Wyoming Catholic College

Wyoming Catholic College
Motto Wisdom in God's Country
Type Private
Established 2005
President Dr. Glenn Arbery, Ph.D
Academic staff
 22
Students 175 (2017)
Undergraduates 150
Postgraduates 0
Location Lander, Wyoming, USA
Campus Rural Town
Nickname WCC
Affiliations Roman Catholic (Ex Corde Ecclesiae)
Website www.wyomingcatholiccollege.com
The Church of the Holy Rosary that the college uses in conjunction with the parish.

Wyoming Catholic College is a private, Catholic liberal arts college in Lander, Wyoming. It uses the town's sole Catholic church and accompanying facilities as an interim campus. WCC is the only private four-year institution of higher education in the state. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.

The college takes no federal aid money.[1]

Accreditation

WCC is one of the newest colleges in the United States, admitting its first class in 2007 and graduating them in the spring of 2011. WCC was granted Institutional Preaccreditation status by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE) on September 1, 2010, and has achieved candidate status by the Higher Learning Commission.[2]

Academics

Because it offers a four-year, integrated, Great Books curriculum, Wyoming Catholic College has no majors, minors, specialized degrees or graduate programs; it awards graduating students the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. As of spring of 2018, there were over 160 students enrolled.

In the spring of 2016, Wyoming Catholic College became the second college in the nation to accept the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an alternative to the SAT and ACT for college admissions.

The curriculum was designed to give students a general liberal arts education through a study of the Great Books. Courses include Humanities, Theology, Philosophy, Math/Science, Fine Arts, Latin, Trivium, and Leadership.[3] Much of the college's vision comes from the Integrated Humanities Program founded by John Senior at the University of Kansas.

The school's Outdoor Leadership Program supplements the curriculum by taking students into the nearby Wind River Mountains (among other locations in the Wyoming/Utah area) to help them form their memories and imaginations through sense experience of the created world. In addition, the program teaches leadership and decision-making skills all while aiming to help the students grow in the Cardinal Virtues. All of the Freshmen go on a three week backpacking course in the Rocky mountains before beginning the school year.

Freshmen hike through a meadow in the Teton Mountains during their three week backpacking course.

Student life

On Sunday evenings, students gather together for swing dancing and waltzing. At various times in the academic year, there are formal themed dances put on by each of the classes. The Easter Dance is put on by everyone, starting after the Easter Vigil Mass with a feast that moves into hours of dancing and traditionally finishing with watching the sunrise.

About four times a year, the college invites a guest lecturer to take part in its Distinguished Lecture Series, which is attended by all students in formal attire. The topics vary, but often focus on the Philosophical and Theological traditions of Western Civilization.

Often, some of the dormitories will hold events that often involve singing Irish folk songs, playing instruments, and baking together.

Throughout the year, the college offers intramurals such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and frisbee.

Outside of classes, the students participate in a number of outdoor activities such as rock climbing, caving, running, biking, and rappelling. In 2016, the college opened up Crux Coffee, an outdoor themed coffee shop open to the public. There is also a vibrant extra-curricular choral program featuring a mixed choir and both men and women's scholas, currently under the direction of Dr. Peter Kwasniewski. The choir regularly sings Sacred music from the 15th centuries all the way to recent compositions of composers like Arvo Part and Christoph Dalitz.

Spiritual Life

The college offers daily Mass and confessions. Three times a week, the college offers the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. On weekday afternoons, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered. In addition, the College regularly offers theological and spiritual practicums for its students.

In the 2014-2015 academic year, the college finished De Smet chapel, a small chapel with a custom made ad-orientem altar. The chapel is named after Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, the first priest to celebrate Mass in the Wyoming territory.

References

  1. ↑ Healy, Jack (April 11, 2015). "To keep free of federal reins, Wyoming Catholic College rejects student aid". New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  2. ↑ FAQs at wyomingcatholiccollege.com. Accessed 2011-10-13. "The conferral of this status “signifies institutional integrity and a strong commitment to undergraduate education,” according to AALE’s Standards and Criteria for Program Accreditation. This status of accreditation allows Wyoming Catholic College to operate in an accredited manner until it receives full Institutional Accreditation in the next few months.
  3. ↑ "Academics". Wyoming Catholic College Website. Retrieved 2018-06-12.

Coordinates: 42°49′11″N 108°44′26″W / 42.81972°N 108.74056°W / 42.81972; -108.74056

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