Otterbein College

Otterbein College

Background Information:

Founded in 1847, Otterbein is a private, independent, coeducational four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is located in Westerville, OH. Otterbein College is a nationally ranked, comprehensive college with a liberal arts tradition dating back to 1847. An emphasis on community engagement and service learning in 56 undergraduate and three graduate programs create endless opportunities. Small class sizes, a tree-lined campus, and an open and friendly community ensure personal attention and the freedom to Be Yourself at Otterbein. (OC website)

Initial Thoughts:

At Otterbein, we are told that we can be ourselves. With its various majors, small class sizes, and "family" based appeal, Otterbein tells us that it is possible to "have the best of both worlds." We can have the fast paced city life that we desire (Columbus) without compromising our needs for a small town (Westerville). These are high claims for the college based in Westerville. On my campus tour, I wish to investigate whether or not its campus promotes the idea of having the best of both worlds. Is the campus inviting enough for students to claim that they do have the freedom to be themselves? Is Otterbein integrated within the city of Westerville? Can one find everything one needs on campus without having to travel to the suburb? I am hoping to answer these questions and many others while on my campus tour.

Notable website feature(s): Be Yourself video

Lacking: campus photos (in a convenient location), virtual campus tour

The Campus:

• Layout: Otterbein’s campus is on the smaller size, but not so small that it is stifling. The great thing about Otterbein is that it feels very much like an open campus, even though the city of Westerville does not weave itself into the campus layout. One of the most charming things about Otterbein is its relations with the adjacent city. Westerville residents seem very invested in Otterbein; in fact, I was told by my tour guide that local shops even have special deals for Otterbein students. Aside from having good community relations, Otterbein also has a lot of green spaces for students to hang out. This might not seem very important, but I can assure you that it is a plus to be able to do work and lay around outside.
  
  
• Architecture: The campus is an interesting mixture of red bricked buildings and assorted houses – literal houses serving as whole departments. For an example, both the psychology and security buildings are actually white houses that are across the street from the more typical red-brick academic buildings. I had never seen a house serving as one of the college departments before, so this certainly surprised me a great deal.
  
  All of the buildings have a theme to it -- administration is in one place, classrooms are in another, etc – which is helpful to those who are trying to remember and differentiate between the red-bricked buildings and numerous houses. The architecture of Otterbein’s campus definitely gives off a very collegiate feel, and with the various campus telephones spread out around campus, a very safe feeling as well. In fact, my tour guide even told me that she always feels very safe around campus since, according to her, “not much happens.”
  
  
• Scale: Otterbein College’s campus is about 114 acres in size, and one can easily go from one end of campus to the other in 5-10 minutes. For those (like myself) who lack a sense of direction, I was assured by my tour guide that it’s very hard to get lost on campus since everything is well-marked. She recounted for me a story during her first day of freshman year, where she too was overwhelmed by the scale of the college, but by the second day, admonishing herself for being so naïve. This is a natural reaction to things that are new and foreign, so please do not be discouraged. For someone who is not particularly good with maps, I found myself very at ease at Otterbein’s campus. It’s actually not very big at all!
  
  Everything at Otterbein is within walking distance, including downtown Westerville, where students can find the essentials they need that cannot be found on campus (ex: groceries, specialty items, etc). Unlike past colleges I have visited and reviewed, the adjacent town of Westerville actually plays an integral part in the lives of the student body. For those who need to get away from Westerville, Columbus is 17-20 miles away for those who want to experience city life.
  
  
• The Student Center: I thought the Campus Center was very nice; it had some lounging areas on the first floor, and featured a lot of windows to give it a very “open” feel. The Campus Center is home to lounges and the bookstore on the first floor, and the dining area on the second floor. One of my favorite experiences when I was at Otterbein happened in the campus center – when I turned around, my back facing the dining area, and looked straight out, I was met with a very pretty sight of some open green spaces and the campus apartments. I know it doesn’t sound like much of a sight, but I found it to be very picturesque and charming.
  
  
• Student Living: All freshman and sophomores who do not live within a 30 mile radius of campus are required to live on campus; after sophomore year, upperclassmen can choose to live in an on-campus apartment, or find other housing off-campus and then commuting to and from Otterbein. Freshmen are paired up after filling out a survey of personal habits and traits, and are then assigned for a co-ed dormitory. There are about 8 residence halls (all co-ed) on campus, a couple campus apartments, and numerous fraternity and sorority houses across the street from campus.
  
  
• Notable Attractions: One of my favorite sights on campus was Otterbein’s Memorial Stadium, located next to the Campus Center. It wasn’t impressive in the sense that it was seeped in lore, but rather, impressive in the fact that even the stadium conveyed a sense of community. The stadium only has one stand, so when the fans of opposing teams do come to Memorial Stadium, they are forced to acknowledge and mingle with Otterbein fans. I’ve never seen a stadium with one stand before – I’m used to having a home section and a visitor’s section – so this certainly stuck out for me. While I was looking at the stadium, my tour guide acknowledged something she found to be distinctive of Otterbein in that everyone is very supportive of one another. Otterbein students not only go football and basketball games, but they actually make their rounds to the other sporting events around campus.

Final Conclusions:

I think Otterbein’s campus is very charming. Its architecture is not haunting, wherein you might spend hours gazing upon it in deep contemplation; rather, it maintains a very collegiate feel while inspiring a sense of comfort within its students. With houses dubbing as department centers and red brick academic building, students can feel collegiate without feeling overwhelmed. Because of the college’s close relations with the city of Westerville, students can feel like they are living a small-town life without having to compromise a need for something urban since Columbus is 20 miles away. With its open spaces and numerous campus telephones, students can feel safe and protected without feeling restricted. In other words, Otterbein’s campus truly does make it possible for its students to feel like they can be themselves.

Photostream of Otterbein: see the campus in pictures!

Still not convinced? Experience it for yourself! Schedule a visit today!