Move Forward at University

August 7, 2009

News that Fr. Julio Giulietti is being replaced as president of Wheeling Jesuit University probably came as a shock to many area residents - and to students and staff at the institution. The decision this week by the university's Board of Trustees was sudden and not without controversy.

What is important now - vital, in fact - is for the university to continue moving forward, improving its ability to carry out its mission. Wheeling Jesuit's mission statement is more far-reaching than those of many other institutions of higher learning. It is to educate men and women for "life, leadership and service with and among others."
 
The university is an important part of the Ohio Valley community, of course. It is a strong factor in the local economy. It also is an important education resource for both college students and younger area residents.
But Wheeling Jesuit is more than a local institution of higher learning. Research and education outreach activities at the university have national, sometimes international, importance. Down through the years, it has provided thousands of men and women with quality educations. And the university has a long record of social service that has benefitted thousands of people in our communities and the wider world.

We urge all involved in the current transition at Wheeling Jesuit to keep the university's mission first and foremost in their minds.

By building on the university's strong traditions of service in many ways, Wheeling Jesuit can and will have a bright future. Again, we urge all involved in leading the institution to keep that as their guiding light and top priority.

- as published in The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register

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