Wesley College (Delaware): Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Private college in Dover, Delaware, US (1873–2021)}}

{{about|the former college in the U.S. state of Delaware||Wesley College (disambiguation)}}{{use mdy dates|date=November 2012}}

'''Wesley College''' was a [[private college|private]] [[liberal arts college]] in [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]], [[Delaware]]. It was acquired by [[Delaware State University]] (DSU) in 2021 and is now the DSU Downtown campus.<ref name= "set merge">{{cite news| url= https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2020/07/09/wesley-college-set-merge-delaware-state-university/5405291002/ |title= Delaware State University signs agreement to acquire Wesley College| first= Natalia |last= Alamdari| work= [[The News Journal]]| date= July 9, 2020| publisher= | access-date= August 12, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wdel.com/news/delaware-state-university-to-officially-acquire-wesley-college/article_c1419f00-c213-11ea-a506-aba294cb7e11.html |title=Delaware State University to officially acquire Wesley College |first= Amy| last=Cherry|date=July 9, 2020 |publisher= [[WDEL-FM]] |access-date=October 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-state-univ-to-make-historic-acquisition-of-wesley-college/|title=Delaware State Univ. to make historic acquisition of Wesley College| first= Mark |last= Eichmann| date= July 9, 2020| publisher= [[WHYY-TV|WHYY]]| access-date=October 13, 2020}}</ref>

The institution was founded in 1873<ref name= "tenured">{{cite news| url= https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-4c44d1ce00c3e2d8048aad43d9f32ba3| publisher= Associated Press| title= Tenured faculty challenge Wesley College acquisition by DSU| first= Randall| last= Chase| date= May 26, 2021| access-date= August 12, 2021}}</ref> as '''Wilmington Conference Academy''', a [[University-preparatory school|prep school]].<ref name= "WHistory">{{cite web| url= https://www.admissions.wesley.edu/campus/| publisher= Wesley College| date= | title= History| access-date= August 12, 2021| archive-date= August 12, 2021| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210812160335/https://www.admissions.wesley.edu/campus/| url-status= dead}}</ref> During this period [[Annie Jump Cannon]], a prominent astronomer who pioneered stellar classification, graduated valedictorian from Wilmington Conference Academy in 1880.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colonialschooldistrict.org/blog/we-celebrate-annie-jump-cannon/|work=Blog|publisher=Colonial School District|title= WE Celebrate: Annie Jump Cannon|date=March 18, 2021}}</ref><ref name="cannon-hist-marker" /> It became a two-year college in 1918 and renamed the '''Wesley Collegiate Institute'''.<ref name= "WHistory" /> It was renamed again in 1941 as '''Wesley Junior College''', and again in 1958 as Wesley College.<ref name= "WHistory" /> The institution conferred its first four-year degrees in 1978.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://archives.delaware.gov/markers/kc/KC-71.shtml|title= Kent County Markers| publisher=State of Delaware |website= Delaware Public Archives | access-date=June 16, 2016}}</ref>

In its last decades, the college experienced significant financial challenges and relied on state funding and grants.<ref name= "tenured" /><ref name= "set merge" /> At one point in 2019, had the state not given Wesley $3 million, students would have lost access to federal financial aid and salaries would have been at risk. In early 2021, the college faculty voted "no confidence" against Wesley's last president, [[Robert E. Clark II]], but Wesley College's board of trustees subsequently dismissed the resolution and supported him.<ref>Wesley College Board of Trustees Meeting Open Session Minutes - March 20, 2021</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=Mar 8, 2021 |title=Wesley Faculty Vote "No Confidence" In President Clark |url=http://www.whetstone.wesley.edu/2021/03/08/wesley-faculty-vote-no-confidence-in-president-clark/ |access-date=2021-04-16 |language=en-US |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415191422/http://www.whetstone.wesley.edu/2021/03/08/wesley-faculty-vote-no-confidence-in-president-clark/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On June 30, 2021, [[Delaware State University]] (DSU) began the formal process of purchasing Wesley College.<ref name= "misled">{{cite news |url= https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2021/03/29/millions-tax-dollars-went-private-wesley-college-many-say-they-were-misled/7010078002/| title= Millions in Tax Dollars Went to Private Wesley College; Fallout From Sale Leaves a Lot of Questions | website= The News Journal| date= 29 March 2021| publisher= | access-date= 26 July 2021| url-access= subscription }}</ref> This made DSU "the first historically Black college or university to acquire another college."<ref name= "set merge" /> The acquisition was finalized one year later, on July 1, 2021.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.desu.edu/wesley/| publisher= Delaware State University| title= DSU & Wesley| access-date= July 27, 2021}}</ref> Approximately 60 percent of the Wesley community were offered employment by Delaware State University. DSU took on Wesley College's debts and did not directly pay to purchase the university. All Wesley students with non-adverse records were permitted to become DSU students.<ref name= "Redden">{{cite news| url= https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/07/02/delaware-state-university-finalizes-acquisition-neighboring-wesley-college |title= A Cross-Town Acquisition| first= Elizabeth |last= Redden | date= July 2, 2021| access-date= July 27, 2021|work=[[Inside Higher Ed]]}}</ref> After the acquisition, the campus was known as DSU Downtown, while the Wesley name remained attached to the Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences housed at the campus.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/dsu-closes-wesley-acquisition/|title= DSU Officially Closes Wesley Acquisition |last=Tabeling|first=Kate|date=July 1, 2021|work=Delaware Business Times|access-date=November 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://eu.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2021/07/16/delaware-state-university-acquisition-wesley-college-complete-tony-allen-dsu-downtown-dover/7819472002/|last=Neiburg|first=Jeff|date=July 16, 2021|access-date=November 24, 2021|title=After acquiring Wesley College, what's next for Delaware State?|work=The News Journal}}</ref>

The institution competed in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]]'s [[NCAA Division III|Division III]] athletics in the [[Atlantic East Conference]]. Its teams were known as the Wolverines.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://delawareonline.com/story/sports/2021/02/16/sale-delaware-state-spells-end-wesley-college-sports/6759066002/|title=Sale to DSU Spells End of Wesley College Sports|last=Tresolini|first=Kevin|date=February 16, 2021|access-date=November 21, 2021|work=The News Journal}}</ref><ref name= "discon">{{cite news| url= https://www.wmdt.com/2021/03/discontinuation-of-wesley-college-athletic-program-impacting-student/| title= Discontinuation of Wesley College Athletic Program impacting student| date= March 19, 2021| first= Anissa |last= Lopez| website= [[WDMT (FM)|WDMT]].com| publisher= | access-date= July 26, 2021}}</ref>

* [[William N. Andrews]] (1898){{spaced ndash}} lawyer and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] politician, including serving as [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]]House forof [[Maryland's 1st congressional districtRepresentatives]] (1919–1921)