АҚШ, Род-Айленд штатындағы Джонсон және Уэльс университеті

Private university in Providence, Rhode Island, US

Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its campuses in the fall of 2020. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

Johnson & Wales Business School was founded in September 1914 in Providence, Rhode Island. Founders Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales met as students at Pennsylvania State Normal School in Millersville, Pennsylvania. Years later, both were teaching at Bryant and Stratton business school in Providence (now Bryant University) when they decided to team up and open a business school. The school opened with one student and one typewriter on Hope Street in Providence. Morris Gaebe served as president from 1969 to 1989, and later chancellor.

In addition to the on campus academic buildings and dorms, the university also operates hotels used as practical education facilities for the university's Hotel & Lodging Management, Food Service Management, and Culinary Arts degree programs. The university also owns the Doubletree Hotel Charlotte Gateway Village at the Charlotte campus. The Wildcat Center is the athletic facility of Johnson & Wales University. Denver was the only campus to officially have that name, until the Providence campus renamed its gym as well (formerly the Harborside Recreation Center) and the construction of the Charlotte campus athletic facility. It is home to the athletic program of this branch of the university, and was home to the ABA's Colorado Storm in 2004. In Denver, Wildcat Center is located at the northwest part of the Johnson & Wales campus. The Wildcat Centers, fully renovated as of the summer of 2009, are NAIA and NCAA regulation size, and seat over 600. In Denver the fitness center has tripled in size, and the locker rooms have increased from two to four, to accommodate game day needs as well as general use. The Providence Wildcat Center is located on the Harborside Campus, and has many similar features. The fitness center is already large enough, at twice the size of the downtown center. The Charlotte Wildcat Center is located adjacent to the Cedar Hall South dorm building. The center covers 33,000 square feet and is the newest Wildcat Center to be built. Providence now features the Scotts Miracle Gro Athletic Complex, located on the Harborside campus, which hosts baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey.

The Providence Downcity and Harborside campuses currently offer membership in 15 fraternities and sororities as well as two social fellowships. These are organized within four groups who act as the governing bodies: the InterFraternity Council (IFC), the Panhellenic Council (PHC), the United Cultural Council (UCC), and the National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC). While all of these organizations are nationally or internationally affiliated, the university oversees the Greek community on campus. Not recognized by the university, the Providence campuses are also home to a number of "off campus" fraternities. Deeply rooted in tradition, some of these organizations make up the origins of Greek life at the university and continue to exist and recruit new members without the sanction of the school.

The teams of all campuses of Johnson & Wales University are called the Wildcats. Willie T. Wildcat (better known as Wildcat Willie) is the official costumed mascot. The suit was redesigned and revealed at the annual family weekend on October 16, 2013, as an early start to the school's centennial year (2014). Previously the costumes had been very different across the four campuses, but the new design replaced all former costumes. The new design came from Devon Tsinzo (Providence Class of 2015), who won the redesign contest. The new mascot was made by BAM! Mascots. Willie appears at home games, alumni events, and other special events. He is played by multiple students, meaning that JWU can accept requests for him to appear at many events. Although the various campuses compete either in the NAIA, USCAA, or NCAA Division III, Willie follows the rules of a Division I mascot, including never breaking character. During the 1980s and 1990s the official mascot at the JWU Providence campus was Griff the Griffin, a creature with the head of an eagle, body of a lion, and tail of a dragon.

The athletic teams of the Providence campuses (Downcity and Harborside) are members of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) since the 1995–96 academic year; except the men's ice hockey team, which competes in the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC). JWU–Providence competes in 15 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball and volleyball; and co ed sports include equestrian.

The athletic teams of the North Miami campus were members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sun Conference from 2009–10 to 2019–20. The Wildcats previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from about 2005–06 to 2008–09. JWU–North Miami competed in 11 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and track & field, while women's sports included basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field and volleyball. As part of the North Miami campus's closure in 2021, on July 28, 2020, JWU published a memorandum that detailed the discontinuation of all sports seasons and competitions there.

The athletic teams of the Charlotte campus are members of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), primarily competing in the Eastern Metro Athletic Conference (EMAC) since the 2018–19 academic year. JWU–Charlotte competes in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track & field and volleyball. The JWU Charlotte Lady Wildcats basketball team won the 2018 USCAA Division II National Championship.

The athletic teams of the Denver campus were members of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) from 2018–19 to 2019–20. The Wildcats previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from about 2005–06 to 2017–18; while its women's lacrosse team competed as an affiliate member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC). JWU–Denver competed in 15 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included basketball, cross country, , soccer and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports included basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.

JWU Denver announced on February 21, 2017, that it would transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division III, a multi year journey commencing with an "exploratory year" in fall 2017. The school plans to compete as a member of the SCAC, beginning with the 2018–19 season, where it was paired up as a travel partner with the SCAC's Colorado College.

The athletic teams of the Charleston campus were members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing as an NAIA Independent from about 1984–85 to 2002–03.

The athletic teams of the Norfolk campus were members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing as an NAIA Independent from about 1986–87 to 2005–06.