In the middle of it all
What does it mean to be in the middle of it all at Roberts Wesleyan College?
“My academics are very important to me, but it’s not the only thing that helps me grow as a person here. I find that I’m influenced just as much by the leadership here, the people, the professors — the chaplain and chapel services. The Lord is here on this campus and he’s working in a lot of different ways.”
At Roberts Wesleyan College, you will be surrounded with opportunities for academic, personal and spiritual growth. Whether you’re participating in a mission trip to Costa Rica, gaining valuable experience through an internship with Xerox, Eastman Kodak or any of the hundreds of businesses located in Rochester, leading worship during Chapel or conducting undergraduate research in collaboration with your professor, you’ll find wideranging opportunities to develop your Christian character at Roberts. As a student at Roberts, you will find yourself in the middle of: a bustling campus (with more than 50 student clubs and organizations), an opportunity-rich city, a supportive faith community, heated debates, extensive academic options (with more than 50 academic programs), intense athletic competition (choose from 14 men’s and women’s varsity athletic teams), inspirational chapel services, a tight-knit residential community. In short, you will find yourself in the middle of it all. In these pages, you’ll hear from Roberts Wesleyan students who are seizing the opportunities they find all around them. Theirs are the voices from the middle of it all.
—Dave Levesque ’12, double major in music and religion and philosophy
A View from the middle of it all
We asked our students to capture images that define their daily lives on Roberts’ campus. You’ll find these photographs throughout the book, all of which offer a view from the middle of it all.
, What s black and white and red all over? An embarrassed penguin, a sunburned zebra and the little book that can be found in the middle of this book.
Success at Roberts Eighty-eight percent of 2008 Roberts grads were employed within seven months of graduation; 91 percent of those graduates were working in their fields of study. Twenty-nine percent of 2008 Roberts grads enrolled in advanced degree programs. Roberts’ nursing grads have a 100 percent passage rate on the National Council of Licensure Exam. Roberts’ teacher education graduates have earned a 90 percent passage rate on teacher licensing exams over the last six years (compared to the state average of 74 percent). In recent years, Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics graduates have enjoyed an 89 percent acceptance rate to graduate and professional schools.
Roberts Wesleyan graduates are making the world a better place.
Yes, Roberts Wesleyan grads are working as doctors, lawyers, ministers, professors, writers, teachers, nurses, musicians and business executives. Some of them are rich; some of them are famous. But most importantly, all Roberts Wesleyan graduates have been equipped to live out their lives in consideration of others, with sharp minds to meet the world’s most difficult challenges and big hearts for service to meet the needs of the world. In short, Roberts Wesleyan graduates are making the world a better place. What could be a greater measure of success?
“In reflecting on my time spent at Roberts, the values expressed in the school’s mission statement truly come alive for me. The core principles of scholarship, spiritual formation and service have definitely been key areas of development and growth that have helped to shape me into the person I am today.” —Jacqueline Brenon ’08, math and psychology
A View from the middle of it all
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“ I have people that I taught 10 years ago that I meet with often. It’s very rewarding to be an ongoing part of what God’s doing in their lives.” —Dr. Casey Davis, chair, professor of New Testament studies
It’s true: the professors at Roberts are brilliant. In fact, two-thirds of Roberts Wesleyan faculty members hold the highest degrees in their respective fields and many routinely publish original scholarship. They will challenge you intellectually and engage you in conversations that will help illuminate the most difficult of concepts. But you’ll quickly find that your professors at Roberts are more than just talented scholars. They will serve as your mentors and your research partners. They might accompany you on an international mission trip, or invite you into their homes for dinner or spend their office hours helping you work through a project, a troublesome sentence or a challenging piece of music.
“After a few classes with Dr. Dwyer, I came to realize that I’d never been more confused in my life. But by the end of his class, I didn’t know that I could know so much about a single verse or a single word.”
The close relationships you form with professors at Roberts will ensure that you receive a rich education defined by a depth of interaction not possible at a larger institution (our student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1). As a result, you will graduate with the critical thinking skills and meaningful learning experiences that employers and graduate schools seek.
In a recent study of student satisfaction, Roberts Wesleyan scored especially high compared to the national average in “Instructional Effectiveness,” which is determined by student/faculty relationships, the quality of classroom instruction and the knowledge of the faculty.
—Steve Fisher ’11, religion and philosophy
A View from the middle of it all
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Undergraduate Programs of Study B. Thomas Golisano Library The 43,000-square-foot B. Thomas Golisano Library has served as the setting for all-night study sessions, thousands of “aha!” moments and even a 150-student, 25-team, midnight game of Clue. It holds 132,000 books, 33 computers and 3,500 journal subscriptions. In other words: enough educational resources to feed even the most voracious intellectual appetite. On top of that, it’s LEED certified, meaning that it meets the recognized standard for building sustainability—the “gold standard” for “green” buildings. During your time at Roberts, this will be your home away from home. Good thing it’s so awesome.
“I take seriously my goal to challenge my students. We’re here to see them succeed. We’re not going to lower the standards.” —Dr. Daniel Barta, associate professor of music theory and composition
At Roberts, the intellectual standards are high, the work is difficult and the rewards are real. Whether you’re debating Man’s Search for Meaning with a classmate, conducting research on the effects of UV radiation on live tissue cultures or composing an original piece of music, you will be challenged to grow as an intellectual. Roberts offers you the best of both worlds—an intimate and lively learning community and more than 50 programs of study from which to choose (including innovative majors like Economic Crime Investigation, an interdisciplinary major that blends courses from criminal justice, accounting and computer science to prepare students to meet the rise of white collar crime in America). As a result, you will benefit from close attention from professors and a wide range of academic options. What’s more, because Roberts is a Christian college, you will find a Christ-centered approach to scholarship across all of our academic programs. Talk about the perfect academic environment.
Accounting (m) Accounting and Information Management (AIM) (M) Adolescence Education- Biology (M) Adolescence EducationChemistry (M) Adolescence Education- English (M) Adolescence EducationMathematics (M) Adolescence Education- Physics (M) Adolescence Education- Social Studies (M) Adolescence Education- Spanish (M) Art Education (Visual Art Education) (M) Art-Graphic Design (M) Art-Studio Art (M, m) Biblical Studies (M, m) Biochemistry (M) Biology (M, m) Biology with concentration in Medical Technology (M) Business Administration (M, m) Chemistry (M, m) Childhood Education and Special Education (Elementary Education) (M) Communication (M, m) Comprehensive Science (M, m) Comprehensive Social Studies (M, m) Computer Science (M, m) Contemporary Ministries (M) Criminal Justice (M, m) Cross-Disciplinary Studies (M) Early Childhood and Special Education (M) Economic Crime Investigation (M) Elementary Education (Childhood Education and Special Education) (M) Engineering (with RIT, RPI or Clarkson) (M) English (M, m) Forensic Science (M) History (M, m) Humanities (M) Information Systems Management (M, m) International Business (M) Jazz (m) Liberal Arts (M) Management and Social Entrepreneurship (M, m) Marketing (M, m) Mathematics (M, m) Ministry (m) Music (M, m) Music Education (M) Music Performance- Instrument (M)
Music Performance-Piano (M) Music Performance-Voice (M) Nursing (M) Pharmacy (with University at Buffalo) (M) Philosophy (m) Physical Education (M) Physics (M, m) Psychology (M, m) Religion/Philosophy (M) Secondary Education (Adolescence Education) (M) Spanish (M, m) Special Education and Childhood Education (Elementary Education) (M) Social Welfare (m) Social Work (3-year program) Social Work (4-year program) Sociology (m) Theater (m) Time-Based Media (M) Visual Art Education (Art Education) (M) Women’s Studies (m) M=Major, m=minor Pre-Professional Programs Pre-Denistry Pre-Law Pre-Medicine Pre-Physical Therapy Pre-Veterinary Medicine 3-2 Engineering 3-4 Pharmacy Other Areas of Preparation Library Science Medical Technology Degrees Offered Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Science Doctor of Ministry* Master of Arts in: Theological Studies* Transformational Leadership* Master of Divinity* Master of Education Master of Science in: Health Administration Nursing Education Nursing Leadership and Administration School Counseling School Psychology Strategic Leadership Strategic Marketing Master of Social Work * Degrees are granted by Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College.
For more information about the academic programs available at Roberts Wesleyan College, visit www.roberts.edu/academics/majorsandprograms. Roberts.edu
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“The ultimate goal is to create Christ-like people.” —Jonathan Bratt, chaplain
There are so many ways to grow in your faith at Roberts:
“Missions trips always seem to refocus your priorities— knowing that we are created for more than academics and successful careers. God created us for a greater purpose: reaching out to those who need Christ and the hope He brings.”
As a student at Roberts, you’ll join an inclusive faith community that will both support you in your faith journey and also challenge you to think deeply about what it means to be a Christian. Jon Poag, resident director of Miner Hall, sees the spiritual and personal development of students as his greatest responsibility. “When students deal with these questions of faith and come into touch with so many new concepts outside of the umbrella of their parents’ faith, the amount of questions that arise are almost insurmountable. One of my main responsibilities is to help students develop during this time.” No matter where you turn, you will find support for the most important walk in your life: your walk with Christ.
Participate in Men’s or Women’s Small-group Bible Study and gain a better understanding of scripture while building faith-based friendships that will last a lifetime.
Serve as a worship leader for Foot of the Cross, a student-run worship service held every Sunday night and attended by an average of 75 students.
Attend Chapel and participate in a dynamic spiritual community that explores the mysteries of God’s creation through drama, music, traditional worship services and panel discussions.
Join And He Made Me, a student organization that celebrates the diversity of cultures and ethnicities within the Christian community at Roberts.
Glorify God and share your talents at the same time by getting involved with Drama Ministry or Dance Ministry. Attend Urban Plunge in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and visit nine different urban ministries throughout the city.
—Eric Wolbert ’09, psychology
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“The people of Panama touched my life in so many ways, and I was able to learn a lot from them. What impressed me the most was their ability to give. We were there to give what we could to them, but in the end they gave us so much more.”
Interested in international service? Help rebuild churches in Panama, serve at an AIDS center in Rotan or teach English in a high school in Rwanda.
—Katelin LaGreca ’11, communication Passionate about giving back within your borders? Help rebuild Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina through Habitat for Humanity.
Want to stay even closer to home?
Meeting the needs of the world, from Rochester to Guatemala You’ll be hard pressed to find any facet of the Roberts experience that doesn’t involve service. Students in Free Enterprise (a professional development organization for business students) alone leads seven mission trips each year, with 10 to 12 students participating in each trip; our varsity athletic teams routinely embark on pre-season missions trips to serve and minister; and Roberts’ Ballroom Dancing student organization even has a service component. From setting aside a Saturday to serve at a local soup kitchen to dedicating a week to an international missions trip, you’ll find a wide range of avenues through which to share your servant’s heart with the world.
A View from the middle of it all
Make a difference in the lives of Rochester citizens by volunteering at the Rochester Family Mission, Rochester Youth Outreach or by serving through In Jesus’ Name, a “street ministry” that feeds, clothes and builds relationships with the homeless of Rochester.
In 2010, Roberts’ Students in Free Enterprise team took first place at the Regional Competition in Cleveland, Ohio, and advanced to compete at the National Exposition in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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“If all Roberts students could study abroad, that would be my dream. Students come back so much more self-assured and, academically, their perception of the world is so much broader.” —Gale Lynch, global education coordinator
Oftentimes, the deepest and most transformative learning experiences occur outside of the classroom, when you’re directly applying your knowledge to real-world challenges. As a student at Roberts Wesleyan, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do just that. For example, you might study diverse habitats in your ecology class and then take a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Or you might enroll in a course on the fundamentals of law enforcement and apply what you’ve learned through an internship with the Drug Enforcement Agency. Whether you’re studying abroad or participating in an internship, your experiential learning opportunities at Roberts are many.
“I audited a cross-cultural communication course at Osaka Christian College in Japan. We saw Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima. It was an unforgettable experience. Going to Hiroshima was really important. Before that I’d never heard anything but the American perspective. It gives you another view.”
England Russia
—John Rood ’11, adolescence education-chemistry
Internship opportunities Communication, criminal justice, business, accounting, marketing, nursing, psychology and social work students (to name just a few) are all required to participate in internships before they graduate. And they don’t just fetch coffee; they contribute to their work environments in meaningful ways. Here’s just a sample of where Roberts students have interned:
Spain Middle East
China
Mexico Uganda Tanzania
Indonesia
Australia Costa Rica Study abroad opportunities Serve on medical mission trips to Haiti or Somalia. Experience full language immersion in China or Spain. Take a cross-cultural communication course in Japan. Whatever you do, engage the world beyond our borders through one (or two, or three) of our study abroad locations.
Arena Marketing Bank of America Bob Wright Creative Group City of Rochester Police Department Dale Carnegie Training Department of Environmental Conservation Drug Enforcement Administration Ernst & Young
Frontier Field Highland Hospital Kodak Lockheed Martin Total Sports Experience United Way of Greater Rochester U.S. Marshals Office ViaHealth Volunteers of America Xerox Roberts.edu
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“My favorite part of being here is all of my friends. This has been the best part of my life. When I go home in the summer, I wish I was back on campus.” —Cassady Gardner ’12, physical education Your college years should be some of the best years of your life. You’ve certainly heard this before. But what do people mean when they say it? Sure, they’re talking about the excitement of intellectual discovery. But they’re really talking about the thrill of throwing yourself headlong into new experiences, forging lifelong friendships with a diverse range of people and pursuing your passions. In other words, you make the best of the best years of your life when you put yourself in the middle of the action. Whether you’re attending a barn party at your professor’s house, writing and performing your own sketch comedy for “Live”—what one student describes as a “Saturday Night Live-type variety show”—or attending Winter Formal, at Roberts, you’ll find plenty of ways to have fun.
Living at Roberts
Student clubs and activities
Choose from suite-style residence halls like Davison Hall, “The Quads” (Anderson, O’Brien, Updyke and Magill) or townhouses, and join the more than 71 percent of Roberts Wesleyan students who live on campus. Be warned: The boys in Miner Hall are always up to something...like inviting the College’s president over for an upscale dinner. President Martin reports that, after accepting the offer and arriving at Miner Hall, he found a photograph of himself on the “Man Wall,” right next to portraits of Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama.
Acting on AIDS Ambassadors The Beacon (newspaper) Campus Crusade for Christ Celebration of Diversity Chamber Singers Chapel Choir The Chesbronian (yearbook) Chorale Club Español Communication Club Criminal Justice Club Dance Ministry Drama Ministry Ecology Club Foot of the Cross Gospel Choir Habitat for Humanity In Jesus’ Name Jazz Ensembles Math & Science Club Mission Trips Musical Stage Performance Nursing Club Nursing Home Ministry Percussion Ensemble Roberts Icon RWC-Community Orchestra RWC-Community Theater Sign Language Choir Ski Club Social Work Club Student Association Executive Cabinet Interclass Council Senate Social Life Student Association Leadership Team Student Education Association Students in Free Enterprise Wind Ensemble Women’s Choir
For more information about student life at Roberts, visit www.roberts.edu/studentlife.
Share your dramatic talents by taking the stage in a performance of Annie. Plan campus-wide events through the Student Activities Council. Help capture the Roberts community in images for The Chesbronian (our yearbook). Serve as a mentor through R.E.A.C.H. In short, get involved and seize the day.
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Roberts Wesleyan student athletes are fierce competitors and astute scholars, courageous leaders and generous servants. They are champions on the field and off, developing their character and honing their leadership skills by competing at a high level across 14 intercollegiate men’s and women’s varsity teams. Roberts’ rich athletic heritage is built on the character of these men and women. You can join them. As a student athlete at Roberts, you will realize that your athletic abilities can be used for much more than your own physical betterment. Your talents can be utilized to glorify God, to minister to others and to develop your own character. The friendships you forge with your teammates and coaches will help enrich your life for years to come. Oh, and you’ll also have a lot of fun along the way.
“Last year we went on a missions trip to Brazil with the soccer team. Both the team bonding that went on and also the spiritual component of that trip were amazing. It was really cool to have that experience. We realized that soccer could be used for more than ourselves. It could be used to glorify God and share Him with others.” —Bethany George ’10, elementary and special education
Varsity sports at RWC Basketball (M, W) Cross Country (M, W) Golf (M) Indoor Track and Field (M, W) Outdoor Track and Field (M, W) Soccer (M, W) Tennis (M, W) Volleyball (W)
Intramural sports at RWC Basketball Dodgeball Flag Football Floor Hockey Racquetball
Soccer Ultimate Frisbee Volleyball Water Polo
Core values of Roberts athletics During a recent Chapel service, Jenn discussed both her faith journey and also her experiences in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with President Martin and the student body.
Servant’s Heart We will be Christ-like. We will put other people’s needs ahead of our own. Excellence We will be committed to do our jobs to the best of our abilities in all areas. Leadership We will direct our teams and be held accountable for their actions. Integrity We are committed to being moral, honest and trustworthy in our work.
Roberts Wesleyan alumna takes silver in Beijing Jenn Stuczynski, a 2004 Roberts Wesleyan graduate and fivetime U.S. National Pole Vault Champion earned a silver medal for the U.S. Olympic Team during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. During her four years at Roberts Wesleyan, Stuczynski garnered numerous awards in basketball and track.
For more information about athletics at Roberts, visit www.roberts.edu/athletics.
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Roberts Wesleyan at a Glance Academics: More than 50 academic, professional and pre-professional programs About the College: Founded in 1866 by B.T. Roberts, Roberts Wesleyan is an independent, coeducational, Christian liberal arts college committed to integrating a Christian worldview with academic study. Roberts Wesleyan College is a member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and the Association of Free Methodist Educational Institutions.
Location: Rochester, New York Students: 1,928 (1,388 undergraduate, 540 graduate), from more than 27 states and 18 countries Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1 Athletics: 14 men’s and women’s varsity sports compete in NAIA Division II and NCCAA
Ninety-seven percent of Roberts Wesleyan students receive financial aid. No wonder U.S. News & World Report has ranked Roberts in its “Top 20 Best Values” for institutions in the northern United States. Roberts makes every effort to render college affordable for students and families by offering generous financial aid awards through a combination of scholarships, loans, grants and work-study opportunities. To learn more about the financial aid opportunities at Roberts, visit www.roberts.edu/finaid.
A visit that could change the course of your life Many of the students at Roberts knew the moment they set foot on campus that this is where they belonged. So what are you waiting for? To learn about Preview Days, or to arrange your own personalized visit to campus, call our Office of Admissions at 800.777.4RWC or register online at www.roberts.edu/visits. While you’re here, you can sit in on classes, meet with your future classmates and professors, and get answers to questions ranging from the admissions process to financial aid. You’ll be glad you came to see us.
2301 Westside Drive Rochester, NY 14624-1997 800.777.4RWC 585.594.6400 www.roberts.edu