April 16, 2021

Update from the President

April 16, 2021

Dear Wheeling Community,   

With just two weeks left until Commencement and the end of the semester, the campus is buzzing with activity – and this weekend is especially busy. Many of our sports teams are in action, Last Blast events are being held and our alumni are gathering for a virtual reunion. This is a special weekend for our community, and I hope everyone enjoys the events that will be held. 

Last Blast Week wraps up with several events on Saturday and Sunday planned for our students. A Carnival will be held on Donahue Lawn Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. followed by a tie-dye/bleach dye event. On Sunday, students won’t want to miss the slip and slide kickball event on Bishop Schmitt Field starting at 3 p.m. I hope everyone has fun this weekend! The University officially re-opened the RATT today as part of this weekend’s activities. A Grand Re-Opening Celebration will be held this Fall. 

Our student-athletes continue to excel in Spring sports. Freshman wrestler Chase Montgomery earned Division II Scholar All-America honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) this week.  Congratulations to Chase and Coach Ownbey on this remarkable achievement.   

Calling all Cardinals!  Our Virtual All School Reunion will kick-off this evening at 5 p.m. with a Happy Hour and Awards Ceremony.  I hope alumni near and far will join us as we toast the Classes of 1970 and 1971 and recognize this year’s alumni award recipients.  Saturday, alumni are encouraged to join me for a Town Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a Mass in the Chapel of Mary and Joseph with Fr. James Conroy, S.J. presiding will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning.  To participate in these events please visit the Virtual All School Reunion webpage.  I look forward to speaking with alumni and celebrating their achievements. 

Students planning to participate in Commencement and Baccalaureate must register to attend via this questionnaire no later than April 23.  Our workers are busy sprucing up the grounds and making the final preparations for Baccalaureate and Commencement which will take place on Bishop Schmitt Field. I am honored that Wheeling native and U.S. Congressman David McKinley will serve as our Commencement speaker. Congressman McKinley is a dear friend of our University and a respected national leader. I know he will offer the Class of 2021 heartfelt remarks about serving others and how to succeed in life before they embark on their next journey. Commencement will be at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 1.  Baccalaureate will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, April 30, with the Most Rev. Mark Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston officiating Mass. He will be joined by members of our Jesuit Community and other priests from the Diocese. I will share additional details about these events next week.  

While there is much attention on the final days of this academic year, students are reminded that registration for Fall semester classes and the Summer of Purpose program is open. To make your course selections for the Fall, go to Academus. Once again, this year, the University will offer its Summer of Purpose Program – a series of courses offered at a discounted rate to our current and incoming students, as well as regional high school students. A complete list of the courses to be offered during each summer session and how to register will be available on the Wheeling University website soon. 

Our Admission and Student Life teams are busy getting ready for our New Student Orientations scheduled for Saturday, May 8, Friday, June 25, and Monday, July 26. On each date, we will welcome our newest Cardinals and their families to campus, and assist them in preparing to start their college careers! To register for one of the sessions, click here. All of us look forward to meeting the Class of 2025 during the next three months! 

I know this can be a stressful time for everyone – papers to be written, exams to prepare for and take, grading to be done, and work to complete. Take some time this weekend to enjoy the gorgeous Spring colors that have burst around campus. May that beauty relax you and help you realize how blessed we are to be Cardinals. 

With prayers and gratitude, 

Ginny R. Favede, President
Wheeling University