WC NEWS

Dr. Christi Cook, coordinator of Weatherford College’s Honors Program, was excited to share the continued success of her students with the Board of Trustees at their January meeting on Thursday.  

The Honors Program is in addition to honor and leadership societies on campus and boasts a diverse student population including veterans, international students and athletes.  

“We’re experiencing massive transformational growth right now,” Cook said. “We added 19 new students this spring, practically doubling our numbers, and we’re hoping to have that same amount of growth moving forward.  

When the program began in the 2021-22 academic year, 28 students participated; now there are 42.  

Students in the Honors Program have 20 courses to choose from to increase the academic rigor of their degree including psychology, speech, English, math, government, fine arts, and more.  

Students must meet GPA and TSI requirements to enter the program. To graduate with honors, they must complete 12 or more hours of honors coursework, complete at least five hours of community service each semester and complete an honors capstone project. Students who double their number of honors courses and community service hours graduate with distinguished honors.  

To date, 22 WC students have graduated from the Honors Program, two of those with distinguished honors. Four students went on to transfer into the honors college at their chosen university.  

“Each of them has expressed the tiniest bit of remorse and regret that they’re not with us anymore,” Cook said. “That although they’re succeeding and excelling, they miss the support and comfort they had in our program. That makes us feel like we’re doing the right thing, and we want to continue doing that and providing that level of individual attention even as we grow.”  

In other business, the board:  

• Approved the minutes of the Dec. 19 board meeting.  

• Approved the financial reports ending Dec. 31.  

• Approved listing Canyon West Golf Course’s fees along with the traditional tuition and fees schedule.  

• Received written reports from WC Wise County, academics and a student services update. 

• Approved the purchase of 2.5 acres on the corner of East Park Street and Sloan Street west of the Alumni House for $780,000. 

  In his President’s Report, Dr. Tod Allen Farmer:  

• Recognized Dr. Shannon Ydoyaga and the faculty and staff who planned and executed a successful Connections Week.  

• Drew attention to the college’s new 56-passenger MCI bus, now parked in the Alkek Fine Arts Center parking lot. The bus will provide transportation for various activities while supporting recruitment efforts.  

• Recognized WC’s five student-athletes named All-American in 2024, the most in a calendar year for the college.  

• Announced the resignations of Warren Egerton, law enforcement academy director; Dr. Sarah Lock, associate dean of dual credit and e-learning; Merryl Carson, director of workforce education; and Karen Cerda, assistant director of human resources.  

• Provided a spring semester enrollment update. As of Tuesday, Jan. 14, there are 5,927 students registered for the Spring 2025 semester compared to 5,135 that day last year, a 15.5 percent increase.