Winston-Salem State University (WSSU, WSSU) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

WSSU was founded in 1892 and is located in Winston-Salem, NC. The campus provides an urban setting and is spread out over 98 acres. Historically a black university constituent of the University of North Carolina, it now provides baccalaureate and graduate programs to their diverse student population. From 2001 to 2009 the U.S. News and World Report ranked WSSU among the Top Public Comprehensive Colleges in the South under the Bachelor’s Category. WSSU was also ranked number 24 in the 2011 edition of Best Colleges among Regional Colleges in the South.

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Information Summary

Ranks 20th in North Carolina and 698th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	84.2
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$20,134
Admission Success rate	N/A
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	19 / 1030
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	15 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	77% / N/A
Enrollment Total (all students)	5,190

Academics

WSSU offers more than 40 undergraduate programs and 10 graduate programs. The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredits WSSU to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. The undergraduate schools offered include: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Economics, the School of Health Sciences, and the School of Education and Human Performance. Among these schools, the most popular majors include: Business, management, and marketing; Health professions and related clinical sciences; Parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies; Psychology; and Social sciences. There is also an Honors Program offered for over 200 students based on academic achievement. This program provides additional advantages such as cultural enrichment activities and academic support, internships, co-op and study-abroad experiences. Some of the graduate school programs were ranked among the U.S. News Best Schools’ Best Grad School Rankings, including: Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Rehabilitation Counseling. Approximately half of the undergraduate classes offered have fewer than 20 students and most of the classes do not have more than 50 students. However, there are a very small percentage of classes with more than 50 students. This helps provide students with a more personal relationship with the faculty. Classes are offered during the day, night, weekends, summer and online, ensuring students can receive their education as conveniently as possible.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Unique Programs

WSSU offers an Evening-Weekend program allowing students to receive their bachelor’s degrees after work. This program offers classes entirely during the evenings and weekends. There are selected majors offered in this program which include: Business Administration, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Justice Studies, Political Science (Public Administration), Psychology, and Sociology.

Admissions

Students interested in applying to WSSU as freshmen must send their SAT or ACT scores along with their Official High School Transcripts or GED scores. The admissions application can be completed online or printed and mailed to the school along with a required nonrefundable application fee. A recommendation letter is usually not required for admission. There are also minimum course requirements that are mandated by the UNC Board of Governors which incoming freshmen must have successfully completed. The list of courses required can be found on the school’s website. Transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and if the student is under 24 and has not earned a degree they must also submit their Official High School Transcripts. In addition to the regular admission requirements, international students must submit a course-by-course report of all completed coursework directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Requirements for admission to the graduate programs are based on the program in which the student is interested in applying to. Students whose native language is not English must also take the TOEFL and submit their scores. Students from out-of-state are charged a higher tuition rate than students from North Carolina.

Financial Aid

The Reynolda Rotary Clarence “Big House” Gaines Memorial Scholarship is awarded to students who attended Cook Elementary School during the 2003-2004 school year or later. This scholarship is sponsored by Reynolda Rotary Club and was created in honor of Clarence “Big House” Gaines to ensure that his dream of Cook Students attending WSSU would continue. Students receiving financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress. If students do not maintain these conditions they will lose their financial aid eligibility. Once students have completed a FAFSA and MPN, financial aid award information can be accessed using the Banner Rams Online service.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 4147th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in North Carolina.

Students

The student population at this school is made up of more females than males. There are a small percentage of students involved in Greek life at the school. The sororities and fraternities available at WSSU include: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Pho Sorority, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Many of the students live off campus but there are numerous students who live in college owned, operated, or affiliated housing. The percentage of students who have cars on campus is approximately slightly less than half. Students interested in living on campus have 9 different residence halls to choose from. Telephone services are provided in each room for all local calls. Internet access is also provided in all of the rooms and there are also computer labs located in all of the residence halls. WSSU is a dry campus and therefore alcohol consumption is prohibited, even if the student is of legal drinking age. The following residence halls also provide a workout area in the building: Brown Hall (fitness suite), Foundation-Heights (cardio and fitness suite), Gleason-Hairston Terrace (cardio suite), and Ram’s Commons (cardio and fitness suite). There is also a state-of-the-art fitness center available for all students on campus.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

The athletic program is part of the NCAA I athletic conference. Students interested in competing must fill out a form and submit it to the specific athletic program in which the student is interested in participating. Men attending WSSU have the opportunity to compete in the following athletic programs: basketball, baseball, cross-country, football, golf, tennis, and track & field. While women can compete in bowling, basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. The schools colors are red and white and their team name is the Rams. WSSU was awarded with CHAMPS/Life Skills accreditation from the NCAA in 2003. This program provides instructional materials and supplemental resources, which help support a student athlete’s development in academics, athletics, personal development, career development, and community service.

Bibliography

Reynolda Rotary. 2011. Reynolda Rotary Club. 25 May 2011 <http://www.reynoldarotary.org/cook/scholarship-details.htm>.

Winston-Salem State Official Athletic Site. 2011. CBS Interactive. 25 May 2011 <http://www.wssurams.com/CHAMPSL:ifeSkills.html>.

“Winston-Salem State University.” U.S. News & World Report. 2011. U.S. News & World Report LP. 25 May 2011 <http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/winston-salem-state-2986>.

Winston-Salem State University. 2010. WSSU. 25 May 2011 <http://www.wssu.edu/>.

Winston-Salem State University