in 1828, the trustees of the newly formed indiana college wrote to wylie offering him the position of president. wylie accepted and began in the fall of 1829. there he joined two other faculty members, baynard rush hall who taught ancient greek and latin, and john hopkins harney who taught mathematics, natural philosophy, mechanical philosophy and chemistry. in addition to serving as president, wylie taught classes in moral philosophy, mental philosophy, rhetoric, evidences of christianity, belles lettres, and the constitution of the united states. when he arrived at indiana college the total enrollment was 40 students. additionally, he found local schools lacking and established a preparatory department in the college. several students from washington college followed wylie to complete their degrees at indiana college.