Now called Shepherd University, this school is located in a small town in the eastern panhandle of WV. About a two hours outside of Washington, DC, it is best known for nursing and educational degrees, but has started to branch out in the science and technology areas. The class sizes are small and the faculty are passionate about education. The student body mostly consists of commuters from the local area as there are only a few bars and no night spots of interest. There are a few clubs and Greek houses. The school is growing rapidly and has started to expand online and with branch locations.
For the area that it is in, I feel that this university is good option. It is small and has a majority of commuters. There are a lot of plans for growth and it has already started to happen in the four years that I have been here. I feel that more people are coming and there are several major construction projects to make a new arts and nursing building, but the faculty is not up par.(at least from my experience in the business department) There will be a new president next year and hopefully that will give Shepherd University a better direction for the future. As tips to people considering Shepherd...Make sure you want to be here. I know a lot of people who came here and after their first semester, they transfered to a larger school like WVU, Marshall, JMU, etc. Know that the school is very liberal, doesn't have a lot to do on the weekends, and is in a very transitional phase. I feel that in 20 years, Shepherd will be a much better school. I think I would still choose this college if I went back and could do it again, it was really my only option at the time. But it's very frustrating to be at a school that accepts most who apply, so be prepared to be surrounded by people who were taught in West Virgina public schools. Shepherd is very cozy and quaint. It is very open to opinions and ideas, that is if you are extremely liberal and hate Bush. The town is great with a lot of small shops and restaurants, but most are very upscale and do not cater to college students. All together, Shepherd is nice if you are looking for a local school that gives you the best deal for your money. I strongly feel that in 20 years, my degree from Shepherd will hold a lot more merit than it does now.