Now for the education scene in Wilmington, Ohio.
It’s the first day of classes at Southern State Community College, and Wilmington is the home of the North Campus of the college. Haven’t heard of it? Don’t blame you. It’s not a particularly prestigious institution. I guess the most popular programs would be the nursing program or the general education program. There are plenty of high school students who take free courses thanks to the Post Secondary program. They can also take them at Wilmington College, but hey, that requires a 3.5 GPA or higher.
So, in the Wilmington area, as mentioned, there are basically two choices of so-called ‘higher education’ available. Many students take advantage of the community college to take basic education classes, such as sociology, philosophy, biology, chemistry, etc. And they are taught by fine professors. There is a stigma about community college being dumbed down somehow. Not true. All of my classes I’ve taken have been taught by ones with doctorate or masters degrees (i.e.-Bill Henry, Bob Headley, Terry Flum, all Ph.D educated), with one or two simply having a bachelors. When it comes to the more well known college, Wilmington College, an entirely new culture develops.
Wilmington can rightly be labeled as a college town (but lacking a truly dedicated coffee shop, unfortunately), which is earned from the history of WC. The education is pricier, there is a campus community, and the women’s basketball program has some prestige. They won the NCAA Division III title in 2004. Go Dubtown! But, for the price, there is the distinction of going to Wilmington College. It is known in the world for programs promoting peace (perhaps because of the Quaker connection…?), is a major participator in the ONE Campaign, and has hosted guest speakers of fame, from Terry Daniels to…well, others, since that’s the only one I remember off the top of my head, from when I was there as a child. Does Southern State have anything like that? Well…er…there are some vending machines in the lobby…a fuzzy television that somebody keeps tuned to paternity strife on Maury or some goon in small claims court…and table tennis! Whereas WC has a football team (as awful as they may be, no offense intended), a decently reputable soccer team, and the aforementioned title winning women’s basketball team, amongst others. Why does any of this matter?
Though I heard many people in school express a strong desire to get out of Wilmington, I’ve seen that several stay close or don’t move at all. When it comes to education, there are the two basic options for residents of Wilmington: the local community college or the renowned institution. There are pros and cons to each one, but to pick one as being ‘better’ would be quite unfair. For as much as I mock the community college, I rightfully can, since I am enrolled there, and split my classes between Wilmington and Hillsboro (but let’s not go to that even stranger town…).
So, a roundabout way of informing the audience about what is there for some of the higher education in Wilmington. By no means an in-depth analysis, but food for thought.
done and done.
What a rush to hear WC referred to as a “renowned institution”! The Princeton of Clinton County it appears! Seriously, WC does quite a lot given its resources and there is a college atmosphere that I have not seen at Southern State. But I sense that Dubtown locals tend to overestimate several things about WC. First the cost. Yes, if you look at the tuition in the catalog the price looks astronomical. But thanks to tuition discounts (they call them scholarships) almost no one pays full price. Dubtowners tend to think of WC in terms of what they think it costs as opposed to what it really costs and as a result, they assume WC students are wealthier than they actually are. I also suspect that Wilmington folks overestimate the wealth of the institution. This misconception is propagated in part by our President’s obsessive concern with appearances. The grounds are spotless. The football field will soon be one of the most modern in the state. We have really cool signage. But the computer system works at a glacial pace. Power outages are a regular occurrence. Thanks to low-bid custodial contracting, many of the buildings are not even clean. Poke around behind the façade and the real WC starts to show through. WC and Southern State combine to provide genuine opportunities for higher education in Clinton County and the two institutions are both major assets. I’m not ready to go as far as renowned but there is an honest effort at both schools to do right by students.