William Woods University


William Woods University is a private university in Fulton, Missouri. Founded in 1870, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Expanding its mission to address the need for graduate and adult-oriented programs, the institution became known as William Woods University in 1993. It began offering graduate degrees and admitting men as well as women into all of its programs.
The university offers undergraduate programs of study, including an internationally recognized equestrian studies program, a four-year American Sign Language interpreting program, the first juvenile justice degree in the state, and a criminal justice degree with homeland security emphasis. Graduate level programs are offered through the Graduate and Professional Studies program, which offers graduate degree programs, degree completion programs, and select undergraduate programs at permanent sites in Fulton, Columbia, Jefferson City, and Blue Springs as well as temporary sites across Missouri and in Arkansas. All outreach programs use a cohort model, and are designed to offer convenience for working adults and an accelerated format.
Its athletics teams are known as the Owls and participate in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as a member of the American Midwest Conference. It enrolled 2,153 students in 2019.

History

First known as the Female Orphan School, the institution was founded in 1870 in Camden Point, Missouri in response to the needs of girls who were orphaned during the war.
During the late nineteenth century, the institution moved to Fulton and expanded its elementary and secondary programs to accommodate young women who aspired to become teachers. Known briefly at the beginning of the twentieth century as Daughters College, it changed its name to William Woods College 1900 to honor a major benefactor and began offering a two-year college program. In 1962, anticipating dramatic changes in the role of American women in the labor force, William Woods became a four-year college.

Campus

William Woods University is named after Dr. William Stone Woods of the National Bank of Commerce. In 1901, the institution is named William Woods College, in honor of the physician and banker whose interest in the education of young women compelled him to endow the institution with substantial and repeated gifts throughout the century.
The campus in Fulton includes buildings of various types. Two favorites of the campus community are Dulany Auditorium and the William S. Woods Academic Building.
Dulany Auditorium was built in 1907. Mrs. D.M. Dulany contributed $7,500 toward construction of the $24,000 building in memory of her husband. The stained glass portrait windows are of D.M. Dulany, W.H. Dulany and Benjamin L. Locke, all early supporters of the college.
The William S. Woods Academic Building, or the Academic Building, as most students refer to it, is a three-story brick structure which houses administrative offices, classrooms and faculty. It was completed in 1921.

Rosa Parks Center

Rosa Parks Center, a Missouri Division of Youth Services center for incarcerated girls, is a former university dormitory located at WWU. It holds 10-12 girls at a time. WWU students are involved with the center. DYS and WWU agreed to the joint project in 2000, and the center opened in January 2001.

Outreach program permanent sites

WWU offers graduate degree programs, degree completion programs, and select undergraduate programs at permanent sites in Fulton, Columbia, Jefferson City, and Blue Springs, as well as temporary sites across Missouri.

Academics

Undergraduate college academics

Graduate college academics

William Woods offers various graduate programs designed for full-time working professionals. Most programs are completed in fewer than two years.

Degree programs

Degree programs at WWU include:
Additional programs are offered using the cohort model for working adults.

Student life

The university has approximately 1,000 undergraduate students from all over the U.S. and numerous other countries.
William Woods offers approximately 40 student organizations, including co-curricular, honorary, religious/faith-based, service/leadership, and social/academic/special interest groups.
The primary goal of the Office of Multicultural Affairs is to support students from every walk of life by coordinating, implementing, and promoting all-inclusive cultural programming. It fosters understanding and acceptance of racial, ethnic, gender, age, and other cultural differences. It provides informative presentations which encourage discussions on current cultural issues. It schedules relevant cultural film series. It offers professional development workshops and training to faculty, staff, and students.
The Office of Faith and Service provides programming aimed at students' spiritual needs and interests. In addition to regular chapel services, students can take part in a speakers' series and a film series, as well as various small group discussions and service opportunities. Several student organizations with a spiritual emphasis are active on campus. There are also multiple local places of worship from which to choose.
Counseling and Health Services provides students with physical health related services as well as counseling/mental health related services.

Campus safety

Personnel patrol the campus and provide a variety of protective and service-related functions. Safety officers work to provide a safe and orderly campus environment.

Greek life

William Woods is home to three fraternities, Pi Kappa Alpha, Phi Gamma Delta, and Sigma Tau Gamma, and four sororities, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, and Delta Gamma.

Athletics

William Woods University teams are known as the Owls. The university competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as a member of the American Midwest Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Alumni and traditions

William Woods has more than 20,000 alumni. There are many traditions associated with the school, including the "Ivy Chain." The Ivy Ceremony marks the start of the students' college life. When they graduate, the ivy will be cut during another ceremony, held at commencement, symbolizing separation from college and the beginning of a new life. The tradition is believed to have begun more than a hundred years ago when the Class of 1899 planted ivy on the campus during a special graduation ceremony.
In 1952, future U.S. President Ronald Reagan gave a commencement address at the college in which he said that he "always thought of America as a place in the divine scheme of things that was set aside as a promised land." This is also a notable speech by the future President as it is one of his oldest surviving speeches.

Notable alumni