GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY
Boiling Springs, North Carolina
The University
Gardner-Webb University was founded in 1905 as a private high school by a group of Baptist associations. It became a junior college in 1928, was renamed Gardner-Webb College in 1942 in honor of former governor O. Max Gardner, and became a fully accredited senior college in 1971. Gardner-Webb moved to University status in 1993. Gardner-Webb's mission is to provide a high-quality liberal arts education in a Christian environment with the personal touch. The most outstanding characteristics of the University are its Christian environment, sense of community, and proven record of academic distinction. Its origins are obviously deep in Christian tradition, which is exemplified in the lives of staff and faculty members. Because the University is small, students can be well known by a large percentage of the faculty and administration members. The cosmopolitan student body (more than 3,800 men and women, of whom nearly 2,700 are undergraduates) represents thirty states and thirty other countries and gives an added, valuable dimension to a student's educational experience.
The heritage of the University is reflected in its beautiful landscape and stately brick buildings. However, the University is constantly forging ahead with advanced technology and state-of-the-art facilities. There are several social and service clubs on campus, including the Drama Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Campus Ministries United, student government, and various University and student committees. There are many extracurricular activities for those who are interested. An Army ROTC program; the Gardner-Webb Student YMCA (GWSY), which trains students for leadership positions at YMCAs; and the GWU Marching Band provide strong outlets for student involvement on campus. The Student Entertainment Association offers a full program of social events and entertainment. The Gardner-Webb Theatre offers a full season of plays. There are a student newspaper, a literary magazine, a television studio, and a campus radio station. Students may also participate in community projects or in various kinds of off-campus ministries, including those to the deaf and to prison inmates.
The Master of Arts degree is awarded in mental health counseling, school counseling, elementary education, middle school education, English education, English, school administration, and sport and science pedagogy. Gardner-Webb also offers the following degrees: a Master of Business Administration, International Master of Business Administration, Master of Accounting, Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Education.
Intramural sports, in which all students are urged to participate, include basketball, racquetball, softball, tennis, touch football, and volleyball. Intercollegiate sports include baseball, basketball, cross-country running, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. A modern physical education building, an indoor heated pool, and an athletic field amply accommodate these programs. A new wellness center and an Alpine Tower are available for student use.
The Program for the Blind at Gardner-Webb University has been developed to allow students with visual handicaps to receive a liberal arts education. Special support services and job opportunities are provided for every entering student who is visually impaired.
The Degree Program for the Deaf provides interpreters, note takers, and tutors skilled in sign language so that hearing-impaired students have full access to all University programs.
Location
The University is located at the foot of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, a university town of about 3,000 people. The campus comprises 250 acres of land in an area of gently rolling, wooded hills. Nine miles away is Shelby, a town of about 30,000 people. There are a Greater Shelby Community Theatre and a Community Concert Series, and restaurants abound in the area. Charlotte, an area of about 400,000 people only 50 miles away, offers many other opportunities for cultural, social, and recreational activities. Several nearby lakes and Asheville and Beech Mountain, an hour and a half away in the heart of the mountains, provide facilities for summer and winter sports. Greenville, South Carolina, is 55 miles away and Spartanburg, 36 miles. Shelby is served by Greyhound-Trailways bus lines, and the Charlotte airport is served by major airlines. Interstate 85 is only 15 miles away, and Highway 74 runs through Shelby.
Majors and Degrees
The degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, and Associate in Arts are offered. Fields of concentration are available in the following subjects: accounting, American sign language, athletic training, biology, business administration, chemistry, communications, computer science, elementary education, English, finance, French, health/wellness, history, international business, interpreter training, management information systems, mathematics, medical technology, middle grades education, music, nursing, physical education, physician assistant studies, political science, psychology, public relations, religion, sacred music, social sciences, sociology, Spanish, sports management, and theater arts.
A dual-degree program is available in engineering with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Auburn University.
Preprofessional programs are available in dentistry, law, medicine, ministry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.
Academic Programs
The total program is marked by flexibility for the student but encourages, through active faculty advisement, choosing a substantial course of study. Elements of the humanities, the social and physical sciences, and mathematics or related disciplines must be taken. A typical bachelor's degree program requires 128 semester hours for graduation: 59 to 63 in the core (humanities and social and physical sciences), 30 in the major, and 39 to 42 in supporting subjects and free electives. Requirements for science curricula vary somewhat. The associate degree requires the completion of 64 semester hours. A cumulative average of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better is required for graduation.
Gardner-Webb grants advanced placement and credit on the basis of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), the Advanced Placement (AP) tests of the College Board, and the International Baccalaureate Program.
Off-Campus Programs
Students in the Departments of Business, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages and Literature, and Religious Studies and Philosophy are given the opportunity to enrich their educational experiences through travel and study in Europe, Latin America, and the Holy Land.
Academic Facilities
The University's library currently holds 250,000 volumes. There are fully equipped biology, chemistry, and physics laboratories as well as computer and learning-assistance laboratories. A special-events/convocation center houses a theater and an athletics arena. The University also has a 50,000-watt FM stereo radio station.
Costs
Costs for the 200405 academic year were $14,960 for tuition and $5340 for room and board. Part-time tuition was $285 per semester hour for 1 to 9 hours. Books and supplies average $600.
Financial Aid
Gardner-Webb University makes available to its students a variety of scholarships, loans, grants-in-aid, and work-study awards. Prospective applicants with financial need should contact the financial aid director early in their senior year of high school for a financial need estimate. Applications received after April1 can be considered only in terms of available funds. An applicant must be accepted for admission before being awarded aid. Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Scholarships and other types of aid include academic awards, Christian service awards, endowed scholarships, and annual scholarships. There are several Gardner-Webb loan funds. The University also administers aid from the full range of federal programs: Federal Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study Program awards, Federal Perkins Loans, and federally guaranteed Federal Stafford Student and Federal PLUS loans. North Carolina students have access to state grant funds administered by the University. Scholarships based on academic promise are also granted each year. Of all students, 90 percent receive aid in some form. The two criteria for receiving financial aid are financial need and academic promise.
Faculty
The faculty-student ratio is 1:15. Faculty members engage both formally and informally in student advising and counseling. A staff of professional counselors is also available. Faculty members teach at all class levels without regard to academic rank or length of service. Graduate assistants are not used to teach classes.
Student Government
The University has a student government whose members are elected by the student body. This organization, set up with executive, legislative, and judicial branches, is very influential in campus affairs. In addition, students have voting positions on all standing committees of the University.
Admission Requirements
Although a fixed pattern of high school credits is not prescribed, the following minimum course distribution is recommended: 4 units in English, 2 in a foreign language, 2 in social science, 2 in algebra, 1 in geometry, and 2 in natural science, plus electives. The University requires each applicant to submit an application form, a high school transcript, and SAT scores. ACT scores are also acceptable. Acceptance to Gardner-Webb is based on the applicant's high school record, rank in class, SAT or ACT composite scores, and extracurricular activities. Transfer students' course credits are evaluated on courses as credit only, not on grade point average. An interview is recommended but not mandatory.
Gardner-Webb admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the University.
Application and Information
Applications, together with a nonrefundable $25 application fee, may be submitted for either semester. Early application is advised. Notification of the admission decision is given on a rolling basis upon receipt of all application data. A $150 room deposit for boarding students is due thirty days after acceptance and is refundable until May1. A $50 deposit is required of commuting students.
For further information, students should contact:
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