O
ne of the best things I do as president of Wilmington University is to inform you of our progress and academic standing over the
past months. It’s an important part of the job and I can tell you that nothing pleases me more than to let you know what’s been
happening at this University over the past fewmonths.
Let me start with the most important news: We held commencement ceremonies in January and May for more than 2,600
students this year. I was incredibly proud to shake the hand of each and every student in a endance and confer their degrees in
their chosen fields of study. I look forward to graduation every year, knowing some of the hardships, obstacles and challenges many of our students
overcome to complete their studies. I can tell you that this year’s graduating class has certainly earned the honor and respect of their families, friends
and colleagues, and I look forward to seeing many of them again as our alumni at many future events.
I am especially reminded that our University is only as good as its faculty and its programs. The
entire University works hard to ensure that our integrity and academic excellence is second to none.
To maintain our high standards, the academic programs in two of our colleges just completed grueling
national re-accreditation. The Community Counseling Program in our College of Social and Behavioral
Science was fully re-accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational
Programs (CACREP), and our College of Education was re-accredited by The National Council for
the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). I was extremely pleased to note that both of these
accrediting agencies were openly impressed with our curriculum, our faculty and our students.
I’m pleased to announce that Wilmington University will introduce a brand-new college. The College
of Online and Experiential Learning will be “unveiled” in July with the mission of enabling the University
to more easily translate students’ experience, either in their careers or from new technologies and
educational programs, into earned credit toward their degrees. The College will also benefit our other
colleges and programs as it will support the University’s online learning programs while also instructing
others in the technology and methodology of se ing up online programs. This new College is a positive
reflection of the growth and future vision of the University and the growth in popularity of online learning
as a whole.
The good news continues! Starting fall 2013, Wilmington University will offer our new, online Bachelor of Science degree in Communications. This is
an exciting new program that will draw from the best of our business, marketing and communications instructors. The fact that it’s completely online
will open the door to this degree for many who want to make inroads in this field and in their careers. Look for information and how to enroll on our
website:
www.wilmu.edu/artsandsciences/comm.aspx.
Our graduates continue to excel in their careers and find new opportunities. We believe this is due to ensuring we put the best faculty who are most
accomplished in their professional fields who truly want to teach in front of students who want to learn. The results are nothing short of phenomenal!
The article in this issue about Wilmington University’s Computer Network Security program is an excellent example of how we keep our academic
programs up to date and relevant to the changing needs of prospective employers. The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics ranks computer and
network security as the second-fastest-growing occupation in the United States today. And graduates of our cyber security program are among the
first, best and brightest to enter the field and ba le cyber threats domestically and abroad.
Going forward, we know that the security of the University’s information systems, and the information of our students, alumni, faculty and staff, is
of paramount importance. Wilmington University practices what it teaches. And I can tell you that our information technology professionals remain
focused on the integrity of our systems and keeping your data protected and secure.
As a university, we are in a continuous state of learning and we want to hear from you. Please let us know your thoughts and comments on our
Facebook page or by contacting our Alumni Relations Department. We appreciate your ideas, and your suggestions lead to improvements that make
your experience of Wilmington University that much be er.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jack P. Varsalona
President
from the president
SPRING/SUMMER
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