New look: Return of students not only change taking place at W&J
Courtesy of Washington & Jefferson College
Kelly Kimberland
Courtesy of Washington & Jefferson College
Kelly Kimberland, Washington & Jefferson College vice president of communications and marketing, played a major role in the academic institution’s rebranding.
Courtesy of Washington & Jefferson College
Dr. John Knapp, Washington & Jefferson College president, joins Kelly Kimberland, W&J vice president of communications and marketing, in speaking with a group of students recently.
The distinctive, identical towers of Old Main have served as overseers of the Washington & Jefferson College campus since they were erected in 1875. They also symbolize life, liberty and the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at the venerable private liberal arts school.
Graphically, though, that symbol has changed. The school logo has been upgraded, featuring the towers – in black and white, on a red background, all on a triangular-shaped shield. The bottom of the triangle features the year of W&J’s founding, 1781, with the college name, in upper case letters, sitting below.
This logo, launched a week and a half ago, replaces one that had been employed for about two decades. That trademark lacks the founding date, but is still favored by some alumni and others in the W&J community. The new one also is a visible symbol of a mini-metamorphosis that is transpiring on campus.
Washington & Jefferson is experiencing a rebranding that, in addition to the logo, includes an updated website and the implementation of two centers of learning that will emphasize leadership and career preparation.
“The new look is a signal that it’s a new day at W&J, that we are launching new initiatives that had been in the works,” said Dr. John Knapp, the school president. “We thought this would be a good time to freshen up the look at the college.”
There will be another new look: students on campus.
Sixteen months ago, the pandemic forced a college that had never taught online courses to do so full time. Students and faculty will be back starting Aug. 31.
“We’re requiring all students and faculty to be vaccinated, so we can resume doing what we do best,” the president said.
Knapp, who was sworn in as W&J’s 13th president in October 2017, said the school began the rebranding process at about that time.
“We commissioned a major market study to see what would be of the most value for students, to field test ways to leverage our strengths, to make what we are offering is what families want more today,” he said.
Prominent among the newest offerings will be the Center for Ethical Leadership and the Center for Professional and Career Pathways, which will launch in the upcoming school year. The Ethical Leadership center will strive to develop the ability of students to lead with integrity, while the Professional and Career Pathways center is designed to enable students to formulate a four-year plan for success in college then, in their professional lives.
“We want to give students a chance to tackle the world,” said Kelly Kimberland, vice president of communications and marketing at W&J, an alumna of the school and an Eighty Four resident.
“We make a promise to students,” she said. “When you come to W&J, your future is founded here, your profession is founded here, your community is founded here, your leadership is founded here and your success is founded here.”
Knapp said the focus of both centers is “professional development – not only to enable students to be work ready, but professionally ready. We want our graduates to be prepared and to have top graduate schools looking at us.”
He said these programs begin with “students exploring their gifts and aptitudes and launching a course of study with those things, so they realize their full potential. You get to understand yourself and your strengths as you work closely with advisers to prepare for the world after college.”
Citing studies, Knapp said “employers are looking beyond just the college major. They’re looking at other attributes, such as experiences. A liberal arts school with range gives students what they’re looking for.”