A Short History About IWU

Indiana Wesleyan University is an Evangelical Christian liberal arts coeducational university operated by The Wesleyan Church. It offers a blend of liberal arts and professional educational programs leading to the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Education and Master of Business Administration degrees.

The heritage of the IWU has been to prepare students both for being and for doing--that is, to produce students who have, through various majors and professional programs, been developed as whole persons and prepared professionally to contribute meaningfully to their communities and professions. That dual focus continues to drive Indiana Wesleyan University as it emphasizes the importance of theory applied to practice.

As our mission states: “Indiana Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered academic community committed to changing the world by developing students in character, scholarship, and leadership.”
IWU’s original campus, well recognized in Indiana for teacher education and a college of business, was known first as Marion Normal College (1890-1912) and then reopened as Marion Normal Institute (1912-1918).

In 1918 the Marion Normal Institute moved to Muncie, Indiana. Because the Indiana Conference of The Wesleyan Methodist Church operated the Fairmount Bible School 10 miles south of Marion, a group of local citizens asked them to move to the vacant property and open a normal school in Marion. So in 1918 – 1919 the church raised $100,000 to endow the school, moved the Fairmont Bible School to Marion, and added a new teacher education program to become Marion College. The date of incorporation was 1919, and the first classes were offered in the fall of 1920.

From 1920 to 1988, Marion College operated as a developing liberal arts institution with growing programs, offering the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees since the first graduating class of 1921. A Master of Arts in Theology was begun in 1924 and offered continuously until 1950. Master’s degree programs were initiated again in 1979 in Ministerial Education and Community Health Nursing. Master’s degree programs were begun in Business in 1988, in Primary Care Nursing in 1994, and in Counseling in 1995.

Having established a solid liberal arts college in 1983, its leadership decided to begin offering courses and degrees to working adults during evening hours and Saturdays. This decision proved to greatly affect IWU’s future. Enrollment at IWU has grown radically since 1985 when the first courses were offered. In 17 years, IWU’s enrollment has jumped from 1,087 to 8,768.

A new administration was initiated by the Board of Trustees with the presidency of Dr. James Barnes in 1987. The name of the institution was changed to Indiana Wesleyan University, reflecting the influence of the institution across the state - well beyond the boundaries of the city of Marion, its connection with The Wesleyan Church and Christian higher education, and the development of increasing numbers of graduate programs.

Number of Degrees Awarded by the College of Arts and Science and College of Graduate Studies.
 

Number of Degrees Awarded by the College of Adult and Professional Studies.

In 2000 IWU organized its academic structure into three colleges; the College of Arts and Sciences (traditional four-year liberal arts education), the College of Graduate Studies (traditional semester-based graduate degrees), and the College of Adult and Professional Studies (non-traditional, accelerated programs for working adults).

Within the state of Indiana, IWU has become the fastest-growing university and the second-largest private university overall. Among the 101 members of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (the main organization of Evangelical schools of higher education in the US and Canada), IWU has become its largest member with 8,768 students enrolled in September 2002. IWU now employs 105 full-time faculty, 412 full-time administrative and staff members and over 700 adjunct faculty members.

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