On the first Thursday of every month, students, faculty and community members gather for Getting to Know WU. The program typically lasts no more than 15 minutes and is structured in a fashion that is intended to help build the Waynesburg University community. Dana Cook Baer, provost of the university and professor of criminal justice, has lead the charge in establishing and developing the program.

“One of the things we have been working on in this office and campus-wide is to build relationships across campus,” Baer said. “We don’t want academics to be in one place and student services to be in another place, we would like to have everyone build relationships and know each other more.”
The main objective of the program is to create a space where everyone can get to know eachother better. Speakers who take the stage are free to speak about whatever interests them, in hopes that those in attendance will learn something new about the speaker.

“It is an opportunity for all of us to get to know each other on a more personal basis,” Baer said. “To know each other for who we are outside of the things we do every day.”

The program has been running since last September, and Baer hopes to continue to grow the program. Baer said that another way for the program to grow in the area is to have members of the community speak.

“Ultimately, it would be really nice if we included the Waynesburg community as well,” Baer said. “Perhaps we start getting people from the community to take the Getting to Know WU stage, because we are all a part of the larger community.”

Josephine Weingardt, a sophomore computer security and forensics major, enjoys the program and believes it makes Waynesburg stand out amongst other universities.

“I really like it, not a lot of colleges do it,” Weingardt said. “People don’t really make time for us to get to know people and what they like.”

Weingardt was in attendance for the most recent program, where President Douglas Lee spoke about his passion for surfing. Weingardt was able to make a personal connection to the president from his Getting to Know WU speech.

“You would never think our president surfs,” Weingardt said. “It really hit home for me too because I’m from California and I like to surf, so it was really nice that I could relate to the president of the university.”

Behind the scenes, the goal is that more students will attend the program, to continue the community’sbuilding process.

“The hope is that more students get involved, which is why we have been sending it from the beginning to students,” Baer said. “Asking students to come and get to know everybody a little better, to build that community.”

Weingardt believes the program is worth the fifteen minutes for students. She also hopes more students will attend as the program gains publicity around campus.

“I think more students should go,” Weingardt said.“It’s interesting what you find out.”