August 23, 2024

Wheeling University Exceeds Enrollment Goal, Welcomes New Students to Campus

WHEELING, W.Va. Aug. 23 – Wheeling University opens the new academic year Friday when the class of 2028 arrives – a new student group that is 15 percent larger than a year ago.

On Friday, the University will officially welcome 280 new students to the campus, who come to Wheeling from 26 states and 28 countries. This figure exceeds the enrollment goal of 250 new students for the upcoming year.

Jennifer Board, vice president of Enrollment, said the enrollment team efforts to focus on local, regional and international students is why new student numbers increased for the coming year. 

“Our success this year is a tribute to the hard work of the admission’s team which worked closely with our faculty and coaches to recruit this class. Wheeling University’s personalized approach to student recruitment is why our enrollment has increased again this year,” Board explained.

Wheeling’s incoming class includes one of the largest groups of international students in the University’s history – 68 – which is 19 more than the Fall of 2023, said Board. 

The international students come to the University from: Argentina; Bahamas; Bermuda; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Canada; Columbia; Congo; Czech Republic; Dominican Republic; Estonia; Ethiopia; France; Germany; Ghana; Italy; Japan; Luxembourg; Nepal; New Zealand; Norway; Poland; South Africa; Spain; Sweden; Turkey; United Kingdom; Venezuela; and Zimbabwe. Additionally, the largest number of domestic students hail from Ohio (58), Pennsylvania (26) and West Virginia (19), Board noted. 

Wheeling University Chief Operations Officer, Dianna Vargo, Ed.D., offered her thanks to the faculty, coaches and administrators who helped the Admissions’ Office enroll this class.

“We are excited to officially welcome this class to Wheeling University. Throughout the weekend, members of the campus community will introduce our new Cardinals to our campus, our mission and the greater Wheeling area,” Vargo explained. “This is a diverse class that comes to the University from local high schools, as well as from institutions across the country and from around the world – one student has traveled from New Zealand to be part of this community. We wish our new and returning students great success in the classroom this year.” 

To keep private, Catholic education affordable for families, Wheeling University did not increase tuition this year. Vargo said tuition has remained the same at Wheeling since 2018. 

Friday afternoon, the University community will welcome and celebrate the new class during the New Student Convocation. The Convocation marks the official start of the academic year where faculty and administration formally accept the new students into University’s learning community.

Saturday, the class will participate in the University’s annual Make a Difference Day, where the new students undertake service projects around the campus and throughout the city of Wheeling. The students will be working at the following places Saturday morning: Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center; Ohio County Solid Waste Authority; Volunteer Wheeling (clean up at Wheeling Island) Wheeling Soup Kitchen; and Wheeling University campus.

“Make a Difference Day is an annual tradition that introduces our new students to the University’s mission and helps them better understand what it means to be a person in service to others,” said Michael Kochka, dean of Student Affairs. “This special day also gives our students the chance to learn more about the city and bond with classmates before the start of classes.”

The start of the 2024-25 academic year brings the addition of three women’s athletic programs – acrobatics and tumbling, lacrosse and rugby.

“Wheeling University is pleased to reinstate our women’s lacrosse program and start two NCAA emerging sports for women, acrobatics and tumbling and rugby this Fall. It is important that we continue to grow and expand opportunities for our students that align with our University’s mission, vision and values, while sponsoring sports that fit well with our Mountain East Conference mantra, ‘providing opportunity and pursuing excellence,’” said Carrie Hanna, director of Athletics.

All classes at Wheeling University begin Monday, Aug. 26.