Wilson, Barbara-Jan, January 27, 2022

In this interview Barbara-Jan Wilson discusses her various roles in the administration of Wesleyan University. She describes her arrival at Wesleyan after working at Williams; her role in the building of the career center and eventual dedication of the Gordon Career Center Building; her work with admissions and then finally, university relations. She reflects on being in administration in the 1980s; issues with student protests; relationships with Presidents Chace, Bennet, and Roth; and her work on and successes in diversifying the student body at Wesleyan; and the constatations surrounding financial aid during both Bill Chace and Michael Roth’s presidencies. She comments on her affinity for athletics and how she worked with Mike Whalen to really improve the competitiveness of the athletics program here by involving and reaching out to coaches and prioritizing strong athletes as well as students. She also discusses the beginning and trajectory of the Freeman Asian Scholars program. After admissions, she discusses her work in University Relations and the wonderful relationships she had been able to build with students, faculty, alumni and trustees. She mentions the importance of restructuring philanthropy and how she tried and succeeded in involving alumni with the current student body and the campus in ways that were meaningful and encouraged giving and greater involvement.