Southwestern College

General Information:

Southwestern College has its roots in the traditions of the Methodist circuit riders, whose love of education helped shape the educational landscape of the 19th century.

Founded in 1885 by the Southwest Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the college graduated its first class of three students June 3, 1889. The City of Winfield contributed resources for the original campus. In 1909 its name was changed from Southwest Kansas Conference College to Southwestern College, and in 1917 the school earned accreditation by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.

Always strong in the arts, the music program was augmented by the merger, in 1926, of the Winfield College of Music with the college.

Campus facilities were seriously affected in 1950 by a fire which destroyed the interior of the administration building. The reconstruction of this building and the subsequent construction of new academic facilities have provided the college with a modern campus to supports its programs. During the final decade of the past century, more than $15 million in construction or improvements were seen.

During this decade the campus became fully connected through a fiber optic network, and in 1999 the school became the first in the region to issue laptop computers to all incoming freshmen. Now wireless network access is available in public areas on campus, and all offices and residence halls are wired for access.

The college continues its mutually supportive relationship with the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Major steps were taken in 1994 to develop a professional studies program with the opening of a center in downtown Winfield. In the next few decades the degree completion program would expand significantly with the addition of three centers in Wichita and one in Oklahoma City, and with the inauguration of an online degree completion program.

Six graduate degrees also are now available - the master of education with specialization in either curriculum and instruction or in special education; the master of business administration; the master of science in leadership; the master of science in management; and the master of science in security administration.

Today the liberal arts tradition that is the foundation of a Southwestern College education is seen not only in the on-campus programs, but also in degree completion programs in other cities and around the world online.

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The Facts
The College
Founded: 1885
Affiliation: United Methodist
Campus: 20 buildings on 82 acres
Location: Winfield, Kansas (population 12,000)
Miles from Wichita: 40
Number of Steps up to Christy Administration Building: 77 (Count them yourself)
Student/Faculty Ratio: 13:1
Faculty: 50+
Enrollment: Students from 21 States and 15 Foreign Countries
2008-09 First-Year Students in the Top 25% of their high school class: 48%
2008-09 First-Year Students with a B average or Better in high school: 80%
Number of Black Cats living in the Gymnasium:1
Academic and Honor Societies:7
Musical Groups:7
Clubs and Student Organizations: 13
Alligators on Campus: 1
Living on campus are:
Red-eared slider turtles: 3
Chinese water dragons named Spike: 1
South American Pacu: 1*
Nickname: The Moundbuilders
Conference Championships since 1960- 140+

The Cost
Students Who Receive Financial Aid: 100%
Amount of Financial Aid Available: Each year Southwestern offers approximately $4.5 million in financial assistance to it’s students

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The Vision and Mission Statements of Southwestern College:

Our Vision
Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, is a learning community dedicated to:
-intellectual growth and career preparation
-individual development and Christian values
-lifetime learning and responsible citizenship
-leadership through service in a world without boundaries

The Mission of Southwestern College
Southwestern College provides a values-based learning experience that emphasizes intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth. Founded in 1885 by Kansas Methodists and now related to the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church, the college offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees on-ground and online.

Southwestern College:
-Prepares students for careers and for graduate studies with courses that foster critical thinking and effective communication and are characterized by meaningful professor-student interaction.
-Employs emerging technologies that promote learning.
-Strives to live by and teach a sustainable way of life.
-Provides preparation for a wide range of church-related vocations and involvement.
-Offers programs that embrace prior learning and facilitate career progression for working adults, members of the armed services, and persons in transition.
-Affords a residential learning experience abundant with co-curricular activities that build social awareness and interpersonal skills and cultivate an ethos of service and leadership.

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Activities & Interests
Men’s Sports
Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field

Women’s Sports
Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball

Co-Curricular Interests
Athletic Training, Broadcasting, Music- Instrumental/ Vocal, New (Digital) Media, Newspaper, Phi Beta Lambda (Business Club), Theatre, Worship Outreach, Yearbook

Service Learning
Discipleship Southwestern, Green Team, Leadership Southwestern

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