West Chester University celebrates 150 years

WEST CHESTER—During his annual “Welcome Back” address to students, faculty, staff and members of the community, West Chester University President Chris Fiorentino proudly talked about Art Professor Andrew Snyder.

Snyder virtually taught a pottery class.

“It’s pretty tough to move a pottery class online because most students don’t have a potter’s wheel handy at their home,” Fiorentino said with a grin.

Snyder overcame the pandemic and taught the class virtually after supplying each student with a potter’s wheel he had made.

Fiorentino’s Friday address at Emile K. Asplundh Concert Hall marked the 150th anniversary of the university’s founding and the return of students to campus during the pandemic after three semesters away.

Fiorentino talked of the absolute emptiness of the campus that seemed “utterly lifeless.”

But the university was thriving.

“The university was still so alive…teachers were teaching, and students were learning, and classes were discussing, and staff were supporting,” Fiorentino said. “While our campus seemed utterly motionless, everyone was working together to keep things ‘zooming’ right along.”

Still, as the campus comes back to life, there is cause for concern.

“We come together today in a campus full of life and world full of uncertainty–a world in which people constantly wonder ‘Am I safe?’ a world where people worry about unexpected surprises ahead,” he said.

The president told the audience of several hundred that there are three things he feels confident about: COVID vaccines are available and are remarkably safe and effective; infections in vaccinated people are genuinely mild and rare; and masks work to limit the spread.

“When you put this together, it also means we can be reasonably sure that we will be safe as a community,” the president said.

While the university assumes some risk by teaching-in person, students and staff are willing to accept the risk. Fiorentino compared not teaching in live classrooms to limiting the speed limit to 10 m.p.h.

“We could shut down our campus and reduce COVID risk to zero,” he said. “But would we still be able to get where we need to go?

“It is clear to me that (students) want to and need to be back on a live campus with live classes that bring them face-to-face with our incredible faculty,” he said.

More than 17,700 WCU students are enrolled in 118 undergraduate programs, 91 master’s degree programs, and four doctoral programs — a far cry from the original 130 teacher candidates 150 years ago housed in one building.

Although its roots date back to West Chester Academy, founded in 1812, the institution that became West Chester University was chartered as West Chester Normal School in 1870 and opened for its first classes in September 1871. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the word “normal” was applied to institutions that trained teachers.

The school was known as West Chester Normal School/State Normal School from 1871-1926 and the school became West Chester State Teachers College when Pennsylvania initiated a four-year program of teacher education in 1927.

The establishment of graduate studies accompanied the next name change in 1960 to West Chester State College. The final name change – to West Chester University – occurred in 1983, when WCU became one of the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Fiorentino noted that college affordability is a challenge. Pell grants formerly covered 80 percent of college costs and only cover 30 percent of low-income student’s costs.

“The result?” Fiorentino asked. “Many of our students struggle to cover their ever-growing portion of the check for a college education.”

Also, on Friday, the university launched the 150 Forward Fundraising campaign.

“It’s a comprehensive campaign, it’s not about money for buildings, it’s about money for students,” Fiorentino said. “Campus buildings are important, but the students on our campus are even more important.”

Funds will go to student scholarships, student research, student travel abroad and an on campus food and necessities pantry.

Fiorentino addressed the achievement gap, which refers to equity gaps that are related to race and income.

The graduation rate for white students is 80 percent, with the graduation rate for Hispanics is only 67 percent and the rate for Black students is just 56 percent.

The effort will be known as a “moonshot” or an effort to describe the seemingly impossible.

“We need to make certain that we are able to put every student who comes to West Chester, irrespective of race or family income, on a better life trajectory,” he said. “That’s what he Moonshot for Equity is all about.”