WHEELING - The fall semester starts at West Virginia University next week for about 27,000 students - including the largest freshmen class ever to enter the university, according to interim WVU President C. Peter Magrath.
He sees that as proof that WVU's academic reputation wasn't damaged by a scandal pertaining to an unearned master's degree awarded to Mylan Pharmaceutical Chief Operating Officer Heather Bresch, the daughter of Gov. Joe Manchin.
"I want to assure everybody who cares about the state of West Virginia and West Virginia University, both internal staff, students, faculty and alumni, we're OK. Everything that happened will be taken care of. ... Let's all take a deep breath and move ahead."
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West Virginia University interim President C. Peter Mcgrath expresses his hopes and concerns for the future of the university prior to a meeting with the WVU Foundation Board of Directors at Oglebay Park on Friday.
Magrath said the enrollment figure is just one barometer measuring the well-being of the university.
"If we had seen a large drop in enrollment, then we would be in trouble," Magrath said.
Magrath was in Wheeling on Friday to attend a meeting of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors.
He cited figures indicating that WVU's record-breaking incoming freshmen class will number more than 5,000, and that about half of these students are in-state residents.
As a result, Magrath acknowledged, there will be some overcrowding in the dorms.
"But that's a good problem," he said. "I'm guessing there will be some doubling up."
It's expected that about 80 percent of the students will complete at least two years at WVU, Magrath added, and that about 55 percent will go on to obtain degrees. He estimates that 5 percent to 10 percent of the students are first-generation college students, which he said was typical at a land grant college.
But Magrath - who is on leave from the College Board - noted he was involved in a research study there that examined the student enrollment at a typical community college, such as West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling.
Results indicated that about 50 percent of those entering community colleges across the nation are first-generation college students, and many are minority students. He added that most of the people who attend to our emergency needs - first responders - are enrolled in community colleges at some point.
"About 80 to 85 percent of our first responders are trained at community colleges," Magrath continued. "Many of the students there go on to attend four-year colleges. Community colleges provide education often calibrated specifically to certain businesses."
Magrath said he appreciates community colleges despite being "a land grant man."
As for the economics of running a state university, Magrath acknowledged that two-thirds of the operating costs at WVU are on the "human side."
"Financing an education is a huge, national issue. I would imagine that the number of first-generation students at WVU remains high," Magrath commented.
When asked if he had any immediate plans for structural changes at WVU, Magrath suggested that the Health Sciences Department at the university was "too fragmented." He said he would like to review the organizational components of the department to best "maximize the structure of resources."
"Take any organizational structure - if you have good men and women in the key slots, it will work," he said.
A political scientist with a bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire and a doctorate from Cornell University, Magrath served as president at the University of Missouri from 1985-91. From 1974-84 he was president of the University of Minnesota; and from 1968-72 he was president of the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Over time, Magrath said he became familiar with WVU and some of its former presidents - Gene Budig, E. Gordon Gee and David Hardesty.
Most recently, Magrath held the job of senior presidential adviser for the College Board, where he worked under College Board President Gaston Caperton - a former governor of West Virginia.
Magrath was asked by Budig to take the WVU presidency on the heels of the resignation of former WVU President Michael Garrison. Magrath has served in that role since Aug. 1.
Magrath said he intends to return to the College Board and doesn't plan to remain WVU's president for more than a year.
He said the university's Board of Governors will meet Sept. 12, and at that time he hopes a "strong, credible process" will be established for picking his successor.