Virginia Wesleyan raising standards, expects fewer freshmen in fall

VIRGINIA BEACH

Virginia Wesleyan College will have a smaller freshman class in the fall and, with less money coming in, will also freeze salaries, College president Billy Greer Jr. said today.

The smaller class is anticipated after the private liberal-arts school has raised its requirements for incoming students. The college is working for Phi Beta Kappa status, a marker of academic excellence, that has only been given to about 10 percent of U.S. colleges.

To get there, “we absolutely are trying to raise the bar” on admissions, Greer Jr. said. It means fewer than the usual 360 freshmen enrollments, although the actual number for this fall hasn’t been determined, he said.

The higher requirement and the national economic recession led to his “wrenching” decision, he said.

“The bulk of this is something we did to ourselves. And intended to do,” Greer said. “You see, we’re trying to separate ourselves from everybody else in the region.”

Virginia Wesleyan also is raising tuition 5.8 percent for the next school year, to $25,938. College officials also added a new $300 technology fee. The school’s fund raising drive – its “Key to the Future Campaign” – had by the beginning of the year raised $48 million of its $65 million goal, to help it qualify for Phi Beta Kappa status.

The money is targeted toward building and modernizing facilities, providing more scholarships and attracting top faculty. Faculty salaries rose an average 5.4 percent annually over the past four years, according to the college’s Web site.