Last Friday Wilson College celebrated White Dinner and the Hankey Center shared some history on this Wilson tradition.
In 1925, the festive dinner was described in the Billboard: “The white clad college family, the flickering light of many candles, the carols of the College Choir, the plea for financial gifts to those less fortunate than ourselves, the general air of congeniality and good spirits-all these were factors in making the White Dinner 1925 a true fulfillment of the Wilson tradition in which the YWCA shall be in charge of a Christmas dinner on the last Saturday before Christmas vacation.”
Wilson will host an opening for Breana Sneed’s senior capstone exhibition at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 8, at Bogigian Gallery in Lortz Hall. The show will continue through January 18, 2023. Before the opening, professor Denise Joyal will host a ceramic pit firing along with Ms. Sneed. This firing event will take place at 6:15 p.m. at Lortz Hall. All are welcome!
Sneed, from Camp Hill, Pa., is majoring in studio art with a concentration in ceramics. For her capstone project, she created a body of work exploring the abstract representation of her emotions. Sneed uses a variety of materials and finishing techniques to express emotional depth in ceramic form.
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 717-264-2783 or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu.
The Wilson community gathered together Sunday evening for Christmas Vespers with readings, singing, and candle lighting. It was a lovely evening to celebrate the season.
For the first time Wilson College marched in the Chambersburg Christmas parade. Students, staff, and faculty joined President Wes and Blaze in downtown Chambersburg to kick off the festive season.
You can watch a short clip of Wilson in the parade here, or the entire parade here.
Before heading out for Thanksgiving break, students enjoyed one of Wilson College's oldest traditions–Thanksgiving dinner. The event is hosted by Wilson CAB (Campus Activity Board) while staff and faculty volunteer to serve up the turkey and all the trimmings for the meal. And don't forget the pie!
Wilson is proud and excited to launch Wilson College Online. This new, digital pathway to a Wilson degree is built upon the success of the online degrees and certifications the College has offered for many years and on its reputation for innovation and accessibility. For over 150 years, we have been a leader in expanding educational opportunities, and this online expansion is a continuation of that vital mission. The College was founded to provide high-quality education to women at a time when women were excluded from most higher-education institutions. Wilson Online continues this tradition of access to education by making our undergraduate and graduate degrees available to students regardless of where they live in this country.
“Launching Wilson College Online is a momentous occasion in the 153-year history of the college,” said Wesley R. Fugate, Ph.D., Wilson College President. “Wilson has always been proud to provide access to post-secondary education, and these new online offerings will help ensure that an affordable, transformative education is available to those, such as adult learners, who need the convenience of learning online.” Wilson Online will be a life and career changer for students whose busy work and family schedules make attending a traditional in-person college difficult. The online classes are designed to be taken asynchronously, meaning students can take their classes at the times that work for them. The path to a degree is structured to be as flexible as the students are unique, and they can customize the number of courses they take at any one time to fit their individual needs.
Providing individualized and very personal education has set Wilson apart since its inception. Today, where large class sizes and low faculty involvement typify many larger institutions, we maintain small class sizes, high levels of contact between faculty and students, and a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:13. Wilson Online will mirror this level of individualized instruction and close contact between faculty and students in the digital domain. “Our faculty have always prized the close ties they have with our students as they navigate their education,” said Elissa Heil, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Students. “Our Wilson Online programs are laser-focused on student success, staying true to our mission of empowering students to excel to their potential.”
“As the needs of students have evolved, so has Wilson,” Fugate said. “We launched Wilson Online to ensure that more students than ever before will be able to enjoy the benefits of the personalized, high-touch educational experience for which the college is so well-regarded.” With numerous undergraduate degrees, including accounting, criminal justice, business management, healthcare, and psychology, to name but a few, and master’s degrees in nursing, education, applied leadership, and more, Wilson Online will provide students with the tools and qualifications to earn more in their current positions, gain promotions, or change careers while working or raising a family.
Not only will students benefit from an education where they are treated as individuals and known by their names instead of as numbers, but Wilson Online is also committed to delivering this education at costs per credit that are affordable and manageable for most students. Wilson Online will help students understand the costs of their education and find the best financial package for their situations. “With our expansion into the online world, Wilson can reach more students and deliver a private education experience at public school price points,” Heil said. “We are eager for prospective students to look at what Wilson Online has to offer.”
Wilson Online is now accepting students for classes beginning in January 2023. Go to online.wilson.edu to learn more about Wilson Online and discover the range of degrees and support it offers students. Having a degree from an accredited institution has never been more critical in terms of a lifelong career, and it more than pays for itself over time. According to a report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, “Adults with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $2.8 million during their careers, $1.2 million more than the median for workers with a high school diploma.” Wilson is proud to play its part in preparing students from all backgrounds for the high-paying careers of the future and to be honorable leaders, creative visionaries, effective communicators, and agents of justice in their communities and the world.
Meet Casey Kauffman '25, a Wilson sport management major and entrepreneurship and small business management minor. Casey is already combining her major and minor by working with the Phoenix baseball program. She also keeps busy as the WCGA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and a Phoenix Leader. She has a bright future indeed!
“Wilson College has opened so many doors for me personally and professionally. Working with the Phoenix baseball program has been an amazing opportunity that’s led me to pursue a degree in Sport Management. The skills and lessons that I am learning here are preparing me for a bright future!”
Wilson announced it has entered into an articulation agreement with Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM). This agreement will allow up to nine qualified Wilson graduates per year to transfer seamlessly into a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at RUSVM.
“I am very excited about the articulation agreement because it gives our students a pathway to becoming veterinary doctors,” said Tammy Ege, Wilson’s associate professor of veterinary nursing. She points out that the number of seats in veterinarian schools is limited, and the demand far exceeds the capacity. In practical terms, for many students getting into veterinary school has become very competitive. “With this articulation agreement, RUSVM designates three seats for our eligible students in January, May, and September. That’s nine of our students that every year will have the opportunity to become veterinarians.”
“Ross Vet is excited to partner with Wilson College,” said Richard A. Hague, RUSVM’s associate director for student and university partnerships. The agreement benefits RUSVM because it creates a funnel of well-prepared and qualified students into their veterinary programs. “Wilson College’s reputation for having strong veterinary and science programs at the undergraduate level laid the foundation for the articulation agreement,” he said. “This partnership marries the incredible experience Wilson students receive with a relevant and stimulating learning environment designed to equip veterinary students to become practice- and career-ready graduates.”
Colyn K. Heim, DVM, is an alum of both institutions. He graduated from Wilson in 2017 and from RUSVM with a doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 2022. He now practices veterinary medicine in Cortland, N.Y. “I would recommend Ross because, as odd as it might sound, it’ll force you to re-evaluate your worldview,” he said. “One of the greatest parts of Ross is the diversity of the faculty. You’ll have professors from all over the world. From Oceania to Europe to South America and everywhere in between. This is a benefit because take my word for it, there is no one right “gold standard” way to learn medicine; everyone has an opinion, and you should try to listen to as many opinions as possible.”
RUSVM is located on the picturesque Caribbean island of St. Kitts and confers a doctor of veterinary medicine degree, which is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. “No matter where you live on the island, your view there will be something off a postcard,” Heim said. “It is a beautiful place with a rich culture. My only regret is that COVID robbed me of the opportunity to take part in Carnival (look it up on Google)!” ****** Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 30 majors and master’s degrees in education, nursing, applied leadership, and the arts and humanities. With 99 percent of its students receiving financial aid or scholarships, Wilson is committed to providing high-quality, affordable education.
Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college’s 300-acre campus is nestled in the beautiful Cumberland Valley and is within an hour-and-a-half drive of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine is an institution of Adtalem Global Education. Founded in 1982, RUSVM is committed to preparing students to become members and leaders of the worldwide public and professional healthcare team and to advance human, animal, and ecosystem health (One Health Initiative). RUSVM offers postgraduate Master’s, Ph.D., and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programs accredited by the St. Christopher & Nevis Accreditation Board. RUSVM confers a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, which is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education, 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173, Tel: 800.248.2862. Ross Veterinary Clinic is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. For more information, visit http://veterinary.rossu.edu and follow RUSVM on Twitter (@RossVetSchool ), Instagram (@rossvetschool), and Facebook (@RossVetSchool).
Domineak Commodore. is a Wilson College Teacher Certification Pathways completer, having earned a PK-12 Special Education Certification and is near completion of the Wilson Master of Special Education program. Today Domineak teaches special education in the Harrisburg School District, in the very school he attended as a child. This school serves over 700 children in grades 5-8 and is 97% minority. Domineak stands out in his field as he is investing in the community.
The College will host Improvised: The Art of Practiced Freedom, an art exhibition featuring works by Wilson and Hagerstown Community College (HCC) arts faculty. It opens on Wednesday, November 2, in the Cooley Gallery. It is free and open to the public.
The show is a shared project between the arts faculty of the two institutions. According to Joshua Legg, the gallery’s curator, “This is our second shared exhibition with our faculty colleagues from HCC, and we plan to make this a regular event every other year.”
The mixed-media/multi-genre show includes assemblage, ceramics, installation, painting, poetry, and sculpture. Legg noted, “The theme for this exhibition focuses on ways that improvisation in artmaking play out across the highly diverse work of the artists featured in the show. That extends to ideas about how that improvisation can lead to a sense of freedom in their studio practice and in the ways they approach the content of their work. Each artist has responded in very unique ways.”
The exhibition runs through Friday, March 31, 2023. The Cooley Gallery is on the 2nd floor of the John Stuart Memorial Library. The hours are Sunday, 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 7:45 a.m. - 11 p.m., and Friday, 7:45 a.m. - 5 p.m. The gallery is closed on Saturdays. For more information, email Joshua Legg at joshua.legg@wilson.edu.
