Western Michigan University

School mission (as provided by the school):

Western Michigan University is a dynamic, globally engaged institution that combines the resources of a national research university with the support and personal attention often found at a small college. Taking full advantage of that combination gives students an edge in graduate school, the workplace and life.
WMU is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top-100 public universities and is among fewer than 100 public U.S. universities to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, America's premier honor society. Still, two-thirds of all classes have 30 or fewer students and most are taught by full-time professors. Advisors, career specialists, mentors and tutors are close at hand, as are dedicated offices to assist groups such as first-year and transfer students, military veterans, and students who have aged out of foster care.
WMU also is among the most affordable of Michigan's 15 public universities, ranking 10th from the top in tuition and required fees. Plus, the Western Edge compact offers undergraduates a merit-based retention scholarship, four-year freeze on room and board rates, and rapid path to degree completion.
WMU is located in Kalamazoo, an ideal college town of more than 72,000 situated midway between Detroit and Chicago just 40 miles from scenic Lake Michigan. The region encompasses strong businesses, including Haworth, Kellogg, Stryker and Whirlpool, many of which offer internships to WMU students. And with its rolling hills, small lakes and dense woodlands, outdoor recreation abounds.
Students often rub elbows with faculty members at Kalamazoo's Art Hops, Mixers on the Mall and annual festivals. The city also offers a variety of museums, theatres, music, minor league sports teams, eateries, brew pubs and coffee houses.
On campus, WMU supports more than 300 Greek, academic, personal-interest and other student groups. It also fields 16 NCAA Division I-A sports teams and offers nationally recognized arts programs, a lively cultural calendar, and extensive service-learning, intramural and fitness activities.
Minority and international students make up 21 percent of the university's diverse student body and graduate students make up 20 percent. Although not mandatory, about 90 percent of first-time freshmen live on campus. The residence halls offer numerous options and amenities, and focus on such themes as athletics, multiculturalism, health and fitness, and specific areas of study.
WMU offers 239 degree programs encompassing arts and sciences, aviation, business, education, engineering, fine arts, and health and human services. Academically talented students may join the Lee Honors College, which is among the oldest honors programs in the nation and has a student profile rivaling that of the most elite private colleges.
WMU places equal emphasis on undergraduate and graduate education, and with 140, offers the second most bachelor's programs in Michigan. Many offerings rank among the top programs of their kind in the country, giving WMU a national or international reputation in such varied fields as aviation, atomic physics, creative writing, fine arts, graph theory, jazz studies, medieval studies, paper engineering and occupational therapy.
Instructional programs are designed so graduating students are ready to immediately add value to their employers. Courses are taught by well-established faculty members who bring a global perspective to the classroom and have a passion for research as well as teaching. They not only share their cutting-edge work in the classroom, but also welcome undergraduate and graduate students alike into their research laboratories and creative studios.
Further bolstering WMU's robust educational environment are some of the best academic and cultural facilities in the Midwest; worldwide partnerships providing countless opportunities to find internships, conduct research and study abroad; and national award-winning environmental sustainability initiatives.