New Student Orientation is an academic and social experience to assist incoming students with their transition into Kentucky Wesleyan College. Because of the importance of material presented at New Student Orientation, it is a required activity for all new, incoming students.

As we work to welcome students safely to campus for the start of our 2020-21 academic year, we are currently working to create a schedule that allows for physical distancing, including virtual sessions where applicable.

Transfer Orientation will be completely virtual and open on Aug. 10.

New Student Orientation will be Aug. 15-16.

Why we give to the College and encourage others to give.

• “We wouldn’t be where we are today if not for KWC. It’s hard to imagine where we would be had we not had the influences, experiences, etc. Our professors genuinely cared about us. They didn’t forget us after graduation, either. It was more than just a school for us. We literally became part of the Wesleyan family.”
• “It’s had a huge impact on us as Methodists. (We belong to Settle Memorial United Methodist Church). Several of our ministers over the years graduated from KWC. Dr. Jim Thurmond ’54. Rev. Keith Switzer ’79, Dr. Howard Willen ’60, Rev. John Bowling ’88, Rev. Mark Dickinson ’89, Rev. Tom Grieb ’78 and Rev. Todd Love ’76. Their impact on our lives has been immeasurable.”
• “KWC is a family tradition. Brad’s brother (Kyle ’91) met his wife (Molly Shaw ’93) here. Our niece (Brittany Woodward ’20) graduated from here. Brad’s father (Bruce) audited classes here after he retired because he just loved learning. Brad’s parents (Bruce & Jackie Woodward – now deceased) were basketball season ticket holders for decades. Brad’s parents saw all eight national championships.”
• “We personally gained a lot from the liberal arts environment. Not only did we become very well rounded, but we learned how to critically think here. That’s something we hold very dear.”
• “For most of our lives, we’ve lived within two miles of the college. It is part of our community. Part of our neighborhood. We’ve walked here for years because it’s still home to us.”
• “KWC has always stood as a beacon to Owensboro in the way it shines on Frederica Street. You can’t drive through Owensboro without seeing the beautiful campus.”
• “KWC has always been part of our community.
  • Brad participated in different KWC-sponsored events while still in high school (which is what led him to KWC in the first place): Pep Band, DJ for WKWC, math and science leagues.
  • Danielle remembers flying kites as a youth on the front lawn.
  • We’ve attended multiple different events on the front lawn including the annual OSO Concert on the Lawn, Earth Day, car shows, etc.”
• “To be honest, we used to not give. But now we’re now in our 50s and have come to realize how much KWC has meant to us. We literally had a paradigm shift in our thinking. Yes, we paid our tuition. But well beyond that, KWC continues to give to us. This institution – its people –changed our lives in priceless ways. We want today and tomorrow’s students to experience what we’ve experienced. We want them to know the Wesleyan Way and to become part of the Wesleyan family for a lifetime.”

The College was thrilled to welcome Addie Reimbold ’18 back to campus in June. She is already making a difference as an employee, just as she did as a student. Addie looks forward to meeting our alumni and friends when travel and visits are possible, and she is busy making phone calls to many of you now to introduce herself. In the meantime, here is more about the newest member of the Advancement team.

Why did you choose to attend Kentucky Wesleyan?
“The second I stepped on campus, KWC felt like home. Everyone was kind and welcoming, both on campus and in the community. My parents and I still talk about how even the lady working at the gas station cared enough to have a conversation with us. Both the campus and the city were different than anywhere else I had been.”

Ruthie (Hutton) Hume ’62 loves to travel, and one of her best trips was from her childhood home in Bowling Green, Ky., to Massie Hall at KWC in the fall of 1958. “I chose Wesleyan because of the Methodist connection, but like all new students, I wondered before I arrived if I had made the right decision,” she remembered. “That choice changed my life, and I can’t imagine my life without the influence of KWC.”

An elementary education major, she soon became acclimated to her new surroundings. “The students were friendly and connected to one another, and I felt at home quickly. We didn’t have cell phones or social media, and we spent a lot of time getting to know one another in the SUB (Student Union Building), where there was one TV that no one watched – and it was the only TV on campus. The SUB had a jukebox and snack bar. It’s where I made friends and learned to play bridge, and I still play today.” She also pledged Kappa Delta and enjoys lifelong friendships with many sorority sisters.

Kentucky Wesleyan College has announced Homecoming 2020 will move to an online celebration. A series of virtual events will take place Sept. 25-27, including the President’s Gala, Wesleyan Singers Cabaret, Virtual 5K and Sunday worship.

Annual marquee activities including the Alumni Hall of Fame and Awards Celebration and Inauguration of the College’s 35^th president, Dr. Thomas Mitzel, are postponed with plans to celebrate these events in the spring.

“We made this decision because there are currently many travel restrictions in place in many parts of the country, and we do not expect our alumni and friends to travel to campus,” said Eddie Kenny, vice president of advancement. “We are taking numerous precautions for the return of our students, and in the same way, we are considering the health and well-being of the entire Wesleyan community. The delay our Alumni Hall of Fame and Awards ensures we appropriately recognize and honor those individuals with an in-person celebration. At the same time, we are excited to continue the success of our virtual programming, allowing alumni and friends to celebrate their KWC passion and pride from the comfort and safety of home, wherever that may be.”

Kentucky Wesleyan College will return to in-person instruction and resume on-campus housing along with full academic support services this August. KWC President, Dr. Thomas Mitzel, released an Executive Summary of the College’s Phase III Opening Plan on Wednesday.

“To help navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the College established a COVID-19 response team in February, 2020,” said Mitzel. “This team has been integral in helping guide the institution through the difficult but necessary decisions that have been made on campus this past spring and summer. In accordance with the safety guides established by the state of Kentucky and the CDC, I asked the COVID-19 response team to draft Phase I, Phase II and Phase III plans for re-opening our campus which had closed to the public on April 6, 2020.”

As part of the return to a healthy campus this fall, students, faculty and staff are also being asked to commit to the “Panther Promise.” This is a social contract that outlines the steps and measures each member of the KWC community will commit to in order to minimize risk and keep campus safe.

“These are living documents. By that I mean that they are flexible and will be updated as needed regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic may change as we enter the fall months. The landscape is much different now than it was when this planning process began, and we understand that the landscape may keep shifting, requiring us to realign best practices when needed.”

Kentucky Wesleyan previously announced a revised fall 2020 academic calendar with classes beginning on Aug. 17 and offered in a hybrid fashion. All classrooms and meeting spaces have been reset to allow for appropriate physical distancing. There will be no Labor Day or Fall Break holidays in order to limit travel and potential exposure. Regular classes will conclude Nov. 24 with Final Exams after the Thanksgiving break via online delivery.

Please visit the KWC COVID-19 site for the Executive Summary of the Phase III Opening Plan along with further information, resources and answers to frequently asked questions pertaining to College operations amid this pandemic.

Associate Professor and Program Chair, Religion Chair, Faculty Council

Arrived at KWC in 2014 and teaches a range of religion and Christian ministries courses

Ph.D., Wesley Studies, University of Manchester, England
M.Div., Pastoral Ministry, Asbury Theological Seminary
M.A., Speech Communication, Missouri State University
B.S., Religious Communication, Missouri State University

“KWC is the most student-focused institution I’ve ever encountered – that’s one of our many tremendous strengths. Our faculty, staff and administration sincerely want students to establish a trajectory of success in life that reaches well beyond Commencement. This is not a commercial sound bite – it is rooted in our values as a Christian college.”   

Current Residence:
Greencastle, Ind.

Majors:
Will: Business Administration
Ruth: Biology (Minor in Chemistry)

Today:
Will has been a financial advisor since August 2017 and has Series 7 and 66 licenses; he opened his Edward Jones office in Greencastle, Ind. in July 2018.
Ruth will graduate from nursing school at Indiana State University this month.

Will and Ruth were married in October 2018 at DePauw Nature Park in Greencastle.

“KWC gave us the tools and knowledge we needed to join the workforce and make a difference wherever we decided to go. Because the College gave us many opportunities, and because many generous alumni helped make this possible through their donations, we wanted to pay it forward.

“We encourage our fellow alumni to help give new students the same opportunities they had, and help KWC thrive for many years to come.

“Wesleyan, All Hail!”

Dear Kentucky Wesleyan Family,

The summer solstice has already occurred, and the fall season will greet us more quickly than we realize. I do hope you have been able to take advantage of the nice weather to venture outside, enjoy nature, and re-unite with family and friends (with physical distancing of course). We at Kentucky Wesleyan College are focused during this time in preparing for our fall 2020 semester and academic year.

We will be bringing all of our students back to campus. In preparation for their return we have been following the Kentucky guidelines for safety as well as those of the CDC and various higher education safety models. The campus will necessarily flow differently as we work through the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will still resonate with the strong Panther pride and history of which you are all such an important part.

The following calendar changes will occur for the fall 2020 semester:

• Classes will begin on August 17, 2020
• Labor Day Holiday will be cancelled with classes held
• Fall Break will be cancelled with classes held
• Regular classes will conclude Tuesday, November 24, 2020
• Finals will occur after the Thanksgiving break via online delivery

Hello, alumni! I have been at Kentucky Wesleyan just under two years now and I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of you for your welcome and for your help. You have all been wonderful! As we approach the beginning of a new academic year, I wanted to take the time to share a few updates from my office with you.