Webster University is a private, non-profit, multicampus, international institution offering a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. The University's headquarters is located in Webster Groves, a major suburban center of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Webster students enjoy the advantages traditionally associated with a small undergraduate college, as well as alternative options normally provided only by larger institutions.

In addition to the programs offered at the Webster Groves campus, the University provides undergraduate study opportunities at the following St. Louis locations:

• the historic Old Post Office Building in downtown St. Louis.
• in St. Louis County at Westport.
• the WingHaven Complex in St. Charles County.

Webster University also offers undergraduate education at the following extended-campus locations in the United States: Kansas City (Missouri); Los Angeles (California); Orlando (Florida); San Diego (California); and South Carolina at: Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville.

Students may also study at Webster's international campuses in Geneva, Switzerland; Leiden, The Netherlands; London, United Kingdom; Vienna, Austria; or Hua Hin/Cha-am, Thailand. Last year, the St. Louis campuses enrolled 3,600 undergraduate students, and the undergraduate population at all locations totaled 5,400. The University's worldwide enrollment was approximately 21,000 students.

Mission and Scope of Webster University

Webster University is an independent, comprehensive, nondenominational, multicampus, international university with undergraduate and graduate programs in various disciplines, including the liberal arts and sciences, the fine and performing arts, teacher education, communications, and business and technology.

Webster University combines the cultural and intellectual legacies of the past with a pragmatic concern for meeting the challenges of the present and the future. In doing so, Webster University:

• Creates a student-centered environment accessible to individuals of diverse ages, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Sustains a personalized approach to education through small classes and close relationships among faculty and students.
• Develops educational programs that join theory and practice and instill in students the spirit of systematic inquiry.
• Encourages creativity, scholarship, and individual enterprise in its students and faculty.
• Promotes international perspectives in the curriculum and among students and faculty.
• Encourages in its students a critical cast of mind, a respect for diversity, and an understanding of their own and others' values.
• Fosters in its students a lifelong desire to learn and a commitment to contribute actively to their communities and the world.
• Educates diverse populations locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
• Strengthens the communities it serves through support of civic, cultural, corporate, and educational organizations.

Webster University was established in 1915 in Webster Groves, Missouri. The University now serves students at its home campus; at three other locations in metropolitan St. Louis; on military bases across the United States; and at campus centers in other U.S. cities; and internationally at four European campuses, in China, and in Thailand.

Philosophy

Webster University's major objective is to provide individuals with the educational foundation necessary to meet the demands of contemporary society. Webster University believes in the value of a liberal arts education that introduces the student to a range of ideas and vocational or professional options. The institution's aim is to prepare individuals for life and work by teaching a variety of skills that can be applied in a number of occupational settings. The flexible design of Webster's undergraduate program enables individuals to pursue defined career goals within the context of a liberal arts curriculum.

Webster's baccalaureate programs consist of a general education component, a major, and elective courses. Students have the opportunity to select substantial parts of their curriculum to best develop and fulfill individual goals and objectives. Courses are carefully chosen during registration in consultation with the student's academic advisor, normally a member of Webster's faculty. This system, combined with Webster's small classes, provides students with personalized attention and close interaction, and encourages both academic growth and personal development.

General Education Goals

A coherent baccalaureate program provides opportunity for the study of a discipline in depth while at the same time enabling students to obtain a broad general education within the context of their individual goals. Webster University acknowledges that the ideal components of general education can be addressed throughout the curriculum and that this learning may occur in a variety of ways. The University requires all baccalaureate students to complete a general education program. The following nine goals are the framework for this program:

1. Critical Thinking (a systematic method of examining and evaluating arguments).

2. Communications (writing and speaking that are clear, concise, and accurate when conveyed to a broad audience).

3. Historical Consciousness (recognition of causes, relationships, and sequences within seemingly random social and historical events).

4. Humanities (analysis of the themes of human experience through the legacy of great works and ideas).

5. Values (critical reflection on the attitudes and beliefs relevant to individual and social choices and actions).

6. Cultural Understanding (examination and comparison of international and/or diverse cultures).

7. Arts Appreciation (recognition of artistic expressions gained through analysis, reflection, or practical experience).

8. Scientific Understanding (analysis of concepts of a scientific discipline and its methods, limitations, and impact in the modern world).

9. Mathematics (recognition of the value and beauty of mathematics, as well as the ability to use geometric, algebraic, or numerical reasoning).

Webster University is committed to the idea that these processes, methods, experiences, and skills can be acquired by individuals in a variety of ways, in numerous fields of study, and at varying times in their academic lives. Generally, students satisfy the general education requirement by taking one 3-credit-hour course in each of the nine areas. See Academic Policies and Information for specific details for each degree program.

Accreditation

Webster University is accredited by:
The Higher Learning Commission
Member--North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Phone: 312-263-0456
Internet: www.ncahlc.org

The accreditation, which was awarded in 1925, includes undergraduate and graduate levels at all locations where the University offers programs.

Licensure, Specialized Accreditation, and Memberships

• California: Undergraduate and master's degree programs in California are approved by the Council for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.

"Notice of Student Rights" in California--You may cancel your contract for school, without any penalty or obligations, by the fifth business day following your first class as described in the Notice of Cancellation form that will be given to you. Read the Notice of Cancellation form for an explanation of your cancellation rights and responsibilities. If you have lost your Notice of Cancellation form, ask the school for a sample copy. After the end of the cancellation period, you also have the right to stop school at any time, and you have the right to receive a refund for the part of the course not taken. Your refund rights are described in the contract. If you have lost your contract, ask the school for a description of the refund policy. If the school closes before you graduate, you may be entitled to a refund.

If you have any complaints, questions, or problems which you cannot work out with the school, write or call:

Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education
P.O. Box 980818
West Sacramento, CA 95798-0818
Telephone: 916-445-3427

• Florida: Undergraduate and master's degree programs at the metropolitan campuses in Orlando, Jacksonville, Lakeland & Brandon, Merritt Island, Ocala, Palm Bay, Patrick Air Force Base, Sarasota/Manatee, and at NAS Jacksonville are licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education. Credits and degrees earned from colleges licensed by this board do not automatically qualify the holder to participate in professional licensing examinations in the state of Florida. Any person interested in practicing a regulated profession in Florida should contact the appropriate state regulatory agency.

For further information about the status of Webster University's programs in Florida, contact the:

Florida Department of Education
Commission for Independent Education
325 West Gaines Street
Suite 1414
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Telephone: 888-224-6684 (Toll free)
850-245-3200

• South Carolina: The metropolitan campuses in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach are licensed by the:

Commission on Higher Education
1333 Main Street, Suite 200
Columbia, SC 29201
Telephone: 803-737-2288

If students at the Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach metropolitan campuses have complaints about a classroom situation, they should first attempt to resolve the situation with the instructor. If resolution cannot be made with the instructor, or if the complaint is about a general school policy over which the instructor has no jurisdiction, then they may contact the school director for mediation. If the complaint cannot be resolved at the school level, students may contact Nonpublic Institution Licensing of the Commission on Higher Education. The complaint must be in writing. The school director will provide students with the necessary form.

Other Accreditations

Music degrees are fully accredited and approved by the National Association of Schools of Music.

The B.S.N. program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Webster University is registered for state teachers' certificates by the Department of Education of the state of Missouri and is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. as a continuing education provider.

Paralegal programs offered at the main campus are approved by the American Bar Association.

Memberships

Webster University holds professional membership in the following organizations or associations.

Please Note: membership does not infer approval, licensure or accreditation.

• AACSB International--The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
• ACBSP--Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
• American Association for Paralegal Education
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
• American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)
• American Council on Education
• Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
• Association of Theatre in Higher Education
• College Art Consortium
• College Consortium for International Studies
• College Entrance Examination Board
• Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
• Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)
• Council on International Educational Exchange
• Educational Theatre Association
• Higher Education Council of Metropolitan St. Louis
• Independent Colleges and Universities of Missouri
• Institute of International Education
• International Council of Fine Arts Deans
• Missouri Music Educators Association
• National Education Association
• National League for Nursing (NLN)

Webster University has been designated as an institutional member of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, a group of more than 400 colleges and universities providing voluntary postsecondary education to members of the military throughout the world. As a member of SOC, Webster University recognizes the unique nature of the military lifestyle and has committed itself to easing the transfer of relevant course credits, providing flexible academic residency requirements, and crediting learning from appropriate military training and experiences. SOC has been developed jointly by educational representatives of each of the Armed Services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and a consortium of 13 leading national higher education associations; it is sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges.

Graduates of Webster University are eligible for membership in the American Association of University Women and the American College of Hospital Administrators.

The University also holds appropriate licensure, accreditations, or approvals within the recognized state approval agencies for all locations where Webster University offers programs.

History

A spirit of innovation has always characterized Webster University, founded in 1915. Webster is one of several schools founded by the Sisters of Loretto, who were pioneers in a geographic and intellectual sense. Webster College, as the institution was then known, became independent and coeducational in 1967 during a period of profound changes in American education. Leaders from the St. Louis corporate and professional community were invited to join the Board of Trustees. This step was taken with the assurance that dedication to the values of a liberal arts education would continue to serve as the heart of the philosophy of Webster University as it adapted to rapidly changing times.

In 1983 the College became Webster University. The name "Webster University'' better identifies the scope and range of the University's academic programs, the growth of its student populations, and its commitment to internationalism. Webster University currently enrolls approximately 21,000 students in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Now in its ninth decade, Webster University has continued to grow. In 1993, the School of Business and Technology was established. That was quickly followed by the establishment of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the School of Communications.

The Webster Groves Campus

University Center

The University Center, a 46,000-square-foot, $5.7 million facility, opened in the fall of 1992. Recreational facilities include a gym, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, locker rooms, and a sauna. Varsity athletic, intramural, and recreational programs are offered. The upper level includes the UC Crossroads food court with Blimpie Subs and Salads, World of Wings (WOW) Café, and Freshëns Smoothie Company, a campus information center, meeting and conference rooms, lounges, student organization offices, and the student leadership center. The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs is on the upper level.

Leif J. Sverdrup Business/Technology Complex

The 66,000-square-foot Leif J. Sverdrup Business/Technology Complex first opened for classroom use in the spring of 1988. The complex, consisting of three contiguous buildings, houses the Media Center, User Services, and the Grant Business and Management Center. Café a la Cart is located in the central lounge and provides food and beverages.

The Media Center is a facility available to members of the University community for media production and instruction. Located in the Business/Technology Complex, it houses a black-and-white darkroom with 16 stations, a three-station color darkroom, a film-processing room, and a photo studio. For those interested in audio and video production, the Center has a sound studio with fully equipped 32-track audio mixing board, a radio broadcasting system, and a television studio, as well as a newly created video postproduction suite. A computerized journalism center is also located in the Media Center.

Also located in the Business/Technology Complex is User Services, which serves as a centralized location for faculty, staff, and student computer use. The center uses PC and Macintosh equipment in a setting suitable for group instruction or individual learning. User Services consists of 10 labs equipped with interactive video, multimedia and desktop publishing software, and laser printers. The labs run on Novell servers using Ethernet technology. Noncredit training is offered in a variety of topics including word processing, Internet, and Microsoft Office applications.

Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts

The Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts was opened in 1966 through a gift from the late Conrad Hilton. With a recently expanded lobby, the center serves as the setting for professional and student productions, lectures, and concerts, and it houses teaching spaces, workshop areas, a dance studio, faculty offices, and an art gallery. The center features a 924-seat main stage theatre with a thrust stage and also contains a flexible-space, 125-seat Studio Theatre. In this major St. Louis cultural facility, professional performances are held throughout the year by The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Webster University Symphony Orchestra. Many of the student productions of the University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts and dance programs are staged in the Loretto-Hilton.

Webster Hall

Built in 1915, this historic five-story, multipurpose building houses administrative offices, faculty offices, academic classrooms, science laboratories, and theatre rehearsal spaces. Special facilities include the Winifred Moore Auditorium, which seats 252 people and is used extensively for lectures, concerts, and films. Stage 3 is a 125-seat flexible theatre space used primarily for student productions of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts.

Emerson Library

Webster University's new five-story Emerson Library, completed in 2003, is centrally located in the University's academic corridor and features the latest in information technology, including multimedia facilities, a reference/electronic commons, an electronic classroom, and a 24-hour cybercafè. Emerson Library houses a growing collection of more than 200,000 volumes of monographs, rare books, periodicals, videos, and other media and has seating for over 700 in a variety of individual and group study spaces. Special collections of the library include the Harry James Cargas Literature and Holocaust Collection, the Henrietta Maizner Hochschild Children's Literature Collection, the Curriculum Collection, and the University Archives. As part of a joint library system with Eden Theological Seminary's Luhr Library, students, faculty, and staff of both Webster and Eden enjoy reciprocal resources and services of both Emerson and Luhr Libraries, including the fine collection of materials on religion and related subjects located in Luhr Library.

Through continuing technological innovation, the library provides a variety of online resources to faculty, students, and staff, including an online integrated research system called Passports. Passports is the library's World Wide Web site, integrating online services, Internet resources, and online databases for student and faculty research. Passports is accessible from campus, home, or office and provides 24-hour access to Bridges, the library's online catalog; MOBIUS, a statewide consortium; over 100 online and full-text databases; Internet resources; and online services, including reference and electronic reserves.

The library's Reference/Electronic Commons is the central service point in the library for electronic and traditional research. Here users have access to the latest equipment, worldwide resources, and professional research assistance and training needed for scholarship. This area includes over 20 state-of-the-art online research workstations and 21,000 reference volumes. A Media Listening/Viewing Center offers a growing multimedia collection with 20 listening/viewing rooms and stations. An electronic classroom is available for hands-on instruction in the fast-changing world of libraries and the information industry.

The library features 20 group study rooms seating from four to 10 people. As education becomes more experiential and collaborative, these rooms provide essential space for group research and projects. Each is fully wired for electronic as well as traditional research and study.

The library also offers a variety of individual study environments, including study carrels with task lighting and network connections. Open reading areas on the upper level include individual and group seating and are fully wired for electronic and traditional research. A large lecture/conference room provides space for both instruction and meetings.

Jazzman's Cybercafè offers coffee bar fare and provides an informal and lively meeting place that is accessible 24 hours a day. Over 20 multi-function, networked workstations are available for student use of e-mail and online research resources. On the top floor of the library, a Faculty Development Center includes the latest multimedia equipment and resources for teaching and learning excellence as faculty incorporate information technology into the curriculum.

Garden Park Plaza

Located on Garden Avenue, Garden Park Plaza provides parking spaces for 700 vehicles and also houses the offices of Academic Advising, Career Services, and Graduate and Evening Student Admissions. The University bookstore is also housed on the ground floor of the building.

Loretto Hall

Offices located in Loretto Hall include the Academic Resource Center, Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention, Campus Ministry, Counseling and Life Development, Health Services, Mail and Copy Solutions, Multicultural Center, and International Student Affairs, Public Safety, the Registrar and Writing Center.   Approximately 85 students also reside in Loretto Hall, in shared two-bedroom, one bath suites.

Webster Village Apartments

The Webster Village Apartments include six apartment buildings housing 280 students in efficiencies and 2- and 4-bedroom units plus a clubhouse and an outdoor pool.

East and West Halls

With the opening of two new residence halls in Fall 2006, Webster University provides modern, air-conditioned, on-campus housing options for students. West Hall is reserved for freshmen and includes shared two-bedroom, one-bath suites. East Hall is reserved primarily for sophomores and upperclassmen and includes shared three-bedroom, two-bath suites and private four-bedroom, two-bath suites. These new residence halls include laundry rooms, social lounges, study lounges, kitchenettes on each floor, a recreation room, a multipurpose room, and a classroom.

Other Instructional Locations and Campus Facilities

Pearson House contains the departmental offices for English and philosophy, as well as six classrooms.

H. Sam Priest Center for International Studies houses the History, Politics, and International Relations Department.

The Music Building contains faculty offices, a recital hall, three classrooms, 10 teaching studios, and 20 practice rooms.

The Visual Arts Studios house drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, and graphic design studios.

The Community Music School provides music performance and rehearsal halls, applied music studios, and resourses for the University and the community.

The Cecille R. Hunt House contains art faculty offices and studios.

The International Recruitment and Services Center is at 538 Garden Avenue.

The Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs department is located in the lower level of Loretto Hall.

The Admissions Center is located at 8356 Big Bend Boulevard, and it houses undergraduate admissions.

The John Allan Love Foundation Alumni House is at 534 Garden Avenue.

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is at 210 Hazel Avenue.

The Carriage House is the headquarters for The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, the professional regional theatre company that works directly with the Webster Theatre Conservatory.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Area

The metropolitan St. Louis area has a population of more than two million people and offers students many opportunities to enrich their educational experiences through its cultural and entertainment attractions.

St. Louis is frequently called "The Gateway to the West" because of its historic role in the nation's westward expansion. Commemorating this role is the 630-foot, stainless steel Gateway Arch designed by Eero Saarinen. The arch is the focal point of the 86-acre Jefferson National Expansion Memorial on the Mississippi riverfront.

Downtown St. Louis is the hub of the metropolitan area, featuring a commercial and business district, the Laclede's Landing entertainment district on the riverfront, the Scottrade Center, and Busch Stadium. A short distance away is St. Louis Union Station, built in 1894 and now a major tourist attraction and shopping area. Webster University has participated in this downtown renewal with an expanded campus in the Old Post Office building.

St. Louis attractions include one of the world's major zoos in Forest Park, site of the 1904 World's Fair. Also located in Forest Park are the Saint Louis Art Museum; the Municipal Opera amphitheatre; the St. Louis Science Center; and the Missouri Historical Society Museum.

Among St. Louis' cultural opportunities are The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, both housed on Webster University's home campus; the Saint Louis Symphony; and professional theatre and entertainment events presented at the historic Fox Theatre and other theatres in the urban area.

St. Louis is the home of the baseball Cardinals, the hockey Blues, and the football Rams. The Missouri Botanical Garden contains one of the world's outstanding botanical collections. The Climatron, a domed greenhouse, recreates a tropical ecosystem.

Other places of interest include the boyhood home of Eugene Field, "the children's poet"; Campbell House, a preserved and authentically furnished Victorian mansion (1854); the gracious Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion (1848); the magnificent Byzantine-style St. Louis Cathedral, with its brilliant mosaics; and Ulysses S. Grant's Farm Estate, with roaming herds of buffalo and deer.