The College of Wooster is a liberal arts college with fewer than 2000 students located in Wooster, Ohio, in Wayne County, Ohio. Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian church as the University of Wooster, it was from its creation a co-educational institution. Its school colors are black and yellow, and its mascot is the "fighting Scot." Scottish culture is an important part of the school's spirit - its football games, in addition to the standard marching band, features a small pipe band.
It became racially integrated in the 1880s, became an undergraduate-only college in 1915, and became independent from the church in 1969, although it maintains a loose affiliation with the Presbyterian church, particularly through its cooperation with the Westminster Presbyterian Church, which uses the College's McGaw Chapel for its services.
The College of Wooster is noteworthy for its Independent Study program, under which all students complete a thesis or other significant project in their senior year. The program has received considerable attention from other schools, and other colleges have modeled programs after it. In 2003, the IS program was recognized by US News and World Report as the second best "senior capstone experience" in the US, coming in behind Princeton. Wooster is also notable for its high percentage of international students, the majority of which come from India and Pakistan.
Noteworthy faculty have included Dijana Plestina, who was the first lady of Croatia.
The current president of the college is mathematics professor R. Stanton Hales. |
