Lake Wales, Florida – Warner Southern College held Academic Convocation on Tuesday, August 26. Dr. Greg Hall, Warner Southern’s President, welcomed the 40th freshman class, returning students, faculty and staff. The ceremony signaled the start of the new school year. The first class of 27 students began in fall 1968. Fall 2008 marks the largest freshman class to date at 170. Enrollment at the college in all programs is more than 1,100.
 
Rob Quam, Executive Director of the Lake Wales Care Center, a Warner Southern alumnus and current chair of the board of trustees at the college, gave an inspiring message to an audience of more than 500 students, faculty, staff and friends of the college.

A special “Robing of Freshmen” ceremony took place to acknowledge the joining of the freshmen students, the class of 2012, to the academic community and to the start of their undergraduate experience. Dr. Karol Yeatts, Associate Professor of Education, and Dr. Paul Sheneman, Associate Professor of English, placed robes and caps on freshmen students Garra Brown and Jonathan Woodside.

Other faculty and administration taking part in the convocation program included Dr. Steven Darr, Professor of Music; Jeff Sikes, Instructor of Sports Management and Head Baseball Coach; Greg Rodden, Vice President for Finance and Business; Dawn Rafool, Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment Management; Dr. Norman White, Professor of Business Law; and Curtis Adkins, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies.

Warner Southern College, a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1968, is located five miles south of Lake Wales at 13895 Highway 27.

Warner Southern College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, bachelor, and masters degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Warner Southern College.