By Coleen Dee Berry
All they had to do was step out onto the court to make history. On Nov. 15, 2014, the Wilson College men’s basketball team competed in a tournament hosted by Penn State Mont Alto for its historic first game wearing Wilson blue.
Other firsts followed: the team chalked up its first win against Christendom College and its first North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) win against Bryn Athyn College. It was coach Miles Smith’s first season as a head basketball coach and the first year coaching for assistant Ben Schlotter. “We all went through this first time thing together. It was a learning experience for everyone,” Smith said of the coaching staff and the team.
The season flashed by with thrilling finishes and heartbreaking losses, ending with a 3-19 record. But the win-loss record didn’t seem to matter that much to the fans. The Wilson community wholeheartedly embraced its new team.
“Everyone would stand up (at home games) and applaud even though we lost,” Schlotter said. “That threw me at first—they were clapping after a loss. To me, that meant that the players must be doing well off the court to get that type of a reaction.”
Wilson women have been playing NCAA basketball since the College joined the NCAA Division III in 1995.The women’s team advanced to the Atlantic Women’s Colleges Conference playoffs four times before Wilson athletics joined the NEAC in 2007.
The addition of men’s athletics teams came as part of the Wilson Today plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in early 2013, which extended coeducation to the residential undergraduate program. To be in compliance with Title IX and NCAA Division III, Wilson must field five men’s teams by 2016. In addition to basketball, golf, soccer, cross country and volleyball round out the new men’s sports offerings.
The men’s basketball team’s journey actually began more than 18 months prior to that first game in Mont Alto. The key to building the team was the hiring of Smith in February 2013. His dual mission: to recruit and build Wilson’s first men’s team while he did his other, full-time job as an admissions counselor.
“From day one, Wilson was looking for someone who could be the basketball coach, recruit and handle admissions for traditional students,” said Patty Beidel, director of admissions. ”We knew it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but fortunately for us, Miles had those skill sets, that combination.”
College administrators wanted to give Smith plenty of time to form the new team. “We hired Coach Smith a year and a half before the first season so that he could get to know the community and learn about Wilson,” said Lori Frey, director of athletics. “From a coaching point of view, it must have killed him to wait that long, but I think it’s paid off in the way he has built a team of student-athletes.”
Smith, who had been first assistant coach at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), came to Wilson with a concrete plan. He wanted to run the Princeton offense—an offense that relies on an unselfish team effort, not one or two stars. Players must have a good understanding of the game and know how to read the defense.
But more than that, Smith wanted to build a team based on his own deep beliefs in the importance of a college education and in the value of community service. “My goal is not just to win basketball games. My goal is to mold young men into successful role models,” Smith said. “I want them to graduate and go off and do amazing things in their careers. It’s more than just the basketball.”
For Wilson, it was definitely the right mindset. “We’re a Division III school. We’re not talking about a ‘win at all cost’ type of environment. Academics come first,” Beidel said. “Miles gets it. He’s good at passing that along to his players.”
For those first 18 months, Smith would juggle his traditional undergraduate student admissions work with the task of building a basketball team from scratch. His recruitment efforts took the form of hundreds of emails, countless phone calls, scores of visits to high school gyms from Pennsylvania to New Jersey and Florida—and “many, many cups of coffee,” he recalled.
Smith used the contacts that he made as first assistant coach at TCNJ and as assistant coach at Mercer County Community College in New Jersey. He scoured YouTube videos of teams and targeted players that he liked. He attended AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) games and checked out the action at the area high school summer leagues.
Smith was upfront with recruits that committing to Wilson meant venturing into uncharted territory. “I tell my guys right away, any candidate that’s come up on a visit—if you’re looking for a program that has a rich tradition and history in men’s athletics, then look elsewhere,” Smith said. “But if you want to be history and tradition, then this is the place for you.”
Selling Wilson on the road was easy, according to Smith. The small class sizes and the College’s academic reputation were big pluses. Many of the players he spoke to were intrigued by the 3+1 programs, particularly in accounting.
“Parents know I’m not there just as a basketball coach and a recruiter, but that my goal is to have their son graduate and be successful in whatever career he chooses,” Smith said of his visits with potential players. “The lure of Wilson is not the basketball program—it’s the Master of Accountancy, the English program. It’s the sciences and the business department, not the basketball program. And that’s my goal for all my players. The academics are my main concern.”
Smith also knew that to be competitive, he could not field an entire team of first-year students. He needed a few transfer students to lend on-court experience.
One of the students he reached out to was Rahim Bunch, a junior guard from Rutgers-Newark. Bunch had been recruited by Smith (unsuccessfully) when Smith was at TCNJ and Bunch was playing for Egg Harbor Township High School in New Jersey. “I wasn’t happy at Rutgers and so I decided I wanted to play for Coach Smith at Wilson,” Bunch said. “I like his coaching style. He lets you play through your mistakes and helps you learn from them. He doesn’t really yell, he talks to you, he teaches you, he’s always mentoring you.”
Bunch, who went on to become one of the team’s top scorers despite being injured for several games, has found that Wilson’s size suits him. “At Rutgers, we had like 100 or more kids in class and it kind of encouraged you to sit in the back row with your friends and just go through the motions,” Bunch said. “Here, I get personal attention from the professors and I’m really learning.”
When the 2014-15 school year began, Smith had 11 players—three transfers and the rest first-years. (NCAA rules allow for a maximum of 15 players.)
Even before the season started, Smith put into practice his community service requirements, which all Wilson student-athletes—male and female—must meet (see related story on page 38). Men’s basketball players participated at the Read Out Loud program in the Chambersburg elementary schools, and also helped with a project at NETwork Ministries in Chambersburg.
Several of the players spent a day interacting with middle school students and helping to clear out a building on Hollywell Avenue that NETwork plans to use as an arts and teen center. NETwork Executive Director Benjamin Raber stressed that it is important for college students to give back to the community. “Meeting the players also has a positive impact on the middle school kids, who see these college kids and it starts them thinking about furthering their education—that they can also go to college when they graduate high school,” Raber said.
At the Read Out Loud program, guard Rasul Jackson ’18 found his calling. “I did two readings and by the end of the second program, it just showed me how much I liked working with kids,” he said. “I had never really considered making it a career until that moment.” He has since switched his major from business to early childhood education.
As basketball practices began, players discovered their coach was not one to direct from the sidelines. Smith, who played basketball in high school and at Johnson State College in Vermont, was out on the court during practice, demonstrating drills and giving players hands-on advice.
And at the end of each session, he gave his players the same message: Study hard, focus on your schoolwork and keep your grades up so you can play.
“He’s trying to prepare us for more than just basketball. He has our future in mind,” Bunch said. “He reminds us that basketball isn’t always going to be there for us and that we have to prepare for real life. He has our best interests at heart.”
Once games began, players and spectators alike discovered another side to Smith. Associate Professor of Fine Arts Robert Dickson put it this way: “We would watch Miles’ evil twin come out during the games.” Smith is fiery, passionate and loud, exhorting his players, pacing the sidelines, waving his arms. “Miles is usually so calm and collected in his admissions role. He’s really intense on the sidelines,” said Lorie Helman, student development office manager.
“His passion really comes through at the games. He inspires the team to play better,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. “They were very competitive and I’m darn proud of them.”
That’s the one word everyone uses to describe Wilson’s first season of men’s basketball: competitive.
“They are fast, they are good and they bring a new level of enthusiasm to each game,” said Frey. “They are competitive and fun to watch.”
“The kids were generally hustling, working hard, and you have a coach who is obviously working as hard as he can to instill his philosophy in his athletes,” said Gary Martin, a color commentator on ESPN Radio 1380 and basketball coach at Greencastle-Antrim Senior High School. “The team was a pretty cohesive unit and in a lot of games to the end, very competitive.”
But competitive was not the word the Wilson coaches really wanted to hear. “It’s nice everyone says you were really competitive, but we wanted to do so much more. It was a disappointing season,” said Schlotter. Both Smith and Schlotter thought the team had the potential to make the NEAC playoffs.
While watching Wilson’s fast-break offense may have been exciting from a fan’s standpoint, both coaches agree it wasn’t the deliberate pace of the Princeton offense they had planned. And for a team that at times only had eight players suiting up for a game (due to injuries), the fast pace and shallow bench meant the players often wore themselves out in games that were within their reach.
Six of the team’s losses were by a margin of seven points or less. Smith shoulders the blame for the losses. “I have to work harder at coaching. This year was ‘teach, teach, teach.’ Next season it will be ‘intensity, intensity, intensity,’ ” Smith said. “We have to get better at defense. We have to be better at free throws. We have to become more disciplined.”
But another description of the team works to its benefit: good chemistry. “We all stuck together even though we lost a lot of games,” said forward Ben Holl ’18. “There wasn’t a lot of negativity. That’s really rare for a lot of college teams. We’re a tightknit group.” He also credits Smith. “The coach helped keep us together.”
Smith, Schlotter and team members are grateful for the support of the Wilson faculty and staff, as well as from their women basketball counterparts. Smith and Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jared Trulear developed a mutual support system. “We would bounce basketball ideas off each other on the bus to away games,” Trulear said.
Now recruitment starts again for the next basketball season—the phone calls, the high school visits, the cups of coffee. Smith said he hopes that all his current players return in the fall, and his goal is to add more players so that the team can benefit from a full bench.
The Wilson community expresses confidence in Smith. “He is the best role model ever that we could have hired for the students and for his team,” Beidel said.
Mistick praised Smith’s dedication to Wilson and its philosophy. ”When you’re committed to a place, you have an understanding of where that place is going, where the quest is. People who understand a quest seek out challenge and constantly find ways to perform successfully,” she said. “Miles understands our quest to be a thriving institution and he understands he can play a big role in helping us thrive, not just as an admissions counselor, but also as a coach.”
For Smith—who was recognized in 2014 with the James McKeever Promising Professional Award at the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling Conference—there is no doubt in his mind that he has found a home at Wilson.
“Players have asked me if I will be here for all four of their years. I tell them it’s not like I’m going to be gone in two to three years. I have a chance to stay and build something here,” Smith said. “Maybe I could end up with my name on a field house here. I believe Wilson has the potential for great things and I want to help make those things happen.”
Wilson College President Barbara K. Mistick recently traveled to China with a delegation from FriendlyPA, an economic development initiative aimed at building partnerships and promoting exchange activities between Pennsylvania and Chinese educational institutions.
During the two-week trip, which included visits to the cities of Chengdu and Beijing, a FriendlyPA team representing 18 private and public Pennsylvania colleges and five high schools attended college fairs and met with Chinese universities. Wilson was one of four institutions whose representatives made the trip to China in late October with the FriendlyPA team. The others were Robert Morris University, West Chester University and Lycoming College.
“The FriendlyPA initiative aims to help brand Pennsylvania as a destination for quality education in the U.S.,” Mistick said. “The trip was a great success, from my perspective, and it was wonderful to be able to represent Wilson and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – and all of the educational resources Pennsylvania has to offer the people of China.”
A program of Pittsburgh-based, nonprofit economic development organization called the Idea Foundry, FriendlyPA has a number of economic development partners, including the Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance and VisitPittsburgh. “Our mission is to connect families and students with the educational opportunities that best match their needs, personalities, and educational and career goals,” according to the FriendlyPA website. “FriendlyPA also strives to build partnerships between Chinese and Pennsylvania schools to facilitate bilateral education exchange activities.”
The FriendlyPA delegation was well-received at events such as the China Education Expo—China’s largest annual educational event—where the group manned an information booth and spoke to students interested in coming to the U.S. and their parents.
“Because of our consortium approach, Chinese students and parents could speak with representatives from a variety of institutions,” said Mistick. “That seemed to make our booth more appealing than the booths for single institutions.” In addition, FriendlyPA’s Chinese-speaking representatives helped smooth communication with parents and students, which had a significant impact, according to Mistick.
In Beijing, the FriendlyPA team talked with more than 300 parents and students over two days, while in Chengdu, more than 80 students and parents visited with the FriendlyPA delegation, according to FriendlyPA Manager of Greater China Initiatives Lingling Zhu.
While in China, Mistick and other FriendlyPA team members visited the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu to discuss possible exchange programs with schools in Pennsylvania.
In the next few months, the FriendlyPA China team will continue conversations with Chinese students and parents, including helping them apply to member schools like Wilson. The group, which plans to establish a permanent office in Beijing, will also continue discussions with Chinese universities about forming partnerships with member institutions.
According to a recent report from the Institute of International Education, Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the United States for the number of international students hosted by colleges and universities. A total of 41,446 international students studied in Pennsylvania in 2013-14, an 11.2 percent increase from the previous year, the report states.
More information about FriendlyPA can be found at its website, www.friendlypa.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Posted : November 20, 2014
On a beautiful fall day, Wilson College held a festive groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, Oct. 9, for the "Reimagining the John Stewart Memorial Library project.
The $12 million project includes the restoration of the original, 1920s library building and the construction of a new, adjacent learning commons in place of the recently demolished, outdated 1961 addition to the library.
Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick welcomed those gathered for the groundbreaking - Wilson students, staff, faculty, Trustees, donors and elected officials - which took its cues from the October 1923 groundbreaking for the original Stewart library. In addition to Mistick, Wilson Library Director Kathleen Murphy, Wilson Student Government Association President Ghada Tafesh, Class of 2015 President Taylor Staudt and State Sen. Rich Alloway spoke during the ceremony.
Wilson's founders, the Revs. James Wightman and Tryon Edwards (portrayed by students Cody Dunlap and Samuel Mensah) and college namesake Sarah Wilson (WCGA Vice President Sonja Hess), made an appearance and took part in turning over ceremonial shovels of dirt.
Guests were invited to sign a beam that will be used in the construction of the new learning commons and to sign a guestbook listing their favorite book, a copy of which will be added to the library collection, if possible. Guests also received a silver bookmark and were invited to attend a celebratory luncheon in Jensen Dining Hall following the ceremony.
Wilson has raised more than $10.25 million toward the $12 million project cost. The new library is scheduled to open in fall 2015. The new learning commons will house a variety of different study spaces, academic support and information technology services, a commuter lounge, bookstore with coffee shop and more, becoming the heart of the Wilson campus.
A total of 759 students have enrolled at Wilson College for the 2014 fall semester, an increase of more than 14 percent over fall 2013 with a 41 percent increase in new students in the traditional undergraduate college, producing the largest incoming class in more than 40 years.
Wilson has enrolled 141 new students – including first-year and transfer students – which is up from 100 last fall and is the most since 1973, when 137 new students enrolled at the college.
“This is good news for Wilson College and the entire community,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. “Growth in our enrollment means a more vibrant, financially sustainable Wilson College and increased numbers of students on our campus benefit the community in many ways, including from an economic standpoint.”
College officials point to a number of reasons for the increased enrollment, including Wilson’s value plan – which includes tuition reduction and a student debt buyback plan – as well as the addition of programs, infrastructure improvements and the move to coeducation, which opened enrollment to men across all programs and increased interest among women who would not consider attending a women’s college.
“The whole campus is energized that the Wilson Today plan (put in place by the Wilson College Board of Trustees in January 2013) is beginning to bear fruit,” Mistick said. “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.”
That’s because this year’s junior and senior classes are particularly small and as those classes graduate, the effect on total enrollment should be significantly noticeable, according to college officials.
Wilson College has its largest enrollment in the traditional undergraduate program – which includes most students who live on campus – since 1999, when 338 students were enrolled in that part of the college. This year, a total of 334 are enrolled in the traditional undergraduate college, an increase of 26 students from a year ago. Men represent 8.4 percent of the traditional undergraduate college population and 15.4 percent of the total enrollment.
A total of 273 students are enrolled in Wilson’s Adult Degree Program for those who’ve been out of high school for at least four years. That number includes students enrolled in Wilson’s new nursing program, which exceeded its enrollment goals for fall. Another 152 students are enrolled in Wilson’s graduate programs, a 67 percent increase over last year’s 91 graduate students. Wilson’s master’s degree programs include accounting, education, fine arts, management in healthcare sustainability and the humanities.
“The increase in the number of new students this year is due to students being attracted to a coed Wilson College, in combination with hard work and dedication on the part of the recruitment staff, our coaches, faculty, staff and students,” said Wilson Vice President for Enrollment Mary Ann Naso. “I am confident that we will continue to experience progress and growth.”
In addition to reducing tuition, adding programs, upgrading facilities and expanding coeducation, the college has implemented increased marketing efforts, which have substantially improved Wilson’s visibility.
Wilson’s enrollment increase comes at a time when national higher education enrollment is slowing. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report issued Sept. 24 (School Enrollment in the United States: 2013), enrollment at four-year institutions was up just 1 percent from 2012 to 2013 and college enrollment overall declined for the second straight year.
Wilson students come from as far away as California, Texas and Arkansas. They represent 17 states (including Pennsylvania), as well as 14 foreign countries: Armenia, Canada, China, France, Gaza, Ghana, South Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay and Vietnam.
Wilson College was founded as a women’s college in 1869. In 1982, the college added a continuing education program that allowed qualifying men and women to attend classes. This fall, coeducation was expanded to include the residential undergraduate program of the college.
CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Last Updated: October 6, 2014
The U.S. Department of Education has approved a $2 million Title III grant for Wilson College under the department’s Strengthening Institutions Program, which is aimed at helping postsecondary institutions expand their ability to serve low-income students and strengthen academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability.
The grant, which will be distributed over five years, will be used to improve enrollment, retention, persistence and graduation rates for Wilson College students through a set of goals, including strengthened academic programs and academic support services, updated technology and ongoing professional development for Wilson employees.
The grant — by far the largest federal grant awarded to Wilson in the college’s 145-year history — is consistent with Wilson’s goal of strengthening the educational experience and helping students maximize their academic potential, according to Wilson College President Barbara K. Mistick.
“We are so excited to receive this grant. It really comes at a wonderful time for us,” Mistick said. “We just welcomed our largest class in 40 years, we’re starting construction of the library renovation project and we are seeing great momentum from the Wilson Today plan that we instituted last year.”
The Wilson Today plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in January 2013, is a set of initiatives to ensure that the college remains a thriving institution well into the future. The five-part plan includes a tuition reduction and student debt buyback program, infrastructure improvements, coeducation and new academic programs.
This is the third time Wilson has applied for the highly competitive Title III grant. The difference this time around included changes under way to reconfigure technology at the college, construction of a learning commons as part of the Reimagining the John Stewart Memorial Library construction project and proposed programs to help support and retain underprepared students.
Wilson, like colleges in general, is seeing a growing percentage of students who are arriving academically underprepared. This can be the result of students coming from underperforming school systems or, in other cases, first-generation college students who lack the support systems that can prepare them to meet the expectations of college-level academics. At Wilson, 55 percent of undergraduate students are first generation, 46 percent are eligible for federal Pell grants for lower income families and approximately 96 percent of students receive some form of aid.
Wilson’s application for the Title III grant has five overall objectives:
Last year the department awarded $20.1 million through its Strengthening Institutions Program to just 39 colleges and universities nationwide. To be eligible for funds under SIP, “institutions must be serving a substantial number of students receiving need-based federal student aid and have low per-student expenditures,” according to the department.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: Sept. 9, 2014 CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
For more information, contact Cathy Mentzer at 717-262-2604 or cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu.
Wilson College and Vermont Law School, the top-ranked environmental law school in the nation, recently forged an agreement that will allow qualified students to earn a bachelor’s degree from Wilson and a master’s degree from VLS in just four years.
Through an articulation agreement between the two colleges, Wilson students who qualify can pursue a bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability at Wilson, followed by guaranteed admission to Vermont Law’s Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP) program.
Some credits would be shared between the two institutions and to expedite the master’s program, students would take two online courses from VLS while attending Wilson. After their junior year, they could enter Vermont Law’s summer program. Both degrees would be completed at the same time.
“This agreement with Vermont Law School offers our students an incredible opportunity to earn a degree from Wilson, as well as from one of the top environmental law schools in the country, in just four years,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. “This is Wilson’s third 3+1 program, which allow students to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree at a cost that is less than a four-year bachelor’s degree alone, and dovetail with our efforts to make a quality education more affordable for students and families.”
The agreement will give Wilson students a distinct advantage in gaining admission to Vermont Law.
“We are pleased to offer Wilson students an opportunity to earn a MELP degree from Vermont Law, where they’ll not only learn the law but also how to use it to effect change,” said Cheryl Hanna, vice president for external relations at VLS. “By studying advocacy, legislation, regulations and markets, they will have the tools they need to create a more sustainable world.”
A master’s degree in environmental law and policy can lead to a variety of career options, according to Edward Wells, director of Wilson’s Environmental Studies Program, who facilitated the articulation agreement.
“It prepares graduates for jobs ranging from public service or working at a federal agency like the EPA to running a nonprofit environmental organization” said Wells, who also teaches environmental studies. “Graduates could work as an energy consultant or an environmental educator, or they could continue their studies and obtain a law degree.”
Vermont Law School, a private, independent institution, offers a Juris Doctor curriculum that emphasizes public service; two master’s degrees (Master of Environmental Law and Policy, and Master of Energy Regulation and Law), and three post-J.D. degrees — LL.M. in American Legal Studies (for foreign-trained lawyers), LL.M. in Energy Law, and LL.M. in Environmental Law. The school features innovative experiential programs and is home to the Environmental Law Center, the South Royalton Legal Clinic and the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic.
The 3+1 agreement builds upon the existing relationship between VLS and Wilson, which is known for its environmental studies programs and has a commitment to environmental sustainability as part of its mission statement. The two institutions signed an agreement in 2008 that guaranteed Wilson graduates admission to VLS if they meet standards in grade-point average and entrance exam scores.
For more information, contact the Wilson College Office of Admissions at 800-421-8402 or visit www.wilson.edu.
For more information about Vermont Law School, visit www.vermontlaw.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014 CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Wilson College has received a $2.3 million gift to the Reimagining the John Stewart Memorial Library fundraising effort from Wilson alumna Sue Davison Cooley, a Portland, Oregon, area philanthropist.
Cooley’s gift will net the college a total of $4.6 million under the terms of a matching gift provided last year by another Wilson alumna, Marguerite Lenfest of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and brings the total raised for the library project to $9.6 million in cash and pledges.
“Mrs. Cooley’s extraordinarily generous gift is exciting for many reasons. Perhaps most critical is that it brings us to our goal of having 80 percent of total costs in hand before we break ground on the Stewart library project,” said Wilson College President Barbara K. Mistick. “I want to express gratitude on behalf of everyone at Wilson to Mrs. Cooley for investing in the future of the college and helping make our plans for a comprehensive, state-of-the-art library a reality.”
The college is engaged in a $12 million fundraising effort to repair and restore the original 1924 library building, while razing a 1961 addition and replacing it with a contemporary learning commons equipped to meet the changing needs of today’s learning communities. It will house academic support and information technology services, writing labs, two “smart” classrooms, a commuter lounge, bookstore and outdoor plaza.
The learning commons also will house the “Sue Davison Cooley Gallery” in honor of Cooley’s transformational gift.
Cooley, who attended Wilson from 1940 to 1942, said the college holds a special place in her heart and she is glad to help with a need as significant as the library.
“The gift is in recognition of the fact that I love Wilson very much,” Cooley said. “I am a very, very big fan of Wilson. I think it has much to give for women, and men too. It’s a great place.”
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 her old friends and Wilson alumnae Sylvia
Scalera Davison and Mary Meinecke Dee, both with the Class of 1944. She has also been a regular contributor to the college’s annual fund.
Cooley is particularly interested in the library and making sure that students have additional places on campus for convening and quiet study.
Wilson’s library building has been closed since fall 2011 due to a heating system failure. Its functions have been relocated to the lower level of Lenfest Commons.
The design phase of the library project has been completed and the Wilson College Board of Trustees voted on Feb. 21 to authorize the preparation of construction documents and the demolition of the library annex. Construction, which is expected to take about 14 to 15 months, could begin as early as July or August, according to Wilson Vice President for Finance and Administration Brian Ecker. “Our goal is to have the library re-opened for fall 2015,” he said.
It took Wilson just one year to match the $3.6 million Lenfest gift, which had been broken into three, $1.2 million matching elements. Prior to the Lenfest gift, Wilson had raised $2.4 million for the project.
“The deep commitment of our alumnae and alumni to their alma mater and to this project is gratifying,” Mistick said. “And as the college moves forward with our Wilson Today plan to revitalize the college, we have continued to experience wonderful support from those closest to the college.”
Originally founded as a women’s college in 1869, Wilson College is taking a number of innovative steps through the Wilson Today plan to transform itself into a thriving liberal arts institution, including adding programs in 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 improve infrastructure. An updated library configured to meet expanded enrollment will be an important component of Wilson’s revitalization.
For more information, contact Wilson College Manager of Media Relations Cathy Mentzer at 717-262-2604 or cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: Feb. 27, 2014 CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Wilson College has received U.S. Department of Agriculture organic certification for produce and herbs grown on the college farm, a major step for the college and its sustainability program.
Wilson sought the certification, which recognizes natural growing practices already in use on the farm, to allow the college to pursue partnerships with the USDA, state agricultural and environmental agencies and other organizations, including research and funding opportunities.
“This is a big deal,” said Christine Mayer, program director of Wilson’s Fulton Center for Sustainable Living, which includes Fulton Farm. “It’ll give our students tremendous opportunities for research with the USDA, and that’s really what we’re after.”
The designation continues to build upon Wilson’s mission to practice and promote environmental sustainability.
“This is wonderful news for Wilson College and adds weight to our sustainability programs,” said President Barbara K. Mistick. “Credit goes to all of our folks who persevered through the lengthy application process to make this happen.”
The 50-acre Fulton Farm, seven acres of which is cultivated, grows produce without synthetic or man-made chemicals. Produce grown on the farm is used in a popular community-supported agriculture subscription program that serves as a CSA model for area farmers. It is also used in the college dining hall and sold at the North Square Farmers Market in Chambersburg.
Wilson’s farm has used sustainable farming practices since the FCSL was founded in 1994. “We have had certified naturally grown status for at least seven years,” Mayer said, referring to a peer-to-peer designation given to farms that refrain from using synthetic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers.
The next step was to become USDA-certified organic, which requires extensive record-keeping and inspections, among other things.
“The products we’re allowed to use have to be organically approved,” said Mayer. “We have to source our seeds organically and any nursery or plant material has to be organic. The USDA also looks at land use practices. Compost and soil amendments have to be approved.”
The process of obtaining organic certification started in fall 2012 with an independent study project initiated by Amanda Kegerreis, who graduated in 2013, said Mayer, who worked with Kegerreis and Fulton Farmer Sarah Bay to satisfy the USDA’s requests for information and verification, as well as inspections.
“The USDA is very strict about who may and may not use (the certified organic) term,” said Mayer. “Unless you’re certified by them, you are not allowed to use that designation on your produce.”
The Fulton Center for Sustainable Living, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2014, includes the farm and the Robyn Van En Center, which houses a national database of community-supported agriculture programs.
During 2013, several projects were completed at Fulton Farm. A pole barn for equipment storage was constructed and a produce wash station was built, providing a covered space where produce grown on the farm can be cleaned and packed.
A related solar project is in process, thanks to funding from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation. Solar panels capable of generating six kilowatts of electricity have been installed on the roof of the new pole barn. After the array receives state and power company approvals, it will be used to power a solar irrigation pumping system throughout the seven-acre farm, as well as an electric tractor.
More information about Wilson’s FCSL can be found at www.wilson.edu/fcsl.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: Dec. 16, 2013 CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Wilson College was recently awarded a $3,000 grant from the Jean Morrow Fund of the Franklin County Foundation (FCF) that will enable the college’s therapeutic riding program for special-needs residents to continue through the summer. FCF is a regional foundation of the Harrisburg-based Foundation for Enhancing Communities.
Wilson’s equine-facilitated therapeutics (EFT) program serves disabled community members by building their physical, emotional and cognitive strengths through therapeutic riding. It is largely supported by volunteers from the college and the community.
“We have not had a community riding program in the summer for therapeutic riding,” said Ann O’Shallie, Wilson College associate professor of equestrian studies and EFT. “It’s been a gap in our program.”
During the academic year, students in Wilson’s equestrian programs help with therapeutic riding lessons, but during the summer, fewer volunteers are available, which raises the cost of the riding sessions.
The grant will offset a large portion of the cost of therapeutic riding sessions in summer, making them more affordable for residents, O’Shallie said.
Wilson’s summer therapeutic riding lessons are taught by instructors certified either by the Pennsylvania Council on Therapeutic Horsemanship or the national Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship.
For more information, contact Wilson media relations manager Cathy Mentzer at 717-262-2604 or cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2013 CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Wilson College is offering prospective students a rare opportunity in the increasingly expensive world of higher education – a chance for students to reduce their debt by up to $10,000 through a unique debt buyback program.
Under Wilson’s student debt buyback plan, the first of its kind in higher education, the college will pay up to $10,000 toward a student’s federal Stafford Loan debt if the student meets prescribed academic and service requirements. The debt buyback program will be available to students entering in fall 2014. To qualify, students must be a first-time college student and earn a diploma in four years or less of continuous, full-time enrollment at Wilson College.
Wilson’s debt buyback plan, which was drawn from corporate practices, recognizes the need to make college more affordable and creates a strong value proposition for the institution.
“It provides an innovative form of support for Wilson students while serving as a powerful incentive for academic success, service to the community and participation in the life of the campus,” said Dr. Barbara K. Mistick, president. “We want to encourage students to take full advantage of the college experience, while reducing the burden of student debt.”
The debt buyback program was approved by the Wilson College Board of Trustees in January as part of a bold series of measures aimed at rejuvenating the college by significantly increasing enrollment, strengthening programs and facilities, addressing issues of educational cost and value, and ensuring financial sustainability in the future.
In addition to creating the debt buyback plan, Wilson’s trustees voted to reduce tuition by $5,000, or 17 percent, to $23,745 for first-time Wilson students entering in fall 2014. In fall 2012, the board agreed to freeze tuition for 2013-14 at $28,745 for the third year in a row.
The buyback program will begin with the incoming class in fall 2014, with the first eligible students graduating in spring 2018.
Wilson officials expect the plan to cost up to $100,000 a year, depending on variables. The college will fund the plan through additional the revenue generated by increased enrollments and retention of students participating in the program.
“It’s a proverbial win-win – for both students and the college,” Mistick said. “We are very hopeful that students and parents will see the value in our debt buyback plan and take advantage of it.”
Some specifics of the debt buyback program:
The plan approved by Wilson’s Board of Trustees in January calls for expanding coeducation at Wilson across all programs. Traditional-age male students are being admitted as commuters for fall 2013. The college will admit male residential students in fall 2014.
Wilson College has been named a “Best Value” college in its region for providing quality academics at an affordable price for 11 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” publication. The college has been ranked one of the best regional colleges for undergraduate education for nine straight years by U.S. News.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 2013 CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
