Review of Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana

Located in historic Vincennes Indiana, Vincennes University is a school that is unlike almost any other in the country. VU was founded in 1801 by former U.S. President William Henry Harrison. It is the oldest college in Indiana and one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the mid-west.

The name Vincennes University is deceiving, because VU started out as a four-year institution, but changed to a two-year school in 1889. To this day VU is primarily a two-year college, but VU did add seven bachelor degree programs in the fall of 2006.

The Vincennes University campus is unlike any two-year campus that I have ever seen. The campus is over 100 acres, and it has a distinct four-year school feel with six residence halls, multiple classroom buildings, The Red Skelton Performing Art Center, and the newly built Student Recreation Center. Unlike most two-year college campuses, VU's campus is spacious and pleasant

Vincennes University seems to thrive by offering programs that aren't available at many other colleges. These programs include Agribusiness, Broadcasting, Culinary Arts, Fashion Merchandising, John Deer Tech, and Bowling Industry Management. Because of the unique nature of the major offerings, VU attracts many out-of-state students who are looking for programs that are tailored to their needs.

Unlike most two-year schools, VU has a very strong presence around the state of Indiana. They have transfer agreements available with most of the public four-year universities. This past year VU has partnered with the University of Southern Indiana. Students can now make a seamless transition to USI for their four-year degree after finishing their first two years at VU.

There are some draw-backs to attending VU if you are male. Last year there were 2,911 males and only 1,972 females. This ratio throws the dating scene a little bit out of balance. The difference in ratio is probably because of the many degree programs that VU offers that are traditionally sought by male students such as automotive, welding, fire fighting, and construction technology.

Vincennes University has thrived as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). VU participates in baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. VU sports teams have won numerous national championships including 14 titles by the bowling team alone. The basketball team has had eight former players move on to NBA careers including All-stars Bob McAdoo and Shawn Marion.

Some other famous VU alumni are comedian Red Skelton, singer John Mellencamp, and former CNN News anchor David Goodnow.

VU is an excellent educational choice for students in the state of Indiana and beyond, even though out-of-state tuition is over twice as much as in-state. I would recommend VU to students who want the benefits of a two-year school, but are also looking for a four-year college atmosphere.