Engaged Students

There are many places and ways to learn.  At DWU, students are not just expected to listen and take notes in a classroom; they learn through internships, special projects, undergraduate research and service opportunities.

• One student traveled by private plane with a local radiologist to a Lakota reservation to conduct outreach work. The experience reaffirmed her passion for science and her desire to go to med school.

• Another student, pursuing an individualized major created specially for his interests in history and ancient languages, was a contributing author in a Congressional Quarterly publication.

• A group of students in the leadership and public service program designed and conducted the only college-run political poll in the state.  They’ve conducted the polls for several years and their results have been picked up by media around the world.

• One biology student did an internship in Alaska, studying tree line ecology in the Noatak National Preserve.  The internship was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Research for Undergraduates program.

• Students in the DWU theatre program study theater production in Great Britain during a special May term seminar that takes them onto Shakespeare’s stage and into London’s theatre district.

• The criminal justice department’s forensics classroom is a crime scene, specially constructed by local law enforcement officers and replicating a real crime.

• Student nurses conduct health screening for local health fairs and senior centers.

• The presence of an elementary school on the Dakota Wesleyan campus means that education students have the opportunity to work in classroom settings from the very beginning of their college coursework.

• Athletic training students work with college and high school athletes providing sports medicine assistance at all games and contests.

• Students in the DWU business program don’t just discuss global business, they experience it through faculty-directed classes held in China where students engage Chinese business persons and study first-hand the global Chinese economy and culture.

In fact, every student has the opportunity to do an internship or practicum, conduct research, or do some kind of capstone project.  Sure, they learn in the classroom … but they’ll rise to the top because of their out-of-class experiences.

Great Teaching

At Dakota Wesleyan, students will find professors who are engaged and engaging.

• The Kelley Center for Entrepreneurship has an Entrepreneur in Residence program which brings students face-to-face with entrepreneurs who can talk about their challenges, successes and lessons learned.

• Pastor Brandon Vetter takes students on a mission trip every year. When they return to DWU, they use terms like “life-changing,” “emotional” and “transforming.”

• Dr. Jesse Weins in the criminal justice department was among the first to write a law article about the need for appropriate juvenile charges for sexting, the practice of sending nude or partially nude photos via cell phone.

• Dr. Brian Patrick is DWU’s own “Spiderman” – he and his students are sampling the Fort Pierre National Grasslands in South Dakota to identify as many spider species as they can locate.  They will then produce a guide for the National Forest Service and the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department.

• Dr. Anne Kelly takes her psychology students to the Rosebud Indian Reservation to work on suicide prevention with at-risk youth.

• Students in Dr. Darryl Green’s sports management classes are hands-on … they are solely responsible for running Daktronics video and scoring equipment at the World’s Only Corn Palace, the venue where local high school and college basketball teams compete.

No matter what major a student chooses, opportunities for unique learning experiences are only as far away as the professor at the front of the room.  Their goal is to steer students toward meaningful, creative and transformative experiences.

Vibrant Community

DWU offers many opportunities for involvement, whether organized or informal.

• The McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service brings nationally recognized speakers like Bob Dole, Jeffrey Sachs and Catherine Bertini to campus to discuss social issues such as world-wide hunger eradication, the need for eco-friendly energy sources, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

• Immaculée Ilibagiza, survivor of the Rwandan genocide and author of “Left to Tell” and other books about her experience, visited campus to share her story of faith and forgiveness.

• Weekly chapel services, though not required, are a meaningful connection point for faculty and students.

• Students have shown their artwork in the galleries at the Dakota Discovery Museum on campus.

• Nearly every major offers a corresponding student organization or academic society.

• Because of its small size, DWU students are able to participate in intercollegiate or intramural athletics, music, theatre, student senate, political organizations … or all of the above.

• International experiences have included visits to Tanzania, Mexico, Ireland, Netherlands, Peru and China.

Successful Outcomes

Every student at Dakota Wesleyan University creates a professional electronic portfolio – coursework, campus leadership and service activities become part of a permanent record that helps a student stand out with prospective employers and graduate schools.  Perhaps more importantly, the portfolio allows a student to reflect on his or her four-year experience of personal growth.

One of the tools DWU uses with each student is the Gallup StrengthsFinder.  Students take the StrengthsFinder as freshmen, but it is the knowledge of their strengths combined with the four-year experience that helps students know themselves and their abilities.  The StrengthsFinder does not tell students what career they should pursue, and it does not tell them how to fix their weaknesses. Rather, it offers insight about where each person’s gifts lie.  Do you thrive in a high-energy setting with multiple tasks, or do you prefer quiet, focused work? Does analyzing historic trends fascinate you, or are you energized by thinking about the future? Do you like to start new projects every day, or would you prefer to take an existing project and hone it until it is perfect?  Having this kind of self-awareness will lead to a fulfilling life and career.

DWU has impressive numbers, too.

• 100 percent of recent applicants were accepted into medical, athletic training, optometry, physician’s assistant and psychology graduate schools across the country.

• The DWU nursing program NCLEX-RN pass rates have met or exceeded the national pass rate six out of 10 years.

• Students graduating with degrees in nursing, elementary education, math education and athletic training have 100 percent job placement rates.

• 70 percent of athletic training majors choose to go on to grad school.

• 95 percent of DWU graduates who apply to graduate school are accepted.

• Law school applicants have been accepted into top law schools across the country.