Wiley College becomes Wiley University, announces new graduate programs

Wiley College has announced the institution is set to become Wiley University alongside the implementation of three new graduate programs.

The school’s new name was announced in at a special “Returning to Our Roots”Homecoming event Friday to celebrate their historic academic achievements.

“Becoming Wiley University is not simply an exercise and a name change, it is an exercise in our ability to embrace our past and see the future,” said Wiley University President and CEO Dr. Herman J. Felton Jr., Ph.D., JD.

“The past 150 years have been a testimony to our faith in what is possible,” continued Felton Jr. “We stand proudly today and return to our roots, symbolically as Wiley University, and literally as we embrace the next chapter of excellence.”

The change from Wiley College into Wiley University will return the institution to its original name it used when the school was founded, and will introduce three newly created online-focused graduate programs to provide students with a pathway to earning a master’s degree in higher education administration with an emphasis on HBCUs, business administration, or criminal justice. 

In 1873, the Freedmen’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church founded Wiley University, named after the inspiring medical missionary Bishop Dr. Isaac William Wiley. The purpose of the institution, when established, was to provide an opportunity for African American youth to pursue higher education in arts and sciences, as well as several other professions.

The institution was originally named Wiley University upon its inception when it opened with two frame buildings, and on Friday, students, staff, and faculty on the 63-acre campus gathered to celebrate a return to the name with a dedicated ceremony during the 2023 Homecoming week.

“We’ve been preparing for this since our sesquicentennial, and it’s an opportunity for us to look to the future with the name change as a signal of the institutional offerings, such as the graduate programs that are our new additions, and then to also uplift our continued commitment to excellence,” said Wiley University Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Administration Tashia Bradley, Ph.D.

Bradley commented on the leadership that helped to make the change possible and how the institution’s historic achievements in the past have helped to shape the motivations and expectations for the university in the future.

“The bold and audacious vision is an opportunity for us as individuals in the institution, to really aspire to what is bold and audacious.,” said Bradley. “To think outside the box or think in ways that move the institution forward and utilize and leverage our history for us to think about what was bold in 1873.”

“When we think about the person who came to this institution at that period of time who were formerly enslaved, living in that particular time period who had a vision and had a dream that they too could have access to education, and to leverage education to radically change their lives,” continued Bradley. “And so, in the 21st Century, the bold and audacious vision continues that tradition, but inspires us and asks us to really focus on how we can achieve that as an institution. It also asks what we can be radical with regards to providing an accessible education and affordable education during these times to any student who would want it at Wiley University.”

Graduate Programs

The formation of the new graduate programs at Wiley University is aimed at expanding on the institution’s vision for providing students with academic opportunities in areas where the university has seen significant impact through their students.

“We think about the present day and use that as an opportunity for us to manage the idea that a student comes to Wiley University to become their very best,” Bradley said. “Our role is to help facilitate that for them by creating opportunities, by engaging them in what’s possible, and then guiding them through the impossible.”

The three newly created graduate programs each emphasize the institution’s original mission and focus, which aims to help students serve as catalysts of social change in their community and professions. Wiley University will partner alongside the Higher Education Leadership Foundation — where Wiley President and CEO Herman Felton Jr. is a founder — to launch the graduate programs in an online capacity, and will also work to provide graduate assistantships for students to gain the on-campus experience while doing coursework virtually.

“We’re taking applications right now and what students can expect is a phenomenal experience in which people who are in the field are very excited to engage with them,” said Bradley.

The master of science in higher education administration with an emphasis on HBCUs graduate program will be geared towards practitioners and brings additional attention to addressing cultural-related issues at HBCUs and the historical significance of assisting students in their experience while pursuing higher education. The program will benefit students seeking entry-level or mid-management positions in higher education and will consist of 36-credit hours over six eight-week terms for a one-year duration.

The master of business administration (MBA) graduate program will engage emerging traditional business administration practices while recognizing areas such as entrepreneurship culture and more modern concepts like influencer culture. This will assist students in managerial and professional leadership responsibility for business, industry, and government, and will consist of 30-credit hours over five eight-week terms in a one-year duration.

The master of arts in criminal justice graduate program aims to provide students with the opportunity to better understand how they can impact the criminal justice system through their involvement in a variety of different aspects. This will benefit students seeking entry or supervisory level career positions and will consist of 36-credit hours over 12 months for a non-thesis track or 15 months for a thesis track.

“When we think about the future for Wiley University, the bold and audacious vision is that we are able to move through this experience in ways that continue to offer the world ways to think about us as the home of the great debaters, home of activists, scholars, vocalists, athletes — all of those components of a student’s life — so that they can go into the world and go forth inspired,” said Bradley.

State of the College

The 2023 Homecoming State of the College Address brought the community, students, alumni, staff and faculty together at the Julius S. Scott Chapel on Friday to celebrate their significant announcement featuring President Felton as the speaker. The university recognized recent achievements such as last year’s gift that erased student debt to the institution, the creation of the Transformation Center, the Kenny Ponder Welcome Center and partnerships that have secured over $9.5 million in gifts, grants and services.

The announcement of Wiley University’s new name was met with cheers and applause from those in attendance as Felton spoke about the significance of the move, detailing the historical achievements of the institution and how they play a role in the vision for their future. This included Wiley’s contributions to help create the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and being the first to receive a triple “A” academic rating for their available programs, among many others in the institution’s history.

“We return to our roots today as Wiley University because it signals to the world who we are, what we’re becoming and what we will be,” said Felton Jr. “We return to our roots and the liberal arts tradition where students are invited to learn from multiple disciplines while refining their talent in their respective majors.”

The State of the College Address showcased the institution’s implementation plan for the graduate programs as well as outlined several goals for the future to continue growing the university. This included an emphasis on three pillars of focus, which are enrollment, fundraising and academic innovation. Among the goals for Wiley University moving forward is a fundraising effort to bring in $10 million to continue their efforts in providing higher education for students.

“It is vital that we have your support,” said Felton. “To be an institution of unmitigated excellence, we must have the fiscal flexibility to provide our students with an exceptional physical learning environment and innovative curriculum of offerings.”

The university received checks from the Student Government Association, presented by president of the student-led organization, Elijah Strong, whose recent 1873 Foundation fundraising campaign helped to provide a check for $1,873. The staff of Wiley University also presented two checks supported by their 1929 campaign in the amount of $1,929 and $2,2023.

“In the moment of days like this, since I have begun here as a student at Wiley University, I’ve learned that what you give to it, it will give back to you,” said Strong when presenting the check to Wiley University.

The announcement also included a special presentation of an honorary doctorate degree to Mr. Ivan O. White to recognize his life and work for the university. White is an alumni of Wiley University from the Class of 1971 who had a distinguished career in higher education before retiring from Wiley after 25 years as the director of administrative service.

“I just hope that what I did in working with a lot of others was of meaning, and I continuously worked for the betterment of Wiley University,” said White.

The event came to a close with the unveiling of the new Wiley University logo adorning the Julius S. Scott Chapel on campus along with a performance by the Wiley University Acapella Choir before Felton thanked the Board of Trustees, community leaders, alumni, staff and faculty for being stalwarts of the dream that inspired Wiley University.

“The past provides us with a roadmap, but it is up to us to see a future that continues to serve as a beacon of light. Go forth inspired,” said Felton Jr.

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