Wheeling University (WU, formerly Wheeling Jesuit University) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Catholic university in

Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in Ohio County, West Virginia, Ohio and Marshall County, West Virginia, Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The county seat of Ohio County, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mo ...

, United States. It was founded as "Wheeling College" in 1954 by the

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

(also known as the Jesuits) and was a Jesuit institution until 2019. Wheeling University competes in Division II of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

as a member of the

Mountain East Conference The Mountain East Conference (MEC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level and officially began competition on September 1, 2013. It consists of 11 schools, m ...

History

Richard Whelan, bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling, lobbied the Society of Jesus in the 19th century to establish a university in the growing city. Over a century later, Whelan's original vision came to fruition. After a donor, Sara Tracy, left her estate to the diocese, it purchased land for a Jesuit college from Mt. De Chantal Visitation Academy. Wheeling College was founded through a partnership of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston with the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. Ground was broken on November 24, 1953, and the college was officially incorporated on September 25, 1954. It opened to students on September 26, 1955. The establishment of the college required $2.75 million in start-up costs. Overcoming the difficulties of temporary facilities and a faculty of twelve Jesuit priests and four lay professors, the school grew considerably. For the 1987–1988 school year, the university became Wheeling Jesuit College, and in July 1996, gained university status. In 2012, university leadership was accused by the federal government of misappropriating

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

grant money received for sponsored programs. Wheeling Jesuit settled with the federal government in 2015, paying $2.3 million in restitution. In March 2013, the university announced the selection of James Fleming as its tenth president. Fleming took office effective July 1, 2013. Fleming resigned from the presidency on January 3, 2017. In 2019, the school eliminated majors in history, theology, philosophy, literature, and engineering and cut 20 of the university's full-time faculty members.

Jesuit heritage

Prior to 2019, the Jesuit community was active in the process of education at Wheeling. In addition, the Jesuits were involved in many other academic works, such as the Appalachian Institute on campus. Members of Wheeling's Jesuit Community reside at Whelan Hall, dedicated in 1955. The Jesuit community and tradition for critical thinking were reflected in the school's curriculum and mission. Wheeling Jesuit University was a member of the

Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) is a consortium of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and three theological centers in the United States, Canada, and Belize committed to advancing academic excellence by promoting an ...

. In April 2019, as part of a broader restructuring of its academic programs, the university announced the elimination of its programs in theology and philosophy that are key to its identity as a Jesuit institution. The Jesuits in turn decided to end their academic affiliation with the university at the end of the 2018–2019 academic year, while continuing to provide "an ongoing Jesuit presence" through its campus ministry and other programs. Two months later, Monsignor Kevin Quirk resigned from his position as chair of the university's board of trustees after ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' published details from a confidential report alleging that one of his former colleagues was guilty of sexual abuse and financial impropriety. In July, the university formally dropped "Jesuit" from its name and became Wheeling University.

Presidents

*Lawrence R. McHugh, 1954–1959 * William F. Troy, 1959–1966 * Frank R. Haig, 1966–1972 *Charles L. Currie Jr., 1972–1982 *Thomas S. Acker, 1982–2000 * George Lundy, 2000–2003 *Joseph R. Hacala, 2003–2006 *James F. Birge, (interim), 2006–2007 *Julio Giulietti, 2007–2009 *

Davitt McAteer J. Davitt McAteer is an American lawyer, author, and activist from Fairmont, West Virginia. McAteer was appointed to the position of assistant secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration from 1993 to 2000 under President Bill Clinton. ...

(acting), 2009–2010 *Francis Marie Thrailkill (interim), 2010'' *Richard A. Beyer, 2011–2013 *James J. Fleming, 2013–2017 *Debra M. Townsley, 2017–2018 *Mark Phillips, interim, summer 2018 * Michael P. Mihalyo, Jr., 2018–2019 * Ginny Favede, 2019–2024 * Dianna Vargo, 2024–present

Admissions and rankings

According to the Wheeling University's page on the U-CAN Network, the average high school GPA of the freshman class is 3.5 The school is given a selectivity score of 81 out of 100 by the ''

Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...

''. In 1997, WJU was named as the fourth-best educational value in the southeast, and the 15th-best college in the region. In addition, the school is ranked as the 18th best master's university in the South by '' U.S. News & World Report''. The 2009 ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' magazine ranking placed WJU as 180 of 600 colleges, a marked improvement from their No. 437 rank in 2008. ''Forbes'' ranked the university as the 79th best value in America. The university is ranked among the John Templeton Foundation's ''Colleges that Encourage Character Development''.

Academics

In honor of former professor Stephen J. Laut, the university offers the Laut Honors Program. Throughout each school year, members of the program meet to discuss and study material related to that year's theme. At the conclusion of a student's sophomore year, students who have successfully completed the Laut program are invited to join the Ignatian Honors Seminar, a more rigorous program for which only six juniors and six seniors are selected. Wheeling encourages all students to become actively involved in research in their desired fields. In many fields, seniors are required to complete a thesis or capstone project. In addition, students are actively encouraged to participate in the annual Student Research and Scholarship Symposium, in which students present research done over the past academic year.

Graduate programs

Wheeling University's Center for Professional and Graduate Studies offers five graduate programs, a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

; a

Master of Accountancy The Master of Accountancy (MAcc, MAcy, or MAccy), alternatively Master of Science in Accounting (MSA or MSAcy) or Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcy, MPAcc, MPA or MPAc), is a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for pu ...

; a

Master of Science in Nursing A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is an advanced-level postgraduate degree for registered nurses and is considered an entry-level degree for nurse educators and managers. The degree may also prepare a nurse to seek a career as a nurse adminis ...

; a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership; and a

Doctor of Physical Therapy A Doctor of Physical Therapy or Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) degree is a qualifying degree in physical therapy. In the United States, it is considered a graduate-level first professional degree or doctorate degree for professional practice. In the ...

. The Center for Professional and Graduate Studies offers a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Development (BOLD) and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL). These are adult education programs that meet once a week in the evening.

Appalachian Institute

Founded in September 2002, The Appalachian Institute is a pastoral and academic response of Wheeling University to the Appalachian bishops’ pastoral letters, ''This Land is Home to Me'' (1975 - on power and powerlessness in Appalachia) and ''At Home in the Web of Life'' (1995 - on sustainability). Focused on advocacy, culture, education, research and service through the mode of immersion, as matters of social justice, the Appalachian Institute grounds its mission as a responsible and sustainable partner for the university and the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston invigorating the Catholic social mission as an available instrument of Catholic social teaching, and as a positive force for growing sustainable relationships with community partners locally, nationwide & internationally. The Appalachian Institute at Wheeling University has focused on issues such as Appalachian health, hope, education, economic and energy development, and issues related to coal impoundment, conducting research and producing exhibits regarding these issues. In 2010, the university hosted the Ignatian Solidarity Network Spring Teach-In, which focused on issues of environmental sustainability and stewardship. In September 2010, the Appalachian Institute held its second annual Appalachian Film Festival.

Institute for the Study of Capitalism and Morality

As a result of a donation from

BB&T BB&T Corporation (previously known as the Branch Banking and Trust Company) was one of the largest banking and financial services firms in the United States, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2019, BB&T announced its intentions to merge ...

, in 2006 the university became home to the Institute for the Study of Capitalism and Morality. According to its website, the Institute desires to study the roles of capitalism in a free society. The institute also promotes research and essay competitions, forums and debates, and a lecture series. Lecturers for the 2007–2008 school year included

Thomas Woods Thomas Ernest Woods Jr. (born August 1, 1972) is an American author, podcast host, and libertarian commentator who is currently a senior fellow at the Mises Institute.Naji FilaliInterview with Thomas E. Woods, Jr., Harvard Political Review, A ...

and

Doug Bandow Douglas Bandow (born April 15, 1957) is an American political writer working as a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. Bandow regularly writes on military non-interventionism, and is a critic of NATO enlargement. Background Bandow obtained h ...

. In 2011, the ISCM welcomed former

CEO John A. Allison IV to campus.

Academic facilities

Named for the school's former president Thomas S. Acker, the Acker Science Center was built in 2002. It is home to classrooms and labs. The oldest academic building on campus, Donahue Hall was constructed in 1955 and was renovated in 1988. Donahue holds faculty offices, labs, and classrooms. The hall is connected to the Acker Science Center via the "Acker bridge."

Mount de Chantal Conservatory of Music

The adjacent former girls' academy, Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy ceased operations in August 2010 and the Sisters of the Visitation, who ran the school since its inception, moved to the monastery at

Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School is a private college-preparatory school for girls located in the historic Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Georgetown. Founded in 1799 by the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (also known as the ...

in Washington, D.C. Wishing to see the Mount's legacy continued, the sisters gifted a large sum of money to establish and fund a Conservatory of Music at the university. Thus the Mount de Chantal Conservatory of Music came to be in the lower floor of the university's CET building. The Conservatory features a recital hall, practice rooms, a parlor for students and visitors, and a gallery displaying art, antiques and archival materials from Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy. Each year, one incoming female freshman receives a $10,000 Mount de Chantal Scholarship, renewable annually, through the Mount de Chantal Fine Arts Education Fund.

Athletics

The Wheeling athletic teams are called the Cardinals. The university is a member of the Division II level of the

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

(MEC) as a founding member since the 2013–14 academic year. The Cardinals previously competed in the defunct

West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) was a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but briefly had one Kentucky member in its early y ...

(WVIAC) from 1957–58 to 2012–13. Wheeling competes in 19 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, D1A rugby, soccer, swimming, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, track & field and volleyball. Former sports included women's lacrosse. In 2024, the Wheeling men's rugby team completed an unbeaten season in 7s rugby and was named National Champions in the Premier Division at the Collegiate Rugby Championship 7s Tournament in Boyds, Maryland. The university's home indoor athletic events for volleyball and basketball are held in WU's McDonough Center. WU's football, soccer, and women's lacrosse teams play on the turfed Bishop Schmitt Field. The Cardinals baseball and softball teams call the J.B. Chambers Complex located off campus located along I-470 as their home fields.

Campus life

Wheeling University's campus features fifteen buildings, six of which are residence halls: WJU Campion McHugh

* Campion – Housing for male freshman and upperclassmen students with one floor for female students * McHugh – Housing for male freshman students * Ignatius – Upgraded co-ed housing for upperclass students, featuring an "Ace Floor" for approved, academically achieved students with around-the-clock quiet hours * Kirby – Upgraded housing for female students, occasionally freshmen * Sara Tracy – Housing for female freshman students * Steenrod – Apartment housing for graduate students, off the main campus but on university-owned property across Washington Avenue.

Student organizations and publications

Student government

The Student Government Association offices are located in Swint Hall. The Student Government Association is the elected voice of WU students. The Wheeling SGA consists of two branches: the executive board ("E-Board") and the Student Senate. The E-Board consists of a President and Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Student Advocate, Social Affairs Representative, Academic Affairs Representative, and Academic Affairs Representative. The Student Senate is composed of at-large representatives, class officers, and a commuter representative.

Organizations

Wheeling University students are given an array of opportunities for campus involvement. Student Government and the Campus Activities Board plan activities each year, in addition to those already put on by clubs. While many of the clubs are service-oriented in nature, there are also political, artistic, and major-related organizations. *Appalachian Experience Club *Campus Activities Board *Criminal Justice Club *HESS (Help Enrich Someone Special) Mentoring *International Student Club *Philosophy Club (Sense and Nonsense) *Student Leaders Across Campus *Student Nurses Association *Theatre Guild

Campus traditions

Culture Fest

Each spring Wheeling's International Student club sponsors a festival celebrating the cultural diversity of WU. The activities included samples of ethnic food as well as music and demonstrations from students' native countries.

Last Blast

"Last Blast" is held at the end of every school year. The events include a concert, a formal dance, a carnival held outside of Donahue Hall, and a raft race down Wheeling Creek. Some of the artists at past Last Blast concerts include

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and

Punchline A punch line (also punch-line or punchline) concludes a joke; it is intended to make people laugh. It is the third and final part of the typical joke structure. It follows the introductory framing of the joke and the narrative which sets up for ...

Jesuit Idol

Jesuit Idol is an annual talent competition modeled after

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

and held every spring semester. Contestants sing before a live audience and a panel of judges, and are eliminated in a series of themed rounds. The winner is awarded a cash prize. The event is streamed online.

People

Notable alumni

John Beilein John Patrick Beilein ( ; born February 5, 1953) is an American professional basketball coach who currently serves as a college basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network. Before being hired by the Big Ten Network, Beilein served as the head coac ...

(1975), professional basketball coach *

Lionel Cartwright Lionel Burke Cartwright (born February 10, 1960) is an American country music artist. Between 1988 and 1992, Cartwright charted twelve singles on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, including a 1 single i ...

(1982), country musician * Haywood Highsmith (2018), professional basketball player * John M. Maris, (1983), chief of Division of Oncology and Director of the Center for Childhood Cancer Research at the

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, also known by its acronym CHOP, is a children's hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its primary campus is located in the University City, Philadelphia, University City neighborhood of West Philadelph ...

* Remy Munasifi, comedian and musical artist *

Tim Murphy Timothy Murphy may refer to: Politics * Tim Murphy (American politician) (born 1952), American Republican Party politician from Pennsylvania * Tim Murphy (Canadian politician) (born 1959), Canadian politician * Timothy J. Murphy (1893–1949), Iri ...

, (1974), U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 18th District * George Novacky (1968), assistant department chair and senior lecturer in computer science,

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

. * Christina Richey (2004), cross-divisional program officer,

Headquarters; deputy program scientist,

OSIRIS-REx OSIRIS-REx was a NASA asteroid-study and sample-return mission that visited and collected samples from 101955 Bennu, a C-type asteroid, carbonaceous near-Earth object, near-Earth asteroid. The material, returned in September 2023, is expected ...

spacecraft mission * Kathleen Hawk Sawyer (1972), director,

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for all List of United States federal prisons, federal prisons ...

, 1992–2003 * Erikka Lynn Storch (1996), member,

West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature in West Virginia. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular se ...

* Jason H. Wilson, Ohio state senator * James T Smith (1964), Baltimore County, Maryland, county executive * Tara Wilson (2000), Miss West Virginia USA * JT Woodruff (did not graduate), lead singer of

Hawthorne Heights Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band formed in Dayton, Ohio in 2001. Originally called A Day in the Life, their lineup currently consists of JT Woodruff (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Matt Ridenour (bass, backing vocals) and Mark McMillon ...

Notable faculty and staff

J. Donald Freeze James Donald Freeze, S.J. (September 15, 1932 – December 10, 2006) was the Academic Vice President (or Provost) for the main campus of Georgetown University from 1979 to 1991. In this role, he supervised all academic programs of Georgetown's Col ...

, former philosophy professor and academic vice president of

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

Alfred Jolson Alfred James Jolson, S.J., (June 18, 1928 – March 21, 1994), was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Reykjavík from 1988 until his death in 1994. After several years of teaching in various Jesuit educa ...

, former business professor and Bishop of Reykjavík * Jim O'Brien, professional basketball coach

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{Authority control Education in Wheeling, West Virginia Former universities and colleges of Jesuits Universities and colleges established in 1954 Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Wheeling, West Virginia Buildings and structures in Wheeling, West Virginia Tourist attractions in Ohio County, West Virginia 1954 establishments in West Virginia Catholic universities and colleges in West Virginia Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission