Indiana Wesleyan University

Indiana Wesleyan University

Former names	Marion College (1920–1988)
Motto	Character. Scholarship. Leadership.
Type	Private
Established	1920
Affiliation	Wesleyan Church
Endowment	US $107.3 million
Chancellor	Dr. Henry Smith
President	Dr. David Wright
Academic staff	251
Administrative staff	1,150
Students	15,872
Undergraduates	2,969 (Marion campus) / 10,877 (all campuses)
Postgraduates	4,560
Location	Marion, IN, United States
Campus	Suburban 345 acres (1.40 km2)
Newspaper	The Sojourn
Colors	Red and Gray
Athletics	18 Varsity Teams NAIA Division II in men's and women's basketball, Division I in all other sports NCCAA Division I
Nickname	Wildcats
Mascot	Wesley the Wildcat
Affiliations	CCCU Crossroads League
Website	www.indwes.edu

Indiana Wesleyan University (commonly referred to as IWU) is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university headquartered in Marion, Indiana, that is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination. IWU is the largest member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and the largest private university in Indiana.

IWU's original campus was known first as Marion Normal College (1890–1912) and then reopened as Marion Normal Institute (1912–1918).

In 1918 the Marion Normal Institute relocated to Muncie, Indiana, and merged with the Indiana Normal Institute. After the union failed, the buildings and grounds were purchased for the State of Indiana and formed the basis for Indiana State University-Eastern Division. Because the Indiana Conference of The Wesleyan Methodist Church operated the Fairmount Bible School 10 miles (16 km) south of Marion, a group of local citizens asked them to move to the vacant property and open a normal school in Marion. So from 1918 to 1919 the conference raised $100,000 to endow the school, moved the Fairmount Bible School to Marion, and added a new teacher education program to become Marion College. The actual year of incorporation was 1919; however, the first classes were not offered until the fall of 1920, which became the official year of inception.

From 1920 to 1988, Marion College operated as a developing liberal arts institution with growing programs, offering the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees since the first graduating class of 1921. A Master of Arts in Theology was begun in 1924 and offered continuously until 1950. Master's degree programs were initiated again in 1979 in Ministerial Education and Community Health Nursing. Master's degree programs were begun in Business in 1988, in Primary Care Nursing in 1994, and in Counseling in 1995.

A new administration was initiated by the Board of Trustees with the presidency of Dr. James Barnes in 1987. The name of the institution was changed to Indiana Wesleyan University in 1988, reflecting the influence of the institution across the state - well beyond the boundaries of the city of Marion, its connection with The Wesleyan Church and Christian higher education, and the development of increasing numbers of graduate programs.