Dr. Vargo:
Most of us feared the worst.
We had witnessed the rise of Wheeling College to Wheeling Jesuit University, and we watched the disturbing decline, too. We were especially saddened by the final departures of the Jesuit priests, the headlines about fiscal emergencies, and when students protested along Washington Avenue in Wheeling because they felt their complaints about on-campus conditions were falling on deaf ears.
Just a couple of years ago, we heard reports about faculty terminations and administrative turnover, dormitory mold and malfunctioning elevators, campus bans and substantial debt, and there was great concern about long-term survival. That’s when many members of the university’s alumni association closed their checkbooks, fake social media personas were reporting “insider” accounts, and the campus, it seemed, was broken down from neglect.
Oh, and those student protesters? Yeah, they felt they needed to wear masks while marching with their homemade signs out of fear of retaliation.
It was bad. It real bad.
But then changes were made, you were elevated to president in September 2024, and no longer are we hearing about fiscal emergencies, debt collectors, manuscript mishaps, and population declines. Instead, we’ve seen growth, improvement, and accomplishment.
Dr. Vargo, thank you for the leadership that has helped return Wheeling University to relevancy and for making the institution an economic asset again instead of a financial liability for its surrounding community. We understand there’s much more work to do, and we can’t wait to witness more of the climb to full recovery rather than fearing a final – and fatal – fall.
Sincerely,
Fly Cardinals Fly!!
