Co-Education Is One Option on the Table at Wilson College

Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1869 as a college for women. Today, the women’s residential college remains while men can enroll in adult continuing education classes.

In recent years enrollments have remained flat, averaging about 763 students over the past decade. This fall, there are only 695 students enrolled. The college has set a goal of increasing enrollments to 1,500 students by the year 2020.

At an open campus meeting, college officials floated the idea that one way to help increase enrollments would be to switch to co-education. A 23-member Commission on Shaping the Future of Wilson College is charged with making recommendation on the future course for the college. The commission is made up of administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and students. The commission will make its recommendations to the college’s president next month. President Barbara Mistick will them make her recommendations to the board of trustees in December.

President Mistick became president of the college in July 2011. Previously she was president of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Dr. Mistick is a graduate of Carlow College in Pittsburgh. She holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in management from Case Western Reserve University.