University of Evansville
The University of Evansville (UE) is a private university in Evansville, Indiana. It was founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College. The university operates a satellite center, Harlaxton College, in Grantham, England. UE offers more than 80 different majors and areas of study, each housed within three colleges and one school within the university: the Schroeder School of Business, the College of Education and Health Sciences, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.[5]
Total enrollment (including full and part-time, undergraduate, adult, graduate, and UE students at Harlaxton) is 2,443 students, although full-time undergraduate and Doctor of Physical Therapy enrollment is 1,976 students. The student body represents 55 countries and 44 states with international students comprising 16% of the undergraduate student population. The university also hosts more than 155 student organizations and an active Greek community. UE athletic teams participate in Division I of the NCAA and are known as the Purple Aces. Evansville is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.[5]
Notable alumni include prominent entertainers, writers, and sports stars such as actors Rami Malek and Kelli Giddish, producer/writer Matt Williams, and basketball coach Jerry Sloan, as well scientists, business people, and others.
Location
1800 Lincoln Ave.,
Evansville, Indiana
7 acres (2.8 ha)
1921
Miller, Fullenwider, & Dowling; Anderson & Veatch
Collegiate Gothic
February 3, 1983
Sororities
Fraternities
Media[edit]
WUEV started in 1951, was a noncommercial, 6100-watt FM Radio station located at 91.5 MHz, owned and operated by the University of Evansville. WUEV also streamed online and became the first internet radio station in Indiana in 1996.[21] The station was operated entirely by a student staff.
On May 17, 2019, the University of Evansville made what members of the Evansville community claimed to be a controversial decision to sell the students' station to WAY-FM, a non-profit nationwide network that plays contemporary Christian music.[22]
While the story garnered national media attention from major media outlets and public scrutiny in support of the students and WUEV, the issue was brought to light in September 2018 when a group of University of Evansville alumni, community, and students began to uncover information that the University of Evansville previously had kept from the public as reported by WEHT News 25.[23] While it seemed to the University of Evansville and Vice President for Enrollment & Marketing Shane Davidson continued to deny that a potential sale was being strongly considered in 2018,[24] the university later admitted in 2019 the decision was made over a two-year study since 2016 which they previously never mentioned.[25]
UE President Chris M. Pietruszkiewicz was said to have refused to meet with UE students who objected to the sale.[26] This was an accusation made and observed publicly a number of times and never refuted by the President nor University.[27] The community of Evansville and WUEV supporters rallied behind keeping WUEV through protests on campus and letter writing campaign.[24] Students, alumni, and supporters also made a case that student DJs had been censored by the University of Evansville from speaking about the sale on the airwaves at WUEV to garner support from the community.[28]
The University of Evansville went so far as in October 2018 to refute WUEV on-air claims of sale to the public with a press release. Earlier that fall in September 2018, an email from the University of Evansville Michael Austin was circulated email within the University of Evansville specifically saying that WUEV had already been sold. This email from Michael August was reported by both Courier & Press and InsideRadio.com.[29]
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According to a report from NPR, Tamara Wandel, a journalism professor at the University of Evansville, criticized the decision to sell WUEV, stating that it was made without input from the university's radio and television department.[32]
Transparency and communication with students, staff, and faculty were highly criticized on the WUEV issue. "The sale of WUEV to Way-FM was not done with transparency or proper communication with students, staff, or faculty. The decision was made without input from the radio and television department," Tristan Richard, senior and general manager of WUEV told NPR.[32]
Inside Higher Ed, the Washington, D.C.-based publisher covering higher education stories, reported that the proposed sale of WUEV would negatively impact the university's media and communications programs and reduce opportunities for hands-on learning.[33]
Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz, the president of the University of Evansville, told The New York Times in a February 25, 2019 article that he believed that U.E. could do without owning a radio station.[34]
The FCC finalized the transfer of WUEV's license to WAY-FM on November 25, 2019. The terrestrial signal went silent at 11 pm CST. The final song played on WUEV was "Closing Time" by Semisonic. The station began broadcasting WAY-FM programming on November 26, 2019, and changed its call sign to WJWA on December 4, 2019.
Supporters of WUEV brought forth arguments that the University of Evansville had not followed proper FCC procedure with regard to the sale.[35]
Alumni include numerous prominent entertainers, sports stars, writers, and scientists. Among them are:
