You’re only as old as you feel
William Woods is marking its 154th year of existence in 2024, which is by all accounts a very big number. But even after a century and a half of operation, there is one thing that will never get ‘old’ here at The Woods: our relentless commitment to student success, both when you are attending WWU and long after you have entered into the ranks of our alumni. And in just the past month, we announced a couple of new initiatives that are both aimed at that commitment.
On February 23, we officially announced a new groundbreaking partnership with Coursera, a global online learning and career development platform. Through Coursera, our students will now have access to online courses and credentials in a variety of disciplines that will be threaded within our existing university curriculum, further enhancing the academic experience and employment marketability of every William Woods student.
Coursera offers more than 6,000 courses and 45 professional certificates, with industry micro-credentials designed by some of the most recognizable brands in the world like Google, Microsoft and IBM. Through our partnership with Coursera, we can now embed these micro-credentials into our existing curriculum; for example, a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity at WWU will now also earn an IBM Cybersecurity micro-credential as part of their studies. Elsewhere, another student pursuing a masters degree in Data Analytics at William Woods will also earn a Google Data Analytics micro-credential. These hands-on projects and interactive assessments will allow our students to apply their skills in real-world scenarios and practice using workplace tools, helping to prepare them, even without prior work experience, for in-demand entry-level jobs upon graduation.
Ensuring that our students succeed at The Woods is the goal of another initiative announced recently, when WWU was one of 12 Missouri universities selected to participate in the Student Journey Mapping Project, facilitated by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD).
Being chosen for the Student Journey Mapping Project will allow us to strengthen our capacity to serve our students, especially our non-traditional, underrepresented student populations. This initiative will make it possible for us to better map our students’ academic journey, including before they arrive at WWU, then continuing during their advising, registration, matriculation and extending the process beyond graduation. Through this process, we look forward to enhancing the student experience, improving retention rates, more informed decision making, more personalized learning pathways and enhanced communication and collaboration.
As they say, you’re only as old as you feel. William Woods might indeed be 154 years ‘old,’ but we actually ‘feel’ really good about where we are going as a university. And even better about our commitment to the success of our students, something that has proven to be timeless.
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On Giving Thanks
A campus splashed in the spectacular hues of late autumn, accompanied by those breathtaking Midwestern sunsets that fill our skies at an earlier time each afternoon, tells us that mid November has arrived here at The Woods. Which means we have pretty much arrived at the season of giving thanks. If ever there was a […]
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Onward and upward – to new heights!
A few years ago, higher education pundits who spend their time pontificating about trends in the industry were concerned about an oncoming crisis. Based on demographic data, overall enrollment in higher education was headed for a sharp drop, they declared, something that became known as the approaching higher ed enrollment “cliff.” Pretty sobering stuff for […]
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Monumental May
The month of May on our beautiful campus has always been a time of quiet reflection on the academic year just completed, a slower-paced time of serenity after the frenzy of April at The Woods. But let it be forever remembered that here at William Woods in this May of 2023, we chose movement over […]
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The Storm before the Calm
The academic year moves in cycles that may seem as predictable as time itself. Move-In Day, welcoming new and returning students, and the start of fall semester in August. Final exams and the campus going quiet in the dead of winter in December. Spring Break and the first hints of spring in March. Followed by […]
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The Best Teacher
It is hard to believe we are already into our second month of the 2023 Spring semester, but with all the activity of University life – the classes, studying, social interaction, campus events – it is no wonder that many consider the college years to be the fastest of one’s life. Maybe because the total […]
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Now and forever, the most important investment
The start of a fresh new year and the beginning of the William Woods Spring 2023 semester have excitement and optimism written all over them. Of course, our mission of preparing young people for their future careers within the vitality of a college campus lend themselves to such sentiments. Such an environment is what prompted […]
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Clearly, a timely project
With final exams past and the campus slipping into the quiet calm of winter break, I have found myself reflecting on our just-completed Fall semester. A momentous semester, highlighted by a big increase in new student enrollment, exciting expansions of our online programs and academic degree offerings, a new initiative in character and leadership, and […]
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Forever in their debt
It has always seemed fitting to me that Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving are only a few short weeks apart on the calendar. After all, who deserves our thanks more than the committed, selfless men and women that serve in our armed forces? When we walk into a ballot box like we did this past week, […]
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You’re never too old to learn
As the fall semester moves into the brilliant October colors of autumn, I can’t help but marvel at how beautiful our campus looks, especially one that is more than a century old! Yes, William Woods is “old” in terms of years, as we begin our 152nd year as an institution, but what keeps us “young,” […]
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