WesternOregonUniversity.info

Discover Why Western Oregon University May be the BEST College in Oregon for you to Attend.Welcome to the Western Oregon University "info" site. This site was created by WOU students so that prospective New Students and their Parents could get a "feel" for what it's like to go to school here. On this main page, you will discover student written articles that highlight a few reasons to consider WOU. You can get a student's perspective of "what's great" about specific departments. VIRTUAL VIDEO TOUR of the campus is coming soon!

History of Western Oregon University

Western Oregon University recently celebrated its 150 year anniversary in 2006. This marks a historic trail of continuity from its founding by American pilgrims to its present place as a comprehensive liberal arts institution, one of the strongest in the state in its commitment to educational excellence. Western Oregon University was founded only a few short years after the Monmouth town site was established by settlers moving west from Illinois. Land was selected for the city and the school in 1854, and after the board of trustees was elected in 1855, the first building for what they called Monmouth University was constructed—a 20 foot by 30 foot structure at the corner of Main Street and Monmouth Avenue.
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Local Weather

Welcome to Monmouth, Oregon, where the sun shines bright and the rain shines brighter. All right, so there's a lot of rain in the Willamette Valley, location of the Western Oregon University, but the Oregon climate cannot be so easily simplified. Weather varies from day to day and mile to mile. Oregon's weather is strongly influenced by two major factors -- the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain range. The Willamette Valley, sandwiched between the ocean and the mountains, sits smack dab in the middle of a temperate climate zone. In other words, the weather is mild and rarely veers into hot or cold extremes.
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GPA

Many of the college bound worry about their GPA and how it will factor into getting into the school of their choice. GPA, which stands for “grade point average,” is the average of all the grades that a student has received over the course of a school year. It’s an easy way to figure out how well a student scored in their classes. Basically, the higher the grades, the higher the GPA. The highest GPA one can achieve is 4.0. The GPA admissions requirement at Western is 2.75.
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Athletics and Mascot

Wolves have traditionally been a symbol of strong hunters, or noble providers of wisdom. Their use of teamwork to bring their prey down is the perfect metaphor for how the WOU athletic department works together. The WOU athletic mascot, the wolf, was instated in 1928 (although the school had been participating athletically since 1856). The wolf mascot was originally suggested because the football coach at the time was Larry Wolfe. The newly minted mascot was originally called Waldo Wolfe, which was a combination of both Larry Wolfe and another athletic coach, Waldo Zeller, names. In 1928, Wolfe put together a very skillful and successful football team, and as a result the name “Wolves” quickly spread throughout the athletic department.
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123 Foot Giant Sequoia Tree

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that the creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. Despite the worn nature of this metaphor, the absolute truth of it remains—greatness is often contained in packages small and unrecognizable. In 1887, the graduating class of Western Oregon University (then Oregon State Normal School) planted a giant sequoia outside of the university’s historic Campbell Hall. At that time, tuition for collegiate classes was $15.00 per year—$5.00 per term—with incidental fees of $5.00; rooms were $1.50 - $3.50 per week.
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Faculty to Studen Ratio

Western Oregon University (WOU) enrollment has grown over the years, from the original enrollment of 237 students in 1872, to the current enrollment of 4,470 undergraduate and 562 graduate students. Students of yesteryear were not allowed to drink, play cards or visit other students without a chaperone! Of course that is not the case today, where students intermingle in many campus venues. Unlike larger universities, which may have hundreds of students in a single large classroom, the average class size at WOU is 28 students, an impressive student to teacher ratio for college studies. Small classroom size means each student receives individualized attention and does not become a “simple statistic.” WOU teaching styles differ from larger universities, as well. Instead of relying solely on a standardized lecture format, teachers can engage students in classroom discussions and group activities. Projects, student presentations, and debates are some other methods of student education. WOU professors genuinely care about classroom performance and individual student effort. Because of small classroom sizes, modest enrollment, and friendly atmosphere, most students can name every professor in their department! Unlike large universities, the majority of classes are taught by credentialed professors, not graduate teaching assistants. WOU offers over 60 undergraduate degrees. Each student, upon selection of their major studies, will be assigned an advisor, a professor within their department of study. This advisor will individually support and guide each student through the rigorous and sometime confusing college system to ensure that students stay the course to meet educational goals and graduation requirements. Students are required to meet with their advisors a minimum of three times per school year, but are welcome to meet as often as needed. This process ensures that no student becomes “lost in the system.” Because of the smaller number of students at WOU, the university is a strong academic community, dedicated to ensuring that each and every student receives the best college experience possible.
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Majors & Minors

Students attending college usually come in three varieties: those who know what they want, those who don’t know that they want, and those who think they know what they want. Fortunately for all three, Western Oregon University offers a large number of academic majors and minors and everything in-between.
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Financial Aid Tution Promise

It is Western Oregon University’s belief that education should be made available to everyone. A bachelor’s degree can open doors to many opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach, including higher paying jobs and higher education. With hard work and commitment, there is no reason why every person in the United States shouldn’t take part in this life-changing experience.
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First Generation Attendees

Fifty-one percent of Western Oregon University’s student body is the first in their family to attend college. This could be for a number of reasons—the WOU Tuition Promise, the availability of financial aid, or maybe something as simple as the convenience of its location in rural Monmouth and Independence. But the one thing that has turned many prospective students’ visits to Western Oregon University into their eventual decision to stay there is the incredibly warm and welcoming environment.
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The Campus

Western Oregon University (WOU) is best known for its strong educational programs and small classroom sizes. But one of its best kept secrets is the attractiveness of its 157 acre campus – the grounds are a beautiful snapshot of Oregon’s verdant countryside.
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