OTTERBEIN COLLEGE

'Otterbein College' is a private, four-year liberal arts college in Westerville, Ohio. The Coillege was founded in 1847 by the United Brethren Church that later merged with the Methodist Church in forming the United Methodist Church, with which Otterbein continues to be associated. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,000, which includes both traditional undergraduate students and adult students enrolled in graduate programs or post-degree studies. The college is named for Rev. Philip William Otterbein.

Contents

Academics

Theatre Program

Tuition

Campus

Athletics

WOBN

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni

Faculty

References

External links

Academics

Otterbein, being a liberal arts college, prides itself on its integrative studies program. It is a requirement for all four years, and demands students take a variety of classes that stray far from their selected major, as the college believes that the fields of study are related to each other, and believes that it helps students "become a whole person and to participate in the magic of the human experience in all of its dimensions."^[2] The program has been honored by the Ohio Board of Regents. It has been accredited by the the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1913 .
Students can earn a B.A., B.S., B.F.A., B.Mus., B.M.E., B.S.E., B.S.N., MAE, MBA, or MSN degree and can choose from 49 majors. Their 19 departments include:

★ Business, Accounting, and Economics

★ Art

★ Exercise and Sport Science

★ Chemistry and Biochemistry

★ Communication

★ Mathematics, Computer Science, and Actuarial Science

★ English

★ Life and Earth Science

★ Equine Science

★ Foreign Languages

★ History and Political Science

★ Music

★ Religion and Philosophy

★ Psychology

★ Sociology

★ Theatre and Dance

★ Nursing

★ Education

★ Physics and Astronomy
In addition, Otterbein also offers 37 minors, and has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 .
Otterbein has achieved recognition through ''U.S. News & World Report's Guide to America's Best Colleges. In 2004, they were ranked number 8 in the category of the Midwest Comprehensive Colleges , number 5 in 2005, number 6 in 2006, but in the latest edition, 2007, they are ranked 7th. The average student GPA at Otterbein is 3.4 , with an average SAT score of 1036 and ACT score of 23.^[3]

Theatre Program

Otterbein is one of the only colleges in the nation to offer a professional theatre training program with a liberal arts education. Professional training is offered in the areas of Acting, Costume and Scenic Design/Technology, and Musical Theatre with B.F.A. Degrees offered in all three programs and a dance concentration in the latter. The department also offers a BA degree in Theatre which allows students to tailor the major to suit interests in directing, writing, and stage management among others. In 2005 Princeton Review ranked Otterbein as the number three Musical Theatre/Acting school in the country, behind only CCM and CMU.

Tuition

Otterbein has only one tuition rate, and offers no discount for students who are in-state residents. For the 2006-2007 school year, tuition was set at $23,871, with room and board at $3,174 and $3,615, respectively.
Otterbein also distributes more than $17 million in financial aid annually, in the form of grants, student loans, scholarships, and their work-study program.

Campus

The Otterbein campus is located in Westerville, Ohio, a residential suburb northeast of Ohio's capital, Columbus. It sits between Alum Creek on the west and Ohio State Route 3 (State St.) on the east, the latter of which leads south to central Westerville .
Otterbein features a very categorized campus : the college's fraternity and sorrority houses greet visitors from the south , with academic buildings inward. Home Street, which runs through the center of campus, is the address of most of the college's homes and student residence halls , as well as the campus center. The north end of the campus is home to most underclassman housing, the health and physical education department, athletic facilities, as well as the Clements Recreation Center.
Overall, the campus occupies 150 acres .

Athletics

The Otterbein Cardinals compete in NCAA Division III, as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. They sponsor eight men's and eight women's varsity sports, including:

★ Baseball (Men)

★ Basketball (Men/Women)

★ Cheerleading (Coed)

★ Cross Country (Men/Women)

★ Football (Men)

★ Golf (Men/Women)

★ Soccer (Men/Women)

★ Softball (Women)

★ Tennis (Men/Women)

★ Track and Field (Men/Women)

★ Volleyball (Women)
Arguably, Otterbein has found most success in men's basketball. Producing nine Division III All-Americans, they've been led for 33 seasons by head coach Dick Reynolds, who is also the school's athletic director. His overall record stands at 583-316 , and his teams have made 13 trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament, reaching the Final Four in 1981 and 1991 and winning the national championship in 2002.
The men's soccer team has also found its way into the national spotlight, finishing as runner-ups in the 2002 Division III Soccer Championship.
The school's primary athletic rival is Capital University of Bexley, Ohio.

WOBN

WOBN 101.5 FM, is Otterbein's student-run radio station, playing active and alternative rock.

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni

Faculty

★ Abhijat Joshi - Professor of English and screenwriter for ''The Munna Bhai series'', particularly ''Lage Raho Munna Bhai'' [1]

References

1. USNews.com America's Best Colleges 2007. Accessed 2007-03-09.
2. Otterbein College Integrative Studies. Accessed 2006-12-02.
3. Princeton Review: Otterbein College. Accessed 2006-12-02.

External links

★ Official website

★ Athletics site

★ Photos from the 1959 Spring Graduation