West Virginia University (
WVU) is a
publicA public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities...
research university in
MorgantownMorgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, on the banks of the Monongahela River. Part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State region, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and is the principal city of the Morgantown, West Virginia...
,
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
, USA. Other campuses include:
West Virginia University at ParkersburgWest Virginia University at Parkersburg is a public college located in Parkersburg, West Virginia. It is a stand-alone college with its own board of directors and degree granting authority, separate from WVU. Conceived as a community college to serve seven counties in west central West Virginia,...
in
ParkersburgParkersburg, located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers, is the third largest city in the State of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Wood County and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna Metropolitan Statistical Area.The Bureau of the Public Debt, an agency...
;
West Virginia University Institute of TechnologyWest Virginia University Institute of Technology is a four-year college located in Montgomery, West Virginia. It is the largest regional campus of West Virginia University and is separately accredited from the main campus of WVU in Morgantown...
in
MontgomeryMontgomery is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Most of the city is in Fayette County, with the remainder in Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,942 ....
;
Potomac State College of West Virginia UniversityPotomac State College of West Virginia University is a two-year junior college affiliated as a division of West Virginia University. West Virginia's only residential junior college, it is located in Keyser, approximately away from WVU's main campus in Morgantown,West Virginia...
in
KeyserKeyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 5,303 at the 2000 census. Keyser is styled as the "Friendliest City in the U.S.A.".- History :Keyser was originally...
; and a second clinical campus for the University's medical and dental schools at
Charleston Area Medical CenterCharleston Area Medical Center is the name of a complex of hospitals in Charleston, West Virginia, formed via a merger of previously independent facilities. It is the state's largest hospital....
in
CharlestonCharleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 53,421, with its urban area having a population of 212,991, and its metropolitan area 309,635...
. Since 2001, WVU has been governed by the West Virginia University
Board of GovernorsA board of governors is usually the governing board of a public entity or non-profit organizations. It is the public equivalent of the private board of directors....
.
Enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 28,113. The University offers 185 majors in 15 colleges and has produced 25
Rhodes ScholarsThe Rhodes Scholarship named after Cecil Rhodes is an international award for study at the University of Oxford and was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships...
, including former WVU president David C. Hardesty Jr. The University also has produced 30
Goldwater ScholarsThe Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by the United States Congress in 1986 in honor of former United States Senator and 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, a Republican from Arizona...
, 19 Truman Scholars, five members of
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth...
's All-USA College Academic First Team, and two
Morris K. UdallMorris King "Mo" Udall was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961 to May 4, 1991...
Undergraduate Scholarship winners. WVU is ranked by
The Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review is an American educational preparation company. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college admissions. Approximately 70% of the company's revenue comes from test preparation. The company was founded in 1981 by John...
as one of the best 368 colleges in the nation.
History
Under the terms of the 1862
Morrill Land-Grant Colleges ActThe Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges, including the Morrill Act of 1862 and the Morrill Act of 1890...
, the West Virginia Legislature created the Agricultural College of West Virginia on February 7, 1867. On December 4, 1868, lawmakers re-named it West Virginia University.
In the 1990s, WVU developed several recreational activities for the students, such as FallFest, a concert that welcomes students back to classes. In 1998, WVUp All Night launched to offer free weekend entertainment to students. The popular Student Recreation Center was completed in July 2001.
WVU is designated as a Research University (High Research Activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Funding from external sources for total sponsored programs is $138 million. WVU is affiliated with the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, dedicated to the study of Alzheimer's and other diseases that affect the brain. WVU is also a leader in biometric technology research and recently became the Federal Bureau of Investigation's lead academic partner in biometrics research.
On April 13, 2007, the Board of Governors voted 16-1 to elect Morgantown attorney Michael Garrison to succeed David Hardesty as the University's president. The Faculty Senate voted to work with Garrison but approved a vote of no confidence in the search. Garrison began work in July; his appointment officially began September 1, 2007.
Garrison's early initiatives, including move forward to build a campus child care center after three decades of discussion on the subject and working with the Board of Governors to approve the largest salary increase since 1993 won him praise from many faculty and staff members. The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed profiled him as an example of a trend toward non-traditional university presidents.
In June 2008 Garrison announced plans to resign in September 2008. According to the
Washington Post, Garrison sought to "end a scandal stemming from the university's awarding of an unearned degree to the governor's daughter." C. Peter McGrath was named interim president in August 2008.
James P. Clements became WVU's 23rd president on June 30, 2009. He previously served as provost at Towson University.
On September 16, 2009
Michele G. WheatlyMichele G. Wheatly is the dean of college of science and mathematics, Wright State University, Ohio since 2002 On September 16 2009, she was named Provost at West Virginia University...
was named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
WVU has been listed as one of the top
party schoolA party school is a college or university that has a reputation for heavy alcohol and drug use or a general culture of licentiousness. The best-known list of alleged party schools is published annually by The Princeton Review. The magazine Playboy also releases a list of party schools on an...
s in the United States.
Colleges and schools
West Virginia University is organized into 15 degree-granting colleges or schools and also offers an Honors College.
- Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, & Consumer Sciences
- Eberly College of Arts & Sciences
- College of Business & Economics
- College of Creative Arts
- College of Engineering & Mineral Resources
- College of Human Resources & Education
- Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism
- College of Law
The West Virginia University College of Law is the professional school for the study of law at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The law school began in 1878 as the first professional school in the state of West Virginia. It remains the only law school in the state...
- School of Dentistry
- School of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- School of Pharmacy
- College of Physical Activity & Sports Sciences
- Potomac State College
- WVU Institute of Technology
- Honors College
Forensics program
In addition to its 15 colleges and schools, WVU also has a nationally recognized forensic science program. Originally created through a partnership with the
Federal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency. The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, the program is accredited by the
American Academy of Forensic SciencesThe American Academy of Forensic Sciences is a professional society for people in all areas of forensics.For nearly sixty years, the AAFS has served a distinguished and diverse membership. Its nearly 6,000 members are divided into eleven sections spanning the forensic enterprise...
and is the official library holdings repository for the
International Association for IdentificationThe International Association for Identification is the largest forensic organisation in the world.The IAI was originally formed as the "International Association for Criminal Identification" in October 1915...
.
The program focuses on these aspects of forensics:
- Forensic accounting
Forensic accounting is the specialty practice area of accountancy that describes engagements that result from actual or anticipated disputes or litigation. "Forensic" means "suitable for use in a court of law", and it is to that standard and potential outcome that forensic accountants generally...
and fraudIn the broadest sense, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and is also a civil law violation....
- Forensic entomology
Forensic entomology is the application and study of insect and other arthropod biology to criminal matters. Forensic entomology is primarily associated with death investigations; however, it may also be used to detect drugs and poisons, determine the location of an incident, detect the length of a...
- Bloodstain pattern analysis
Bloodstain pattern analysis is one of several specialties in the field of forensic science. The use of bloodstains as evidence is not new; however, the application of modern science has brought it to a higher level...
and Biological Evidence aging
- Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in the behavioral sciences, drawing especially upon the research of sociologists and psychologists, as well as on...
and Investigative Science
- Dactylography and Fractal Analysis of Fingerprints
- Forensic toxicology
Forensic toxicology is the use of toxicology and other disciplines such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to aid medicolegal investigation of death, poisoning, and drug use. The primary concern for forensic toxicology is not the legal outcome of the toxicological...
- Forensic odontology
- Computer forensics
Computer forensics is a branch of forensic science pertaining to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage media. Computer forensics is also known as digital forensics....
and Database Research
- Forensic Textile Research
Forensic facilities include "crime-scene" houses and vehicles that can be altered and adapted to give students hands-on experience, as well as traditional laboratories and classrooms which are now housed in the recently renovated Ming Hsieh Hall adjacent to Oglebay Hall. A separate Criminology & Investigative Sciences major was later added.
Biometrics
West Virginia University was the first in the world to establish a
bachelor of scienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years ....
degree in Biometric Systems. In 2003 the university also founded the initial chapter of the Student Society for the Advancement of Biometrics(SSAB). The program, located in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (LCSEE), provides a firm understanding of the underlying
electrical engineeringElectrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after...
and
computer engineeringComputer Engineering is a discipline that combines both Electronic Engineering and Computer Science. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design and hardware-software integration instead of only software engineering or electronic engineering...
disciplines that support biometric applications.
On February 6, 2008, WVU became the national academic leader for the FBI's biometric research.
WVU is also the founding site for the Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR), focusing on biometrics and
identification technologyDigital identity refers to the aspect of digital technology that is concerned with the mediation of people's experience of their own identity and the identity of other people and things...
. The university maintains and develops collaborative relationships with other academic institutions to meet research needs.
Health Sciences
West Virginia University’s Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center is located on the Evansdale Campus and houses the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. These schools grant doctoral and professional degrees in 16 different fields, as well as a variety of other
Master'sA master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and
Bachelor'sA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
degrees. For 2009, U.S. News and World Report ranked WVU’s Medical School ninth overall in the nation for rural medicine.
Also located on the Health Sciences Campus is WVU's local teaching hospital, Ruby Memorial Hospital, which is one of only two designated Trauma I hospitals in the state and has also been designated a magnet hospital for its ability to attract and retain high quality nursing staff.
Libraries
The University maintains seven libraries on its campuses (six of which are in Morgantown and the other in Charleston). These include the Downtown Campus Library, Evansdale Library, Health Sciences Library, Law Library, Math Library, Media Services, and the WVU Charleston Health Sciences Library. Collections include the Appalachian Collection, Book Depository, Digital Collections, Government Documents, West Virginia Historical Art Collection, Map Room, Myers Collection, Patent and Trademarks, Rare Books Collections, and Theses and Dissertations. West Virginia University libraries contain nearly 1.5 million printed volumes, 2.3 million microforms, more than 10,000 electronic journals, and computers with high speed Internet access.
In addition, the
West Virginia and Regional History CollectionThe West Virginia and Regional History Collection is the world's largest collection of West Virginia related research material. It is located in the Wise Library at West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia...
, the world's largest collection of West Virginia related research material, is in the Wise Library on the Downtown Campus. According to the university, the collection includes over 4,500,000
manuscriptA manuscript is a recording of information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
documents, 30,000 books, 15,000 pamphlets, 1,200 newspapers, 100,000 photographs and prints, 5,000 maps, and 25,000 microfilms, oral histories, films and
folk musicThe term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folklore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer...
recordings. It is often called simply the "West Virginia Collection."
In 2007, the Princeton Review ranked West Virginia University libraries 5th best of 366 college libraries surveyed.
The university co-publishes, with the
United Association for Labor EducationUnited Association for Labor Education is an international association for post-secondary, community, union and associated labor educators based in Chicago, Illinois....
,
Labor Studies JournalLabor Studies Journal is a multi-disciplinary academic publication about workers and labor organizations in the United States as well as internationally. It was founded in 1975....
.
Campus
The Morgantown campus comprises three sub-campuses. The original main campus, typically called the Downtown Campus, is in the Monongahela River valley on the fringes of Morgantown. This part of campus includes eight academic buildings on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Downtown Campus comprises several architectural styles predominantly featuring red brick including Victorian Second Empire, Federal, Neoclassical, and Collegiate Gothic among others. The Evansdale Campus, a mile and a half north-northwest, on a rise above the flood plain of the
Monongahela RiverThe Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in North-Central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
, was developed in the 1950s and 1960s to accommodate a growing student population, since space for expansion was limited at the Downtown Campus. The Health Sciences Campus, in the same outlying area (but on the other side of a ridge), includes the WVU Health Sciences Center, Ruby Memorial Hospital, Chestnut Ridge Hospital, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, UHA Physicians Office Center, Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute and, WVU Eye Institute, WVU Center on Aging, and WVU Children's Hospital.
The Health Sciences Campus is located near
Mountaineer FieldMountaineer Field, in Morgantown, West Virginia, is the football stadium for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, NCAA, Bowl Sub-division football team....
, over a ridge from the Evansdale Campus.
Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit
Because of WVU's distributed campuses (Downtown, Evansdale, and Health Sciences), the
Personal Rapid TransitThe Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system is a one-of-a-kind people mover system in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States...
system, which has become a local showpiece, was built to link them.
BoeingThe Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois, since 2001...
began construction on the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system in
Morgantown, West VirginiaMorgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, on the banks of the Monongahela River. Part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State region, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and is the principal city of the Morgantown, West Virginia...
in 1972. The unique aspect that makes the system "personal" is that a rider can tell the system which station is the destination and then he/she will be directed to a car that is bound only for that station.
WVU students, faculty and staff ride by paying a per-semester fee; they swipe their magnetically-encoded ID cards through the turnstiles when entering the stations. Others pay a cash fare of $0.50. The PRT began operation in 1973, with U.S. President
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
's daughter, Tricia, aboard one of five prototype cars for a demonstration ride.. The PRT handles 16,000 riders per day (as of 2005) and uses approximately 70 cars.
The system has of guideway track and five stations: Walnut, Beechurst, Engineering, Towers, and Medical/Health Sciences. The vehicles are rubber-tired, but the cars have constant contact with a separate electrified rail.
SteamSteam is vaporized water. It is a transparent gas . At standard temperature and pressure, pure steam occupies about 1,600 times the volume of an equal mass of liquid water...
heating keeps the elevated guideway free of snow and ice. Although most students use the PRT, this technology has not been replicated at other sites for various reasons, including the high cost of maintaining the heated track system in winter.
The PRT cars are painted in the school colors (blue with gold trim) and feature the University name and logo on the front. Inside, the seats are light beige
fiberglassFiberglass, , is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. It is used as a reinforcing agent for many polymer products; the resulting composite material, properly known as fiber-reinforced polymer or glass-reinforced plastic , is called "fiberglass" in popular usage...
and the carpeting is blue. Each car has eight seats with an overall capacity of 20 people, including standing room.
The
National Society of Professional EngineersThe National Society of Professional Engineers is a professional engineering organization in the United States. From their press releases:...
named the WVU PRT one of the top 10 engineering achievements of 1972, and in 1998
The New Electric Railway Journal picked the WVU PRT as the best
people moverA people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.-Terminology:The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more...
.
In 2006, the
U.S. Department of TransportationThe United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966 and began operation on April 1, 1967...
and
U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged to regulate chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land...
dubbed WVU one of the best workplaces for commuters.
Each autumn, during Mountaineer Week celebrations, a special PRT car is placed in front of the
MountainlairThe Mountainlair, commonly called "the Lair" by students, is the three-floor student union building at West Virginia University. The current building dates to 1968 and replaced an earlier structure built in 1948....
student unionA student activity center or SAC, is a type of building found on university campuses. In the United States, such a building is more often called a student union, student commons, or student center...
where groups of students participate in the "PRT Cram" with the objective of squeezing in as many people as possible. A record of 97 was set in 2000.
Buses and shuttles
In addition to the PRT system, students can utilize University-operated buses (during limited hours) or take advantage of the community's Mountain Line, which operates every day into the early morning hours. Students can use their Mountaineer Card to ride the Mountain Line bus for free.
The Health Science Center also operates a shuttle service to help students, visitors and patients to get to and from the Health Science Center campus. Many non-University, private student housing communities in the area also operate a shuttle to campus/town and back to the housing community.
Fraternity and sorority life
About 10-15 percent of West Virginia's students are involved in Greek life. Many of the fraternity houses are on North High Street, North Spruce Street, and Belmar Avenue while sorority houses are mainly on Spruce Street and Prospect Street.
According to the University, there are 17 fraternities and 8 sororities at WVU. Following is a list of those that belong to the Inter-Fraternity Council and the
National Panhellenic ConferenceThe National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
(sororities). In recent years, many of the houses, as noted on the list, have been closed or condemned for various reasons.
Recently, the University began purchasing some of the fraternity houses near campus, which is a beginning step in a multi-year plan that eventually will leave the University in control of many of the Greek organizations. The plan has both pros and cons. The Greek organizations who are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their houses according to Morgantown City Code are getting the repairs and financial support they need. In return, the University is able to govern their behavior, which has long been a problem for the University.
| Sororities |
Fraternities |
- Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity that was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus of Columbia University in New York. Its founders were Stella George Stern Perry, Helen St. Clair Mullan, Elizabeth Heywood Wyman, and Jessie Wallace Hughan...
- Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi was founded May 15 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia making it the first female fraternal organization established. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia...
(closed)
- Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi fraternity for women founded at Syracuse University on September 18, 1872. Its celebrated Founders Day is October 10. It was the third Greek-letter organization founded for women. In Alpha Phi the Greek letter Phi is pronounced "Fee". It is a common misconception that this...
- Alpha Theta Gamma (closed)
- Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta was founded on April 17, 1893 by ten women at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois, who shared a vision of an organization dedicated to the personal growth of women. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the...
- Chi Omega
Chi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega boasts 174 active collegiate chapters and hundreds of alumnae chapters. The fraternity's headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee.- History :Chi Omega was founded April 5, 1895 at the...
- Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international collegiate women's fraternity founded on November 27, 1888. With 138 chapters in the United States and Canada it is one of the largest women's organizations in the world....
(closed)
- Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
- Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874, at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The term "sorority," meaning sisterhood, was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.The four founders are Helen M. Dodge,...
(closed)
- Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma is a college women's fraternity, founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois. Although the groundwork of the organization was developed as early as 1869, the 1876 Convention voted on October 13, 1870 as Founders Day, because no earlier charter date could be determined...
- Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi is an international fraternity for women founded as I.C. Sorosis on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, and is known as the first fraternity for women. Its headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri, and there are 134 active chapters and over 330...
- Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
|
Beta Theta PiBeta Theta Pi is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi...
Chi PhiThe Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American college social fraternity that was established as the result of three separate organizations that each were known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton...
(inactive, seeking interest group)
Delta ChiDelta Chi or D-Chi is an international secret letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890, at Cornell University initially as a professional fraternity for law students. Delta Chi is a member of North-American Interfraternity Conference . The Fraternity is headquartered at 314...
(inacitve, seeking interest group to restart)
Delta Tau DeltaDelta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international college fraternity and secret society. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 119 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
(closed)
Kappa Alpha OrderKappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
Kappa SigmaΚΣ is an international fraternity with currently 231 active chapters and 30 colonies in North America. There have been more than 245,000 initiates, of which more than 188,000 are living and more than 12,900 are undergraduates...
Phi Gamma DeltaPhi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social and secret fraternity with 108 chapters and 12 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania in 1848 and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
Phi Delta ThetaPhi Delta Theta is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 160 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces and...
(house torn down)
Phi Kappa SigmaPhi Kappa Sigma is an international all-male college leadership and social fraternity. Its members are known as "Phi Kaps", "Skulls" and sometimes "Skullhouse", the latter two because of the skull and crossbones on the Fraternity's badge and coat of arms. Phi Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel...
(closed)
Phi Kappa PsiPhi Kappa Psi Fraternity is an American collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Psi was founded in 1852 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, on the campus of Jefferson College by William Henry Letterman and Charles Page Thomas Moore...
Phi Sigma KappaPhi Sigma Kappa , colloquially known as Phi Sig, is a social fraternity devoted to three cardinal principles: the Promotion of Brotherhood, the Stimulation of Scholarship, and the Development of Character...
(condemned)
Pi Kappa AlphaPi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity is an international secret social Greek-letter college fraternity. It was founded at 47 West Range at the University of Virginia in the United States on Sunday evening, March 1 1868.-History:...
Pi Kappa PhiPi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. The fraternity has 142 active chapters, 93 alumni groups, 21 colonies, and...
Phi Mu Alpha
Sigma Alpha EpsilonSigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. Founded at the University of Alabama in 1856, it is the only fraternity founded in the Antebellum South still in operation...
Sigma Alpha MuSigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has...
Sigma Phi EpsilonΣΦΕ , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a secret letter, social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
(closed)
Sigma ChiSigma Chi is one of the largest and oldest college Greek-letter social fraternities. Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon. Sigma Chi has seven founding members: Benjamin Piatt Runkle, Thomas Cowan Bell, William Lewis...
Tau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the USA, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
(house torn down, house being rebuilt)
Theta ChiTheta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities .-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...
|
The Daily Athenaeum
The Daily Athenaeum, nicknamed the
DA, is the 9th-largest newspaper in West Virginia. Offered free around campus, it generates income through advertisements and student fees. The paper began in 1887 as a weekly
literary magazineA literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
, with writing, editing and production taken over by the newly formed School of Journalism in the 1920s. In 1970, the paper split from the School of Journalism and became an independent campus entity governed by the Student Publications Board. The
DA was voted as the
Princeton Review's 10th-best college newspaper in the United States in 2005, 15th in 2006, and 8th in 2007. The Daily Athenaeum is an affiliate of UWIRE , which distributes and promotes its content to their network.
WWVU-FM
WWVU-FMWWVU-FM is a radio station serving Morgantown, West Virginia and greater Monongalia County, WV. It is owned by West Virginia University. Main offices are located at the WVU Mountainlair, on the Downtown Campus. Its transmitter is near University High School, also in Morgantown...
, called U92 or The Moose, plays new music, talkshows, and newscasts. On the air since 1982, U92 can be heard in the Morgantown area at 91.7 FM and also streams live on the internet. In 2007, the station was one of four college radio stations nominated for College Music Journal's Station of the Year Award.
Athletics
The school's sports teams are called the Mountaineers and compete in the
Big East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the northeastern, southeastern and midwestern United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 23 NCAA sports...
, a member of the
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada...
's Division I. The school has teams in 17 college sports and has won several national championships, including 14 NCAA Rifle Championships as of 2009.
Notable athletes from West Virginia University include Stan "The Man" Boskovich,
Jerry WestJerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
,
Jim BraxtonJames Robert Braxton was a professional American football fullback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.-Collegiate career:...
,
Marc BulgerMarc Robert Bulger is a professional football player, and currently is the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams. He was voted MVP of the 2004 Pro Bowl. He was born in on April 5, 1977, and was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
,
Avon CobourneAvon Cobourne is a football running back in the Canadian Football League. He currently plays for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes...
,
Mike ComptonMike Compton is a former NFL guard who played twelve seasons in the NFL from 1993-2004. He started in Super Bowl XXXVI for the New England Patriots. Compton was a consensus All-American center for West Virginia University....
,
Noel DevineNoel Devine is an American college football running back for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was a former blue chip prospect and holds many high school rushing records....
,
Cecil DoggetteCecil Doggette is a former Arena Football League Defensive specialist. He played college football at Hudson Valley Community College and West Virginia....
,
Mike GanseyMichael Gansey is an American basketball player who played on an NBA roster for the Los Angeles Clippers on their 2007 Vegas Summer League team. After the summer league was over, he signed a contract for the 2007/08 season with the Italian team Indesit Fabriano...
,
Major HarrisMajor Harris is a former college football quarterback for West Virginia University during the 1980s. Harris was a 1989 All American and finished third and fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was also the ECAC Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989...
, Chris Henry,
Joe HerberJohannes Herber is a basketball player who plays for ALBA Berlin in the German Basketball Bundesliga. In 2006, he completed a U.S. college career at West Virginia University...
,
Jeff HostetlerWilliam Jeffrey "Hoss" Hostetler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the New York Giants, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins.-Penn State:...
,
Chuck HowleyCharles Louis Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who spent most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys.-College career:...
,
Sam HuffRobert Lee "Sam" Huff is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982....
,
Darryl TalleyDarryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia.Talley was named a consensus All-American as a senior...
,
"Hot Rod" HundleyRodney Clark Hundley is a former professional basketball player and television broadcaster. Hundley's life has revolved around the game of basketball. His love and talent for the game led him to achieve honors in high school and most notably during his college years...
, Adam "Pacman" Jones,
Joe StydaharJoseph Lee Stydahar was an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears from 1936 to 1942 and 1945 to 1946 and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was born and raised about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh in the small mining community of Kaylor, Pennsylvania in Cambria County,...
,
Dan MozesDaniel Mozes is an American football Center who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was unselected in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
,
Kevin PittsnogleKevin Lee Pittsnogle Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played for the the Pittsburgh Xplosion of the CBA and the Austin Toros and the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA D-League....
,
Jerry PorterJerry Porter may refer to:*Jerry Porter , professional football player*Jerry D. Porter, General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene...
,
Todd SauerbrunTodd Scott Sauerbrun is an American football punter for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft...
,
Steve SlatonSteve Slaton is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
,
Rod ThornRodney King "Rod" Thorn is the president and former general manager of the NBA's New Jersey Nets.-Biography:...
,
Mike VanderjagtMichael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in both the Canadian Football League and National Football League. He is the most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history of all kickers with at least 100 field goal attempts...
,
Jerry WestJerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
, Pat White,
Quincy WilsonQuincy Wilson is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
, and
Amos ZereoueAmos Zereoué is an African-born former American football player in the National Football League, who last played for the New England Patriots...
; wrestlers Nate Carr,
Greg JonesGreg Jones is one of the most successful American collegiate wrestlers of all-time. At West Virginia University, Jones won three NCAA Division I wrestling titles - one of only 39 wrestlers to accomplish that feat in the tournament's 75-year history....
,
Mike Mason----Mike Mason is an American football wide receiver who was signed briefly by the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League...
,
Joe AlexanderJoe Alexander is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA. Alexander, who at and plays both forward positions, was selected for the 2007 All-Big East squad during his collegiate career with West Virginia and was an All-American Honorable Mention. He was...
,
Owen SchmittOwen Schmitt is an American football fullback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, and Georgann Wells, the first female player to register a dunk in a collegiate basketball game.
Flying WV
West Virginia University's logo is known as the "Flying WV." It debuted in 1980 as a part of a football uniform redesign by Coach
Don NehlenDon Nehlen is the former head football coach at Bowling Green State University and later at West Virginia University. His lifetime record was 202-128-8. Nehlen retired in 2001 as the 17th winningest coach in college football history, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005...
. It was adopted as the official logo for the University in 1983.
Mountaineer mascot
The Mountaineer was adopted in 1890 as the official school mascot and unofficially began appearing at sporting events in 1927. The new Mountaineer is selected each year by the Mountain Honorary during the final two men's home basketball games. Candidates must have at least a 2.5 GPA, write an essay about why they want to be the Mountaineer, attend an extensive interview process and garner the most cheers during the home basketball game. The successful candidate is awarded the formal title of "The Mountaineer of West Virginia University." Although men typically are chosen, there have been two women selected (
Natalie TennantNatalie Tennant is a Democrat and the current Secretary of State of West Virginia. She was elected in 2008 and officially took office as the 29th Secretary of State on January 19, 2009....
, who is now the West Virginia Secretary of State) and Rebecca Durst. The new Mountaineer receives a scholarship, a tailor-made buckskin suit with coonskin hat, and a period rifle and powder horn for discharging when appropriate and safe. The mascot travels with most sports teams throughout the academic year. There is always a backup Mountaineer to step in when needed.
"Take Me Home, Country Roads"
The
John DenverJohn Denver was an American country music/folk singer-songwriter and folk rock musician. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s in terms of record sales, recording and releasing around 300 songs, of which about 200 were composed by him. He was named Poet Laureate of Colorado...
song "
Take Me Home, Country Roads"Take Me Home, Country Roads" is a song written by John Denver, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, and initially recorded by John Denver. It was included on his 1971 breakout album Poems, Prayers and Promises; the single went to #2 on the U.S...
" is commonly played at most home sporting events as well as other occasions on campus. In 1980, Denver helped dedicate the new Mountaineer Field, and performed the song as a sing-along with the crowd. It then became a tradition, after a victory, for fans to stay in the stands and sing it along with the football team.
Carpet roll
In 1955, Fred Schaus and Alex Mumford devised the idea of rolling out an elaborate gold and blue carpet for Mountaineer basketball players to use when taking the court for pre-game warm-ups. In addition, Mountaineer players warmed up with a special gold and blue basketball. The University continued this tradition until the late 1960s when it died out, but former Mountaineer player
Gale CatlettGale Catlett was a basketball player and longtime basketball coach for West Virginia University....
reintroduced the carpet when he returned to West Virginia University in 1978 as head coach of the men's basketball team.
Mountaineer Marching Band
The
West Virginia University Mountaineer Marching BandThe , nicknamed "The Pride of West Virginia," was formed in 1901 as an all-male ROTC band. It performs at every home football game and makes other appearances on- and off-campus throughout the year....
, nicknamed "The Pride of West Virginia," was formed in 1901 as an all-male ROTC band. It performs at every home football game and makes other appearances on- and off-campus throughout the year.
Heather Bresch degree scandal
On April 24, 2008, the
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
reported that the university had improperly granted an MBA degree to
Heather BreschHeather Bresch is President of Mylan, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based pharmaceutical corporation that describes itself as the third largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world...
, the daughter of the state's governor
Joe ManchinJoseph "Joe" Manchin III is an American politician from the State of West Virginia. Manchin was elected Governor of West Virginia in the 2004 election and took office on January 17, 2005; he was reelected in 2008...
and an employee of Mylan, the university's largest donor. In the resulting aftermath, the University determined that Bresch's degree had been awarded without having the prerequisite requirements met and rescinded it. This led to the resignation of president Michael Garrison, provost Gerald Lang, and business school dean Steve Sears.
External links