CONCORD UNIVERSITY
Athens, West Virginia
The University
Concord University, a highly respected liberal arts university, was founded more than 133 years ago. Concord features accredited career-oriented undergraduate and graduate programs in education with a strong liberal arts base and focusing on the needs of the individual student. The beautiful 123-acre campus stands on a ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Five residence halls and apartments house up to 1,000 students from twenty-seven states, predominantly from the East, South, and Midwest. Concord also has a large international student population, with fifteen nations represented. With a total student population of more than 2,900, Concord serves the needs of active commuter students who join the residential students in following courses of study in the arts and sciences, business administration, teacher education, and such fields as advertising/graphic design and social work. Preparation for advanced and professional study is a Concord hallmark. In 2003, Concord University was number thirteen in a nationwide ranking by The Wall Street Journal of best undergraduate public colleges and universities for admission of their alumni to the nation's most selective graduate schools. In both 2004 and 2005, Concord's outstanding premed program placed 100 percent of its graduates in medical schools.
Each year, the Alexander Fine Arts Center presents the Artist-Lecture Series, which includes recitals, plays, art exhibitions, and guest speakers. Special events have included the North Carolina Dance Theatre; the West Virginia Symphony; lecturers Dr. Homer Hickam, NASA scientist and author of the book Rocket Boys (which was later made into the hit movie October Sky), and Dr. Cornel West, a preeminent African-American scholar from Harvard; and professional art exhibits. Theatrical productions range from Shakespeare and Chekhov to Woody Allen.
Students participate in special interest organizations, honor societies, five fraternities, four sororities, the yearbook, and the newspaper and enjoy many student activities, which include comedians, musicians, magicians, and other entertainers. Students participate in intramural and intercollegiate sports. Intercollegiate sports for men include baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, tennis, and track and field. Intercollegiate sports for women include basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
Counseling and tutoring are strongly supported through Student Support Services; faculty-supervised developmental labs in English, reading, and mathematics; and twice-a-year individual counseling with faculty advisers.
In addition to its undergraduate programs, Concord also offers a Master of Education degree with content specialization.
Location
Athens is a small town in southern West Virginia near the Virginia border. Located near Princeton, Beckley, and Bluefield, West Virginia, Athens is 6 miles from I-77 and not far from I-64 and I-81. Athens has easy access to thriving population centers, such as Roanoke, Virginia; Charleston, West Virginia; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Shopping malls and entertainment are also available nearby, and Pipestem State Park Resort offers many recreational opportunities. The WinterPlace ski resort is approximately 20 minutes north of the campus, and white-water rafting is also nearby.
Majors and Degrees
Concord offers more than eighty majors, minors, and programs. The degrees offered at Concord are the Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems; the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts; the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies; the Bachelor of Social Work; the Bachelor of Science in Education (with a wide selection of teaching fields); the Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology; the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration; the Bachelor of Science, with majors in athletic training, biology, comprehensive chemistry, GIS and cartography, mathematics, mathematics comprehensive, mathematics/computer science, preprofessional biology, and preprofessional chemistry; and the Bachelor of Arts, with majors in advertising/graphic design, English (with emphases in journalism, literature, and writing), geography, history, history with a concentration in philosophy, political science, preprofessional mentoring programs for law and premed, psychology, sociology, and studio art. Concord offers the Regents Bachelor of Arts degree for adults who cannot interrupt their normal activities to attend college but have gained comparable knowledge outside the classroom. Concord also offers a two-year degree, the Associate of Arts in Office Supervision, and five structured interdisciplinary options, including environmental geosciences, health-care management, leadership and entrepreneurial studies, public administration, and sports management. A wide array of preprofessional fields, including premed, prepharmacy, predental, prelaw, prephysical therapy, preoptometry, preveterinary, and others, are available.
Academic Programs
All students must complete a minimum of 128 semester hours with a grade point average of 2.0 (C) or better to receive a degree. A program of general studies, required of all students, includes courses in communication and literature, fine arts, social sciences, natural sciences, teacher education, mathematics, foreign languages (optional in most majors), athletic training, recombinant gene technology, and physical education. Credit is awarded for satisfactory scores on the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (I.B.) tests. An outstanding honors program is also available to qualifying students. Honors courses and independent study projects are available in most departments. Semesters begin in late Augustand mid-January; there are summer terms as well.
Off-Campus Programs
The Concord University Beckley Center offers a wide range of academic opportunities, from freshman-level courses to the four-year degrees in business administration, education, and social work, to students in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Summer internships, which provide valuable professional contacts and experience, are part of the program of study for students majoring in communication arts and advertising/graphic design. Medical technology students must complete a twelve-month internship at an approved hospital. An internship program is available for travel industry management students, education, prelaw, and premed. Professional fieldwork placements form part of the social work program.
Academic Facilities
An open-stack library and a modern center for academic technologies facilitate research. Students have access to twenty-two computer labs, port-per-pillow fiber optics in the residence halls, the observatory, two spacious theaters, and physical education facilities, including gymnasiums, an indoor swimming pool, a dance studio, well-equipped weight rooms, and squash, handball, and racquetball courts. Laboratories are integral components of programs in the natural sciences, psychology, and geography. The University offers its students multimedia, graphic, and DNA Tech labs. The Alexander Fine Arts Center houses facilities for art, music, communications, and dramatic arts studies.
Costs
For the 200405 academic year, the tuition, fees, and room and board for West Virginia residents were $9708, books and supplies cost approximately $100, and personal expenses were nearly $1000. For nonresidents, tuition, fees, and room and board were $14,442 per academic year. All other costs were the same. These figures are subject to change.
Financial Aid
Concord University has the most generous scholarship program in the West Virginia State Higher Education System. Merit awards, athletic and talent scholarships, transfer scholarships, and scholarships for nontraditional students are readily available for qualifying students. Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Perkins Loans, West Virginia Higher Education Grants, Federal PLUS loans, and Federal Stafford Student Loans are available through the University. The State Student Assistance Program and the Federal Work-Study Program offer opportunities for student employment. To receive priority, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be on file by March1. Concord offers scholarships to international students.
Incoming freshmen who are willing to perform community service may apply for the Bonner Scholars Program. Funded by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation of Princeton, New Jersey, the award is primarily based on need and prior service. The University offers an entrepreneurial scholars program that provides students with the skills and knowledge to help them become entrepreneurs.
Approximately 90 percent of freshman students receive scholarships, financial aid, or both. In addition, 85 percent of the entire student body receive some form of financial aid.
Faculty
All members of the faculty teach courses in the program of general studies, and all counsel and advise students. Of the more than 100 full-time faculty members, 70 percent hold the highest degree in their disciplines. In addition, the University employs adjunct instructors who are experts in their fields. The average class size is 22 students.
Student Government
Concord's Student Government Association (SGA) budgets the student activity fee and plans entertainment. The SGA names students to voting membership on administrative councils and committees. Students also fund the SGA Memorial Scholarship. The Student Activities Committee provides on-campus movies, dances, and special programs. The Concord Office of Hous
ing and Residential Life offers numerous programs and activities in residence halls.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must have an overall grade point average of at least 2.0 (C) at an approved secondary school or a composite score of at least 17 on the ACT examination or 810 on the SAT examinations, complete an application form, and send a high school transcript. Applicants may gain admission with advanced standing if they obtain qualifying scores on the College Board's AP tests, CLEP tests, or International Baccalaureate tests. GED test scores may be considered in lieu of the high school diploma.
Applicants must have completed the following secondary units: 4 in English, 3 in social studies (including U.S. history), 3 in mathematics (algebra I and higher), and 3 in laboratory sciences. Foreign language study is strongly recommended.
Transfer students are encouraged to apply for admission and may be eligible for scholarships. In addition, a limited number of talented high school students can be admitted to the summer school to earn college credit. Talented students who have completed the junior year of high school may be eligible for the University's early admission program.
Application and Information
Applications should be submitted by January1 for early admission consideration and by August1 for admission for the fall semester, which begins in late Augustand ends in December.
For further information, students may contact:
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