Over the past couple of years, Fairmont State University has been working diligently to develop a strategy to guide our actions for the next decade. If you attended my inauguration last year, read my previous op-eds, or watched my monthly videos, you have no doubt heard me speak about our Strategic Vision.
In higher education, competition among institutions is often assumed to be a zero-sum game — one university’s gain is another’s loss. As presidents of two West Virginia public universities, we can tell you that nothing is further from the truth. In fact, we believe that when West Virginia’s higher education institutions work together, the entire state benefits.
Higher education must take the lead in reversing population trends. Fairmont State University is a leader in this area, and we know that we must be proactive if we are going to help the state of West Virginia reach its potential.
Fairmont State University’s biggest fundraising event of the year, the annual Day of Giving, takes place Thursday, February 27. The funds raised support academic programs, student organizations, athletic teams, and student support initiatives.
As I write this message to you, our neighbors, friends, and supporters, Fairmont State University is busy. We’re kicking off our spring semester, and our students and faculty have returned to join staff members who already hit the ground running in 2025.
