The Division of GESS is responsible for the successful introduction and integration of new students into Wiley College, its culture and traditions. It ensures students receive the appropriate guidance to successfully complete degrees in their chosen discipline with a liberal arts orientation. It implements this mission through its component programs: (1) General Education, (2) Advisement and Retention, (3) First-year Experience, (4) Developmental Education , (5) Disability Services, and (6) Student Support Services (TRIO).

The Division of General Education and Special Studies (GESS), although not a degree-granting unit, coordinates the general core liberal arts education requirements and focuses on the proper classification, advisement, course placement, and academic support services primarily for freshmen and transfer students. The mission of GESS is to enhance the likelihood of new students to remain in college and successfully complete their degree plans. Classification of students and course placement are done based on the student's performance on mandatory college entrance examinations (SAT, ACT, Accuplacer, GED, and THEA ). Testing and classification are done by GESS in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment. GESS also monitors and manages the data for the developmental education services provided by the English and mathematics academic departments.

This division follows the student from the time the student is accepted for enrollment through graduation. It monitors the student's development of basic skills and competencies and the student's progress in a chosen field of studies. It evaluates the level of the student's competencies in English, reading, and mathematics in order to match the student with courses that start at the student's level of competence. It also manages the matching of the student with a team of academic advisors selected on the basis of the student's chosen major and expressed interests. The new freshman is engaged in an intense orientation program that expands to a two-semester course entitled Freshman Seminar. The initial relationships and plans established early in the student's first year continue with advisement, monitoring, referrals and advocacy all the way to graduation.