University Of The Month: West Alabama

5 min read

Every month FirstPoint USA aim to showcase the U.S universities that we have helped talented young athletes get a scholarship to. March’s featured university is the University of West Alabama. Background The University of West Alabama (UWA) is a state-supported, coeducational institution of higher learning governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor. As a regional institution, the University’s foremost commitment is to meeting the educational needs of the State and particularly of the West Alabama area. Valuing a diverse student enrollment, though, it also welcomes students from throughout the United States and from other countries. Here are some quick facts about The University of West Alabama:

President:	Dr. Richard Holland
Institution Type:	Public/State/Liberal Arts
Location:	Livingston, AL - West Central Alabama
Size:	Approximately 2261 on-campus students (76% Female - 24% Male) Approximately 2833 online students
Diversity:	45% Caucasian, 54% Minorities, 1% International
Geographic:	61% In-State 39% Out-of-State
Student/Teacher Ratio:	Undergraduate: 17:1 Graduate: 28:1
Faculty:	85% Hold terminal degrees
Average Cost:	$11,054 In-State $16,518 Out-of-State
School Colours:	Red & White
Mascot:	Tigers
Nickname:	Livingston

Academics At UWA there are various undergraduate programs which are separated into various faculties, including:

College of Education
College of Liberal Arts
College of Natural Sciences & Mathamatics
College of Nursing

Athletics Sports on offer at UWA include: Men

Women

Check out our interview with UWA soccer coach, Matthew Thorne, taken at our 2012 Soccer Showcase Facilities Tiger Stadium is the home of the Tiger football team since 1952, but renovations have been completed in recent years. The home side contains concrete bleachers and red chairback seats for fans who purchase reserved tickets or season passes. A new scoreboard was added on the right side a few years back. The Tiger Room, a place for Tiger Club members, is located underneath the bleachers. Concessions can be found behind the bleachers on the home side. The stadium saw a major renovation as a synthetic surface was recently installed. The women's soccer program will play their home games at the stadium beginning in fall 2011. James P. Homer Fieldhouse is used primarily for athletic training purposes and adjacent to Tiger Stadium. A weight room as well as coaches' offices are located inside. Pruitt Hallis the gymnasium for volleyball as well as the men's and women's basketball teams. Coaches' offices can be found inside the building. Major renovations including the locker rooms, bleachers, and floor have been completed in the last few years. A new scorer's table was recently added as well. Logos of the other GSC schools are placed on the walls behind the bleachers all around the gym. Concessions are located outside the entrances as spectators walk in the doors. Tartt Field is the home of the Tiger baseball team. Both sides of the field contain bleachers for spectators to sit. More bleachers and the official pressbox can be found directly behind home plate. Wooden decks for grilling and barbecuing are located beyond the outfield walls. The home dugout and locker room also contains an upstairs area with a complete kitchen, bathrooms, game room, and living room. Concessions are found directly beneath the pressbox. The home side also contains the Dora Dahlberg Beard Indoor Practice Facility. The UWA Softball Complex is the home of the Tiger softball team. A locker room has been recently built adjacent to the home dugout. Batting cages can be found on both sides of the field. Bleachers for spectators are located on either side. Like Tartt Field, the official pressbox and more bleachers are located behind home plate. Concessions can be found behind the pressbox in a separate building. Flags representing the other GSC schools fly behind the center field wall. The Dora Dahlberg Beard Indoor Practice Facility is a state-of-the-art practice facility used by the baseball and softball teams. It contains pitching mounds, batting cages, and weight stations. It was recently completed a few years back. The building can be located adjacent to Tartt Field on the home side. The Howard R. Vaughan Tennis Complex was completed in 2006 in time for the restoration of the men's and women's tennis programs. It contains six lighted tennis courts. Each has its own scoring system to keep track of matches. Bleachers for spectators can be found on the opposite side of the courts. The Don C. Hines Rodeo Complex is used by the men's and women's rodeo teams. It contains an indoor arena with bleachers for spectators to watch events. The building is the home of the annual UWA Rodeo Showdown held in the fall semester of each year. The UWA Cross Country Facility can be found close to Lake LU on campus. It contains locker rooms for the men's and women's cross country teams. There are also areas reserved for running and practicing. Social Living on campus is a major part of the total college experience. The residence halls at the University of West Alabama provide a convenient location to your classes and the many campus services available to you. Many on-campus residents form friendships that last a lifetime. They hope that you will let them be "your home away from home". As well as having activity clubs, The university of West Alabama has a Cinema on campus with films showing each night to entertain you and give you a break from studies, so as well as having a great academic and sporting programme it’s also a great campus to live on and spend your time on.

Do you have what it takes to play your sport and study in the USA? Register today for a UK assessment with FirstPoint USA and find out!