August 2026 Video Message

Greetings, Falcons!

August marks the beginning of a new academic year. Early move-in for RAs, student athletes, and others has already begun. Before long, campus will be buzzing with new student move-in, First Flight events, and, of course, the start of classes.

While students have been away for the summer, activity on campus accelerated. One exciting project we completed during the break is the new Rusty and Kimberly Hutson Family BEACON Simulation Center. You may be wondering, why "BEACON"? It’s an acronym that stands for Bridging Education to Advance Clinical Outcomes in Nursing.  

In this month's presidential video update, President Mike is joined by Dr. Deb Struth, Dean of the College of Nursing, to discuss how the BEACON Center lives up to its name. The high-fidelity simulation technology and realistic clinical settings allow students to apply their classroom knowledge in lifelike healthcare scenarios. This will help ensure they are confident and career-ready the day they complete their degree program.

To celebrate this exciting addition to our campus, we will host a special ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 27 at 1 p.m. in the Education Building Atrium. The following day, August 28, the College of Nursing will hold an open house, providing faculty, staff, and students with an opportunity to tour the facility and experience this remarkable new learning space firsthand.

We can’t wait for everyone to join us and experience one of many exciting new things happening at Fairmont State University.