BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College is launching a new online Master’s in Business Administration to meet the unique needs of working professionals who require a flexible, affordable program to advance their careers or excel in their current roles.  

The Executive MBA Program in the Thomas A. Albinson School of Business will offer flexibility, practical relevance, experienced faculty, peer learning, a global perspective, leadership development and networking opportunities. Throughout the program, students will engage in case studies, simulations and projects that directly apply to their professional roles, ensuring immediate applicability of learning.

West Virginia Wesleyan College President Dr. James Moore said, “I’m really excited about the launch of this program and would like to thank Dr. Kim Conrad for her leadership. We’ve heard loud and clear from our industry partners that there is a real need for an executive MBA program that focuses on training the next generation of business leaders to advance North Central West Virginia and beyond. I believe this program will do that and more.”

The EMBA program will cost $500 per credit hour with students needing 36 hours of credit to graduate.  Designed to be flexible with working professionals who balance work study and personal commitments, the program can be completed in as little as 12 months or extended to 18 or 24 months. 

There are two residency requirements – an Orientation and Networking Residency for 2 ½ days prior to the start of the first semester and a 2 ½ day capstone residency to finish out the program. During the residencies, students will network with industry leaders, alumni and professionals in the business world.

More information can be found at www.wvwc.edu/emba.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is hosting regional school safety meetings starting this week.

County and school administrators will join the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, the Fusion Center and the WVDE to discuss possible threats to child safety. The WVDE will also share information about new technology used for submitting annual school safety plans.

“The regional safety sessions serve several purposes, and all of them are designed to keep our children safe,” said Director of School Safety Jonah Adkins. “The FBI and Homeland Security understand the importance of public involvement, so this information is shared to increase awareness and prevent incidents that no one should ever experience.”

The FBI will discuss online activity that students could get involved in. FBI special agents say they commonly look into hackers and adults that may be pretending to be juveniles and are engaging with children through social media or other online forms of communication.

Schools and counties have at their use better technology tools to submit their annual safety plans with WVDE GPS, or Grants and Planning System. The program includes new features that allow educators to include important student information in emergency reunification plans.

When meeting with the state Board of Education recently, Adkins also mentioned the “See Send” App that can be used by students if they have safety concerns.

“Students can submit reports or concerns anonymously and those come to the school safety unit and are investigated,” he said.

Adkins told board members he’s big on getting communities more involved. He said they play just as vital of a role of keeping kids safe at school as anyone.

“Get the community to realize they’re importance in involvement in school safety and prevention,” he said.

The first meeting is Tuesday, May 7, at the Embassy Suites, located at 300 Court Street in Charleston. The meeting will cover Boone, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, Roane, Wayne, Wirt and Wood counties.

The rest of the series of meetings are as followed:

Friday, May 10 – White Palace at Wheeling Park, Wheeling
Barbour, Brooke, Doddridge, Hancock, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel counties

Monday, May 13 – West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg
Braxton, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Summers, Webster, Wyoming counties

Thursday, May 16 – West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB)
Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Pendleton, Randolph, Tucker counties and the WVSDB