Just a few weeks ago, our newest alumni, in their caps and gowns, walked across the stage and stopped with me for a photo to commemorate the moment. Is that picture missing from your photo album? Did you or someone you know once dream of earning your college degree? Did you, like so many others in West Virginia and the region, set that dream aside?
The gulf between a university president and the average college student is a large one. Presidents often seem inaccessible, and students hesitate to approach them, fearing they won’t have anything in common to discuss. Presidents typically know the top students, student leaders, and maybe a few performers on stage or in athletic arenas, but many are far removed from the day-to-day buzz of campus life.
As I mentioned in last month’s editorial, higher education matters — not just for graduates, but also for our communities and for the state of West Virginia. I wrote about how college degrees lead to better pay, and how higher earnings mean greater financial stability, more secure housing and the ability to manage unexpected expenses.
As president of Fairmont State University, I spend a lot of time talking with students and families about what college means for them — for their careers, their finances, and their futures. Those conversations matter. But they are only part of the story. Higher education is not just a private investment. It is a public good; and in West Virginia, that could not be more important.
