Washington College: Maryland's Top Private Liberal Arts College In The 2005 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Chestertown, MD, August 20, 2004 — As Washington College welcomes its most selective class in the institution's history, the College has climbed from 97th to 89th place in the 2005 U. S. News & World Report America's Best Colleges rankings, making it Maryland's top private college in the “Best Liberal Arts Colleges” category and one of the Top 110 Best Liberal Arts Colleges nationwide. The 2005 edition of America's Best Colleges will be available on newsstands August 24.

“We are very proud of our position in the rankings and the dedication of our faculty and staff whose hard work has helped us to achieve such distinction,” said Dr. Baird Tipson, President of the College. “Nor can we forget our students and alumni whose academic achievements are reflected in our climbing ranking score.”

Published since 1983, the U.S. News ranking system relies on quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality. Data for 15 indicators of academic excellence is gathered on an annual basis; each factor is assigned a weight that reflects U. S. News' judgement about how much a measure matters. Indicators include a peer assessment survey of like institutions, student retention numbers, faculty resources and class size, selectivity in admissions, financial resources, graduation rate performance and the percentage of alumni who donate to their college.

“To achieve such a position in the rankings is certainly a point of pride for Washington College,” said Dr. Tipson. “But I like to emphasize to college-bound students and their parents that the annual U. S. News rankings are only one tool among many that students can use to research and select the institution that is best for them. They need to consider factors such as hands-on learning opportunities, faculty and departmental specializations, teaching excellence and student outcomes—derived from sources such as campus visits and one-on-one meetings with current students and faculty. These are the best indicators of how well a college measures up to its mission and will meet the needs of its students.”

Washington College is a private, independent liberal arts and sciences college located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, it is the first college chartered in the new nation.

Dr. Ruth Shoge Appointed To Head Miller Library

Chestertown, MD, August 17, 2004 — Washington College has announced the appointment of Dr. Ruth Shoge as the new Director of the Clifton M. Miller Library. Shoge joined the Miller Library staff in 1990 as the Reference and Instruction Librarian.

“Dr. Shoge's proven commitment to the Clifton M. Miller Library and her wisdom and energy will greatly help to advance Washington College's library resources and services,” said Dr. Joachim Scholz, Provost and Dean of the College.

Born in Jamaica, Shoge holds a Doctor of Library Science from Columbia University. After receiving her doctorate in 1982, she served as Head of Reference and Periodicals for the Orange Public Library, Orange, NJ, and then as Reference and Instruction Librarian for Upsala College.

“I really believe that librarianship is my destiny, and my destiny is my passion,” said Dr. Shoge, who discovered her vocation soon after graduating from high school.

“I was captivated by a world filled with knowledge, and I could take control of that world. I collected, organized, and disseminated knowledge in all its forms, and I studied, taught, researched and wrote about that world. I bring this same enthusiasm and optimism to the Miller Library as it progresses into the 21st century as an active participant in the educational mission of Washington College.”

In addition to teaching courses on feminism in the third world as part of the College's Community, Nation and World seminars for first-year students, Dr. Shoge has focused her academic research on the role and place of the library in the lives of African Americans. She lives in Chestertown with her husband Simeon. They have four children: Ruth, 24, Richard, 22, Maryann, 20, and Samuel, 15.

Washington College Students Will Be "Into The Streets" For Volunteer Community Service, August 27

Chestertown, MD, August 13, 2004 — On Friday, August 27, Washington College will hold its sixth annual “Into the Streets” day of community service. The College's new first-year students, led by peer mentors and joined by newly appointed President Baird Tipson and faculty and staff volunteers, will be organized into 26 teams to assist in community, environmental and human service projects throughout the Mid-Shore.

“Washington College is very closely tied to its community and to the environment of our region,” said Vicky Sawyer, Associate Director of Career Development and Overseer of Service Learning at Washington College. “‘Into the Streets' has been a great way to give our students a sense of responsibility for the needs of our local community and for the communities in which they will eventually reside after college. They learn that their actions and initiative make a difference in the lives of other people.”

The 26 student teams will participate in a variety of projects on the Mid-Shore. This year's service sites include the Adkins Arboretum, Tuckahoe State Park, Camp Fairlee Manor, Chesapeake Environmental Center, Chestertown Cemetery, Chestertown Community Food Pantry, Chester River Manor, Crimson Stables, Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Echo Hill Outdoor School, Humane Society of Kent County, Kent County Parks and Recreation, Kent Association for Riding Therapy, Kent Family Center, Prince Theatre, Rock Hall Community, Women In Need and Wye Island Refuge.

“We encourage other community organizations to contact us if they have need of our student volunteers for next year's ‘Into the Streets',” Sawyer added.

The “Into the Streets” Day of Service was conceived by two Washington College alumni, Katie Preen '00 and Gia Grier '02, while students. With ideas for student volunteerism inspired by a 1999 Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL) Conference, Preen and Grier worked with Sawyer to develop service learning programs on and off campus for Washington College students. Together they created “Into the Streets” to introduce incoming freshman and transfer students to their new home and to provide a day to experience the variety of ways that they can contribute their time and talents to the community.

For more information on “Into the Streets,” or if you represent a community organization in need of student volunteers, contact Vicky Sawyer at 410-778-7892.

2004 Freshman Convocation

Congressman Wayne Gilchrest will address incoming students and their families at the annual Freshman Convocation, Thursday, August 26, at 2 p.m. in Washington College's Cain Gymnasium.

President Baird Tipson will present Congressman Gilchrest an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Washington College in recognition of his years of service to his nation and to his local community as a U.S. Marine, as a high school teacher and as Maryland's 1st District Representative. Now in his seventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Gilchrest has emerged as a strong voice for fiscal responsibility and environmental protection, dedicating his attention to protecting and preserving the environment of the Chesapeake Bay region and the nation's natural resources.

A New Season Of Sound: Washington College Announces Schedule For 2004-2005 Concert Series

Chestertown, MD, August 12, 2004 — The Washington College Concert Series—now in its 53rd season—will host an exciting season of music for 2004-2005. All concerts are held at the Tawes Theatre, Daniel Z. Gibson Performing Arts Center, on the campus of the College. Single tickets can be purchased at the door, $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for youth and students. Season tickets are available for $50.00 per person in advance or at the box office on performance nights.

The 2004-2005 season will feature performances by the following musicians:

J. Y. Song, pianist, Saturday, October 23, 2004, 8 p.m.

Since her nomination as 1994 Pro Piano Artist of the Year and her Alice Tully Hall recital debut in 1996, J.Y. Song has established herself as a musician with broad and idiosyncratic musical tastes, probing interpretations of traditional repertoire and critically acclaimed performances of twentieth-century music. In Tune wrote “besides sheer technique, Song displays magnificent intellect in all her mood painting.”

The Baltimore Consort, Saturday, November 20, 2004, 8 p.m.

With their variety of instruments and the unique singing of Custer La Rue, the Baltimore Consort has delighted audiences on both sides of the Atlantic and earned their CDs a place on the Billboard Top 10 list. The Consort's arrangements of early music from England, Scotland and France speak to the heart as well as to the mind, and their love for the early music of English and Scottish heritage has led them to delve into the rich trove of traditional balladry and dance tunes preserved in Appalachia and Nova Scotia.

The Chiara String Quartet with pianist Simone Dinnerstein, Friday, February 4, 2005, 8 p.m.

First welcomed to Washington College's stage last season, the Chiara String Quartet is one of the nation's most sought-after young ensembles. These Julliard-trained musicians bring commitment, ardor and passion to traditional quartet repertoire, and, with an eye toward the next generation of music, perform commissioned pieces from today's talented, working composers. The Quartet is joined by American pianist Simone Dinnerstein, a charismatic and commanding performer of both the solo and chamber music, noted for her warm and varied tone and for her unusual and compelling interpretations. The Philadelphia Inquirer called her “remarkable,” noting her “gorgeous blend of power and finesse.”

Sparx, flute and harp duo, Sunday, March 20, 2005, 4 p.m.

This Delaware duo of Joan Sparks, flutist, and Anne Sullivan, harpist—Artists in Residence at the Tatnall School in Wilmington—brings radiance to a repertoire that includes composers of the 20th Century such as Rodrigo, Saint-Saens and Faure, and works from time-honored masters such as Mozart, C. P. E. Bach and Vivaldi. Composer Lowell Liebermann choseSparx to perform the World Premier of his Sonata for Flute and Harp, Op. 56, in 1996.

The Frances Poulenc Trio, piano, oboe and bassoon, Friday, April 29, 8 p.m.

Comprising three uniquely gifted virtuosos—American bassoonist Bryan Young, Russian pianist Irina Lande and Russian oboist Vladimir Lande—the Francis Poulenc Trio combines 21st-century vibrancy with the best of European instrumental tradition. The Trio's performances leap beyond the ordinary concert experience, transporting audiences into a world of beautiful sonorities, playful rhythms and dramatic excitement.

For ticket information and a 2004-2005 season brochure, call 410-778-7839 or 800-422-1782, ext. 7839. Individual tax-deductible patron memberships begin at $75.00. Contributing patron memberships begin at $150.00, supporting at $250.00 and sustaining at $500.00. All membership packages include two tickets, and all donations over the price of the tickets are tax-deductible.

Season tickets and memberships can be purchased by check or money order through the mail from the Washington College Concert Series, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620-1197.

Washington College Announces Fall 2004 Graduate Courses In English, History And Psychology

Chestertown, MD, August 11, 2004 — Students, educators and mental healthcare professionals are invited to register for Fall 2004 graduate courses at Washington College. The College offers master's degree programs in English, history and psychology, as well as graduate courses in education that can help to meet requirements for advanced professional certifications. Courses begin September 7-13 and end the week of December 13-17. Education courses are scheduled on an ongoing basis at a number of Maryland locations. Information available at www.RegionalTrainingCenter.org.

The following graduate courses will be offered this fall at Washington College:

ENG 503-10 Romantic Poetry, Monday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
ENG 597-10 Modernist Poetry, Tuesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
HIS 508-10 Topics in American Intellectual History, Wednesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
HIS 599-10 Vietnam 1885-1976: The Struggle for National Identity, Thursday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
HIS 599-11 The Roots of Modern Political Violence, Monday, 6:00-8:30 p.m.
PSY 499-10 Introductory Proseminar, Monday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
PSY 500-10 Statistics in Psychology and Education, Thursday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
PSY 510-10 Adolescence, Maturity and Old Age, Wednesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
PSY 575-10 Counseling for the Critical Adult Life Stages, Tuesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
PSY 599-10 Dynamics of Addiction, Monday, 6:00-8:30 p.m.

All Fall graduate classes are held on Washington College's Chestertown campus unless otherwise noted. Students must pre-register prior to August 10 to guarantee texts. The Washington College Bookstore will be open 7:00-9:00 p.m., September 7-9 and 13, for students to purchase texts. Graduate tuition is $770 per course, plus a non-refundable course registration fee of $55. A late registration fee of $150 per course will be assessed for students who register after the first week of classes. Pre-registration forms are accepted at the Registrar's Office in person, by mail, by phone at 410-778-7299, or by fax at 410-810-7159. For complete information on Washington College's graduate course offerings, including detailed course descriptions and registration forms, visit http://grad.washcoll.edu.

The College's graduate education course schedule and registration materials are available online at www.RegionalTrainingCenter.org, or by calling the Regional Training Center at 800-433-4740 between the hours 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.