Title Body
Faculty Announced for Master of Fine Arts Program

Wilson College’s new, low-residency Master of Fine Arts program launching this summer has finalized the faculty who will lead the inaugural session.

In addition to internationally renowned choreographer RoseAnne Spradlin, the New York City-based director of the M.F.A. program in choreography and visual arts, faculty members include:

  • Dean Moss, a dance-based, multidisciplinary theater and video artist who is also a lecturer and former curator of the Kitchen in New York City. Moss has taught as a guest professor at the Tokyo National University of the Arts and as a visiting lecturer in the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University, for which he received a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching. Moss has received a number of honors and awards, including the 2014 Doris Duke Impact Award in Theater.
  • Diana Puntar, an artist and assistant professor of sculpture at California Polytechnic State University whose most recent work involves sculptural and interactive installations as well as 2-D and 3-D object-making. A native of New York City, Puntar has an M.F.A. from The School of The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and is the recipient of two Pollock Krasner Foundation Awards.
  • Marlon Barrios Solano, an interdisciplinary artist, educator, consultant, coach and online producer and curator based in the United States and Germany. Barrios Solano is the creator of dance-tech.tv and has developed mobile apps for festivals and colleges in Europe and the U.S. Also a guest lecturer and associated researcher at HZT in Berlin, he holds an M.F.A. in dance and new media from the Ohio State University.

Wilson announced its new M.F.A. program in late February and began enrolling its first students, who come from New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona and France. Classes begin in July. The students will take courses in the history and philosophy of art; study current trends in art and performance; learn media techniques; explore the experience and meaning of ‘embodied’ movement and human form; and most importantly, work to develop their own artwork with mentoring and guidance provided by an experienced summer faculty.

The M.F.A. was conceived and designed by Wilson arts faculty members Paula Kellinger, Philip Lindsey and Robert Dickson.

Special events planned for summer sessions include performances by visiting artists and trips to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the new Whitney Museum in New York City.

For more information, contact RoseAnne Spradlin at roseanne.spradlin@wilson.edu.

 

-- June 9, 2015

Students, Faculty Honored at Annual Academic Awards

Jessica Meck '15 with Professor Dana Harriger.Wilson College honored students at its annual Academic Awards ceremony held Friday, May 1, in the Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology.

The following students received awards:

James Applegate Award, which is awarded to a student with an interest in drama and theater, went to two students: Annika Dowd of Chambersburg and Ghada Tafesh of Gaza, Palestinian Territories.

Lucy Bremmer Global Citizenship Award, awarded to a student who participates in the service learning component of Wilson’s global citizenship initiative, was given to Katelyn Wingerd of Orrtanna, Pa. Wingerd also received the Josef Michael Kellinger German or Foreign Language Award for a student who has demonstrated excellence in German or foreign language studies; and the Margaret Strode Haines Award, which recognizes a student with outstanding qualities of scholarship, interest in the humanities and strength of body, mind and spirit.

Alice Martin Brumbaugh Award in Sociology, which is given to a female student who has entered the college at a non-traditional age and shows a special interest and/or outstanding promise in the field of sociology, was awarded to Stacy Hess of Chambersburg.

CRC Press General Chemistry Achievement Award was given to Gaser Ahmed of Chambersburg.

Marel Harlow Cheng Memorial Prize, awarded to a student who has done well in international studies or has made some noticeable contributions to international understanding, went to Christina Gonzalez of Santa Barbara, Calif.

Regina Shaputnic Cuomo Mathematics Award, given to a student who is majoring and shows outstanding ability in mathematics, was awarded to Jennifer Skinner of Waynesboro, Pa.

Estep-Lawson Memorial Prize, awarded to a student in lower-level French who demonstrates excellence and shows future promise in French studies, went to Jesse Smith of Bronx, N.Y.

Mildred Franklin Prize, given to a senior for excellence in classical languages, was awarded to Tia Shearer of South Mountain, Pa.

Donna Gomer VMT ADP award for an adult degree student displaying excellence in the study of veterinary medical technology went to Jena Forsythe of Chambersburg.

Davison Greenawalt Grove Award for a student participating in research in physical and life sciences was given to Jessica Meck of Huntingdon, Pa.

Dorle Haas Memorial Prize, awarded to a senior for outstanding service within the greater Chambersburg area, went to Taylor Staudt of Robesonia, Pa.

Gloria Randle Scott-Frances Richards Hesselbein Prize, awarded to the senior who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service during their four years at Wilson College, was given to Sonja Hess of Bolton Landing, N.Y.

Joanne Harrison Hopkins Literary Achievement Award, given for the finest piece of imaginative literature in fiction, poetry or drama produced during the academic year, went to Caitlyn Minelli of Beverly, Mass.

Catherine Herr Langdon Award, given to a senior who has demonstrated academic excellence and has gien encouragement and guidance to fellow students during the year, went to Nicole Melanson of Hyannis, Mass.

Mary-Eleanor Maule Travel Grant, awarded to graduating seniors or students entering their junior or senior years for travel planned in support of study in Spanish, was given to Netha Kane of Chambersburg.

Alta Lindsay McElwain Prize, awarded to the best student in Latin or Greek in the freshman class, went to Haley Hutchinson of Acme, Pa.

Robert Shannon McElwain Prize, awarded to the best student in mathematics, went to Kristyn T. Fogg of Virginia Beach, Va.

Helen Adams Nutting History Prize, awarded to a member of the junior or senior class who has demonstrated outstanding ability in the field of history, went to Nicole Trusky of Chambersburg.

Organic Chemistry Award, given to the student in organic chemistry who earned the highest grades for the year, went to Nicole Bodulow of Perkasie, Pa.

Outstanding Peer Teacher Award, given to honor exemplary service as a First-Year Seminar peer teacher for the year, went to Danniele Fulmer of Clymer, Pa.

Nicky Hoffman Reich Award, given to the student whose work with animals shows commitment to humane treatment, was awarded to Danielle Boock of Chambersburg.

Helga Rist Prize, given to a dedicated American foreign language student who has shown integrity, promise and potential, went to two students: Krista Dewald of Fairfax, Va.

John D. Rose Award in Environmental Studies, given to an outstanding junior majoring in environmental studies or biology to fund a summer research project or internship, went to Sadie Repp of Mercersburg, Pa.

William and Ivy Saylor Prize, established through the Academy of American Poets to support young poets at colleges nationwide, was awarded to Darah Wolf of Chambersburg.

Grace Tyson Schlichter Award in Communications, which is given to a senior who has shown general academic excellence and outstanding promise for a career in a field of communications, was given to Carol Zehosky of Shippensburg, Pa., and Shoshana Rudski of Allentown, Pa.

Mary Beers Sheppard Prize, awarded to the member of the senior class who has shown the keenest understanding and appreciation of literature, was given to Jennifer Dodds of Hagerstown, Md.

Joan M. Thuebel ’52 Earthwatch Prize, which sponsors a student to participate in an Earthwatch Institute project of his or her choosing, was awarded to Jessica Larkin of Carlisle, Pa.

William P. Van Looy Business Prize, awarded to the junior or senior business and economics major who has demonstrated excellence in business studies and in service to the well-being of both the Wilson College and larger community, went to Han Yan of Wuhan, China

E. Grace White Prize, awarded to a senior whose major field is biology or biochemistry and who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and plans a career involving the biological sciences, went to Kotchaphorn Mangkalaphiban of Chiangmai, Thailand.

E. Grace White Summer Scholarship, which is given to an outstanding junior in biology for use at approved laboratories, went to Amadea Clement of Bowie, Md., and Ghada Tafesh of Gaza, Palestinian Territories.

Wilson College Education Award is awarded to one elementary education major and a student preparing for teacher certification in a secondary school level who have shown outstanding achievement in both their academic studies and in their professional preparation. Jennifer Isaac of Biglerville, Pa., won the secondary award and Nathanael Stump of New Bloomfield, Pa., received the early childhood award.

Wilson Equestrienne Award, given to a graduating senior who has excelled in academics and equitation, went to Marissa Kosko-Blyler of Hollidaysburg, Pa.

Wilson College Fine Arts Prize, given to a graduating senior for outstanding achievement in both art history and studio art, was awarded to Jessika Glass Dockery of Chambersburg.

Carolyn Zeleny Prize, which goes to a sociology student in the junior or senior class on the basis of academic excellence and/or community service, went to Heather Humwood of Chambersburg.

Wilson College Scholar Athletes, those who have maintained a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher and participated in at least one Wilson varsity athletic team, are: Nicole Bodulow of Perkasie, Pa.; Nicole Melanson of Hyannis, Mass.; Emma Miller of Salisbury, Md.; Brittney Poff of Red Lion, Pa.; Lily Rembold of Franklin, Pa.; and Katelyn Wingerd of Orrtanna, Pa.

 

-- by Cathy Mentzer

May 6, 2015

 

Alumna Makes $1.2 Million Gift to Wilson Library Project

Wilson College has received an additional $1.2 million gift for its Reimagining the John Stewart Memorial Library fundraising effort from Wilson alumna Sue Davison Cooley, a Portland, Oregon, area philanthropist who contributed $2.4 million to the project last year.

Cooley’s latest gift, which she made in honor of Wilson’s longest-serving dean, Margaret Criswell Disert, brings the total raised for the $12 million library project to more than $11.8 million in cash and pledges.

“Mrs. Cooley’s generosity to her alma mater has been extraordinary, especially when it comes to helping us provide our students with a comprehensive, state-of-the-art library,” said Wilson College President Barbara K. Mistick.

Sue Davison CooleyCooley’s initial gift early last year assisted in completing a matching gift from another alumna, Marguerite Lenfest, and her most recent gift will allow the construction of a plaza off of the new learning commons and an academic green planned as part of the library project to move forward, according to Mistick.

“We are grateful to Mrs. Cooley for supporting Wilson College and contributing in such a significant way to our future,” she said.

The library project includes repairing and restoring the college’s 1924 collegiate gothic library building and replacing a 1961 addition with a contemporary learning commons equipped to meet the needs of today’s students. The learning commons will house academic support services, writing labs, two “smart” classrooms, a commuter lounge, bookstore and outdoor plaza, as well as the “Sue Davison Cooley Gallery,” named in honor of Cooley’s transformational gifts. The project is scheduled to be completed this fall.

Cooley, who attended Wilson from 1940 to 1942, said her experience at the college had a profound and lasting effect, and she is happy to give back to the institution that she holds dear to this day.

“I have so many fond memories of being at Wilson that it is very much a part of my life,” Cooley said. “Students are given very special gifts when they are at Wilson. They get an outstanding experience.”

Cooley, who recognizes how important a modern library is to the vitality of any college campus, said her gift is an expression of confidence in Wilson’s current leadership and the path the college is on today. “I am a very, very big fan of Wilson,” she said.

Cooley is a longtime supporter of the college. She donated $1 million in 2005 to establish a scholarship for participants in the Women with Children program in honor of old friends Sylvia Scalera Davison and Mary Meinecke Dee, both with the Wilson College Class of 1944. She has also been a faithful contributor to the college’s annual fund.

Wilson’s library building has been closed since fall 2011 due to a heating system failure. Its functions were relocated to the lower level of Lenfest Commons.

Wilson College is taking a number of innovative steps through its Wilson Today plan to transform itself into a thriving liberal arts institution, including adding programs in nursing and the health sciences and other areas, expanding coeducation across all programs, creating a value proposition to lower tuition and repay up to $10,000 in federal loans for qualified students, and improving infrastructure. An updated library configured to meet expanded enrollment is an important component of Wilson’s revitalization.

MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations
Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu

Seniors Present Research at Pennsylvania Academy of Science

 

Five Wilson College seniors presented the results of their research and one was recognized for her oral presentation at the 91st Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, held April 10 to 12 at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa.

The following Wilson students presented research: Kotcha Mangkalaphiban of Thailand; Jessica Meck of Huntingdon, Pa.; Martina Mellott of Mercersburg, Pa.; Ashley Perkins of Singlehouse, Pa.; and Allison Shastay of Bedford, Pa.

Jessica Meck '15

Meck, who is majoring in biology, placed second in the oral presentation category for her research project, “The Effects of Temperature on the Competitive Interactions between Pseudogymnoascus destructans and Native Cave Fungi.” Last year's winner of Wilson’s John D. Rose Award in Environmental Studies, Meck is the recipient of an Outstanding Research Grant from the Pennsylvania Academy of Science in support of her undergraduate research.

Shastay and Mangkalaphiban also received PAS Outstanding Research Grants.

PAS judged oral presentations and posters, and provided monetary awards for the top three places in each category. Oral presentations were assessed in categories for scientific merit ­- ranging from experimental methodologies to analysis of results - and presentation qualities, including visual impact and fielding of questions. The overall score was reflective of all subcategories

This is the fourth year for the award competition and the fourth year that a Wilson student has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Academy of Science for excellence in the oral presentation category.

Wilson College to Hold 6th Annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 1

Wilson College students will present the results of their undergraduate research at Wilson’s 6th annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 1. The public is invited to join Wilson students, faculty, staff and administrators at all events. 

 

Seniors will present their work, which was produced in conjunction with faculty advisers, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Brooks Science Complex auditorium. Other students will share their work graphically in a poster session, to be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., also in Brooks. Presentations will showcase undergraduate research projects in such disciplines as biology, chemistry, English, environmental science, fine arts and psychology.

 

“Student Research Day quickly has become a strong academic tradition on our campus,” said Elissa Heil, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “It’s a full day that we set aside to showcase the remarkable achievements of our students. It also celebrates our strong student and faculty collaboration.” 

 

Student Research Day is again being sponsored this year by the NOVA Corp., a minority-owned information technology service company headquartered in Chambersburg.

 

Presentations will focus on the humanities, sciences and social sciences, including the prestigious Disert Scholar from 4:30 to 5 p.m. in the Brooks Complex. The Disert award, given to the student with the best honors thesis proposal, went this year to Kotchaphorn Mangkalaphiban, who will present the results of her research on the effects of natural anti-inflammatories – ginger and turmeric – in mice. The study’s findings may ultimately be helpful in improving anti-inflammatory drugs.

 

Other presentations will include examinations of: the influence of America writer David Foster Wallace and how his work may help readers “make sense of the forces that threaten our ability to feel human today and (enable) us to imagine paths of resistance to these forces;” the efficacy of three Chinese herbal medicines on the symptoms of asthma; and how a commonly used Wall Street investment behavior metric can be improved.

 

Also on May 1, three Wilson seniors, Jessika Dockery, Leah Edwards and Stephanie Laurent – all majoring in fine arts – will host a capstone exhibition of their artwork from 4 to 8 p.m. at Nathan Miller Chocolate, 140 N. 3rd Street, Chambersburg, and in Wilson’s Bogigian Gallery from May 4 to 17.

 

Wilson’s Student Research Day will conclude with the annual Academic Awards presentation at 6 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium.

 

 

MEDIA CONTACT:      Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations

            Phone: 717-262-2604

            Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu

 

Wilson Students Earn All-Conference Honors, Coach Named Coach of Year

Five Wilson College athletes have been named to North Eastern Athletic Conference South Division All-Conference teams in their respective sports for 2014-15. All-Conference teams are made up of the top players as selected by NEAC coaches. In addition, Wilson softball coach Brett Cline was named NEAC South Division Coach of the Year.

Cline guided the Phoenix to a 15-5 conference record and a share of the NEAC South championship. Under his direction, the softball team improved its conference ranking from third place in 2014 to a first-place (tie) with 10 freshmen and no seniors on the squad. The team also won an Eastern College Athletic Conference bid as a result of its strong season and got to play in the opening round of the ECAC championship tournament.

Four of Cline’s players earned all-conference honors:

Pitcher/outfielder Taylor Crouse, a junior, was chosen for the All-Conference First team for her outstanding performance on the softball field. She finished the season with a .348 overall batting average and as a pitcher, averaged five strikeouts per game. First baseman Kayla Sullenberger, a sophomore, was also selected to the All-Conference First Team. She led the Phoenix with four homeruns and 31 runs batted in, and had a .379 overall batting average, as well as five pitching wins.

Freshman centerfielder Jennifer Hornberger and freshman utility player Raechelle Hilbish were named to the South Division’s All-Conference Second Team. Hornberger was first in the conference in stolen bases, with 21, and had a .286 batting average, as well as being a defensive standout with an .895 fielding percentage of 49 putouts. Hilbish placed third on the Wilson team in batting, with a .360 overall batting average. Defensively, she recorded a .984 fielding percentage and committed just two errors.


In men’s sports, a member of Wilson’s inaugural golf team, freshman Demitri Keopradit, was selected for the 2014-15 NEAC All-Conference Second Team, becoming the college’s first male athlete to receive NEAC All-Conference honors. In order to receive all-conference team honors, an individual performer must finish in the top 15 in the two-day NEAC championship golf tournament. Keopradit finished the championship tournament in a tie for 8th place and completed it with scores of 85 and 79 in each round for a total score of 164.

Wilson Seniors Present Capstone Art Exhibitions

Three Wilson College seniors, Jessika Dockery and Leah Edwards, both of Chambersburg, and Stephanie Laurent of Carlisle, will host a capstone exhibition of their artwork from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 1, at Nathan Miller Chocolate, 140 N. 3rd Street, Chambersburg.

In addition to the exhibition at Nathan Miller Chocolate, selections from the students’ bodies of work will be shown in Wilson’s Bogigian Gallery from May 4 to 17. A reception for the artists will be held in the gallery from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on May 4.

Dockery’s work explores identity through personal history and environment. She carefully considers her past, as well as her surroundings, as the primary sources for her work. “Our histories and environments are a large portion of what creates who we are …,” Dockery said. “My paintings mirror these little puzzle pieces. They are visual representations of my identity, metaphors, memories, people who have influenced me, and symbolic depictions of events I have experienced.”

Edwards is a graphic designer, and is interested in the fields of logo and brand design. “I use grids and geometric shapes to establish order and arrange the elements in different layers to create complexity,” she said. “The primary purpose behind this balance is to allow for as many meanings and interpretations as possible that all, in some way, relate to the main subject.”

Laurent is interested in the simple beauty and temporal essence of flowers. “For centuries, flowers have taken on symbolic meaning,” said Laurent. “Their beauty is short-lived and often taken for granted. For me, flowers are this and more, and have given voice for me through acknowledgment, honor and respect for those who have passed or are ill.”

All three students will present their scholarship in brief talks during Wilson’s annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 1.

The Bogigian Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For additional information or an appointment, contact Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey at 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305, or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Philip Lindsey, Professor of Fine Arts
Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305
Email: philip.lindsey@wilson.edu

Wilson Launches Master of Fine Arts Program, Names Director

Wilson College has named internationally renowned choreographer RoseAnne Spradlin as director of a new, low-residency Master of Fine Arts program that begins this summer, offering concentrations in visual arts and choreography.

Spradlin, who has worked in New York City since 1982, has been called one of the most influential experimental choreographers in New York. She has received numerous awards for her work, most recently winning the 2014 United States Artists Ford Fellowship in Dance. She has also held fellowships in choreography from the Guggenheim and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Her work has been shown around the world, from San Francisco to London and Vienna.

M.F.A Director RoseAnne Spradlin

Spradlin, who has a background in both visual arts and dance choreography, is excited to be the first director of Wilson’s new M.F.A. program, in which she will also teach. “I am eager to share my knowledge of the body and my creative artistic tools with the next generation of artists, whoever they may be — young people just out of college, working artists hungry for pure creative time and peer feedback, and teachers or other working professionals seeking the professional upgrade of an advanced degree,” Spradlin said.

Wilson’s Master of Fine Arts program is only the fifth low-residency M.F.A. program in the country with a concentration in choreography. Designed for experienced artists and working professionals with busy lives, the program offers a mentoring component to the curriculum that differentiates it from other low-residency M.F.A. programs. Wilson’s program is unique in providing a Wilson-approved faculty mentor near the student’s home, giving each student one-on-one personal contact with a professional who can offer ongoing advice and motivation.

“It’s a way to give students something special in their home setting,” said Wilson Department of Fine Arts Chair Robert Dickson. “It helps bring them into the greater community of artists.”

Wilson’s M.F.A. program is designed to be completed in two years with 20 courses, including two required, four-week summer residency periods when students live, study and work on the Wilson campus. Visiting faculty will teach the summer residencies — “people from major cities, people with national reputations, the best people we can provide to work with our students,” said Dickson.

During the non-residence periods, students will have regular contact with Wilson program faculty members and with their mentors. Each semester at home will include an online seminar with other members of the M.F.A. program learning community.

Tuition for the M.F.A. program is $470 a semester hour, which works out to $28,200 in tuition for a terminal degree in fine arts, according to Dickson. “It’s one of the most affordable programs in the country,” he said.

The M.F.A. program is supported in part through an endowment from Wilson College alumna Francis Farmer of the Class of 1950. Applications for summer 2015 are now being accepted. For more information, contact Spradlin at roseanne.spradlin@wilson.edu.

Spradlin was a partner in two different dance spaces in Lower Manhattan for more than 20 years: SQUID Performance Space (1995-2005) and Studio 65 (1990-2011). An expert teacher in improvisation and choreography, as well as body consciousness and somatics for dance, she has premiered work over the past 10 years at the Kitchen, the Chocolate Factory, the Dance Theater Workshop and New York Live Arts – all in New York City. Spradlin has an M.F.A. in visual arts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance, both from Ohio University.

MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Dickson, Department of Fine Arts Chair
Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3400
Email: robert.dickson@wilson.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Feb. 25, 2015

 

Wilson Receives $25,000 Grant for Energy-Saving Library Lighting

Wilson College has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund to pay for an energy-saving LED lighting system in the college’s renovated John Stewart Memorial Library and new learning commons.

Wilson sought funding for the LED (light-emitting diode) lighting because of its advantages over incandescent lighting, which include: lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, smaller size and faster switching. In addition, Wilson – whose mission includes environmental sustainability – will model best practices in sustainability by using LED lighting, according to college officials.

LED lights will comprise approximately 42 percent of the library’s $85,000 lighting system, while fluorescent lights make up the rest. Projections show that the combined lighting system will use 37 to 40 percent less electrical power than the previous lighting scheme.

“Wilson is grateful to the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund for providing support for energy-efficient lighting in the library,” said Wilson Vice President for Institutional Advancement Camilla Rawleigh. “Partnerships often succeed in accomplishing what one organization alone cannot. We want to express our thanks to the fund for recognizing the importance of this project.”

The West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund (WPPSEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that invests in the deployment of sustainable energy technologies that benefit West Penn Power ratepayers in Pennsylvania. WPPSEF investments are focused in three broad categories:

  • Deployment of sustainable and clean energy technologies;
  • Deployment of energy efficiency and conservation technologies; and
  • Facilitating economic development, environmental betterment, and public education as they relate to sustainable energy deployment in the WPP service region.

Visit http://www.wppsef.org for further information.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Margaret Light, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3179
Email: margaret.light@wilson.edu
OR
Barbara Robuck
West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund
814-865-7380
wppsef@ems.psu.edu

Pa. Department of Education Approves Wilson Charter

Posted: January 8, 2015

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has approved changes to the charter of Wilson College. The charter, submitted to the department in May 2013, contained updated language to clearly reflect the college’s shift to coeducation in the undergraduate residential program, along with additional administrative updates.

 

The Jan. 6 PDE decision from Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq comes following a June 2014 informational hearing that was automatically triggered by protests made after the charter text was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

In its report approving the charter revision, PDE states, “Wilson’s decision to allow the admission of male residential students is a decision within the purview of its Board of Trustees.” The report also notes that “other proposed amendments also are not in violation of relevant law, regulations, standards or qualifications.”

Four Wilson alumnae served as limited participants in the informational hearing, offering testimony in opposition to the charter changes. They argued that the college acted improperly by moving forward with coeducation prior to PDE approval.

The PDE report acknowledges that Wilson filed its application well in advance of admitting male students, but states that the college should have received approval before moving forward with coeducation. However, the department does not believe this to be a reason to deny the charter application or impose other restrictions according to the report.

“We are happy to have the department’s affirming decision and to continue the successful work of the Wilson Today Plan,” said Barbara Tenney, board chair.

In January 2013, the Wilson College Board of Trustees approved the five-point Wilson Today plan aimed at ensuring a sustainable financial future for the private college. In addition to extending coeducation to the residential undergraduate program, the plan also included value and affordability initiatives, new academic programs, infrastructure improvements and increased marketing efforts.

The plan, which was in place during the 2013-14 recruitment year, has already begun to show progress. In August, Wilson welcomed its largest class of new students in more than 40 years and saw applications more than double over the previous year. In addition to the 24 percent of applications that came from male students, the college had a 43 percent increase in female applicants, increasing the reach of the former women’s college.

“Growth in our enrollment creates a more vibrant academic and campus life experience and provides a financially sustainable future for the college,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick.

The increase in applications and student enrollment also represents a positive response to the college’s $5,000 tuition rollback and a first-of-its-kind student debt buyback program. This past year also brought the reopening of the renovated McElwain and Davison residence halls, the opening of a new student center on the campus, and a groundbreaking for the renovation of the John Stewart Memorial Library project.

“The whole campus is energized that the Wilson Today plan is beginning to bear fruit,” Mistick said recently. “The progress is the result of the entire Wilson community coming together to make the plan successful. And with our continued commitment, we expect to see an even greater effect on overall enrollment moving forward.”

Since the Wilson Today plan’s approval, new undergraduate programs in animal studies, graphic design, global studies, health and physical education, health science and nursing have been approved by trustees along with graduate programs in accountancy, fine arts, nursing and healthcare management for sustainability. In addition, the college has implemented increased marketing efforts, which have substantially improved Wilson’s visibility.

MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations
Phone: 717-262-2604 (office)
717-372-3772 (cell)
Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu