WHEELING, WV, Sept. 15, 2008 -- Wheeling Jesuit University's Center for Professional & Graduate Studies is opening a new Charleston Center to better serve students in the central part of the Mountain State. Located at 1028 Quarrier Street, the center is housed

within the Sacred Heart Parish Center. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, followed by a public reception from 5:30 - 7 p.m. The university President Julio Giulietti, SJ, dignitaries, faculty and administration will be on hand to welcome guests to the grand opening ceremony of the university's center, located in the state's capital.

"We are proud to announce this opening and happy to welcome our friends and the residents of the region, to our ribbon cutting ceremony," said Becky Forney, associate dean of professional and graduate studies. "Based on research conducted over the past year, we know that there is a need for this location and we encourage any prospective students to stop by and explore the center."

Staffed by full-time recruiter Kelli Murphy, who joined the Wheeling Jesuit administration this past July 1, the Charleston Center welcomes prospective students and their inquiries. Along with Murphy's office, the center includes a classroom where the Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Development (BOLD) and the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) programs meet.

Both of these cohort-based programs are up and running and very successful. Hundreds of adults who work in many fields, including banking, financial planning, government, social services, health and education, find them the right fit for their busy lifestyles. These programs build on a liberal arts basis and factor in professional experience and work duties.

Other programs offered include Nursing, Healthcare Leadership and the Accelerated Certification for Teaching, all offered online.

Dean Forney has been working with adult learners for 17 years now and understands their specific needs.

"We've had a need for adult programs like this in the region and Wheeling Jesuit it proud to offer the non-traditional students in the Charleston area a chance to obtain degrees while working and to further their careers," Forney said. "We know how to educate adult learners for today's professional workplace."

Information sessions for the new programs include a program for BOLD on Sept 23 and an information session for MSOL on Oct. 6. Both begin at 6 p.m. at the new center.

Wheeling Jesuit's professional and graduate programs have been successfully educating adults for more than 30 years and many professionals have benefited from the offerings which include an MBA program, a master of science in accountancy, the bachelor's of arts in leadership and development degree (BOLD) program, the bachelor in liberal arts degree program, bachelor in business administration, all offered on campus. In addition, online programs in nursing (RN to BSN and RN to MSN), nursing administration and nursing education, family nurse practitioner and the bachelor of science in health care leadership degree programs are available.

To find out more about any of the above, please call Murphy at 304-720-7292 or 1-866-716-0323 or contact her via e-mail at kmurphy@wju.edu.

The youngest of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, Wheeling Jesuit University offers students a high-quality private education. Since 1995 U.S. News & World Report has ranked Wheeling Jesuit University among the top institutions in its "Best Master's Universities in the South" category. The campus is also home to the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center, the Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies, the NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future, a Challenger Learning Center and the Clifford M. Lewis Appalachian Institute.

For complete information, please visit www.wju.edu or call 1 (800) 873-7665.