WSTU started in 1999 as a student radio project in Professor Bill Clark's Radio Programming class. The original call letters proposed was WCAU due to the station being located on Clark Atlanta University's campus. However, radio students wanted the station to be for the students and run by the students thus coming up with the name W-STU(abbreviation for students) was presented and considered.
WSTU is a radio station operated by the students at the Clark Atlanta University. The facility is maintained by the Division of Communication Arts at Clark Atlanta University. The radio station was developed to serve as an outlet for student broadcasters, present hands-on training opportunities, and provide an alternative to Atlanta commercial radio.
WSTU is a communications student outlet allowing radio students the opportunity to apply concepts and practices. Along with CAU-TV, and the Clark Atlanta University Panther Newspaper, WSTU Radio serves as a student media operation.