W
abash Valley College takes great pride in looking to the future and realizing that change is required in order to sustain excellence. This has created an excit - ing time at Wabash Valley College to be a student or an employee, but throughout the college, one thing has not changed: our top priority of student success. Wabash Valley College is rich in talented faculty and staff who continually work to provide students with meaningful learning experiences. This commitment has resulted in four consecutive years of increases in the retention rates of our full-time students. With a retention rate of 72% in the last year, Wabash Valley College is nearly 16% ahead of the national average for students returning to the institution from fall to fall. This achievement requires not only great educators in the classroom, but also great advising, financial aid, and wrap-around services from all our other depart- ments. Last year, our students (full and part-time) attempted 18,246 hours, and completed 16,344 of those hours, representing nearly 90% of all hours attempted. A visit to campus quickly gives a person a sense of the magnitude of change that has taken place over the past year. Much of the work that was accomplished this year began building a foundation for the future of Wabash Valley College. Beyond the aesthetic reno- vation of six of our classrooms on campus, the second phase of the renovation to the Brubeck Auditorium has been underway. A redesign of nearly 3,100 square feet
was undertaken to provide students with access and comfort of learning in fresh spaces. The first music camp took place in the Brubeck Arts Center this year, and our partnership with the Wabash Valley Arts Council brought “The Wizard of Oz” to our stage as a community theater production, becoming the largest show ever. The Illinois Farm Bureau recently named Wabash Valley Collegiate Farm Bureau as the Outstanding Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter for the 2023-2024 academic year. This is but one example of the relation - ships that are built each year and highlights the fact that building a firm educational foundation that meets the demands of our world requires the teamwork of many people, agencies, and organizations. The future of a successful higher education institution depends upon its ability to build and maintain valuable partner- ships between the public and private sectors. This year, Wabash Valley College has placed renewed interest in working closely with area agencies, institutions, and organizations to improve the mutual learning of our students. These partnerships demand time and atten - tion that go beyond traditional campus teaching and afford students the opportunity to apply theory in a wide variety of professional settings.
Dr. Matt Fowler President and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
6 WVC Annual Report
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