continent in the world. The 2009-2010 National Colloquium, one of the university's premier programs, is titled "Renewing America for a Global Century: From Theory to Practice."
Special programming and internationally focused student projects will form an important part of the year-long colloquium. OWU Mission Teams recently have carried out projects in Rome, El Salvador, Ghana, and Dominica, and those who have studied in Tanzania and Kenya also completed internships in agencies that serve local populations. Ohio Wesleyan University's emphasis on internationalism prepares students to be leaders in a rapidly shrinking world.
Preparing Students for Life with Real-World Opportunities
Because today's world moves at the speed of thought, students also 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. The Philadelphia Center's more than 1,000 internships allow 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 and often provide a jumpstart into a scientific career.
A new Economics Fellows program at Ohio Wesleyan University admits especially able first-year economics students and gives them access to special 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 choose to travel out of Delaware, and serve in locations ranging from Appalachia to New Orleans to the Lakota Nation to Florida - and beyond. OWU routinely sends 10 or more teams on these service trips; most small liberal arts colleges are able to field far fewer groups. However, service is not restricted to these 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 five 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 five consecutive years. Ohio Wesleyan has also earned a spot on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, with Distinction. This award recognizes exemplary service efforts and service to America's communities. 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.
