North Carolina Wesleyan University (NCWU) is a

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Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

university in

Rocky Mount, North Carolina Rocky Mount is a city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The city's population was 54,341 as of the 2020 census, making it the 20th-most populous city in North Carolina at the time. The city is 45 mi (7 ...

. It was founded in 1956. North Carolina Wesleyan also offers evening courses at its main Rocky Mount campus, as well as satellite locations in Morrisville, Goldsboro, Greenville, Whiteville,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, and

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...

History

On May 14, 1956, the North Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church met in Goldsboro and approved a petition from the citizens of the city of Rocky Mount to locate a college in their community. The college was officially chartered by the State of North Carolina on October 25, 1956. Capital investments totaling approximately $2 million made possible the construction of the main buildings on the 200-acre site donated by the M.C. Braswell heirs of Rocky Mount, and four years later 92 students enrolled in the first class at North Carolina Wesleyan College. In 1964, 33 students received their degrees at the college's first Commencement. Nearly 9,000 students have earned bachelor's degrees in the arts and sciences and selected professional disciplines since its founding. In 2015, the college added its first two master's programs. Seven years later, the college changed its name to "university" in 2022.

Campus

The Rocky Mount campus includes six residence halls, nine academic and administrative buildings, the Everett Gymnasium, the Dunn Center, and outdoor athletic facilities, including a soccer field, baseball field, tennis courts, Indoor Sports & Education Facility, artificial turf field, intramural fields, and softball field. In addition to a residential campus, Wesleyan has developed a strong multi-campus adult degree program called ASPIRE with locations in Brunswick, Durham, Goldsboro, Greenville, Manteo, New Bern, Raleigh, Washington, Wilmington and Winston-Salem in addition to the main campus in Rocky Mount.

Academics

The university offers 33 undergraduate programs, 33 minor programs and two graduate degrees. It is a member of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of The United Methodist Church, the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, the

National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) located in Washington D.C.. It is an organization of private American colleges and universities. Founded in 1976, it has over 1,000 independent hig ...

, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) is an organization focused on empowering college, university, and foundation boards to govern with knowledge and confidence. AGB provides leadership and counsel to member board ...

, the National Association of Colleges and Universities Business Officers, and the American Council on Education. Women graduates are eligible for membership in the

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide network of 170,000 ...

The Roger G. and Gaile Davenport Taylor Honors Program

North Carolina Wesleyan University offers a select group of students the opportunity to complement their degree program with a series of challenging and rewarding courses. Freshmen take special courses in composition and humanities. Honors Program students then take one honors course each semester during their sophomore and junior years. As seniors, students complete an Honors Project in some area of interest. The Honors Program offers students the opportunity to develop a close community of learning and to take courses from some of the best faculty members at the university. Being in the Honors Program does not add to a student's course load, but it does add variety and depth to her or his higher education experience. Transcripts of Honors graduates include recognition that they completed the Honors Program.

Student life

As of 2022, about 1,833 students are enrolled in the traditional program on campus, up 75% since 2014. Another 1,200 students are enrolled in adult studies programs on campus and at satellite locations. Wesleyan has a growing international student population from 35+ countries. The university community welcomes and includes people from diverse religious, cultural, and racial backgrounds.

Honor societies

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved in ...

- the first Black, Inter-Collegiate Greek-Lettered fraternity. * Alpha Sigma Phi - the tenth oldest fraternity in the United States. * Delta Phi Epsilon - a National Panhellenic Conference affiliated social sorority. * Nu Gamma Phi - a affiliated non social fraternity. *

Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is one of the most prestigious honor societies in the United States with chapters at more than 300 college campuses. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University i ...

- national honorary leadership fraternity. * Phi Eta Sigma - National collegiate scholastic honor society for freshman. * Pi Gamma Mu - International Honor Society for Social Sciences. * Psi Chi - National Honor Society for Psychology. * Sigma Tau Delta - International English Honors Society * Kappa Mu Epsilon - National Mathematics Honor Society

Student publications

* The Decree (newspaper)

Athletic Affiliations

North Carolina Wesleyan is a member of

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their ...

and the

USA South Athletic Conference The USA South Athletic Conference (formerly the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference or the Dixie Conference) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member schools are located in North Carolina and Virginia ...

. They are known as the Battling Bishops with 16 Division III sports teams:

Athletics

Men's * Baseball * Basketball * Football * Soccer * Tennis * Golf * Cross Country * Track & Field Women's * Soccer * Basketball * Softball * Volleyball * Lacrosse * Tennis * Cross Country * Track & Field 6 USA South Athletic Conference Championships in 2020-21 119 Total Championships 13 Consecutive USA South Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Championships

History

The men's baseball program has two Division III National Championships in 1989 and again in 1999. The university's

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

program was established in 2005 with its home stadium at its Rocky Mount campus. The NCWU football team finished the 2007 regular season with an 8–2 mark, its best overall record in the program's short history. The Battling Bishops made it to the NCAA Division III Football tournament as the USA South champion, where they upset top-seed Washington & Jefferson in the first round 35–34. Not only was this Wesleyan's first post-season victory, but the first time the top seed lost to a number 8 seed since 1975.

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control Private universities and colleges in North Carolina Educational institutions established in 1956 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Art museums and galleries in North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east ...

Education in Nash County, North Carolina Buildings and structures in Nash County, North Carolina Tourist attractions in Nash County, North Carolina Education in Wayne County, North Carolina 1956 establishments in North Carolina