Stevenson University

I’ve been here many times as a member of the business community (not a student).
I (and my friends) have hired many Stevenson graduates (accounting & design primarily) and have appreciate how ready they were for the real world (as opposed to that phony place where your every need and desire are taken care of by someone else).
It is a beautiful campus, the administration are open to new ways of thinking and their outreach to the business community is exceptional.

As an Alum and now a full-​time staff member I love Stevenson University. It has truly become a pivotal place within my life.
My tip for students and staff? Get involved! It makes all the difference in the world.

Stevenson University (formerly Villa Julie College) has been a huge part of my life. I was accepted in 2008 into Villa Julie College and started my Undergraduate in the Fall of 2008 at Stevenson University. With a new University name, came many changes… some I would say for the better, some for the worst.
I have spent a large part amount of time, not only attending classes here but also living on campus and working/​interning. I am now a graduate student at the University as well, so I am still a thriving Mustang. Most people pride the campus on its meticulous dorms and I would have to agree. While attending school, I lived within the suite buildings, the Wooded Way building and the apartment buildings. Each dorm provided a different experience, although I would say my best living arrangement was within Wooded Way; larger rooms, more space, quiet.
Of the five years I have been a part of this University, it has built 4 new housing buildings, a new gymnasium, a million dollar stadium and a School of Business. Due to the «restructuring» and «expansion» of the the University. the enrollment numbers have skyrocketed. This inevitably has created a tight crunch, not only in housing but also in parking. Although the University has built 7 new buildings, they have yet to add parking and in fact they had to remove parking to accommodate the new suite buildings that were built in 2011. At the rate Stevenson is growing, they will eventually have to limit freshman students and not allow them to have cars on campus. This should be interesting to see because freshman parking is a big «draw» for the University to incoming freshman.
The faculty and staff are professional (for the most part) and really help to develop leaders among the University. A typical class size is about 20 – 25 students and professors will know you by name. I have worked within the School of Business, as well as within Residence Life as a Resident Assistant. I loved my job as an RA and disliked working within the School of Business. But there are things you will and will not like about campuses, just make sure to choose your extracurricular activities wisely. I was a member of PBL and Desirable, both of which have benefited me outside of the University and in my personal life.
I think its important to highlight that when I came to Stevenson, I was focused on my education and the mantra of the University: «Imagine your Future, Design your Career». Over the years I have seen Stevenson nosedive on this motto and have seen a stronger focus on sports/​athletics come into play. In order to boost student population and keep those students «on-​campus» during the weekends (since Stevenson is considered to be a local school), the University felt athletics was the way to draw students in. I will say that the focus on athletics over the past couple of years has in fact increased enrollment numbers, but has also increased the amount of misconduct on the campus as well. I praise the University on striving to expand, but they need to rethink and refocus their efforts back on the education’s of the students. Take for example, hiring more faculty and staff so that students are given more feasible options for class selection. Simply put, offering a class at 1 – 2 times during a week, doesnt allow for much leniency in scheduling. Also, I have seen a dramatic increase in night classes, as the University has hired more adjunct faculty members (whom have jobs during the day), making it only possible for students to take evening classes.
Overall, Stevenson has been good to me. I’ve learned a lot, met a lot of great people and will cherish my memories as a undergrad and graduate student at the University. I wish them success in the future of expansion and hope they can find a good balance. Go Mustangs!