Mission | Vision | Accreditation | Philosophy Statement | Cleveland | University Circle | Archives
The University
Case Western Reserve University is one of the nation’s leading independent research universities, with programs that encompass the arts and sciences, engineering, the health sciences, law, management, and social work.
Brief History
Although its origins date to 1826, the university in its present form is the result of the 1967 federation of Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University. The two institutions had shared adjacent campuses since the late nineteenth century and were involved in cooperative efforts for many years. Western Reserve College was founded in 1826 in Hudson, Ohio, a town 26 miles southeast of Cleveland. The college took its name from that of the region, which at the time of the American Revolution, was known as the Western Reserve of Connecticut. In 1882, renamed Western Reserve University and boasting a medical school in addition to its undergraduate programs, the institution moved to the Cleveland site that later became known as University Circle. There it joined the Case School of Applied Science, founded in 1880 through the bequest of Leonard Case Jr., a leading benefactor and Cleveland civic leader. The name Case Institute of Technology was adopted in 1947 to reflect the institution’s growing stature in the sciences and engineering.
University Mission
Case Western Reserve University improves people’s lives through preeminent research, education and creative endeavor.
We realize this goal through:
- Scholarship that capitalizes on the power of collaboration.
- Learning that is active, creative and continuous.
- Promotion of an inclusive culture of global citizenship.
University Vision
We aspire to be recognized internationally as an institution that imagines and influences the future.
Toward that end, we will:
- Support advancement of select academic fields as well as new areas of interdisciplinary excellence.
- Provide students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary to become leaders in a world of rapid change and increasing interdependence.
- Nurture a community of scholars who are cooperative, collegial and committed to mentoring and inclusion.
- Build on our relationships with world-class health care, cultural, educational, and scientific institutions in University Circle and across greater Cleveland.
Accreditation
Case Western Reserve University is accredited at the institutional level by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. In addition, many of Case's individual programs are accredited by nationally recognized professional associations, including:
- AACSB International - Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (accountancy and business)
- Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org , (BS degree program in computer science)
- Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org , (all BS degree programs in engineering, not including the engineering undesignated degree program)
- Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education (cooperative education programs)
- American Bar Association (law)
- American Board of Genetic Counseling (genetic counseling)
- American Chemical Society (chemistry)
- American College of Nurse-Midwives (nurse midwifery)
- American Dental Association (dentistry)
- American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges, Liaison Committee on Medical Education (medicine)
- American Psychological Association (clinical psychology)
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (speech pathology)
- Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education, American Dietetic Association (didactic program in dietetics, dietetic internship)
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (anesthesiologist assistant)
- Commision on Collegiate Nursing Education (Doctor of Nursing Practice program)
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
- Council on Education for Public Health (public health)
- Council on Social Work Education (applied social sciences)
- National Association of Schools of Music (music)
- National League for Nursing (nursing)
- Ohio Department of Education, Division of Teacher Education and Licensure (art education and music education)
- Teacher Education Accreditation Council (art education and music education)
The university is chartered as an educational institution under the laws of the State of Ohio and holds a Certificate of Authorization from the Ohio Board of Regents .
For further information, contact the university’s Center for Institutional Research .
Philosophy Statement on Educational Outcome Assessment
Case Western Reserve University commits to a comprehensive educational outcome assessment program, wherein we measure how our students have changed, what knowledge has been learned, and what competencies have been developed. Our educational outcome assessment programs will not only provide information on how well we are achieving our objectives, but also identify what types of programs and experiences have the most powerful impacts. The ultimate goal is to incorporate continuous evaluation into the educational culture for the improvement of programs and for enhancing the distinctiveness of our university.
Education outcome assessments will be based on the core vision and mission of each school and the university as a whole. The faculty, empowered by adequate resources and support to carry out assessment activities, accepts that educational outcome assessment is a part of academic duties. Outcome assessment is embraced as a means that can lead to improvements in teaching and learning, plus provide evidence of teaching effectiveness for institutional purposes.
Cleveland
From a settlement that began centuries ago on the banks of the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland has grown into a metropolis of close to 3 million people. The heritage of this Great Lakes port includes industrial achievement as well as cultural and scientific advances. The Cleveland area is headquarters for many of the nation’s major corporations. The city is also a major banking center; the Fourth District Federal Reserve Bank, one of 12 in the nation, is located here.
Health care is another thriving Cleveland industry. Dozens of hospitals and medical centers are concentrated in the area. University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, the MetroHealth Medical Center, and others have attained international recognition for outstanding patient care and contributions to medical research.
Greater Cleveland is dotted with shopping malls, theaters, and opportunities for sports and amusement. The latter include Lake Erie, the 17,000-acre Metropark system; professional baseball, football, and basketball teams; and facilities for softball, skiing, hiking, cycling, picnics, and other activities. More than 60 ethnic groups live in Cleveland; seasonal festivals continue traditions brought to the region from throughout the world.
University Circle
Case Western Reserve University is located in University Circle , a 550-acre concentration of more than 40 cultural, medical, educational, religious, and social service institutions located at the eastern edge of the city. In addition to Case Western Reserve University, which is the largest institution in University Circle, the community includes Severance Hall, home of the world-famous Cleveland Orchestra; the Cleveland Museum of Art, housing one of the nation’s finest collections; the Cleveland Institute of Music; the Cleveland Institute of Art; University Hospitals; the Western Reserve Historical Society; the Cleveland Botanical Garden; the Cleveland Museum of Natural History; and many others. All are within walking distance of the university.
University Circle attracts visitors worldwide and from throughout the region to its concerts, theater performances, athletic events, art shows, public lectures, exhibits, and restaurants. Housing, shopping, and recreational facilities are all located in the area.
University Archives
University Archives manages university records and publications to ensure the preservation of a reliable institutional memory. The office, which manages a collection of over 12,000 linear feet (approximately 25 million pages) and over 40 gigabytes that document the university’s life from 1826 to 2009, offers the following services:
- Research and reference services to help discover the who, what, where, when, how and why of Case Western Reserve University history and development
- Duplication services (digital, xerographic, and fax copies) of most documents
- Records services to assist in managing active records and guidance in transferring records to the University Archives
- Digitization of select, high-demand materials for ease of access and use
Administration
Barbara R. Snyder
President
William A. "Bud" Baeslack III
Provost and Executive Vice President
Christine Ash
Vice President for University Planning
David Bell
Vice President for Government Relations
Rick Bischoff
Vice President for Enrollment
Robert Clarke Brown
Treasurer
Stephen M. Campbell
Vice President for Campus Planning and Facilities Management
Donald L. Feke
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
David Fleshler
Associate Provost for International Affairs
Lev S. Gonick
Vice President for Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer
Carolyn Gregory
Vice President for Human Resources
Richard Jamieson
Vice President for Campus Services
Lara Kalafatis
Vice President for University Relations
Elizabeth Keefer
General Counsel
Bruce Loessin
Senior Vice President for University Relations and Development
Ermin R. Melle
Vice President for Financial Planning
Marilyn Sanders Mobley
Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
Glenn Nicholls
Vice President for Student Affairs
John Sideras
Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer
Lynn T. Singer
Deputy Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Sally J. Staley
Chief Investment Officer
John Wheeler
Senior Vice President for Administration
Deans
Pamela Bowes Davis
Dean of the School of Medicine, Vice President for Medical Affairs
Jeffrey Duerk
Dean of the Case School of Engineering
Grover C. Gilmore
Dean of the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Jerold S. Goldberg
Dean of the School of Dental Medicine
Mary E. Kerr
Dean of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Lawrence E. Mitchell
Dean of the School of Law
Charles E. Rozek
Dean of the School of Graduate Studies
Cyrus C. Taylor
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Robert Widing II
Dean of the Weatherhead School of Management
Jeffrey Wolcowitz
Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Board of Trustees, Officers
Charles "Bud" J. Koch
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Timothy J. Callahan
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Chuck Fowler
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Mary Ann Jorgenson
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Joseph A. Sabatini
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
University Libraries and Resources
All Case Western Reserve University’s libraries support the university’s undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Combined, their collections contain nearly 3 million volumes. The libraries maintain individual websites to facilitate communication of their unique services to the university community. Collections of electronic databases and electronic journals are shared and available for all university faculty, staff, and students through the campus network or authorized remote access. The libraries are an integrated system that comprises the Kelvin Smith Library and its branches, the Cleveland Health Sciences Library, the School of Law Library and the Harris Library at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
Kelvin Smith Library (KSL) serves as the knowledge and creativity commons on campus, and is open to all members of the university community, with collections and services that support the faculty, staff, undergraduate, and graduate students of the College of Arts and Sciences , the Case School of Engineering , the Weatherhead School of Management , and the general administration of the university. Collections and research services begin with the main collection of nearly 2 million volumes on 30 miles of compact movable shelving that maximizes space in the building for researchers to work in a variety of styles, collaboratively or individually. Branches include collections, staff, and services:
- The Astronomy and Kulas Music Libraries are branches of KSL and are housed within their respective departments. KSL has access to more than 56,000 uniquee serials and periodicals and has a large retrospective collection housed in the Retrospective Research Collections Center (RRCC) located in Cedar Avenue Service building.
- The RRCC offers daily retrieval service to KSL for materials that can be borrowed, and also has a reading room and staff to assist with the collections housed at the Center.
Kelvin Smith Library and branch collections are featured on the KSL homepage and in addition to books and journals expand learning and scholarship with other items such as audiovisual materials, government documents, special collections, datasets, digital collections, and Digital Case as a repository of campus intellectual output and special collections of the university. Personalized services help advance academics with The Center for Statistics and Geospatial Data , and the Freedman Digital Library, Language Learning and Multimedia Services Center , with new ways to locate and present research, and explore new technologies. KSL provides staff and services in support of teaching and research, including expert reference assistance in-person, online, and onsite in academic departments. ILLiad interlibrary loan services & electronic article delivery, Course Reserves & Electronic Reserves bring research to the desktop for researchers on or off campus. During fall and spring academic semesters, individuals with current Case ID cards can take advantage of KSL spaces and collections with its 24 hours - 7 days a week service. New initiatives in 2011 opened the Cramelot cafe, an art gallery and piloted several new services for faculty and graduate students. The KSL NewsBlog and facebook page keeps the campus informed of events and the continuing evolution of the Kelvin Smith Library.
The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences (MSASS) has the distinction of being one of the few schools of social work that maintains a professional library for the use of its students, staff, faculty, and alumni as well as for the general university community. The Mandel School's Lillian F. and Milford J. Harris Library contains over 40,000 volumes and subscriptions to 250 periodicals and about 900 video and audio items to support Mandel School academic programs, and is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the MSASS building. The library also has a variety of electronic media and other materials, which are available for classroom use by faculty. The Harris Library reference staff assist researchers in the library and via phone and email, and a computing lab and Help Desk also support MSASS students. The library’s website provides information resources and Licensing and Credentialing information for social work students, faculty, practitioners, and other human service workers in Greater Cleveland.
The Cleveland Health Sciences Library has two facilities with collections that are open to all university students, faculty and staff. The Health Center Library (HCL) collections and services support the Schools of Dental Medicine , Medicine , Nursing , as well as the departments of Biology and Nutrition , and celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2011. Allen Memorial Medical Library has a collection of clinical books and journals and a growing historical collection in the Dittrick Medical History Center and Museum , with a rare book collection, archives, medical artifacts, and a history of medical collection. News is featured on the Dittrick Museum Blog . Information, news, and highlights about collections, library spaces and services of HCL are featured on the CHSL homepage, with direct links to featured collections and resources like JAMA and Archives Journals, PubMed, MEDLINE, Springer Protocols, Reference assistance, and ILLiad interlibrary loan services.
The Judge Ben C. Green Law Library is located in the School of Law and has more than 300,000 volumes including complete collections of statutory and case law, law reviews, the National Reporter System, state reports, administrative reports and current law services. There is also an extensive British collection and special collections in taxation, labor law and foreign investments. The law library’s website provides core links to legal information resources, government agencies and legislative history resources. Posts on the facebook page and Just In Case , the library blog, bring information about events, law library content, and new collection news to the campus community.
The Case Catalog is the university’s comprehensive online access portal with all the libraries' collections and resources. The Case Catalog also includes collections of the Robinson Library at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Gund Library at the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Aaron Garber Library at the Siegal College of Judaic Studies. The Case Catalog is accessible through any web browser and also provides quick links to the individual library websites . For authenticated individuals, the Case Catalog offers quick links to the Research Database List , the electronic journal portal , and OhioLINK consortium materials. It also features research tools and access for Course Reserves and RefWorks citation management, and ILLiad services for each library. Computer workstations are located in each campus library to facilitate use of digital library information resources, and classrooms provide opportunities for learning and library instruction. Network access allows researchers to search the resources of the university’s libraries and the OhioLINK Central Catalog from any port on the campus network, from the Kelvin Smith Library wireless network, or remotely through university-authenticated VPN software.
Case Western Reserve University is a founding member of the OhioLINK consortium, which provides a shared, unified catalog for ninety colleges and universities, including the State Library of Ohio. The Center for Research Libraries also participates in resource sharing from the OhioLINK Central Catalog , along with several Ohio public libraries. The OhioLINK Central Catalog , at 48+ million items available for online requesting, also provides online access to a rich and robust variety of research materials such as 15,000,000 electronic journal articles in the EJC , 62,000 digital books in the EBC , 32,000 online theses and dissertations in the ETD Center , 3,000 digital media items in the Digital Media Center , and hundreds of online databases in all disciplines. Authorized faculty, students, and staff enjoy automated online borrowing and renewals of book and media materials, as well as onsite borrowing privileges at OhioLINK member libraries. OhioLINK resources supplement local collections and augment online resources by maximizing resources for consortial licensing opportunities, bringing a vast array of online content to the members.
CPL@Case--KSL offers a site collection of Cleveland Public Library materials for all Case students, staff, and faculty with current Case IDs. Best sellers, audio books, foreign language magazines and other public library materials may be borrowed with a Cleveland Public Library card. The site collection is designed for students who otherwise are not able to travel to public libraries in the area, with these items borrowed and returned directly to the Kelvin Smith Library . Read more details about privileges for CPL@Case--KSL , including how current faculty, staff, and students can get a CPL library card at KSL.
Other libraries in University Circle enrich the academic experience and include the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Western Reserve Historical Society, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden Library.
The university is a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), which comprises 126 North American research libraries.
Information Technology Services
The Information Technology Services
(ITS) division provides solutions that support education, research and the day-to-day functions at Case Western Reserve University. We are committed to the stewardship of the university's information technology resources and to fostering an environment in which integrity, communication, collaboration and support are paramount in everything we do.
New to CWRU: Welcome to Case Western Reserve University!
The Information Technology Services division provides solutions and support to the university which uphold and strengthen the interaction between challenge, discovery, scholarship, learning, teaching, working and technology. We proudly provide a wide range of products and services that you will surely utilize each day you are at Case Western Reserve.
We’ve constructed guides for technology immersion based upon your role at the university. These step-by-step books will help take you through how to get set up and where to seek the many resources available to you as a member of the CWRU community. We hope that this resource will help you maximize your technology-based experiences.
Service Desk
The Service Desk provides 24/7/365 free and unlimited technology service and support to all students, faculty and staff of the university community.
- Phone: 216.368.HELP (4357) : speak real time with a IT expert or schedule deskside or dormside assistance
- Email: help@case.edu
- In Person Walk-In locations: 11424 Bellflower & Sears Library
- Online Request or Chat: help.case.edu
eStore: Your key to great discounts on computers, mobile phones and more!
Case Western Reserve University maintains strategic partnerships with many premier technology manufacturers which allow the university to offer our students, faculty and staff cutting-edge technology products and services at highly advantageous discounts. Products available at the eStore include computers, backup services, high speed internet, cellular phones, and other accessories.
Software Center: Free software on popular titles and operating systems
Case Western Reserve faculty, staff and students are eligible to download over 40 software packages from the Software Center , generally at no charge, which the university has purchased and made available through site licenses with software manufacturer. Packages and tools include:
- Microsoft Office
- Symantic Endpoint Protection
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Adobe Acrobat Professional
- Operating System upgrades
- Mathematical and statistical packages and tools and programming languages
Learn how to use all of this great software through our partnership with Lynda.com . CWRU students, faculty and staff have unlimited free access to Lynda.com, a leading video-based IT training provider offers over 3275 training courses including Google Apps, Adobe CS5 Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, web development, audio/video production, computer programing, Apple Mobile Devices, and much more. Each training topic is delivered in hours of videos broken down into easy to manage 5 - 15 minute segments. These video based tutorials are taught by industry experts and available 24/7 for convenient, self-paced learning. Access Lynda.com using your CWRU Network ID and password through our special portal at help.case.edu/lynda