| Title | Body |
|---|---|
| Art Exhibitions to Open Sept. 12 | 
Two free art exhibitions will open Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Wilson College−one in Lortz Hall’s Bogigian Gallery featuring the work of members of The Foundry, and one in the John Stewart Memorial Library’s Cooley Gallery featuring artwork by Chambersburg artist Anne Finucane. Receptions to mark the openings will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. that day in both venues. The Foundry at Wilson exhibition is a selection of member artwork from the grassroots, artist-led cooperative located at 100 S. Main St. A variety of artwork will be exhibited, such as paintings, drawings and sculpture. The exhibition will run until Oct. 12. In 2016, Wilson and its Division of Arts and Letters formed a partnership with The Foundry that provides opportunities for exhibition exchanges, as well as possible studio/workshop opportunities. Anne Finucane: Printmaker takes inspiration from Pennsylvania’s forests, orchards and fields. Whether rendering them abstractly or realistically through etchings, pastels or colored pencils, her goal is to convey the excitement she feels about the natural world to others. The exhibition will continue through Nov. 30. Finucane, who has worked with Chambersburg’s Council for the Arts and the Franklin County Art Alliance, has served as guest curator and juror for art shows throughout the area, and as a panelist for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Her artwork has been featured in solo shows throughout the Cumberland Valley, in juried national competitions and in membership exhibitions with FCAA and Penn’s Woods Printmakers. For additional information or an appointment, contact Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey at 717-264-2783 or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu.
|
| Wilson Graduates 192 in 148th Commencement Ceremony | At its 148th commencement ceremony held Sunday, May 13, Wilson College conferred degrees on 192 undergraduate and graduate students.
|
| MFA Students to Present Exhibit at Coyle Library | In collaboration with Coyle Free Library, students in the Wilson College Master of Fine Arts program will present an interactive art exhibition from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the library, 102 N. Main St. in Chambersburg. CONNECT: A Walk-Through Exhibit is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to “connect” via the temporary exhibitions placed throughout the newly renovated Coyle Library. Artists’ projects include a performance in homage to Margaret Cochran Corbin, who fought in the American Revolutionary War; an interactive yarn installation; a robotic dancing statue and show tunes sung by musical theater performers. For more information, contact MFA guest faculty member Ed Woodham at ed.woodham@wilson.edu or 347-350-4242.
|
| Thoroughbred Foundation Awards Grant for Scholarships | The Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF) has awarded Wilson College a $16,000 grant to provide $4,000 scholarships for four students with animal-related majors, including veterinary medical technology (VMT), animal studies, equestrian studies, equine-facilitated therapeutics and equine journalism. This is the fourth year TERF has given Wilson money for scholarships, which are awarded to students based on need, achievement and equine-related aspirations. TERF awards scholarships consistent with its mission of supporting and promoting equine education and research by sponsoring scholarships in veterinary medicine and supporting organizations that are educating the public in the proper care of horses. TERF, which is based in Middletown, Delaware, began in the 1990s as the Thoroughbred Charities of America—the premier thoroughbred charity in the United States. In 2007, several TCA directors, including Dr. James Orsini, a Wilson College Trustee, established an endowment to support the charitable needs of worthy education and research organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region. In 2012 the name of the endowment was changed to Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation. The TERF scholarship program at Wilson is directed by professors Freya Burnett and Ann O’Shallie, directors of the VMT and equestrian studies programs, respectively.
|
| Wilson Receives Newcombe Grant for Mature Students | The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation has awarded Wilson College a $25,000 grant to support students age 25 and older who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree and need financial assistance. The Newcombe Foundation, a Princeton, N.J.-based charitable organization, has supported mature students at Wilson College since 1986. The Newcombe Scholarships for Mature Students enroll students through two programs: the Single Parent Scholars Program and the Adult Degree Program. The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation is an independent foundation that began in 1979 as the result of a bequest from its namesake, a Philadelphia philanthropist. The foundation continues Newcombe’s support of students as they pursue degrees in higher education through scholarships and fellowships.
|
| M&T Awards Wilson Scholarship Grant | 
The M&T Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of M&T Bank, recently awarded Wilson College a $2,500 grant. This is the fourth year the foundation has funded a scholarship for a student with financial need who is enrolled in one of Wilson’s health sciences majors, with preference given to a nursing student.
|
| Wilson to Increase Tuition by 3 Percent in 2019-20 |
|
| Dual Enrollment Provides Head Start on College |
Under the terms of the dual enrollment agreement, Goretti juniors and seniors with a grade-point average of at least 3.0 can enroll in and receive full college credit for up to two courses per semester. The students will take classes at Wilson unless a cohort of at least 12-15 students wants to enroll in the same course, in which case the class may be offered onsite at the high school and taught by a Wilson faculty member. “These kinds of partnerships provide a path for students to earn college credits while they’re still in high school,” said Wilson Vice President for Enrollment David Boisvert. “Dual admissions agreements give high school students a head start in college, allowing them to finish their degree sooner and save money on tuition.” For Goretti employees, the dual enrollment agreement, which took effect March 1, means staff and faculty can enroll in Wilson adult degree or graduate programs at a discounted rate. Wilson continues to work with independent schools and school districts in the Tri-State area to provide dual enrollment opportunities. Current agreements include the Chambersburg Area, Greencastle-Antrim, Fannett Metal, Waynesboro Area and Cumberland Valley school districts, as well as with the Cumberland Valley Christian School, Global Vision Christian School, Shalom Christian Academy and the Franklin County Career and Technology Center.
|
| Creating New Degree Pathways | Wilson Enters Agreement with HACC 
Wilson College and HACC, "Central Pennsylvania's Community College," recently signed an expanded agreement allowing HACC associate degree graduates to seamlessly enter Wilson, bringing all of their credits earned with a grade of C or better with them. The agreement is a win for both institutions and their students, while contributing to efforts to increase educational attainment in Pennsylvania, according to Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. She said the agreement with HACC is a step toward improving access to Wilson’s bachelor’s degree offerings for community college graduates. “It’s a way for us to partner with the community college to create pathways for students who want to come to Wilson,” Mistick said. “We want to make it easy.” A national and state movement to increase postsecondary educational attainment–the number of Americans who hold degrees and other high-quality credentials–is underway. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf has set a goal of 60 percent of the state’s residents earning an associate or bachelor’s degree, or high-value certificate, by 2025. In 2014, the most recent year for which data are available, only 43.8 percent of Pennsylvanians had reached that level of attainment, a report from the Lumina Foundation states. Meanwhile, the demand for workers with degrees or advanced training is growing, even in times of low unemployment. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, two-thirds of all jobs created in this decade will require some form of postsecondary education, while only about 40 percent of adults in the U.S. currently have achieved that level of education. “Jobs are getting more complicated and that’s why Pennsylvania is working toward a goal of 60 percent with a postsecondary degree by 2025,” Mistick said. “One of the ways for Wilson to participate in that effort is through partnerships or collaborations with community colleges and even high schools.” The benefits of higher levels of education extend not only to employers, but more significantly, to students. “The data are clear: a college degree is key to economic opportunity, conferring substantially higher earnings on those with credentials than those without,” according to The College Payoff: Education, Occupations Lifetime Earnings, a report on lifetime earnings by level of education published by the Georgetown center. Drawing from U.S. Census Bureau data, the report outlines the increased earning potential over the course of a lifetime, with an associate degree holder earning, on average, $423,000 more than a person with only a high school diploma, and a bachelor’s degree yielding an average of $541,000 more than an associate degree. “People with bachelor’s degrees earn nearly $1 million more than high school graduates over their lifetime, have a lower unemployment rate and they’re happier,” said Mistick. “With these kinds of partnerships with other institutions, Wilson College is responding to workforce needs while helping more students create a path to a bachelor’s degree, knowing that degree is going to deliver to them (a higher income over their lifetimes).” Under Wilson’s articulation agreement with HACC, qualified associate degree graduates are guaranteed admission to Wilson with full junior status. Students who identify their desire to continue at Wilson while working toward their associate degree will be connected with Wilson’s advising resources and have their application fee waived. The two colleges have shared their curricula and academic requirements, and are working to strengthen organization and planning between the institutions to ensure a smooth transition and positive student experience. A scholarship for HACC students enrolling at Wilson is also in the works, officials said. “Collaboration with academic programs, student services, mentoring and athletics are just a few of the benefits that will come from this agreement,” said Wilson Vice President for Enrollment David Boisvert. “This partnership will encourage collaboration, opening opportunities that otherwise would not be possible without an agreement in place. We’re excited.” Wilson is looking to forge similar agreements with other community colleges to improve access to Wilson’s bachelor’s degree offerings for those college’s graduates, according to Mistick. “This creates a template for us that we think is replicable with other community colleges,” she said. For more information about the Wilson-HACC articulation agreement, contact Boisvert at david.boisvert@wilson.edu or start@hacc.edu.
|
| Master of Special Education Program Gets Autism Endorsement Approval from PDE | The Wilson College Master of Special Education program has received approval of an autism endorsement curriculum from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, a credential that will benefit teachers and others who work with people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. The CDC estimates that one in 59 children born in the United States will have ASD, a 15 percent increase in the past two years. As the number of people on the autism spectrum increases, demand for teachers and others with some ASD training is also growing. Whether for teachers or others working with people with autism, completing the autism endorsement curriculum will add to their skill set and give them an edge in employment opportunities. Wilson will begin offering the new autism-focused courses – all of which can be taken online – in fall 2018. The courses will allow students to increase their knowledge about autism, including characteristics, assessment, instruction and behavior interventions. In a school setting, those who would benefit from the courses include special education and other teachers, school psychologists, principals, guidance counselors, reading specialists, speech and language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists and home and school visitors. Although the autism endorsement courses are being offered through Wilson’s Master of Special Education program, students don’t have to be enrolled in it to take the graduate-level courses, according to Associate Professor of Education Lynn Newman, who chairs Wilson’s Division of Education. However, students must have a bachelor’s degree to take the courses. Only Pennsylvania-certified teachers are eligible for the autism endorsement – for which they can apply to PDE after successfully completing the course requirements – but those working in other occupations could take the courses as professional development activity, Newman said. The autism endorsement requires the completion of four courses, two of which are already required for the MSE degree, so MSE students only need to take two additional courses to be eligible for the endorsement. In seeking the autism endorsement for Wilson College, a process led by Assistant Professor of Education Theresa Hoover, faculty in Wilson’s Department of Education noted that school administrators, certified teachers and community agencies have expressed a need the additional credential. In addition, Wilson receives regular inquiries as to whether the college offers the endorsement. For more information on the new autism-focused courses, visit wilson.edu/autism-endorsement.
|
Twenty-five students graduated from Wilson’s Master of Science in Nursing program: Charity Marie Barber-Heaton , Angela Marie Blair, Joyce M. Burkholder , Sean R. Corcoran , Monica L Diehl, Kelly A. Engel, Holly M. Friese, Maryann K Gaulding, Christina L. Hershey, Matthew E. Hopkins, Danielle R. Leedy, Wanda K. Leedy, Deana L. McClure, Katherine J. Merideth, Nicole A. Mills, Susan K. Monismith, Candy L. Moschetti, Teresa J. Napier, Nicole L. Naugle, Rhonda M. Rice, Sandra K. Strait, Catherine I. Szuchnicki, Heather R. Thompson, Hilary D. Weller and Erin Young.
After holding tuition for traditional undergraduates without an increase for the past eight years–a span that included a 17 percent tuition reduction in 2014–Wilson College will increase tuition for traditional undergraduates and adult degree program students by 3 percent for the 2019-20 academic year.
Wilson recently signed a dual enrollment agreement with St. Maria Goretti High School that allows qualified Goretti 11th- and 12th-graders to take classes at Wilson. The accord, Wilson’s 10th dual enrollment agreement, also opens Wilson programs to faculty and staff of the private school in Hagerstown, Md.