Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University ( WKU ) is a public university in Bowling Green , Kentucky , USA . It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906 , though its roots reach back a quarter - century earlier . WKU has a student body of over 21 , 000 students . Its main campus is in the midst of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of construction and renovation . Since 1997 , dormitories have been renovated , new academic and athletic buildings have been finished , with more construction under way . The university also has placed a premium on creating a park - like atmosphere , with parking lots on the interior of the campus replaced with green spaces , trees and central landscaping known as Centennial Mall . The main campus sits atop the highest point in south - central Kentucky , a hill with a commanding view of the Barren River valley . The campus flows from the top of College Heights , also known as The Hill , down its north , south and west faces . WKU also operates satellite campuses in Bowling Green ( WKU South Campus Academic Wing ) and regionally in Glasgow , Elizabethtown / Fort Knox and Owensboro . History . The roots of Western Kentucky University go back to 1875 with the founding of the privately owned Glasgow Normal School in Glasgow , Kentucky . This institution moved to Bowling Green in 1885 and became the Southern Normal School and Business College . The student body and building were transferred to the Western Kentucky State Normal School , when it was created by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly in 1906 . The owner of the Southern Normal School , Henry Hardin Cherry , became the first president of the new school . Classes began on January 22 , 1906 . The school moved to its present location in 1911 on property that had been purchased in 1909 when the Pleasant J . Potter College closed . In 1922 , the school was authorized by the state to grant four - year degrees and was renamed as Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College . The first four - year degrees were awarded in 1924 . In 1927 , the school merged with Ogden College , which occupied an adjacent campus . The name changed again in 1930 to Western Kentucky State Teachers College . The school was authorized to offer the Master of Arts degree in 1931 . Another name change took place in 1948 , when the school became simply Western Kentucky State College . WKSC merged with the Bowling Green College of Commerce , formerly the Bowling Green Business University , in 1963 . Bowling Green Business University had originally been a part of the Southern Normal School and had been sold off by Henry Hardin Cherry when Southern Normal School was transferred to the state . The structure of the institution changed at this time , dividing into separate colleges . Bowling Green College of Commerce maintained its identity in this way . The Graduate School also became a constituent college . In 1965 , three additional colleges were created . In 1966 , Western Kentucky State College became Western Kentucky University . Academics . WKU is divided into the following undergraduate colleges : An academic range of eighty majors and seventy minors are offered , toward the following degrees : WKU also offers fifteen associate degree programs and five certificate programs . The Graduate School is now the Office of Graduate Studies and Research , which offers : WKU ' s Journalism and Photojournalism programs rank among the best in the country . The photojournalism department has won numerous awards . As of 2007 , more than 25 alumni of WKU ' s photo and print journalism programs have been honored with the Pulitzer Prize . The school ' s twice - weekly newspaper , the " College Heights Herald , " regularly wins awards placing it among the top college newspapers in the nation , and even competes against commercial newspapers in the state ' s Associated Press competition . Western Kentucky University ’ s forensics ( speech and debate ) team is consistently ranked as one of the best teams in the country . The team has won the American Forensic Association ( AFA ) and National Forensic Association ( NFA ) national championships multiple times since 2003 . It has also won the International Forensic Association ’ s ( IFA ) international championship every year it has attended . The team remains the only team in the nation ever to win the AFA , NFA , IFA , and NFA debate championship in the same year , a feat it has accomplished multiple times . The team hosts several tournaments for junior high and senior high students each fall , as well as a large speech and debate summer camp each July . WKU is also home to the largest American master ' s degree program in folklore ; it is contained within the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology . It is unique among American folklore programs for its public folklore program and is one of the few schools in Kentucky to offer a focus in historic preservation . In the fall of 2009 , WKU began its bachelor ' s degree program in popular culture studies , being only the second university in America to offer such a program ( the other being Bowling Green State University ) . Also in the fall of 2009 , an independent Doctor of Education ( EdD ) program in educational leadership began at WKU . In the rankings of " America ' s Best Colleges 2009 , " WKU is No . 10 among public master ' s universities in the South , up from No . 12 in the 2008 rankings . According to Forbes 2009 rankings of America ' s top 600 colleges , Western Kentucky University is ranked No . 434 , making it the second highest ranked public college in the state of Kentucky . Extended campuses are operated in Glasgow , Elizabethtown / Fort Knox and Owensboro . WKU also offers Distance Learning Degrees : Honors College . The WKU Honors College became the first and only Honors College in the Commonwealth of Kentucky on July 1 , 2007 . The Honors College serves over 1 , 000 active Honors students with the 2009 incoming freshman class ACT / SAT average ranking among the top 6 % in the nation . The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky . The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky opened in the Fall of 2007 . The project is based on the University of North Texas ' s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science . The school accepts 60 juniors each year . As an incoming junior , students are given the opportunity to earn at least 60 college credit hours during their stint at the school . The Gatton Academy has been named as one of Newsweek ' s " public elite " American high schools and in 2011 was named among Newsweek ' s Top 5 High Schools . Athletics . The men ' s athletic teams are known as the " Hilltoppers " and the women ' s teams as the " Lady Toppers " . Their mascot is known as Big Red . The mascot itself has become one of the most popular characters in collegiate sports , even appearing in a series of ESPN promotions . In most sports , WKU has been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since 1982 . From 1948 to 1982 , it was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference . The WKU swim team consistently places in the top 5 in the Mid - Major National Rankings . In 2006 their men were undefeated in dual meets and were Sun Belt Conference Champions . The women won five consecutive championships from 2001 – 2005 . In 2005 , after 37 years as head coach , Coach Bill Powell became an assistant coach , and holds record for being the second winningest coach in men ' s swimming in NCAA dual meet history . The baseball team has enjoyed some success recently as well , winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship in 2009 . In April 2010 , the WKU baseball team defeated the University of Kentucky 24 – 8 in a game at Bowling Green Ballpark . The crowd of 6 , 183 set the record for largest crowd to ever attend a college baseball game in the Commonwealth of Kentucky . Basketball . The men ' s basketball program , led by Former Kentucky Wesleyan head coach Ray Harper , has the 14th most victories in the history of the NCAA . The school has been to the NCAA Tournament 21 times ; in addition , it has made one appearance in the NCAA Final Four , in 1971 . WKU also made three appearances in the NIT Final Four while it was the premier post - season tournament . It is extremely competitive in the Sun Belt Conference , usually finishing near the top of the conference and regularly competing for the conference championship . In fact , in Street & Smith ' s publications , " 100 Greatest Programs " , WKU ranked # 31 . WKU also has the 3rd most conference titles in NCAA history with 41 trailing only the University of Kentucky and Kansas University , 6th in NCAA history with 40 twenty win seasons , 8th in NCAA history in winning percentage at 67 . 2 % , and recorded the first 30 win season in NCAA history in the 1937 – 1938 season with a record of 30 – 3 . The men ' s basketball team defeated Middle Tennessee State in the 2008 Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game to get a bid into the 2008 NCAA Tournament . The Hilltoppers won their first - round contest against Drake University on a last - second three - pointer by Ty Rogers , and won their second round game against the University of San Diego , before losing by 2 points against UCLA in the Sweet 16 . It was the Toppers ' third appearance in the Sweet 16 but their first since 1993 . In 2009 , the men ' s basketball team defeated the University of Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the second round game against Gonzaga . Unfortunately , the Toppers were beaten by a last second shot , failing to advance to their second straight Sweet 16 . In the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2012 , the Toppers pulled off a stunning win against Mississippi Valley State , erasing a 16 - point deficit with less than five minutes left and pulling off the 59 – 58 win while President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron looked on . The women ' s basketball team is a storied program with a bright future ahead . The team has made three National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four appearances . In 1992 , coach Paul Sanderford ' s Lady Toppers advanced to the national championship game before bowing out to Stanford . The Lady Toppers are known for their post - season prowess , appearing in a post - season tournament in 19 of the last 20 seasons . Their last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2008 . Michelle Heard is the new women ' s basketball coach at Western Kentucky . Coach Heard is a former WKU player who has spent the last five years as an assistant at the University of Louisville under former WKU assistant coach Jeff Walz . Previously , she coached Division II Kentucky State University for two years . In her five seasons in Louisville , the Cardinals have made three regional semifinals appearances and finished as national runner - up in 2009 . She helped develop former Louisville guard and current WNBA star Angel McCoughtry . Coach Heard also worked as an assistant at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Nebraska before her time at Kentucky State . She played four seasons for the Lady Toppers after being named the 1986 girls ' high school player of the year in Kentucky . Coach Heard replaced Mary Taylor Cowles , who was fired on March 8 after 10 seasons . Football . The Hilltopper football team belonged to what was then known as the Gateway Football Conference until 2006 . In 2002 , WKU won the NCAA Division I FCS National Football championship . In 2006 , the school voted to move the team to the Division I Bowl Subdivision ( formerly I - A ) . After two years of provisional status , they began to compete in 2009 as a member of the Sun Belt Conference . An extensive rivalry with Eastern Kentucky University , known as the Battle of the Bluegrass , ended in 2008 as WKU moved into FBS football . The Hilltoppers ' biggest Sun Belt rivals had been the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders , who are located less than two hours away from WKU , but the Blue Raiders will move to Conference USA in July 2013 . The Hilltoppers are currently coached by former Louisville and Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino . Student body profile . WKU had a total enrollment in the Fall Semester of 2011 of 21 , 048 students . Out of Fall 2011 ' s enrollment figure of 21 , 048 , 14 , 890 were full - time and 17 , 982 were undergraduates . WKU now has the second largest under - graduate population in the commonwealth of Kentucky , behind the University of Kentucky . Ethnic and racial minority enrollment was 19 % at 4 , 032 students . About 3 of every five students are female . 48 of the 50 states were represented at WKU in the fall of 2011 . Regarding students from around the globe , 61 foreign countries were represented at WKU in 2011 . The average high school grade point average for entering freshmen in 2011 was 3 . 18 and 30 . 3 % had an ACT score of 24 or above . Reference : WKU Fact Book 2011 Greek organizations . In 1961 the Western Kentucky University Board of Regents allowed national fraternities and sororities to form local chapters . Currently there are 31 active organizations with approximately 1500 members per year . Active fraternities include : Alpha Gamma Rho , Alpha Phi Alpha , Alpha Tau Omega , Delta Tau Delta , FarmHouse , Iota Phi Theta , Kappa Alpha Order , Kappa Sigma , Kappa Alpha Psi , Lambda Chi Alpha , Omega Psi Phi , Phi Beta Sigma , Phi Delta Theta , Phi Gamma Delta , Pi Kappa Alpha , Sigma Alpha Epsilon , Sigma Chi , Sigma Nu , Sigma Phi Epsilon . Active sororities include : Alpha Delta Pi , Alpha Gamma Delta , Alpha Kappa Alpha , Alpha Omicron Pi , Alpha Xi Delta , Ceres , Chi Omega , Delta Sigma Theta , Kappa Delta , Omega Phi Alpha , Phi Mu , Sigma Gamma Rho , Sigma Kappa , Zeta Phi Beta . Predating the national fraternities , there were local fraternities reaching back to the 1930s . The two leading men ' s social organizations were Phi Phi Kappa ( also known as the Thirteeners ) , founded in 1939 ; and the Barons , founded the same year . When national Greek organizations were admitted to WKU , Phi Phi Kappa became Delta Tau Delta and the Barons became Alpha Tau Omega . Media and publications . WKU Student Publications ( Herald and Talisman ) moved into a state - of - the - art new facility , the Adams - Whitaker Student Publications Center , in December 2007 . The $ 1 . 6 million complex was built through a partnership between alumni , who raised more than $ 1 million , and the university . The building , across Normal Drive from the School of Journalism and Broadcasting , is named for Robert Adams and the late David B . Whitaker . References . Notes Bibliography