Academics
To say that Webber International University, a coeducational school due south of Orlando and east of Tampa, is “very business oriented” is to put it mildly; “strictly business” is more like it. The school offers nine business-related majors, of which management, marketing, and sports management programs are most popular. WIU’s enrollment of about 600 students allows undergrads to enjoy “one-on-one attention due to small class sizes.” The “knowledgeable,” “down-to-earth” professors here are “very accessible in and out of school,” “care about your success,” and are “great at what they do.” Students also appreciate an administration that is “well organized, friendly, [and] willing to help when they can,” right on up to the top spot; WIU’s president “knows everyone and is seen often around campus and at campus events.” Undergrads speak highly of the university’s Career Services Department, which provides students with “on-campus recruiting opportunities for full-time employment, summer jobs, and internships.” Career Services advisors also help to solidify student career objectives and alert students to job openings in their chosen field. WIU offers travel-abroad opportunities to students of all majors in an effort to expose undergrads to international business protocol.
Student Body
WIU students describe themselves as “friendly, outgoing, and helpful.” While the majority (about 70 percent) of WIU’s students are Florida residents, a good portion of the student body hails from locations all over the globe. “We have a lot of international students,” comments one undergrad, adding, “Everybody seems to feel comfortable here.” Many here “are sports oriented”; according to one student, “We all play sports, so everyone is athletic.” Students feel that people from all backgrounds mesh well at WIU largely “because of sports organizations.” However, students don’t have to be athletic to fit in. “Although we have a large athletic population,” comments one student, “there is still a diverse group of students, leaving it open for any individual to fit in.”
Campus Life
The WIU campus is situated in a quiet, rural area of central Florida that provides “a good education” in a “quiet atmosphere [that is] mainly focused on business studies. A short drive transports students to many popular attractions. Students describe their campus as a “close-knit environment,” and report that extracurricular life includes “bonfires, beach parties, and baseball.” The university boasts a sizable Athletic Department, so participating in and attending sporting events is a popular pastime. Business-related clubs, such as Phi Beta Lambda and the Marketing Club, are also popular. These pastimes aside, WIU students tend to make their own fun. “For fun we go to Orlando or Tampa for events like clubbing, Gasparilla, Mardi Gras, etc. and for shopping and movies,” explains one student. Nearby Lake Kissimmee State Park offers great opportunities for camping, hiking, boating, and fishing.