Fairmont State University’s premier Aviation program continues to advance, strengthened by new leadership and significant investments that position it for lasting growth, expanded enrollment, and an even greater impact on West Virginia’s aviation workforce.
West Virginia’s bedrock regional institution, Fairmont State University, has been awarded more than $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funds for Fiscal Year 2026-2027, thanks to Senator Shelley Moore Capito and Senator Jim Justice. The University received $643,000 for campus police resource upgrades and $1,650,000 for aviation equipment. The CDS process allows members of Congress to allocate federal funds to specific projects in their states or districts. CDS supports local initiatives and community development, ensuring projects that benefit West Virginia are properly funded.
Dr. Rebecca Giorcelli, Chair of Marketing and Management Studies and faculty member teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in the College of Business and Aviation (CoBA) at Fairmont State University, has been named a top five finalist for the 2025 West Virginia Professor of the Year Award. The West Virginia Professor of the Year Award, presented by the Faculty Merit Foundation, recognizes innovation, creativity, and excellence among faculty at West Virginia’s public and private higher education institutions.
Fairmont State University continues to demonstrate its dedication to serving West Virginia through its Middle College and RISE (Resilience, Independence, Support, Empowerment) programs. Both initiatives provide vital social support and raise awareness for one of the state’s most vulnerable populations: youth currently in foster care and those who have previously experienced it. The programs have started 2026 with strong momentum and are poised to build on that success throughout the spring semester.
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Fairmont State University has been named one of the Top 3 MBA Programs in West Virginia by MBAschools.org, a national higher education resource that publishes state-by-state business school comparisons.
The Fairmont State University ENCOVA Career Development Center will host its annual All-Majors Spring Career Fair on Wednesday, March 25, from 10 AM to 3 PM in Falcon Center Gyms 1 and 2. This event not only provides students the opportunity to gain networking skills and share their experience, but also gives employers a chance to visit campus and recruit talented, hardworking, career-ready Fairmont State students.
The month of February ended with growth and momentum for Fairmont State University. The University’s Board of Governors met on February 25 and received updates from campus leadership on key initiatives, enrollment progress, academic planning, and community engagement events. The University then pivoted to one of its most spirited community events of the year, the annual Day of Giving, during which the University surpassed its $800,000 fundraising goal.
Fairmont State University is proud to join the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission in celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the statewide Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA) degree program. Since its creation in 1975, the program has transformed the lives of adult learners by offering flexible, accessible pathways to earning a college degree.
Fairmont State University will unite alumni, donors, friends, faculty, staff, and students for its annual Day of Giving campaign on Thursday, February 26, 2026, for a 24-hour celebration of Falcon pride and collective philanthropy. This year’s ambitious fundraising goal is $800,000, which will provide critical support for students and programs across campus.
The entirely student-led cafe will embed paid, credit-bearing leadership roles into the heart of campus, advancing Fairmont State’s commitments to experiential learning, career readiness, and student success.
Fairmont State University has joined the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education’s (Gardner Institute) “Transforming the Postsecondary Experience” initiative. The Gardner Institute is a leading national non-profit organization that focuses on teaching, learning, student success, and completion.
Fairmont State University is pleased to announce that after the Master of Architecture Program achieved its three-year Initial Accreditation status in 2022, it has now been awarded its first term of Continuing Accreditation by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). This allows West Virginia’s only professional degree program in Architecture to continue to grow and develop for eight years before the next accreditation visit. The program’s term of Continuing Accreditation is effective from January 1, 2025, and runs until 2033.
Fairmont State University is further strengthening its leadership team enhance operational effectiveness, support long‑term sustainability, and advance the University’s mission.
Fairmont State University will travel to Charleston on Friday, January 23, for its annual Day at the Capitol, highlighting the University’s transformational impact on West Virginia’s economy, workforce, and communities. During the event, students, faculty, and staff will engage with lawmakers, present top-notch programs, and demonstrate how Fairmont State’s Vision goes beyond campus to help make all of West Virginia a Great Place to Learn, to Work, and to Call Home.
Fairmont State and its partners, West Virginia Schools of Diversion & Transition (WVSDT) and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), have come together to plan Foster Care and Child Welfare Day at the Capitol on January 14, which also marks the opening day of the 2026 legislative session.
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