I am pleased to share that the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has approved Virginia Wesleyan
College as a Level III institution. The classification to this level
will enable us to offer the master’s degree as the highest degree.
Virginia Wesleyan will soon expand its academic program to include a
Master of Arts in Education, an online Master of Business
Administration, and online degree-completion programs at the
undergraduate level.
A traditionally delivered Master of Arts in
Education (MAEd) is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2017. It will be
a 4+1 program in which students complete an undergraduate degree in
four years focused on a content major related to secondary education,
and then complete a year of graduate study devoted to preparation for
teaching. An online Master of Business Administration (MBA) is scheduled
to begin in the fall of 2017. The advanced education that these
programs provide will empower our students with the ability to compete
for more rewarding jobs in their chosen specializations.
The
College will also begin offering two online degree-completion programs
in the fall of 2017. These flexible online programs will introduce an
unprecedented level of convenience for students in our Adult Studies
Program and have the potential for significant growth.
My
sincerest gratitude to all who have worked toward this momentous goal
for our institution, including Dr. Timothy O’Rourke, Provost and Vice
President; Dr. Maynard Schaus, Associate Provost and Professor of
Biology; Marty Smith Sharpe, Accreditation Consultant for the College;
Dr. Paul Ewell, Dr. Bob Albertson, and their colleagues in the
Department of Management, Business, and Economics; Dr. Malcolm Lively,
Dr. Hilve Firek, and their colleagues in the Department of Education;
Amy Rush, Deputy Director of The Lighthouse; and Debbie Hicks, Assistant
Provost.
The addition of these programs marks a pivotal moment
in the history of Virginia Wesleyan College and underscores our
reputation and competitiveness as a leader in American higher
education—indeed, as Coastal Virginia's premier private, national
liberal arts college.
