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WEST LIBERTY - West Liberty University President W. Franklin Evans has weathered his first year leading the Hilltoppers, and is looking forward to redefining WLU's mission, becoming a regional player in education and a community staple locally.
Evans took the helm at the start of 2021, and said he spent his first several months getting his bearings. He soon produced a list of five priorities to define the school's trajectory for the immediate future, centered on expanding their sphere of influence and enhancing the experience of stakeholders locally.
The first priority was enrollment, Evans said. The university had been facing declining enrollment over the last five years, and the pandemic exacerbated the problem. Evans said the university cast its reach beyond the borders of the Mountain State to entice prospective students to join them.
"Institutions across America are having financial difficulties, and the pandemic did not make it any better," Evans said. "… West Virginia as a whole has (seen) a significant decline in enrollment, and we're not seeing an increase in West Virginian high school graduates. For us, that means we need to look outside West Virginia, and so we have some initiatives, some partnerships, that we're developing outside the state."
Evans said WLU is expanding its program to offer a metro rate to out-of-state students who are close enough to not pay out-of-state tuition, providing a cheaper option for regional students looking to attend school on the hill.
In his first months as president, Evans said he learned of West Liberty's apparent reputation for seclusion, and has been striving to reverse that view, with more engagement with the local community. This ties in to another of his priorities, that of placing more focus on The Highlands Center.
"When I got here, in mixing and mingling and talking to people, I learned the perception that several residents have of the institution," he said. "One of the things I wanted to do was get off the hill. I wanted us to interact with the community more, establish partnerships with business and industry, and be the institution across the region that people reach out to. I wanted to build that bridge with the community.
"One of the things I have been doing is really trying to get out in the community, with that focus," he continued. "I'm serving on several boards, I've been asked to speak, to meet and greet, so I am doing that," he continued. "The refocusing of The Highlands Center in Triadelphia, that off-campus site has been there, and we have not gotten our return on the investment we've been making, and it's because we've been complacent. One of the things (we're doing) is trying to change the mindset, as an institution, that we need to be more visible. We need to be proactive. We can't just sit here and wait for people to come to us."
Evans added that the university has begun working closely with the Ohio County Commission and the Ohio County Development Authority to be considered for more partnership opportunities.
Further, Evans wanted to connect more with alumni who have left the institution, but who no longer concern themselves with the school's affairs.
"I wanted them to know how much we value and appreciate them, and try to do the things to bridge that gap, but more importantly to get them re-engaged, get them back on campus, serving as role models, and really letting people see the love they have for West Liberty."
Additionally, Evans spoke of the university's hiring of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Officer. The current interim DEI officer is Monique L. Akassi, who came to WLU from Howard University. She replaced Shermico Stanley, who originally was hired for the position last year and recently resigned to take care of sick relatives in his home state of North Carolina.
"I want all students (and employees) to feel safe and valued, ... and to know that we're here to advocate for the wellness of everybody, not just financially and educationally, but personally, mentally and socially," he said. "I think that having a DEI officer who reports directly to the president was the right move."
Looking ahead, Evans proudly said he hopes the coming doctoral program in education will serve to both draw in postgraduate students and
"Because everybody is competing for a smaller pool of undergraduates, we recognize that we can tackle that through our graduate program. That now becomes our focus, to increase the number of graduate students," he said. "We now are trying to develop our first doctoral program here. It will be in education, and so those are the new things that will be happening this year."
Evans, a self-described "son of the south," hails from Georgia, and has worked in higher education for more than 25 years. Starting with a K-12 background, he became a college professor, becoming an administrator, dean, and ultimately provost and vice-president. West Liberty University is the third school of which he's served at the head. Prior to WLU, Evans said he served in the same role at Voorhees College, a private Episcopal school in South Carolina.
"This isn't my first Christmas, but West Liberty is the most northern and most midwestern I have been," he said. "… When I was nominated for the position, although I'd been in West Virginia before, I hadn't been in this region. This was a first for me."