private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
for-profit university
Proprietary colleges are for-profit colleges and universities. They are operated by their owners or investors, rather than a not-for-profit institution, religious organization, or government. Because they are not funded by tax money, their lo ...
in Forest City, Iowa. It was founded in 1903 and associated with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxim ...
and its predecessors. In 2010, it was sold to Columbia Southern University and became a for-profit institution; 12 years later, ownership was transferred to the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation.
History
Waldorf University, founded in 1903 as Waldorf College, was a result of "The Great Hotel War of Forest City", a competitive battle between Forest City's two upper-class hotels, which were built at the same time. The result was the Waldorf Hotel being left vacant after only four months of operation. The vacant hotel provided an opportunity for Rev. C.S. Salveson to create a Christian college. Waldorf started out as an academy and business college, not just a preparatory program for future pastors. From its earliest days, Waldorf viewed education sponsored by the church as essential for success in society.
Since 1920, Waldorf's curriculum has evolved to reflect a liberal arts emphasis. Today almost all Waldorf students intend to earn a bachelor's degree. In the spring of 1994, Waldorf College was accredited by the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It w ...
. In January 2010, the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxim ...
sold the college to a subsidiary of Columbia Southern University and it became a for-profit institution. Waldorf College became Waldorf University in March 2016. In 2022, the ownership of the college was transferred to the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation and the university began the process of returning to nonprofit status.
Academics
Waldorf University offers associate, bachelor, and master's degree programs, as well as several undergraduate certificate options and online career-prep programs. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Undergraduate admissions
According to the 2019 '' U.S. News & World Report'', Waldorf University is considered "less selective" and had an admissions acceptance rate of 72%. Peterson's - The Real Guide to Colleges and Universities ranked Waldorf College admission as being moderately difficult.
Honor societies
Waldorf University is home to Iowa Iota, Chapter 364 of Region IV of the
Alpha Chi National College Honor Society
Alpha Chi National College Honor Society (or ) is an American collegiate honor society recognizing achievements in general scholarship. It was formed in 1922 by nineteen schools in the state of Texas. Since then it has expanded to 300 chapters ...
. Alpha Chi is a national college honor society that admits, by invitation, college juniors, seniors and graduate students in any academic discipline who are in the top 10% of their class.
Waldorf University Theatre is home to the Alpha Epsilon Omega cast of Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society (APO). Waldorf University is also an active member in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
The university is also home to the Alpha Iota Lambda chapter of the Alpha Sigma Lambda, the is the oldest and largest national honor society for non-traditional students.
Athletics
Waldorf's athletic teams are called the Warriors. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) since the 2015–16 academic year. The Warriors previously competed in these defunct conferences: the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) from 2012–13 to 2014–15; and the Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) from 2003–04 to 2011–12.
Waldorf competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, track & field and wrestling; women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include cheerleading, eSports and shooting sports. The university expanded athletics in 2010 by adding men's ice hockey and women's wrestling.
Football
The
Waldorf Warriors football
The Waldorf Warriors football team represents Waldorf University in college football, as part of the North Star Athletic Association.
History
Waldorf's football team played their first NAIA Division II game in 2003. Their former head football coa ...
team represents the university in college football.
Men's soccer
The Waldorf Warriors men's soccer team represents the university in college soccer. It won the Association of Independence Institutions (AII) conference championship, beating Georgia Gwinnett College in 2017 to claim its first conference title in the sport.
Cheerleading
The Waldorf Warriors cheerleaders are a competitive squad known for all-female stunting routines.
Ice hockey
The ice hockey team began play during the 2011–12 academic year and plays an independent schedule of club programs, as the NAIA does not currently sponsor a championship for ice hockey. The program is coached by Brett Shelanski, former head coach of the Minnesota Flying Aces
junior A
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
team.
Women's wrestling
Waldorf launched Iowa's first collegiate women's wrestling program in 2010.
Best Buy
Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
; received his A.A. from Waldorf College in 1969
*
Bob Backlund
Robert Louis Backlund (born August 14, 1949) is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation from 1976 to 1984 and in the 1990s, wher ...
, former professional wrestler; twice wrestling All-American
* Ian Beckles,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player in the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
*
Greg Davids
Gregory Michael Davids (born August 28, 1958) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2009, and from 1991 to 2006. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Davids represents District 26B in southeast ...
, Republican member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
* Rebecca Fjelland Davis, novelist and college instructor
*
Karl Dehesa
Karl Matthew Seson Dehesa is a Filipino-American professional basketball player who last played for the Phoenix Fuel Masters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was drafted 22nd overall in the 3rd round of the 2012 PBA draft by t ...
defensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...