Campus Currents 
New Leaders Envision Bright Future
Two new leaders step up this year to help shape the future of
Walla Walla College.
Ginger Ketting-Weller, new vice president for academic administration, served
as the associate vice president for academic administration last school year.
June Ferguson, new vice president for student administration,
has been the director of student activities since 1996.
Ketting-Weller replaces John Brunt, who announced in March he would be leaving
to pastor the Azure Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church in Grand Terrace, Calif.
Ketting-Weller’s first task will be to oversee an accreditation visit by the Commission on Colleges, Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NASC). Commission representatives will visit the WWC campus for a standard 10-year reevaluation of college programs in October.
Ketting-Weller will then perform department and program reviews in order to increase the college’s efficiency. In addition, Ketting-Weller will be responsible for hiring replacements for the large number of faculty expected to retire in the next several years. “These next 10 years are very important in shaping the college,” she says.
Ketting-Weller moved to the Walla Walla area in 2001, intending to teach in a local elementary school. Unable to get a definite contract from the school district, she interviewed for the position of associate vice president for academic administration at WWC and was offered the job.
When Brunt announced his departure, Ketting-Weller declined to have her name on the list of candidates for replacement. She later changed her mind at the encouragement of a number of colleagues.
“If the faculty and staff were any less of a family,” says Ketting-Weller, “I wouldn’t even have considered it.” She strongly believes that God has been leading in the process.
Ketting-Weller holds a bachelor’s degree in education from WWC, a master’s degree in educational administration and leadership from La Sierra University, and a doctoral degree in education from Claremont Graduate School.
While Ketting-Weller keeps busy with the academic side of campus, June Ferguson, new vice president for student administration, will be overseeing departments that affect students’ lives outside of the classroom.
Ferguson replaces Nelson Thomas, who announced his departure during the summer of 2001. She served as interim vice president for seven months before being asked to permanently fill the position.
Ferguson uses a holistic approach in addressing student needs. She encourages collaboration within and between departments—working in the best interests of students collectively and as individuals.
“We’re all in this together,” Ferguson says, “I grew up thinking that the social part of life is separate from the spiritual. It should not be. It cannot be. We should do whatever we can to mesh those two pieces.”
Ferguson recognizes the importance of continually evaluating the changing needs of students. She has a passion for developing student leadership and would like to see WWC adopt a co-curricular transcript that shows not only a grade point average, but also presents a broader view of student interests and their involvement on and off campus.
Ferguson received a bachelor of social work degree from Loma Linda University, and a master’s in education with an emphasis on college student affairs from Azusa Pacific University. She has worked as a director of programs at Drayson Center at Loma Linda University, organizing many of the nonacademic or nontraditional academic classes offered at the time. W