Western Michigan University facts for kids
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Former names
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Western State Normal School (1903–1926), Western State Teachers College (1927–1940), Western Michigan College of Education, Western Michigan College (1955–1957) |
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| Motto | So that all may learn. |
| Type | Public research university |
| Established | May 27, 1903 |
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Academic affiliations
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Space-grant |
| Endowment | $640.2 million (2023) |
| Budget | $410.6 million (2023/24) |
| President | Edward B. Montgomery, PhD |
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Academic staff
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751 (Full Time) |
| Students | 15,985 |
| Undergraduates | 12,414 |
| Postgraduates | 3,571 |
| Location |
,
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United States
42°17′00″N 85°36′50″W / 42.28333°N 85.61389°W |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Brown and Gold |
| Nickname | Broncos |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I – MAC, NCHC |
| Mascot | Buster Bronco |
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Western Michigan University (often called Western Michigan, Western, or WMU) is a large public university. It is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the United States.
WMU first opened in 1903 as the Western State Normal School. It was created to train teachers. In 1957, its name was changed to Western Michigan University.
Western Michigan University is one of eight major research universities in Michigan. It offers many different study programs. Students can choose from 147 bachelor's degrees, 73 master's degrees, and 30 doctoral programs.
The university's sports teams are called the Western Michigan Broncos. They compete in NCAA Division I sports. Most teams play in the Mid-American Conference.
Contents
Discovering WMU's History
On May 27, 1903, the governor of Michigan, Aaron T. Bliss, signed a law. This law allowed a new school to be built for training teachers. Kalamazoo was chosen as the perfect spot for the school on August 28, 1903. The very first building, now called East Hall, was finished in 1904.
The school was first known as Western State Normal School. It offered a two-year program to train teachers. The first leader was Dwight B. Waldo, who served from 1904 to 1936. Over the years, the school's name changed a few times. It became Western State Teachers College in 1927. Then it was Western Michigan College of Education in 1941. In 1955, it was simply Western Michigan College. Finally, in 1957, it became Western Michigan University.
Many of the oldest buildings at WMU are on what is known as East Campus. This part of the campus is on a steep hill. Because of this, a special train called the Western State Normal Railroad was built in 1907. It helped students and staff get up and down the hill. This fun train ran until 1949.
The university faced financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. They made some changes to save money.
WMU Presidents Over Time
- Dwight B. Waldo (1904–1936)
- Paul V. Sangren (1936–1960)
- James W. Miller (1961–1974)
- John T. Bernhard (1974–1985)
- Diether H. Haenicke (1985–1998)
- Elson S. Floyd (1998–2003)
- Judith I. Bailey (2003–2006)
- John M. Dunn (2007–2017)
- Edward B. Montgomery (2017–present)
Academic Programs at WMU
Becoming a WMU Student
| Admissions statistics | |
|---|---|
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2021 entering
classChange vs. 2016 |
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| Admit rate | 82.8
(
 +0.5) |
| Yield rate | 13.5
(
 −12.6) |
| Test scores middle 50% | |
| SAT Total | 1000-1200 (among 37.1% of FTFs) |
| ACT Composite | 21-27 (among 6.7% of FTFs) |
WMU is known for being a "selective" school. This means they choose students carefully. For the class that started in fall 2021, WMU accepted about 83% of students who applied. About 13.5% of those accepted decided to attend.
Most students who start at WMU stay for their second year. About 56% of students graduate within six years. Students who enrolled in 2021 had middle test scores on the SAT between 1000 and 1200. Their middle scores on the ACT were between 21 and 27.
Colleges and Study Areas
| USNWR National University | 263 |
|---|---|
| Washington Monthly National University | 199 |
| Forbes | 564 |
WMU is known as a university with "high research activity." This means professors and students do a lot of important research. The university offers many different types of degrees. These include 147 bachelor's degrees, 73 master's degrees, and 30 doctoral programs.
WMU has seven main colleges where students can study. These include:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Aviation
- Haworth College of Business
- College of Education and Human Development
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- College of Fine Arts
- College of Health and Human Services
There is also a Graduate College for advanced degrees and the Lee Honors College for high-achieving students.
Some of the most popular study areas for undergraduate students in 2021 were:
- General Studies (many different subjects combined)
- Finance
- Accounting
- Marketing
- Nursing
- Health and Medical Services
- Pilot and Flight Crew training
The Haworth College of Business is one of the largest business schools in the United States. It has about 4,000 undergraduate students. It also has 500 students studying for their Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Master of Accountancy (MSA) degrees. The college is named after alumnus G. W. Haworth, who made a large donation.
WMU used to have a partnership with the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. This partnership ended in 2020.
Exploring WMU's Campuses
WMU's campuses cover more than 1,200 acres (4.9 km²) and have about 150 buildings. Western Michigan University has five main campuses in and around Kalamazoo:
- West Campus
- East Campus
- Oakland Drive Campus
- Parkview Campus
- College of Aviation (in Battle Creek, Michigan)
West Campus: The Main Hub
West Campus is the biggest and main campus in Kalamazoo. Most of the university's academic buildings and offices are here. This includes the College of Arts and Sciences, Haworth College of Business, and the College of Fine Arts. Many student dorms are also on West Campus. Other dorms, called "The Valleys," are right next to West Campus.
Waldo Library is the fourth largest university library in Michigan. It has millions of books, videos, maps, and online resources. The library also has a cafe, study rooms, and a virtual reality lab.
The WMU Student Center opened in 2023. It has a dining hall, restaurants, a bank, the campus bookstore, and spaces for student groups.
West Campus is also home to Miller Auditorium. This is a large entertainment venue that can seat almost 3,500 people. It hosts musicals, concerts, and graduation ceremonies. The Gilmore Theater Complex, with three stages, is right next to Miller Auditorium. The Dalton Center houses the School of Music and Department of Dance. The Richmond Center for Visual Arts and the Gwen Frostic School of Art are also on West Campus.
East Campus: Where It All Began
East Campus is where the university first started in 1903. It has many historic buildings like East Hall, West Hall, and Walwood Hall. These buildings are on a hill overlooking Kalamazoo. Walwood Hall, updated in 1992, houses several graduate and research offices.
In 2012, WMU decided to update East Hall to be an alumni center. They also planned to remove some older buildings to create more green space. West Hall and other buildings were taken down in 2013. The main part of East Hall was kept and reopened in 2015 as Heritage Hall. The front entrance of North Hall was also saved and placed near East Hall.
Oakland Drive Campus
The Oakland Drive Campus is a newer part of the university. It is home to the College of Health and Human Services. It also hosts the WMU Army ROTC program, which trains future military leaders.
This campus also has the Western Michigan University Archives. These collections are in the Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center. They hold important historical records for the university and the region.
Parkview Campus: Engineering Hub
The Parkview Campus is where the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences is located. This campus is part of a Business Technology and Research Park. The main building, Floyd Hall, was built in 2003. It is very large, covering 343,000 square feet (31,900 m²).
This campus is about 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of the main campus. It also has a paper coating plant. The engineering college offers many programs. These include 17 undergraduate degrees and 9 master's and 6 doctoral programs in engineering and technology.
College of Aviation
The College of Aviation offers three main study areas for future pilots and aviation professionals. It has over 950 undergraduate students.
- Aviation Facilities
The College of Aviation has a fleet of modern training aircraft. These include Cirrus SR-20 planes, Piper PA-44 Seminole planes, and others. They also have facilities for testing jet engines and training for aircraft maintenance. The college is located in Battle Creek, Michigan, at the W. K. Kellogg Airport.
- New Runway
To help with flight training, a new runway was built at the Battle Creek airport. This project cost about $7 million. Most of the money came from the government. The new runway helps the college train more pilots.
- Punta Gorda Programs
From 2017 to 2019, WMU offered aviation and music therapy programs in Punta Gorda, Florida. These programs were located near the Punta Gorda Airport. However, these programs closed in 2019 due to low student numbers.
Medical School
Western Michigan University started planning a medical school in 2008. It is called the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. The first students began classes in August 2014. This school was created with help from local hospitals. It received a very large donation of $100 million from Ronda Stryker and William Johnston. This was one of the biggest cash gifts ever given to a university in Michigan.
Regional Study Locations
Western Michigan University also has several regional sites. These sites offer education to more than 6,000 students each year. These locations are in cities across Michigan:
Student Life at WMU
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
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| White | 68% |
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| Black | 10% |
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| Hispanic | 8% |
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| Other | 6% |
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| Foreign national | 5% |
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| Asian | 2% |
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| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income | 28% |
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| Affluent | 72% |
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Fun and Entertainment
The Campus Activities Board is a student group that plans fun events. They bring concerts, comedians, movies, and special activities for students.
Student Government
The Western Student Association (WSA) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) are the main student government groups. They represent the students at WMU.
Student Groups and Clubs
WMU supports many groups for personal and social growth. These include groups for faith, LGBTQ+ students, and Greek Life. There are also services for international students and multicultural affairs. WMU has about 400 student organizations. Any student can join these clubs.
Student Voice and Activism
Students at WMU have sometimes spoken up about campus changes. For example, when a new Chemistry Building was planned, some students were concerned. It would remove a green space on campus. Later, a temporary outdoor plaza was built. Some students protested its look and cost. They even used chalk to show how much different parts of the plaza cost. This showed how students can use their voices to express opinions.
Fraternities and Sororities
There are 32 Greek Life chapters at WMU. Each group has its own values and goals. These include the Divine Nine, which are nine historically Black Greek organizations. There are also honors, academic, service, and social chapters.
WMU Athletics: Go Broncos!
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The Western Michigan Broncos are a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school. They play in the Football Bowl Subdivision for football. Most of their teams compete in the Mid-American Conference. This includes men's basketball, baseball, football, soccer, and tennis. Women's sports include basketball, cross-country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. The men's hockey team plays in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
The main rival for the Western Michigan Broncos is the Central Michigan Chippewas. They also play in the Mid-American Conference.
The Broncos have won two NCAA national championships in cross country. They won the NCAA title in 1964 and 1965.
School Songs
WMU has an alma mater song called "Brown and Gold" and a fight song. These songs were chosen in a contest in 1959. Alumnus James H. Bull wrote the lyrics for "Brown and Gold." Alumnus Walter Gilbert wrote the lyrics for the fight song and the music for both songs.
Famous WMU Alumni
Many notable people have graduated from Western Michigan University. Here are a few:
- Tim Allen, actor
- Curtis Armstrong, actor
- Bruce Campbell, actor
- Terry Crews, actor and football player
- Danny DeKeyser, hockey player
- Gershwin A. Drain, federal judge
- Greg Jennings, football player
- Lucy Lameck, politician
- Crystal Lucas-Perry, actress
- Marin Mazzie, actress
- Richelle Mead, author
- Mike Nahan, politician
- Frank Quilici, baseball player
- TooTurntTony, media personality
- Homer Stryker, founder of the company Stryker Corporation
- Merze Tate, international relations scholar and first African-American woman to graduate from WMU, attend Oxford, and receive PhD in International Relations at Harvard
- Luther Vandross, singer, songwriter and record producer
