WVU president issues call to ‘think big’ in first State of the University address | WVU Today

A crowd is shown at the State of the University address in a large room with a screen at the front.

WVU President Michael T. Benson focused on the power and potential of the University to change lives and impact the world during his first State of the University address on Oct. 13. (WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)

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With a “Let’s Go!” that served as a rallying cry for the West Virginia University community, President Michael T. Benson highlighted the profound power and potential of WVU during his first State of the University address Monday (Oct. 13).

“West Virginia University changes lives,” Benson said. “Working together, we turn our students’ goals into graduations and their dreams into careers.”

With WVU in a strong position to recruit and retain students, support talented faculty and staff, lead groundbreaking research and serve the Mountain State in the fulfillment of its land-grant mission, Benson is urging everyone to consider the University’s future on a larger scale, especially when it comes to academics.

Rankings matter, in his view, and so do the other higher education institutions WVU calls its peers. That is why he is setting membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities as one of the primary goals of his presidency.

“I believe WVU belongs in the group of 71 universities that are on the leading edge of innovation, scholarship, and solutions that contribute to scientific progress, economic development, security, and well-being,” Benson said. “This will be a challenge, but it’s one we can take on together as Mountaineers.”

VIDEO: Watch President Benson’s full State of the University address.

Open to the entire University community and other supporters, and streamed online, the address was delivered during the Faculty Senate meeting at the WVU College of Law, Fitzsimmons Event Hall.

“At WVU, we do a great job of educating our students, producing world-class research, and serving the state in a multitude of ways, but there are few occasions for people to hear collectively about all the good we are doing,” said Scott Crichlow, Faculty Senate chair and WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences associate professor of political science.

“The University can only work as effectively and efficiently as possible if everyone shares a clear understanding of both where we are heading — what our goals are, what our values are — and the markers we’ll prioritize to evaluate whether we are succeeding in our mission. The value in this annual address is that its audience is intentionally as broad as possible, and by staging it this way, President Benson has a unique opportunity to both celebrate our accomplishments and look to the future.”

Just 13 weeks into his presidency, Benson has visited colleges, schools, units, classrooms and boardrooms, gathering direct input from faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters to help craft the University’s Strategic Compass — a collective vision to inspire bold futures and elevate the impact of WVU across the state and around the world.

Following 15 presentations with hundreds of attendees, more than 860 responses to the Strategic Compass Feedback Survey, which closed last Friday (Oct. 10), are being reviewed.

“We’re taking additional time to fully weigh the thoughtful, detailed feedback that was provided,” Benson said.

In November, he will unveil the plan with a new mission statement, guiding principles, and strategic priorities and goals to steer WVU in the coming years.

“We’re going to win West Virginia,” he said. “We all have roles to play in making sure students across our state see the endless opportunities we have to offer throughout the WVU System. We’re all recruiters, retainers, and champions for our students — guiding them from their first steps on campus to the gold and blue Commencement stage.”

Those kinds of milestone moments are at the heart of the Mountaineer experience.

To give current and future students opportunities to make the lasting memories that echo for alumni, President Benson announced plans to relight the iconic Woodburn Hall, what will be the next step in renewed campus beautification efforts under his direction.

Thanks to the generosity of Huntington Bank, a longtime University partner, lights will adorn the most recognizable building on the Downtown area of campus this holiday season for the first time in more than a decade. A public lighting ceremony is planned for Dec. 2.

“Woodburn will shine once again, bringing generations of Mountaineers together in the warm glow of tradition,” Benson said.

Along with his campus work, Benson has visited 28 West Virginia counties on his “Welcome Home Tour,” with the goal of getting to all 55 counties by next summer. Tour stops have included schools and community meeting places, WVU Medicine hospitals, and local landmarks and historical sites, which the Department of History faculty member has especially enjoyed.

“When you understand West Virginia’s history, you’re taking an important step toward understanding its people — the people this University serves as part of its critical land-grant mission,” Benson said. “To everyone, I say, ‘Let’s Go!’”