Waldorf College
Encyclopedia
Waldorf College, located in Forest City, Iowa
, is a four-year liberal arts
, for-profit
college
.
Founded in 1903, the college was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
until 2009, when, due to financial problems, the college was sold to for-profit Mayes Education, owner of Columbia Southern University
, a distance education institution, located in Orange Beach, Alabama
.
.
The Biology Department became a baccalaureate program in 2005 and grants B.A. or B.S. degrees, with tracks in conservation biology, cell and molecular biology and anatomy/physiology. The department equips four laboratories to provide student learning experiences in molecular studies, organismal biology, and ecology. In addition to maintaining high teaching standards, Waldorf faculty build and support federally funded research programs that allow students to participate in research at the undergraduate level, addressing questions in developmental and cancer biology, microbiology, field ecology, and physiological and ecological modeling. The department also features a GeoWall which creates a 3-D environment where students can examine landscapes and intricate structures like a cell, a section of DNA or an internal body organ.
The college is also known for the strength of its communications program which features intensive training in television, radio, public relations, web design and newspaper journalism. Its student-managed broadcast facilities (WAL-TV and KZOW-FM) were among the first in the nation built to operate with only digital media. Its multimedia facility was recently renovated to ensure it's fully compatible with high definition standards.
Waldorf College recently established a new human performance lab for its Wellness Department which features exercise technologies currently being used by NASA
and the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The lab, also known as an exercise physiology lab, features a hydrostatic weighing system for the measurement of body density, a metabolic measurement system, and a Trackmaster treadmill that is programmable from the metabolic computer.
The college has one of the few undergraduate programs in the country to specialize in Shakespeare studies. The minor in Shakespeare allows students who complete a satisfactory course of study at Waldorf to continue into graduate work. They are able to complete this study at the ary Baldwin College and American Shakespeare Center. (Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance program). The Theatre Arts Department offers four annual productions, including a Shakespeare play and a musical coordinated with the Department of Music. Waldorf College also offers a major in creative writing and boasts an excellent history program and a dynamic education program. Education majors are required to engage in practical experiences in area schools during each semester they are enrolled.
The Waldorf Choir is recognized as one of the oldest a cappella
choirs in the United States. It tours annually (domestically or internationally) as does the Waldorf Wind Symphony.
Midwest Collegiate Conference. The football program competes in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association
. The Waldorf College Cheerleaders are a competitive squad recognized for all-female stunting routines. The college expanded athletics in 2010 by adding men's ice hockey and women's wrestling. The ice hockey began play during the 2011-12 academic year and plays an independent schedule of club
programs, as the NAIA does not currently sponsor a championship for ice hockey. The program is coached by Brett Shelanski, former head coach at Minnesota Flying Aces
junior A
team. The college launched Iowa's first collegiate women's wrestling program in 2010.
Men's sports
Women's sports
, CEO of Best Buy
, who received his A.A. from Waldorf College in 1969. Other distinguished alumni include John K. Hanson, founder of Winnebago Industries
; Irving "Bud" Alne, former Lockheed
executive; Dennis N. Highby, CEO of Cabela's
; Kent Stock, coach of Norway Iowa High School baseball portrayed by actor Sean Astin
in the film The Final Season
; and Dan Meyer
, 2007 Ig Nobel Laureate in Medicine, and President of the Sword Swallowers Association International. Bob Backlund, a former professional wrestler, who is considered a top 50 Pro Wrestler ever was a 2x wrestling All-American.
, also located in Forest City. Brad Anderson
, CEO of Best Buy
, gave the college $5.5 million, its largest one-time financial gift.
Forest City, Iowa
Forest City is a city in Hancock and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, and the county seat of Winnebago County. The population was 4,151 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 4,362 population in the 2000 census....
, is a four-year liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, for-profit
For-Profit School
For-profit education refers to educational institutions operated by private, profit-seeking businesses....
college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
.
Founded in 1903, the college was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
until 2009, when, due to financial problems, the college was sold to for-profit Mayes Education, owner of Columbia Southern University
Columbia Southern University
Columbia Southern University, in Orange Beach, Alabama, USA, is a privately held for-profit online-only institution of higher education. It offers associate, bachelor, graduate and postgraduate programs in fields including fire science, criminal justice, business administration, information...
, a distance education institution, located in Orange Beach, Alabama
Orange Beach, Alabama
Orange Beach is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,784. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
Academics
Waldorf's curricula includes residential programs in biology, business, communications, creative writing, education, English, history, humanities, music, psychology, theater arts and wellness. Hybrid programs offered primarily online with a minimal residential requirement will be offered early 2010 in business administration, criminal justice administration, fire science administration, international management, organizational leadership, and sport management. The colleges is accredited by the accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) through the North Central Association of Colleges and SchoolsNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
.
The Biology Department became a baccalaureate program in 2005 and grants B.A. or B.S. degrees, with tracks in conservation biology, cell and molecular biology and anatomy/physiology. The department equips four laboratories to provide student learning experiences in molecular studies, organismal biology, and ecology. In addition to maintaining high teaching standards, Waldorf faculty build and support federally funded research programs that allow students to participate in research at the undergraduate level, addressing questions in developmental and cancer biology, microbiology, field ecology, and physiological and ecological modeling. The department also features a GeoWall which creates a 3-D environment where students can examine landscapes and intricate structures like a cell, a section of DNA or an internal body organ.
The college is also known for the strength of its communications program which features intensive training in television, radio, public relations, web design and newspaper journalism. Its student-managed broadcast facilities (WAL-TV and KZOW-FM) were among the first in the nation built to operate with only digital media. Its multimedia facility was recently renovated to ensure it's fully compatible with high definition standards.
Waldorf College recently established a new human performance lab for its Wellness Department which features exercise technologies currently being used by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The lab, also known as an exercise physiology lab, features a hydrostatic weighing system for the measurement of body density, a metabolic measurement system, and a Trackmaster treadmill that is programmable from the metabolic computer.
The college has one of the few undergraduate programs in the country to specialize in Shakespeare studies. The minor in Shakespeare allows students who complete a satisfactory course of study at Waldorf to continue into graduate work. They are able to complete this study at the ary Baldwin College and American Shakespeare Center. (Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance program). The Theatre Arts Department offers four annual productions, including a Shakespeare play and a musical coordinated with the Department of Music. Waldorf College also offers a major in creative writing and boasts an excellent history program and a dynamic education program. Education majors are required to engage in practical experiences in area schools during each semester they are enrolled.
The Waldorf Choir is recognized as one of the oldest a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
choirs in the United States. It tours annually (domestically or internationally) as does the Waldorf Wind Symphony.
Athletics
For most sports programs, Waldorf college competes in the NAIA'sNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Midwest Collegiate Conference. The football program competes in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association
Mid-States Football Association
The Mid-States Football Association is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio. The MSFA was organized in 1993, and on-field competition began in 1994...
. The Waldorf College Cheerleaders are a competitive squad recognized for all-female stunting routines. The college expanded athletics in 2010 by adding men's ice hockey and women's wrestling. The ice hockey began play during the 2011-12 academic year and plays an independent schedule of club
Acha
Acha is a HINDI word for OK.Acha is also an Ewokese word for OK. Ewokese is a language used in the Star Wars Ewok Adventures: Caravan Of Courage / The Battle For Endor* Acha, Argyll and Bute, Scotland...
programs, as the NAIA does not currently sponsor a championship for ice hockey. The program is coached by Brett Shelanski, former head coach at Minnesota Flying Aces
Minnesota Flying Aces
The Minnesota Flying Aces are a Tier III Jr. A ice hockey playing in the North American 3 Hockey League. The team plays their home games at the Exchange Arena, located in Little Falls, Minnesota. The Aces play a 48 game regular season games, in addition to showcase and post season tournament games...
junior A
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
team. The college launched Iowa's first collegiate women's wrestling program in 2010.
Men's sports
- BaseballCollege baseballCollege baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
- BasketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
- BowlingBowlingBowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
- Cross countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- FootballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Ice Hockey
- SoccerCollege soccerCollege soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
Women's sports
- BasketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
- BowlingBowlingBowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
- CheerleadingCheerleadingCheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
- Cross countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- SoccerCollege soccerCollege soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
Notable alumni
Alumni include Brad AndersonBrad Anderson (executive)
Bradbury "Brad" Anderson is the former CEO and Vice Chairman of consumer electronics retailer Best Buy. He retired on 6/22/11 and was replaced by Brian J. Dunn. In fiscal 2006, he earned a salary of $1,164,283 and a bonus of $2,692,250. His annual compensation for fiscal year 2007 was $5.6...
, CEO of Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, who received his A.A. from Waldorf College in 1969. Other distinguished alumni include John K. Hanson, founder of Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries Inc., , is a manufacturer of motor homes, a type of recreational vehicle or RV, in the United States. It is based in Forest City, Iowa.-Corporate history:...
; Irving "Bud" Alne, former Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
executive; Dennis N. Highby, CEO of Cabela's
Cabela's
Cabela's is a direct marketer and specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise, based in Sidney, Nebraska. It also has "Trophy Properties LLC , "Outdoor Adventures" , and the "Gun Library"...
; Kent Stock, coach of Norway Iowa High School baseball portrayed by actor Sean Astin
Sean Astin
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
in the film The Final Season
The Final Season
The Final Season is a 2007 baseball film starring Sean Astin, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tom Arnold, Powers Boothe, Brett Claywell, Michael Angarano, and Marshall Bell and directed by David Mickey Evans. Sports Action by ReelSports...
; and Dan Meyer
Dan Meyer (performer)
Dan Meyer is an American performance artist, corporate entertainer, inspirational/motivational speaker, and professional sword swallower best known for swallowing swords underwater in a tank of sharks and stingrays...
, 2007 Ig Nobel Laureate in Medicine, and President of the Sword Swallowers Association International. Bob Backlund, a former professional wrestler, who is considered a top 50 Pro Wrestler ever was a 2x wrestling All-American.
Major Benefactors
Waldorf has been the recipient of many large donations from the John K. Hanson family, founders of recreation vehicle-maker Winnebago IndustriesWinnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries Inc., , is a manufacturer of motor homes, a type of recreational vehicle or RV, in the United States. It is based in Forest City, Iowa.-Corporate history:...
, also located in Forest City. Brad Anderson
Brad Anderson (executive)
Bradbury "Brad" Anderson is the former CEO and Vice Chairman of consumer electronics retailer Best Buy. He retired on 6/22/11 and was replaced by Brian J. Dunn. In fiscal 2006, he earned a salary of $1,164,283 and a bonus of $2,692,250. His annual compensation for fiscal year 2007 was $5.6...
, CEO of Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, gave the college $5.5 million, its largest one-time financial gift.