Our People Make Us More Than a Great University. Western New England University is much more than its educational offerings; its strength is found in the individuals who educate and support students to thrive in our learning community. We attract students who are hard working, ambitious, curious, and caring with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. They excel in our close-knit campus where they find the confidence to push their abilities to conquer new challenges and think critically about the world around them and their place in it. Join them and prepare to do more, achieve more, and be more than you ever imagined. Western New England University is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1919 as the Springfield Division of Northeastern College, became Western New England College in 1951 and Western New England University on July 1, 2011. The present campus on Wilbraham Road was purchased in 1956 with the first building, today's Emerson Hall, opening in 1959.