FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20. 2007

For More Information: Annette Barnette
Public Relations and Marketing Director
Glenville State College
Glenville, West Virginia
(304) 462-4115

Glenville, WV -- After one year at Glenville State College, the campus community has become quite familiar with GSC President Dr. Peter Barr. But what about the First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Barr? She, too, loves it here. When asked what she liked best about Glenville, Mrs. Barr said with no hesitation, “The people - the people here are friendly and accepting…very genuine. There is a lot of tradition here.” She is quite familiar with this type of setting. “I grew up in a small town in western Pennsylvania called Mercer. It is a lot like Glenville, so I feel right at home,” Barr said.

Mrs. Barr has been working with the Gilmer County Public Library. She has also been working with her husband to increase student retention. “We had students from GNED (General Education) over for pizza in the fall”, said Barr. She has also worked with recruitment efforts at GSC. Barr said “Debra Nagy and I contacted alums to help attract students.”

She has also helped create The Barr Bulletin newsletter. The Barr Bulletin is sent out four times a year to parents of new students. The parents have liked it so much that they will continue to send them to the parents of upcoming freshmen as well as the parents of the sophomore class, who received it this past year. “I think the bulletins are a great thing. They let parents know what’s going on here on campus,” Barr added.

Barr retired from teaching psychology at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. She was also an administrator at CCU. Barr taught in college for thirty-two years, but began teaching kindergarten students. With a new start at Glenville State College, Mrs. Barr hopes to help with more recruitment, more retention, and increasing the number of students that stay on campus during the weekends. “I would like to see more things for students to do,” Barr said.

The GSC First Lady enjoys reading and doing crossword puzzles along with attending to her newly-planted garden in her spare time. “We are enjoying watching our tomatoes and beans grow,” said Barr. One year after her arrival, Mrs. Betsy Barr has become a familiar face in the community, a familiar face to be remembered and seen for years to come.