In December, I announced
that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on
Colleges (SACSCOC) has approved Virginia Wesleyan to move from a Level
II to Level III institution. This classification enables the College to
offer the master’s degree as the highest degree. We will soon expand our
academic program to include a Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.), an
online Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), and online
degree-completion programs at the undergraduate level.
Last week,
Virginia Wesleyan formally marked a new partnership with The Learning
House, the premier provider among private colleges nationwide for
enrollment management and marketing support services of online programs.
A signing ceremony was held in The Lighthouse where members of the
College community and The Learning House officials celebrated the
occasion (view photos).
The
Learning House will meet recruitment performance goals, invest in
marketing, and implement best practices for Virginia Wesleyan’s online
programs. The partnership reflects the changing landscape of higher
education while remaining consistent with the College’s core values as a
liberal arts institution.
The College will begin offering an
online Master of Business Administration in the summer of 2017 and two
online bachelor’s degree-completion programs for adult students in the
fall of 2017. These flexible online programs will introduce an
unprecedented level of convenience for students and have the potential
for significant growth.
A traditionally delivered Master of Arts
in Education is also scheduled to begin in summer 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.
Online learning no longer plays a supporting role in
higher education—it plays a leading role. And though it will never
replace our residential, campus life experience, online options will be
increasingly valuable as we reach out to new audiences seeking a
distinctive, affordable, and convenient way to take courses.
Thank you to our faculty and support staff for their hard work in bringing this important project to fruition.
