Upcoming Events
University Events
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CARHU Banner Art Contest
This year’s banners celebrate WCU’s America250 themes through the lens of the College of Arts and Humanities, highlighting how creativity, culture, and critical thought tell our shared story.
Artists are invited to submit a visual concept and a brief narrative describing how their work reflects these three guiding ideas:
- Informing Our Shared History (Past)
- Advancing Justice (Present)
- Strengthening Communities (Future)
Collaborative and individual submissions are welcome. Each concept must include at least one image and ideas for all three panels of Main Hall.
Take a walk by the Academic Quad to view this year’s banners in person for a sense of scale and inspiration.
Deadline for concept submissions: January 27, 2026.
2026 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
January 21 - 27, 2026
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, January 21, 2025
MLK Commemoration Kickoff - Student Event
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Location: Sykes 252
We will kick off the week with a student-centered event designed to engage student
leaders and aspiring leaders as they return to campus and begin classes.
Thursday, January 22
MLK Day of Service
10 am - 1 pm (or when the project is complete)
Location: Sykes Ballroom
In collaboration with the Center for Community Engagement & Social Impact, all are
welcome to participate in a toy disinfecting service project to support community
partners.
Register for MLK Day of Service
Friday, January 23
The Society’s Annual MLK Awards Ceremony & Reception
12 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: Sykes Ballroom
Join the Society of WCU as we recognize the winners of the Drum Major for Justice,
Larry Dowdy Community Service, and Outstanding Student Organization Service Awards.
Be in community to lift each other up as we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
King. Jr. and service on our campus.
Register for MLK's Award Ceremony and Reception
Monday, January 26
Movie Monday: Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Join us as we commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through
the power of film. We're encouraging everyone to explore thought-provoking movies
that highlight themes of equality, justice, and resilience. Check out this curated
list of 10 Movies to Watch in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on A.Frame and reflect
on the impact of his vision for a more just and compassionate world.
Whether you're gathering with friends or watching solo, let these stories inspire
meaningful conversations about civil rights and social change. Make your Monday a
moment of reflection and celebration!
Tuesday, January 27
MLK Commemoration Closing Keynote
Keynote Speaker: Hill Harper
3 pm
Webinar Link
PASSHE Collaborative Conference
March 31, 2026 - April 1, 2026
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), Frederick Douglass Institute (FDI) Collaborative conference and debate tournament is a signature academic and leadership forum dedicated to advancing equity, social justice, and inclusive excellence across the fourteen PASSHE institutions. Rooted in the legacy of Frederick Douglass, the conference seeks to cultivate intellectual inquiry, critical dialogue, and collaborative action that addresses persistent disparities in higher education and society.
Past Events (Fall 2025)
Native American Heritage Month
During the month of November
WCU is planning several events celebrating Native American heritage and the history of the original residents of this area, the Lenape, or Delaware Tribe, one of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States.
Veterans, Justice, and Community:Navigating Systems & Securing Support
Tuesday, November 11, 2025 | 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm | BPMC Rooms 101 & 102
Join WCU campus community for a Veterans Day panel discussion on November 11, 2025. Panelists from PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), Chester County Veteran Affairs Office, WCU’s Veterans Center, Montgomery County Veteran & Emergency Services, and Advocacy organizations will discuss a variety of topics including:
• Mental health
• Victimization
• Financial exploitation
• Reintegration challenges
• Access to justice and services
7th Annual Ruby Jones Conference on Social Justice, Race, and Civic Leadership
Friday, October 24, 2025 (9:00 am - 2:00 pm) at Sykes Student Union in Sykes Ballrooms
On Friday, October 24, 2025, the Dowdy Multicultural Center will host its 7th Annual Ruby Jones Conference on Race, Social Justice, and Civic Leadership from 9am – 2pm at the Sykes Student Union in the Sykes Ballrooms. In recognition of our 250th year of U.S. Independence, the theme for the conference is "250 Years Later: This is America".
The goal of this conference is to create an educational environment where participants can engage in learning that will raise awareness and promote action-oriented dialogue about race, gender, sexuality, health, disability, social and cultural issues, and so much more. This conference will help to examine how these issues impact faculty, staff, and students' lives on campus, in communities, and in society. This year marks 250 years of independence in the U.S. and our hope is that participants will be encouraged to think critically about our independence, the issues concerning their communities, and the role they play.
True Crime on Trial (in partnership with the Chester County History Center)
Tuesday, October 21 (2:00-5:00 pm)
Philips Autograph Library
$20/person (FREE for students)
The event is an interactive trial based on an early 20th century murder that transpired at the current location of the Fame Fire Company just off campus. It offers an interdisciplinary exploration of individual rights, forensics, criminal justice, gender, and history as participants consider the evidence of the time, under the rules that applied, to determine guilt or innocence. Chester County Center History Center's Jennifer Green (a WCU alum) created the program which has been touring our area and receiving terrific reviews.
Frederick Douglass Lecture Series
Tuesday, October 2 (3:00 - 5:00 pm)
Philips Autograph Library
The Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste Frederick Douglass Lecture is an educational and cultural resource for advancing multicultural studies across the community and for deepening the intellectual heritage of Frederick Douglass.
The goal of the lecture is to maintain the legacy of the great abolitionist, orator, and statesman Frederick Douglass before the campus community, local community, region, and the nation. The Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste Frederick Douglass Lecture is an educational and cultural resource for advancing multicultural studies across the community and for deepening the intellectual heritage of Frederick Douglass. Each year a guest lecturer is invited to be the speaker, with the goal of attracting a wide audience.
The lecture, which is open to the public free of charge, is hosted by the Frederick Douglass Institute and is made possible through the generous gift of Dr. Clifford DeBaptiste, the first African‐American mayor of West Chester Borough and a recognized champion of education.
Separating Fact from Fiction: Debunking Myths about US Immigrants
Wednesday, Sept. 18 (3:00pm – 4:15pm)
Sykes Student Union Theatre
This talk will evaluate some of the commonly held myths about the impact of immigration today in the U.S. Presentation by Dr. Miguel Ceballos, WCU Sociology Department.
September 11th Memorial Ceremony
Thursday, September 11th, 2025 (9:00 am – 10:30 am)
Academic Quad (in case of inclement weather, Asplundh Hall)
The Student Veterans Group is planning an event commemorating the 24th anniversary of the attack on the United States.
Welcome Week/Welcome to the Borough
Saturday, August 23, 2025 (10:00 am – 2:00 pm)
Come join us as we welcome our first year and transfer students to WCU! Look for the “WCU250” table on Market Street around the corner from the old courthouse steps. Take a selfie with Rammy in his best patriotic “Uncle Sam” costume. Giveaways and information about upcoming events will be available.
Community Events
Hear Ye, Hear Ye Dare to Declare and Houses of Declaration Speaker Workshop
Fri Jan 16th 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Valley Forge National Historic Park
This workshop provides educational resources for those sites and people who volunteer to read the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Volunteer readers will listen and learn about the language and ways the document can be read and how to answer any question that arise.
Valley Forge NHP | 1/16/2026 | 10am-12pm or 6pm – 8pm. RSVP by end of business, Monday 1/12/2026, with which session to jennifer_mcmenamin@partner.nps.gov or text 610-585-9211.
"Fighting for Philadelphia: Forts Mercer and Mifflin, the Battle of Whitemarsh, and the Road to Valley Forge." Presentation by Author Michael Harris
Thu Jan 22nd 7:00pm - 8:00pm
West Goshen Township Building, 1025 Paoli Pike West Chester, PA 19380
Please Join America 250 – Goshen, PA East Goshen and West Goshen Townships in welcoming Michael C. Harris, Author, Fighting for Philadelphia on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM at West Goshen Township Building, 1025 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380. This event is FREE OF CHARGE. Book signing and purchasing will be available at the event.
Stomping Grounds: Tracing Your Chester County Ancestral Lands
Thu Jan 29th 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Online Event
Bias Insight Us Exhibit
Chester County History Center
The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service is traveling The Bias Inside Us to 40 communities across the country from January 2021 through April 2025. Organized into year-long regional tours, the project is touring the Upper Midwest in 2021-2022 before moving to the Southeast in 2022-2023, the Southwest in 2024-2025, and the Northeast in 2025-2026. The Chester County History Center will host the exhibit starting September 11, 2025 through December.