University of the West

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "University of the West" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

University of the West

西來大學 (Chinese)
Motto	Awaken Your Purpose
Type	Private university
Established	1990
Religious affiliation	Buddhist (Fo Guang Shan)
President	Minh-Hoa Ta
Academic staff	56
Students	180
Undergraduates	77
Postgraduates	103
Location	Rosemead , California , United States
Campus	Suburban 10 acres (4 ha)
Colors	Burgundy/Gold
Nickname	UWest
Affiliations	Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Website	www.uwest.edu
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	西来大学
Traditional Chinese	西來大學
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xīlái Dàxué

University of the West (UWest) is a private Buddhist university in Rosemead, California. It was founded in 1990^[1] by Hsing Yun,^[2] founder of the Taiwan-based Buddhist order Fo Guang Shan^[2] and Hsi Lai Temple,^[2] the North American order headquarters. The school offered its first class in spring of 1991.

UWest is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.^[3] Founded by a Buddhist organization, UWest is described in their official documents as a "Buddhist-affiliated university" that is "informed by Buddhist wisdom," but UWest students are not required to be members of Fo Guang Shan or practice Buddhism in any form.^[4] Indeed, UWest's undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration garner higher enrollment numbers than its undergraduate and graduate programs in religious studies.