Academics
Valparaiso University, a small Lutheran university, 鈥渋s a serious academic community with strong, but not forceful, religious background鈥 that 鈥減repares, motivates, and challenges tomorrow鈥檚 leaders, engineers, nurses, and teachers while giving the opportunity for religious growth.鈥 Business, education, and engineering are the most popular general areas of study, and are among Valpo鈥檚 most celebrated departments. Other standout disciplines include nursing, music, theater (鈥渢he department involves touring professional directors a couple times a year, which speaks for itself鈥 and 鈥減uts on great plays鈥), and one of the nation鈥檚 largest meteorology programs (which 鈥渏ust erected a stateof-the-art Doppler radar, putting Valpo at the forefront for undergrad meteorology鈥). Undergrads here appreciate the breadth of excellent offerings as well as 鈥渢he school鈥檚 ability to integrate the liberal arts with a variety of majors...As a student, I have been able to study engineering as well as hermeneutics, child development, and read classic texts ranging from Aristotle and Plato to Chuang Tzu and Derrida.鈥 Valpo operates under an honor code students say, 鈥渃reates an environment of trust and high moral responsibility.鈥 鈥淧eople follow the honor code, especially because the punishments are strict, such as failing the class for a first offense,鈥 one student tells us. A few dissenters feel 鈥渢he honor code may reduce some cheating, but I don鈥檛 think it comes near to eliminating it.鈥 Outstanding students may enroll in Christ College, an honors college, which they describe as 鈥渧ery intense but very rewarding.鈥
Student Body
One student estimates that 鈥渃onservative, churchgoing studiers鈥 make up about two-thirds of the Valpo student body. Most 鈥渃ome from somewhere in the Midwest,鈥 with many 鈥渇rom the Chicagoland area.鈥 The typical student is 鈥渉ere to learn. There are some who are just here for the party, but there are not many.鈥 Because 鈥渕eteorology and engineering are large areas of study, there are some students who are 鈥榥erdy,鈥 but no one is left out of university activities.鈥 Valpo has 鈥渇ew minority students,鈥 and 鈥渋t would be nice to have a little bit more diversity.鈥
Campus Life
鈥淭here are several activities to choose from on Valparaiso鈥檚 campus on a typical weekend, ranging from philanthropic dance parties at fraternity houses to music recitals to special guests speakers (to name just a few),鈥 students tell us. Religious groups are active, and not just the Lutherans. The Catholic Church 鈥渋s very active鈥 here, offering 鈥渁 student mass Sunday nights with a meal afterward, which is very nice鈥 and 鈥渁t least three events each week.鈥 Athletics are also popular. 鈥淲e have Division I athletics, so it鈥檚 fun to watch if you don鈥檛 play, but Valpo also offers club sports (like Ultimate Frisbee) and intramurals for all student to participate in.鈥 The VU campus is officially dry, but that doesn鈥檛 mean students don鈥檛 drink. An aggressive campus police force means 鈥渢here is lots of fear of getting arrested when drinking, but people do it anyway.鈥 Fraternities 鈥渉ave parties every Friday night,鈥 which helps to offset the perception that 鈥渢he city of Valpo is horrible鈥 because 鈥渢here鈥檚 not much to do鈥 there. 鈥淚f you can鈥檛 entertain yourself, this is not the place for you,鈥 students warn. When they need big-city diversion, students will 鈥渉op on the train to go over to Chicago, an hour ride, for about six dollars, and get a CTA day pass for four dollars (to ride Chicago鈥檚 transit all day).鈥
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