North Carolina Wesleyan College


North Carolina Wesleyan College is a private Methodist liberal arts college in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Founded in 1956, the school offers a number of degree programs in the arts and sciences and selected professional disciplines. North Carolina Wesleyan also offers evening courses at its main Rocky Mount campus, as well as satellite locations in Morrisville, Goldsboro, Greenville, North Carolina, Whiteville, North Carolina, Washington, North Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina.

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.

Campus

The Rocky Mount campus includes six residence halls, nine academic and administrative buildings, the Everett Gymnasium, the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts, and outdoor athletic facilities, including a soccer field, baseball field, tennis courts, 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 Raleigh-Durham, Goldsboro, Greenville, Washington, Whiteville, and Wilmington in addition to the main campus in Rocky Mount.

Academics

The college offers 28 undergraduate 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 Council of Independent Colleges, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, 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 Roger G. and Gaile Davenport Taylor Honors Program

North Carolina Wesleyan College offers a select group of students the opportunity to complement their degree program with a series of challenging and rewarding courses. Freshman take special freshman 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 College. 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 college experience. Transcripts of Honors graduates include recognition that they completed the Honors Program.

Student life

As of 2019, about 1,000 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 that made up 12% of students in 2019. The college community welcomes and includes people from diverse religious, cultural, and racial backgrounds.

Honor Societies

Cultural Programs
Special Collections
Performing Groups
Student Publications
North Carolina Wesleyan is a member of NCAA Division III and the USA South Athletic Conference. Their teams are known as the Battling Bishops, and compete in a total of 12 sports:
Men's
Women's
The men's baseball program has two Division III National Championships in 1989 and again in 1999.
The college's football program was established in 2005 with its home stadium at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. The NCWC 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.