"WNEC": A solid foundation for grad school
Written: Dec 05 '07
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Pros: Academics, grad school prep, engineering, faculty who actually teach, ILP system, personal attention, safe campus
Cons: Bureaucrats, "Office Space"-like middle management, expensive, some silliness (LBC, preachy student affairs people, etc.)
The Bottom Line: If you have disciple to hit the books each night and go to morning classes, you can't go wrong with WNEC. The faculty are amazing. The food isn't half-bad either
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| walletgrove's Full Review: Western New England College |
I graduated from WNEC a couple years back with a dual-degree (B.A.B.S.) in Economics and Mechanical Engineering. As you can imagine, I was a busy student. That probably resulted in me missing out on some of the more social aspects of the school, so forgive me if this review is primarily about the academics at Western New England College.
Well, first things first. The college has a long name. I don't know what they were thinking when split with Northeastern University. I suspect that they were trying to describe the location of the school and also convey that it is a private college. But the result is that it will always be known, despite the administration's tired efforts, as WNEC. There is almost a fetish among staff about banishing this term for marketing reasons. "Winneck" just sounds so much less dignified than Western New England College, I guess. This reasoning always confounded me. Does MIT run away from its acronym? What about UMass, K-State, or UCLA? I think they could make a great marketing campaign out of the acronym, but what do I know?
The academic experience at WNEC is rather unique. The school is notable (and notorious) for a few quirks. Firstly, the school tries to bridge the gap between liberal arts and applied studies. This is why I went to WNEC and it's central to the school's identity. Most academically-successful high school seniors have three choices:
1. Liberal arts colleges where "business", "professional", and "engineering" are curse words. These are the almost-purely academic institutions that like to brag about how they haven't sold out to those students who want an actual job after graduation. Their strength is that they give a strong grounding in the versatile reading, writing, and thinking skills of the liberal arts. Their weakness is that their graduates have a lot of opinions but no idea how their field actually works. Trust me, I've worked with these people and for them everything is theoretical and academic.
2. Professional schools that focus only on professional skills like business or engineering. Babson and MIT are the most obvious. General education requirements there are not intended to make a liberal arts major. They prepare students to be leaders in their fields and do a damned good job at it. The problem that they do cheat students out of a well-rounded liberal arts curriculum. There is something to be said for learning for learning's sake. As an engineer, I can say that I was challenged to think differently by my philosophy and history classes.
3. Large (usually public) universities that catch every possible kind of student. These are the schools with a dozen schools or colleges, several branches, and every kind of course under the sun. As research institutions, you benefit from exposure to new work in your field. The downside is that all that research is done by the people who should be teaching you. Also, this breadth of academic options comes at a cost: more departments means more people -- and that isn't good if you want personal attention (TAs, anyone?).
This is where WNEC is different. Unlike any other institution I've encountered, they try to give students the best of a liberal arts and professional education in one package without resorting to big-school tactics. They stress this philosophy called the Integrated Liberal and Professional approach (ILP). The idea is to give students access to full-time TEACHING professors in both the academic and applied disciplines -- and to do so in a small campus setting. That means a small university where there are independent schools of Business, Arts and Sciences, and Engineering where every student is exposed to each perspective I would characterize it as one part Swarthmore, one part Babson, and one part MIT mixed together. There are the Ivory Tower profts at the School of Arts and Sciences and then the "we know because we do" folks at the School of Business and the School of Engineering.
The ILP system at WNEC had a major benefit for me. I wasn't sure in high school if I wanted to go into engineering or something in the liberal arts. WNEC allowed me to take coursed in dozens of areas, so my major wasn't determined on orientation weekend. I tried a few things first semester, found out what I liked (and hated), and sat down with my advisor to make a plan. WNEC allowed me to do a double major in four years without much extra work.
The marketing slogan used to be "Where Everything Falls into Place". I think that described my experience best. I came into school wanting to be challenged, took everything from theater to differential equations, and got a quick handle on where I wanted to go. If you are someone with strong drive but a little fuzzy on direction, it's wonderful. Don't risk wasting your money at a school that is going to lock you into one major or field early on. You may end up hating it.
The core of the school is its faculty. I don't know if these people are aware of the going wage and requirements in academia because they work extremely hard for relatively modest pay. They teach, teach, teach. Many teach five sections (the same amount that most students take). For a private institution, their compensation is notoriously low but that has its benefits too. You won't find lazy faculty trying to live off an endowment or a union contract. These profs have to make their living that academics once did: focusing on students. They pretend that research doesn't exist whenever students are around (then you see them published somewhere and you respect them even more). I know for a fact that tenure is based overwhelmingly on teaching ability (publish or perish is a myth at WNEC), not their grant-snatching skills. The bad apples get weeded out early and the best make the cut. There are some questionable adjuncts, though, so watch your step with them. Keep in mind that some of your classes may be in the single digits.
Academic advising is different at WNEC than at most schools. You don't line up at a registration window and hope to get your classes. There isn't some advisor deep in some unknown building that you meet twice a year. Advisors are constantly in contact with students. I got a phone call from my assigned advisor literally a week after I enrolled. She wanted to know my plans so we could get to work on planning my schedule. The call went on for over an hour. They will generally talk to you when your midterm grades are, ah, "sub-prime". Like all faculty at WNEC, you can literally walk into their office at any time and sit down for a chat. That being said, they are not babysitters. They will not do work for you or bail you out. What they will do is ADVISE you on a world that is their career but is a foreign land to you.
Newer students have a requirement called Learning Beyond the Classroom (LBC). It is fairly simple. You have to do two independent experiences related to your studies and submit reflection papers. It is a bit of a pain, though, because of the hoops the LBC office puts in front of students.
I went through two graduate programs after WNEC and did very well in both. They were at fairly prestigious universities as well. Grad schools (and employers) know that WNEC puts out motivated grads. Getting into a grad program should be a cinch if you keep up your grades and ace the GREs. The interviews I got all featured grad school admissions officers who were familiar with WNEC and I felt like I walked in with them taking my education as a given (a huge plus). It's much easier to get in or get a job if the interviewer assumes you are intelligent because of their past experience with your alma mater. It gives you a chance to differentiate yourself instead of proving that you aren't a moron.
If you like, they have options where you can combine a law degree and undergrad degree into six years. Similar MBA programs exist. The law school is a great resource as well. The library there is amazing and you can attend real state supreme court hearings that are held there.
The campus is very pretty, but that wasn't really a big attraction for me. If you like HGTV I imagine it could be a draw. It's safe too. The public safety staff is a little arrogant (no, I never got in trouble with them). I think it's just too much time with too little to do. The administration is competant at the upper echelons and the blue collar people work hard but WATCH OUT for the "middlings".
President Caprio and Provost Hirsch are geniuses and the groundskeepers/chefs are the hardest working (and kindest) people you'll ever meet. But those middling middle management types are another story. They generally frustrate students by having too much power and too little insight into how to do their jobs. Students and faculty get pretty tired of calling up certain offices and getting terrible service. They are very dedicated to established procedures and view innovation as a threat to their ordered world. There are more administrators and bureaucrats than can possibly be justified. The number of forms required to do anything will astound even the most patient person.
There also tends to be a "holier-than-thou" attitude among much of the student affairs staff. Words like "accountability", "responsibility", and "restitution" are thrown around a little too often (think parking tickets). They sometimes confuse creating a good campus environment and judging people. Due process is not very extensive, from what I hear. Although the campus is generally conservative otherwise, there is a decidely liberal bent to that part of the school. The typical PC nonsense prevails there, which is a pity because it is so rare at WNEC otherwise. Unless you want to get preached to about the "consequences" of your choices, I suggest that you steer clear of this brain trust. Some of the mid-level administrators are just plain rude when responding to simple inquiries ("How do I switch rooms?", etc.). Don't let that deter you from attending WNEC, however. There are people like that at every university. Everyone at the full dean level and above gets the picture, so go to them if all else fails. They are logical and compassionate human beings who somehow can't maintain a similar staff under them. Alternately, work down the ladder to the blue collar folks. Remember that they have to put up with the middlers too and will understand your frustration.
There isn't much to say about students beyond saying that you'll make friends easily and they are very accepting. Loners have a hard time staying that way because of the camaraderie among students. There is room for nerds and partiers but an absurdly "normal" majority predominates. Students are pretty level-headed at WNEC.
Springfield is a far better place than when I attended. It is on the rise at this point and crime is a non-factor for those not involved in narcotics. Springfield College, American International College, Elms College, Bay Path College, and Westfield State College are all within 15 miles. The cost of living is very reasonable and you're relatively close to NYC, Hartford, Albany, Worcester, and Boston. Bus service to the Five Colleges (UMass, Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Hampshire) is available. Train service is okay but not great. There is plenty to do on campus anyway -- provided you make the most of it.
In conclusion, WNEC is a good place for those students who want a solid academic experience and preparation for further study. Socialites will probably want to look elsewhere as you can't really shuffle by without being noticed. There are no lecture halls where you can hide in the back. Profs take attendance. People know you. You have a reputation and word spreads quickly. If you are up for four years of scrutiny, personal attention, and some late nights in the stacks WNEC might just be right for you. It's not cheap but you get more than your money's worth. There's no place even remotely like it anyhere. If nothing else, you'll have some stories to tell.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
walletgrove
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Location: San Diego, CA
Reviews written: 1
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