University President Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

New President Officially Sworn In At Fairmont State, Weighs In On Goals And Campus Carry

Fairmont State University inaugurated its new president Thursday. Mike Davis has held the position since last July, but he was formally invested as president Thursday evening, formally conferring the authority and symbols of the office to him.

Fairmont State University inaugurated its new president Thursday.

Mike Davis has held the position since last July, but he was formally invested as president Thursday evening, formally conferring the authority and symbols of the office to him.

Fairmont State University President Mike Davis.

*Photo Courtesy of Fairmont State University*

“It’s interesting that we do inaugurations after the President has been at a place for a particular amount of time, partially so they can get a sense of what the campus and the community in the state are like,” he said. “It’s pretty typical, but it’s actually interesting. This is the one year anniversary of my first round interview here at Fairmont State.”

Davis said he has spent the past nine months getting to know the university’s campus and staff. He is now leading the creation of a 10-year strategic plan for the university, set to be released in fall 2024.

“I think there’s different models of being a university president and mine is very much relying on the expertise of the people who work on my campus,” Davis said. “The past nine months have been figuring out where that expertise lies on campus, where people may not have been empowered in the past to utilize their expertise. And then what are gaps where we might have to hire some people or help people develop on our campus?”

He notes programs like aviation, surveying, nursing and education — where academics meet real world experience — as opportunities for growth and improvement.

“That’s what we’re going to look at more of, how do we create more of those hands-on opportunities for our students because our faculty are already great at the academic pieces, and they’re very good at the hands-on pieces,” Davis said. “We’re gonna find ways to augment those sorts of opportunities for our students.”

Davis comes into the leadership role just as the state’s campus carry law takes effect this summer. He said the short timespan for implementation, compounded by his new ascendance to leadership, makes the process frustrating, but that the university is moving forward.

“Part of how we enact this is not just what we do, but how we talk about it,” Davis said. “It was the most common question I got during my interview, ‘What do you think about campus carry?’ It’s the law, we’re gonna follow the law. I actually don’t think it materially will change many of the things we’re doing on campus. But I think how we talk to each other about it, how we treat each other, if you want to carry a firearm on campus, you’re now legally allowed to, but if people feel unsafe about that, let’s not rub it in their face, let’s not make them feel more unsafe than they do.”

Davis said there are days he still cannot believe he has the opportunity to lead a university, and Thursday’s ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate.

“It’s definitely a humbling experience to get to stand up there today and talk about who we are, who we’re going to be and how people have helped me get to where I am.”

West Liberty University Names New President

Timothy Borchers was selected unanimously as West Liberty University’s new president by the Board of Governors Friday morning.

Borchers, who was chosen out of a group of four finalists, previously served as the vice president for Academic Affairs at Peru State College in Nebraska.

There were 59 applications for president in total, according to the university.

Borchers has 18 years of higher education administrative experience. He holds a doctoral degree in communication from Wayne State University, a master’s degree in communication from Wayne State and a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He said he was honored for the opportunity to address the school’s challenges and find creative solutions.

“Together, we will increase enrollment,” Borchers said. “We will increase retention rates working together. I’ll be transparent. I will be a steady and consistent leader. I’ll be present on campus.”

Borchers and his wife, Suzanne Williams, plan to be on campus by the first week of June and are excited to engage in the university’s activities and culture. He will assume the presidency on July 1.

“We’re already looking forward to the first athletic and arts events of the fall semester,” he said. “We’ll be happy to have people to the house to deepen those connections, to re-engage everyone after this semester gets started.”

Borchers succeeds Interim President Dr. Cathy Monteroso who has served as president since January 1, 2023.
West Liberty chose to let the contract of previous president W. Franklin Evans expire in December after accusations that he failed to give proper attribution in several speeches.

New West Virginia State University President Inaugurated

On his inauguration day, West Virginia State University President Ericke Cage spoke of preparing students for a new global economy.

Cage joined the university in July 2021 as vice president and chief of staff and was subsequently appointed by the WVSU Board of Governors as the university’s chief operating officer on July 30, 2021.

Speaking before his Thursday investiture ceremony on WVSU’s Institute campus, Cage said he would double down on the historically black university’s history of excellence in education. He said a key was ensuring that curriculum aligns with the needs of an advancing workforce.

“We’re certainly going to be responsive to the needs of this new environment,” Cage said. “We’re going to look at how we’re delivering courses, what type of courses we’re delivering, ensuring that we’re meeting the needs of this workforce and the needs of our students.”

Representatives from universities throughout the state joined in the pomp and circumstance of the investiture. Marshall President Brad Smith described the bond among West Virginia’s institutions of higher education.

“Our universities are an ecosystem, we complement each other,” Smith said. “We all share the same common goal – to prepare our youth for the next chapter of the economy and the next chapter of society. So working with West Virginia State University has been Marshall University’s privilege.”

Leaders from universities around the state attended Cage’s inauguration. Credit: Randy Yohe/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

WVSU was among the state institutions opposed to Senate Bill 10, the Campus Self-Defense Act, also known as campus carry, allowing the concealed carry of firearms on school grounds. Cage said the school has comprehensive plans in place in terms of implementation.

“We are in the process of setting up a task force because we have a year to implement it,” he said. “The taskforce will include stakeholders from across the campus. We want folks to come to the table and talk about how we can best implement this, making sure that we have the tools in place to ensure that we’re keeping our community safe.”

Cage said when it comes to educating students for a productive future, he takes great pride in the school’s legacy as a historically black college or university (HBCU).

“It’s the basis upon which we were founded. It’s really about access and inclusion,” Cage said. “Since 1954, West Virginia State University has transitioned into what we fondly call a living laboratory of human relations. Our student body is wildly diverse, and we take great pride in that. I think our HBCU heritage will continue to inform our commitment to access and inclusion to a higher education degree.”

The new president is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in leadership studies. He holds a doctorate from the Rutgers University Law School and a masters of law degree in litigation and dispute resolution from George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the United States Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.

A WVSU press release when Cage was named president noted that under his leadership, the university was able to obtain historic levels of state funding for its land-grant programs and Healthy Grandfamilies program during the 2022 state legislative session.

Cage becomes West Virginia State University’s 13th President.

Fairmont State BOG Votes To End President’s Contract Early

Just one day after Fairmont State University President Mirta Martin announced she would not renew her contract with the school at the end of the year, the school’s board of governors met and voted to end it even earlier.

Updated on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 12:30 p.m.

Fairmont State University’s Board of Governors (BOG) voted Wednesday afternoon to end its contract with President Mirta Martin – months earlier than what was first announced by the university president.

Just one day after Martin announced she would not renew her contract with the school at the end of the year, the school’s board of governors met and voted to end it even earlier.

Martin’s contract will now end on July 18, rather than Dec. 28, which was when her contract was initially set to end.

The vote by the board was not unanimous, according to a news release. Staff representative Jon Dodds and student representative Maiya Bennett voted against ending Martin’s contract.

Fairmont’s BOG Chairman David Goldberg abstained from the vote.

“Fairmont State University has a longstanding history of strong and transformative leadership,” Goldberg said. “Each of our 26 presidents has left a unique and distinct mark on the Falcon family and President Martin is no different. Through her passionate and energetic leadership, Dr. Martin achieved all of the goals set before her by the board.”

The board also voted to transfer all presidential powers and responsibilities to current Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dianna Phillips. The BOG said it will immediately launch a national presidential search.

Martin served as president of the university for almost five years and said she began to consider her decision to leave over the winter holiday. She said while the choice “was a tough and emotional decision to make,” she thinks it’s the right one for her and the university.

“I am so incredibly blessed to have already served in this role for nearly five years. During this time, Fairmont has become my home, and the Falcon family, my family,” Martin said in a campus-wide email on Tuesday. “It is an honor and an absolute privilege to serve all of you. It is also my honor to serve this institution and the state of West Virginia as your president, as president of the Council of Presidents, and as president of the Board of the Mountain East Conference.”

While Martin has received some criticism for her leadership on social media, the school’s board praised work completed while under her leadership.

“[Fairmont State University] has returned to a strong financial position,” Goldberg said. “More than 36 certificate, major, minor or concentrations at the undergraduate and graduate levels have been created and enrollment is trending up for the fall semester. As we look ahead to the future, the board stands ready to ensure a continuity of leadership and support for our students, faculty and staff.”

Original Post by the Associated Press:

Fairmont State University President Mirta Martin plans to step down from her position later this year.

Martin, who was named president in 2018, said in a letter Tuesday that she won’t seek an extension of her contract when it ends in December, news outlets reported.

She told WV News that she made the decision recently after months of reflection and conversations with family. She said she felt she had “achieved the goals that were set for me when I arrived and that I set for the university.”

Financial stability and sustainability have been restored, the school has successfully emerged from the coronavirus pandemic and it has stronger ties to the community, Martin said.

“I’ve acted in the best interest of our students and this institution always, and we’ve established programs of distinction that have made us a destination,” she said.

Martin said she would help make a smooth transfer to the next president.

Fairmont State University Board of Governors Chair David Goldberg thanked Martin for her service and said the panel would meet to review her letter and decide on next steps.

WVSU Sticks With Ericke Cage As Next President

West Virginia State University’s Board of Governors named Ericke Cage as its 13th president Thursday. He had been serving as interim president of the historically Black university since September.

“I want to thank the Board of Governors for the trust they have placed in me to serve West Virginia State as the university’s 13th president,” Cage said in a news release. “I look forward to building on the work we have already started, and the successes we have achieved in moving WVSU forward.”

Cage joined the university in July as vice president and chief of staff and was appointed by the Board as the university’s chief operating officer on July 30.

WVSU credits Cage for prioritizing institutional stabilization and operational optimization, renewing school spirit, developing and expanding high demand academic programs, and cultivating a diverse range of internal and external relationships.

Prior to coming to WVSU, Cage worked as executive advisor to the president and Board of Visitors at Norfolk State University.

Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science.

He holds a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University Law School, and a masters of law in litigation and dispute resolution from the George Washington University Law School.

Cage replaces former president Nicole Pride, who resigned last summer, less than one year after becoming the university’s first female president.

Pride had faced pressure from school officials to leave office following alleged “condescending and abusive dialogue” toward fellow employees.

Marshall Community, Local Leaders Say New President Brad Smith Can Create Entrepreneurial Culture for University, Region

The news that Brad Smith will become Marshall’s next president sparked high interest across the state as the corporate CEO returns home to helm his alma mater.

Community leaders in the Huntington area say they are optimistic for the future of the University.

“I’m a bit biased because I was on the Presidential Search Committee,” said Tracy Christofero, who serves as chair of Marshall University’s Faculty Senate, “What I like about him as a candidate is that he knows Marshall, he knows the environment. He knows the culture of West Virginia, and I believe he has always had the best interest of the university and the region at heart.”

Cathay Burns, Executive Director of the Huntington Municipal Development Authority, said that Brad Smith has been an advocate for revitalization by facilitating economic growth. She said Smith’s selection can create dual connectivities — “not only for the students, but also for business leaders and economic development leaders in the region. And not just the community, but the entire region, the entire state and the surrounding states.”

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams was similarly hopeful that Smith’s corporate leadership background will help him to shape a strong mindset for the future of the state. “Frankly, I can’t be more thrilled for Huntington and for the state of West Virginia that we have him right here to be able to help us create a culture of entrepreneurship,” Williams said.

Having Smith as Marshall’s president means his skills and knowledge can be passed down to students in the region, Williams said. He thinks Smith has the ability, “to lead, to teach, and also to reinforce that we can compete with anybody.”

Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert hugging his successor Brad Smith

Despite the warm reception from community leaders and faculty, some students have expressed concern over Smith’s background outside of academia. Student body president Alyssa Parks said students are slowly warming up to the new president despite some initial hesitancy.

“Brad has been really open to talking to anyone who has had any concerns. I think that’s a really great quality in him. He’s open to tough conversations. He’s open to criticism,” Parks said. “Once he gets into the office, he can start talking to people and people really get to know him.”

The hiring model of selecting a non-academic to lead a public institution isn’t new, Christofero said. “Some percent of the universities now are run by people with non-traditional backgrounds in academia.”

Christofero doesn’t see Smith’s background as being a hindrance if he has the right people around him. “As long as we have a strong provost, that’s really who takes care of the academic side. Theoretically, the president certainly needs to deal with our donors and all of the university, the legislators, fundraising and promoting Marshall to help increase enrollment.”