After a whirlwind first month here, the new President of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College (SWC), Ryan Williams, with his wife Marianna and family, looks forward to moving into their permanent home in the Valley as soon as possible.
Williams is pleased to join SWC during a period of exciting change. Instead of a first year spent getting his bearings, he has plunged into the process of acquiring four-year degree granting accreditation through the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB). Also this year he must ensure SWC is compliant with the long-awaited Ontario Non-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) which is anticipated to be proclaimed in January 2020. Another urgent priority is rewarding the people at SWC. Williams says,
They give of themselves selflessly in a way that I have never experienced in a professional setting before.
As well as the immediate priorities, Williams must also nurture further growth of SWC. He acknowledges that in recent years SWC has worked primarily on acquiring degree-granting status and obtaining approval under the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). He says that it’s time for a concentrated outreach campaign to increase awareness of the College. He aims to establish even more relationships with SWC, saying, “There are a lot of people who, when they learn about the school, are very eager to help this kind of faithful and true education be offered. One of the shining features of our school is we actually educate instead of training.” Williams’ introductory President’s Message on the SWC website explains: “To be trained is to learn how to do one thing well; to be educated is to learn how to do well in all things.”
A consistently high rating in the Newman Guide has raised SWC’s profile and he says it is “well known in a small community.” But he says there is much more to be done – both nearby and across North America. After his investiture next month as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre – a medieval Roman Catholic Order of chivalry that like the Knights of Malta answers only to the Holy See – he hopes to travel extensively spreading the SWC message. He said the College offers a “reasonably-priced post-secondary education that beats anything in the States.” Pointing out that Texas alone has a home-schooling community of two million, Williams’ plans include conference attendances to offer American Catholic families the opportunity of an international experience for their children that is still visitable by parents.
He says he would like to see
the school become an even more prominent contributor to the community. I think of places where universities have really helped communities grow: places like South Bend, Indiana and College Station, Texas. If we got that fourth cohort, I think every one of the restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores here would benefit.
Obtaining four-year degree granting status anticipates four cohorts of forty students. This number presents another challenge since Williams admits that SWC is at capacity with 130 students. He says, “Once we get this four-year degree it will give us a compelling reason to look at more investments for student housing.” He says SWC also needs an activity building. When asked if the College will need to look outside the Valley to expand, Williams said that SWC students appreciate living in a small, rural community and there is room here for expansion. He points to the strong Catholic community, saying that Madawaska Valley is a very special location and SWC would not be the same anywhere else. Williams says there is a lot more the school and the community can do together: “People here are very generous with time, talents and money.” And he notes, “Our Lady will provide.”
Williams says he has felt the influence of Our Lady throughout his life. He studied at a seminary in Rome whose chapel is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. He and his wife, Marianna, were married in St. Peter’s Basilica at the altar of the Immaculate Conception. Where he obtained his doctorate in philosophy from The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C., there is also a Shrine to the Immaculate Conception. When he was chosen to work for the seminary, he was offered living space in the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. Their first daughter (of four) was born on September 8 – Mary’s birthday. He ends by saying,
And here we are at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, still working hard for Our Lady and blessed every moment to do so.
The above article contains information provided to The Current during an extended interview on August 12.
