Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Encyclopedia
Northwestern Oklahoma State University, also known as NWOSU, is a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 in Alva
Alva, Oklahoma
Alva is a city in Woods County, Oklahoma, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 4,945 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Woods County....

, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, with satellite campus
Satellite campus
A satellite campus or branch campus is a campus of a college or university that is physically detached from the main university or college area, and is often smaller than the main campus of an institution....

es in Enid
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...

 and Woodward
Woodward, Oklahoma
Woodward is a city in and the county seat of Woodward County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the largest city in a nine-county area. The population was 12,051 at the 2010 census....

. A state university
State university system
A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, or a similar entity such as the District of Columbia. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country...

, it offers both bachelor's and master's degrees.

Establishment

In 1897, a normal school, or school for teachers, was established in Alva by an act of the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...

. It was the second normal school in Oklahoma, charged with preparing teachers to serve the many one-room schoolhouses that covered the prairie. It was called the Northwestern Territorial Normal School. The new school's faculty consisted of the school's first president, James E. Ament, and two teachers. Classes were held in the Congregational Church until construction of the first building, the "Castle on the Hill," was complete in Sept.20, 1897.

History

The school became a four-year teachers college in 1919 and changed its name to Northwestern Oklahoma Teachers College. The school expanded in 1939 to include degrees in liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...

 as well as education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

, and its name changed again, to Northwestern State College. The final name change occurred in 1974 when the school was given its present name.

Northwestern's greatest tragedy happened on March 1, 1935, when the Castle on the Hill was destroyed by fire. In 1948, a contest was organized to adopt a new school fight song
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...

 and a new alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...

. The winning submissions were announced in March 1949. Both were made by Floyd McClain, a 1940 graduate of Northwestern who was then attending the Boston Conservatory of Music. The new fight song was entitled "Ride, Rangers, Ride," and the new alma mater was entitled "Oh Northwestern." They are still the official fight song and alma mater, although band directors have altered the arrangements over the years. In 1957, a contest was launched to select a motto for the university. The motto chosen was "Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow," submitted by Kay Hutcheson, a junior student at Northwestern.

More history on the university can be found at History of Northwestern.

Expansion

In 1951, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education is the agency of the government of Oklahoma that serves as the governing body of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, which is the largest provider of higher education in the state of Oklahoma...

 authorized Northwestern to offer courses, transferable to the University of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State University, applying toward a master’s degree in education. In 1954, the board approved a program leading to a master of education degree at Northwestern.

In the fall of 1978 Northwestern implemented a program leading to a master of behavioral science degree. A nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....

 degree program was established in the fall of 1981 to respond to the nursing shortage in northwest Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Legislature
Oklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 101...

 passed legislation that created two new branch campuses at Enid and Woodward. Northwestern became one of the first institutions to establish a bachelor of e-commerce degree in the fall of 2000.

More than 100 years have passed since Northwestern Oklahoma State University opened its doors. Since then, it has progressed from a normal school offering only teaching certificates to an institution offering degrees at the bachelor's and master's levels. The 1897 campus of 40 acres (0.16 km²) without buildings in one town has now become more than 400 acres (1.6 km²) and 36 buildings located in three communities. The three faculty members and 68 students have increased to more than 220 faculty and staff members and more than 2,300 students.

Academics at Northwestern

Northwestern offers bachelor of arts degrees and bachelor of science degrees in more than 40 areas of study. The university’s academic programs are set up in two schools—the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Professional Studies.

Degree programs

Bachelor's degree programs

• Accounting
• Agri-Business
• Agricultural Ecology
• Biology
• Business Administration
• Business Information Systems
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Conservation Law Enforcement
• Criminal Justice
• E-commerce
• Education
• English
• General Studies
• Health & Physical Education
• History
• Mass Communications
• Mathematics
• Music
• Nursing
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Speech & Theatre
• Technical Management
• BA of Applied Arts & Science

Pre-professional fields

• Pre-Dentistry & Dental Hygiene
Dental hygienist
thumb|right|300px|Dental hygienist holding a scalerA dental hygienist is a licensed dental professional who specializes in preventive oral health, typically focusing on techniques in oral hygiene. Local dental regulations determine the scope of practice of dental hygienists...


• Pre-Engineering
• Pre-Law
• Pre-Medicine
• Pre-Occupational Therapy
• Pre-Optometry
• Pre-Osteopathy
• Pre-Pharmacy
• Pre-Physical Therapy
• Pre-Physician’s Assistant
• Pre-Radiologic Therapy
• Pre-Veterinary Medicine

Teaching fields

• Business Education
• Early Childhood Education
• Elementary Education
• English Education
• Health & Physical Education
• Mathematics Education
• Music Education
• Natural Science Education
• Social Science Education
• Special Education
• Speech & Theatre Education

Master's degree programs

• Master of Education
• Adult Education Management & Administration
• Clinical Teaching
• Elementary Education
• Guidance & Counseling—PK-12
• Non-Certificate Option
• Reading Specialist
• Secondary Education

• Master of Counseling Psychology
• Licensed Professional Counselor

Athletics

The athletic teams for Northwestern are the Rangers. The football team is part of the Central States Football League
Central States Football League
The Central States Football League is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Oklahoma and Texas and compete only in football...

, and the rest of the athletic teams are part of the Sooner Athletic Conference
Sooner Athletic Conference
The Sooner Athletic Conference is an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . Its 12 member institutions are located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas....

.

Since the football league's inception in 2000, Northwestern has won 7 of the 11 Conference championships.

On May 11, 2011, Northwestern announced that they had accepted an invitation to the Great American Conference
Great American Conference
The Great American Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division II, and is scheduled to begin play in the 2011-12 school year.- Members :...

 for all sports in the 2012-2013 academic year and would begin their transition from NAIA to Division II
Division II
Division II is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It offers an alternative to both the highly competitive level of intercollegiate sports offered in NCAA Division I and to the non-scholarship level offered in Division III...

. On July 12, 2011 Northwestern Oklahoma State University was denied admittance into the NCAA Division II Membership Process for the 2011-12 cycle. http://www.greatamericanconference.com/sports/2011/6/21/GAC.aspx

U.S. News and World Report ranks Northwestern

U.S. News and World Report has listed Northwestern as Oklahoma's top-ranked public regional university for three straight years. Northwestern also was recognized as a national leader in lowest student debt.

The national magazine also reports that Northwestern offers the nation’s most affordable room and board for students living on campus. Northwestern’s cost of $3,700 for room and board is the lowest in the country, and the magazine encourages students who are looking to cut college costs to consider choosing colleges with low room and board costs. The figure of $3,700 is based on a semi-private room with 19 meals per week. (Since ranking, Northwestern's rate has increased to $3,760/year).

Notable alumni

  • Patrick Crayton
    Patrick Crayton
    Patrick Jamel Crayton is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was a originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...

     - National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     player (San Diego Chargers
    San Diego Chargers
    The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    )
  • Mike Hargrove
    Mike Hargrove
    Dudley Michael Hargrove is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. He is currently employed as an advisor with the Cleveland Indians....

     - Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

     player/manager
  • Harold Keith
    Harold Keith
    Harold Verne Keith was a Newbery Medal-winning American author. Keith was born and raised in Oklahoma, where he also lived and died: the state was his abiding passion. He used Oklahoma as the setting for most of his books, although Rifles for Watie takes place elsewhere.-Biography:Harold Keith...

     - author of Rifles for Watie
    Rifles for Watie
    Rifles for Watie is an American children's novel by Harold Keith. It was first published in 1957, and received the Newbery Medal the following year. Commonly shortened "Rifles", Rifles for Watie is written at an 8th grade advanced - 9th grade level....

     and other works
  • Ron Moore
    Ron Moore (defensive tackle)
    Ron Moore is a former defensive tackle in the National Football League. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons during the 2001 NFL season. He had previously been drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft....

     - National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     player (Atlanta Falcons
    Atlanta Falcons
    The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

    )
  • Gaylon Nickerson
    Gaylon Nickerson
    Gaylon H. Nickerson is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. He attended Wichita State University, Butler Community College, Kansas State University, and Northwestern Oklahoma State University.Nickerson was selected in the second round of the 1994 NBA Draft by the...

     - National Basketball Association
    National Basketball Association
    The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

     player
  • Lynn Scott
    Lynn Scott
    Lynn Scott is a former American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cowboys in 2001 as an undrafted free agent out of Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He was released at the end of the 2004 season, but was re-signed in late 2005...

     - National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     player (Dallas Cowboys
    Dallas Cowboys
    The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

    )
  • Brian Sochia
    Brian Sochia
    Brian Sochia was an American football player. He played his high school football at St. Lawrence Central High School, in Brasher Falls, NY, under legendary coach Jerry Mahoney....

     - National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

    player (Miami and Denver)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK