Another Enrollment for the Record Books
WVU’s fall 2005 enrollment reached another record high, bolstered by an increase in the number of out-of-state students and the largest-ever freshman class.
The record 26,051 enrollment marks the fifth consecutive year of growth for the University and a 3.2 percent increase from the fall 2004 enrollment of 25,255.
This year’s class of first-time freshmen is 4,574, up 215 students, or 4.9 percent. The number of out-of-state students has climbed to 9,238, a 9.6 percent jump over last year’s 8,425.
At the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, the total number of students rose to 2,658, an increase of 239—or almost ten percent—from last fall. The greatest increases were seen in medicine and nursing.
Meanwhile, retention at WVU’s main campus is holding steady, with nearly 81 percent of the fall 2004 freshmen returning this year.
Additionally, WVU’s freshman academic profile remains strong with an average ACT composite score of 23.1 and an SAT combined average of 1048—both well above the national averages. This year’s freshman class includes a record 380 honors students and 1,190 Promise Scholars.
Student Aces SAT
If you want to launch a successful academic career at WVU, do you (A) take a handful of advanced placement courses, (B) earn an A-plus grade point average, (C) outscore your peers on the SAT exam, or (D) apply for the University Honors Program?
If you’re Scott Button, the correct answer is: all of the above.
Not only did the WVU freshman graduate from Uniontown (Pennsylvania) Area High School with a 4.5 grade point average, he also achieved a perfect SAT score on the first try.
With a score of 1,600 on the SAT, Button joined an elite group of students that aced the college entrance exam in 2004.
New Program Focuses on Intelligence and National Security
The International Studies Program in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences has developed a new area of emphasis in intelligence and national security for undergraduate students.
The Intelligence and National Security Program, which started in the fall, offers a well-focused undergraduate background for careers in national security, such as with the CIA or Defense Department.
Led by Joe Hagan, chairman of the Political Science Department, the program will draw upon faculty with expertise in foreign policy analysis and experts from the intelligence community.
The core curriculum for the new area of emphasis includes course work in foreign policy analysis taught by WVU political science faculty and courses in intelligence analysis developed with assistance from members of the U.S. intelligence community.
The intelligence course offerings include a strong research component that will include instruction in intelligence gathering and analysis techniques relevant to national security situations. Decision-making processes within the U.S. government and assessment of the goals and motives of nations that America encounters in international conflicts will also be addressed.
WVU Continues to Make the Grade
WVU and the WVU Institute of Technology continue to engineer a measure of success in—well—engineering. And the University’s business school is showing a profit as well.
The WVU and WVU Tech undergraduate engineering programs and WVU’s undergraduate business program are included among the best in the nation, according to the 2006 edition of “America’s Best Colleges” from U.S. News & World Report.
WVU’s undergraduate engineering program is listed among the top 116 schools offering doctoral degrees, according to the rankings. The University is one of 15 schools tied for 102nd.
WVU Tech, meanwhile, is included among 97 institutions offering bachelor’s or master’s degrees, sharing the rank of 78 with 20 other schools, the standings indicate.
The WVU College of Business and Economics ranked 116th out of 166 schools having the best undergraduate business programs. Twenty-five schools are tied for that spot.
Engineering College Cited for Diversity
The WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources has been recognized for diversity.
WVU ranked eighth on Hispanic Business magazine’s list of top-ten best engineering schools for Hispanics in its September issue.
The publication surveyed close to 200 schools in the following categories—enrollment, faculty, student services, retention rate, and reputation. Each school was awarded up to five points in each category and ranked accordingly.
The magazine also cited WVU’s proximity to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for providing many research opportunities for WVU students.
WVU Wishes the Constitution a Happy 218th
Following U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd’s lead, WVU celebrated the U.S. Constitution’s 218th birthday with two special events.
The WVU Mountaineer Marching Band performed at a Constitution Day ceremony in Washington, D.C. Byrd, West Virginia’s senior senator, attended the event in Upper Senate Park, across Constitution Avenue from the U.S. Capitol.
Back in Morgantown, meanwhile, WVU professors of law, political science, and journalism discussed various aspects of the “law of the land” during a forum at the WVU College of Law.
Constitution Day was meant to celebrate the September 17, 1787, signing of the document by which this country is governed, but it had fallen into obscurity over the generations—so much so, in fact, that the holiday doesn’t even appear on most calendars today.
Byrd, who carries a copy of the document in his breast pocket daily, fathered the law passed last year by Congress designed to give a little heft to the all-but-invisible holiday.
Hardesty Named to National Higher Ed Security Board
WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. has been appointed to the newly created National Security Higher Education Advisory Board.
The board, which will consist of presidents and chancellors of several prominent U.S. universities, is designed to foster outreach and to promote understanding between higher education and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The panel will provide advice on the culture of higher education, including the traditions of openness, academic freedom, and international collaboration. The board will also seek to establish lines of communication on national priorities pertaining to terrorism, counterintelligence, and homeland security.
Members will assist in the development of research, degree programs, course work, internships, opportunities for graduates, and consulting opportunities for faculty relating to national security as well.
Weese Named Interim Vice President
Longtime WVU employee Narvel Weese has been appointed interim vice president for administration, finance, and human resources.
Weese replaces Gary Rogers, who left WVU in October to become chief financial officer for the University of Tennessee System.
Weese was assistant vice president for planning before accepting the interim post.
Chemistry Professor Pens Forensic Textbook
Suzanne Bell has written the book on forensic chemistry.
Bell, an assistant professor of chemistry who also spent several years working in New Mexico State Police crime labs, penned the textbook Forensic Chemistry, which was published over the summer by Prentice Hall.
The 696-page book touches on all facets of forensic chemistry, from the particulars of lab work to the legal context in which its techniques are conducted. The book also contains extensive sections on forensic drug analysis and chemical analysis of physical evidence from crime scenes.
It’s the first textbook that deals exclusively with the ever-growing field of forensic chemistry, according to Prentice Hall. Bell also wrote a lab manual and “solutions” manual to accompany the book. Instructors from several other universities have already expressed interest in using the book in their forensic chemistry courses, the publisher says.
First University Professorship Goes to Veteran Physicist
WVU Physics Professor Boyd Edwards has been awarded WVU’s first University professorship, the Russell and Ruth Bolton WVU Professorship.
The professorship is awarded to a faculty member in the general University based on a continued record of outstanding teaching, significant contributions to higher education, disciplinary recognition, and past experience in improving undergraduate instruction.
As Bolton Professor, Edwards has several plans to improve undergraduate education, including seeking National Science Foundation funds for teaching innovations at WVU, a lecture series by world-renowned experts in science education, and helping other instructors incorporate technology into the classroom.
“I am honored to receive this professorship, which reflects the strong commitment of WVU to provide outstanding educations to our undergraduate students,” said Edwards, who has taught at WVU since 1986. “I am deeply grateful to the Boltons for their generosity.”
Mary Kathryn “Kacy” Wiedebusch, WVU’s “first lady of dance,” enjoys a waltz with College of Creative Arts Dean Bernie Schultz during a November 3 retirement gala in her honor in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre of the Creative Arts Center. Wiedebusch has served as professor, dance coordinator, and artistic director of the Orchesis Dance Ensemble in her 50 years at WVU.
Mountaineer Week Honors
Christopher Willis and Shannon Logan were named Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer during halftime ceremonies of the November 2 WVU vs. Connecticut game at Milan Puskar Stadium. Willis, of Independence, is a double major in history and political science. Logan, of Baden, Pennsylvania, is a graduate student in journalism and student body vice president.
With WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. at his side, philanthropist Charles F. Erickson admires his Most Loyal Alumni Mountaineer Award. Erickson was honored for continuing his family’s support of WVU, most notably in establishing the school’s alumni center. Erickson’s father, the late C.O. Erickson, provided a significant gift that made the association’s present home possible, and the younger Erickson will carry on the family tradition by serving as honorary chairman of the capital campaign committee for a new alumni center.
Homecoming Honors
Milo Austin of Bowie, Maryland, and Sarah Greaser of Fairmont strike a royal pose after being named homecoming king and queen during halftime festivities of the October 15 WVU vs. Louisville game. Austin is an athletic coaching education major and formerly played on the varsity football team. Greaser is majoring in industrial engineering with a minor in economics.
Fall Family Weekend
Susan Hardesty (top right), wife of WVU President David C.Hardesty Jr., national Mountaineer Parents Club chair, presents a special banner to Mike and Tina Stone, co-chairs of the Boone/Lincoln Counties Parents Club. The group was recognized as the 2005 outstanding in-state club during Fall Family Weekend. Meanwhile, (right) Patti DiLustro, chair of the Central Maryland Parents Club, waves to the crowd as she accepts congratulations from Mountaineer Parents Club Director Sabrina Cave. Central Maryland took home outstanding out-of-state club honors.