Now 12 years old, the research park includes nearly 350,000 square feet of office, laboratory, commercial, and residential space occupied by 90 companies and organizations employing nearly 1,000 people. The Arts Numerous plays, concerts, and other performances complement the many lectures, symposiums, and other offerings at Northwestern each year. In addition to outstanding guest artists, more than 1,000 faculty and students from the School of Music and the School of Speech perform annually in events that are open to the public. Athletics Northwestern is a charter member of and the only private institution in the Big Ten Conference. The University sponsors 18 intercollegiate athletic teams and numerous club sports.
Northwestern athletes compete at the highest level.
Teams in 6 sports advanced to NCAA postseason competition, with the women s swimming team finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships. Eight swimmers collected a total of 23 All-America awards. Seven members of the football team collected All-Big Ten honors, and the women s soccer team advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the first time in team history.