8/17/06

West Virginia Metro News Interviews New GSC President

Glenville, WV--The new President of Glenville State College tells MetroNews his goal is to increase enrollment to 2,000 students by the year 2010.

Doctor Peter Barr is beginning his first year as Glenville's President with the start of the fall semester.

"It's really neat getting to know the new people, know the area, learn about the students, learn about the faculty and staff," says Doctor Barr who's been on the job since July first.

This week, he's helping new students move in and meeting with returning students. He says there is a college experience Glenville State can offer that is not found at many other schools. "You're not just a number, you're an actual person," says Doctor Barr. "Glenville is, obviously, a smaller college but there is a family feeling here that is unlike any that I've felt on any other campus."

Barr is a Huntington native and a graduate of Marshall University. He worked out of state for a while before returning to West Virginia to take the job at Glenville State College.

He says there are a lot of ways Glenville State could grow in the coming years with the help of and for the benefit of the surrounding community. "The fact of how committed West Virginians seem to be, the work ethic that they have, the feeling of family and community and I'm just glad to be back in West Virginia working in central West Virginia."

Doctor Barr says he has a number of goals heading into his first year. In addition to building on enrollment, Barr says Glenville State needs to also work on retention.

"It's a real loss when students start, they're so excited, they made up their mind to go to college and then they're unable to complete and drop out of college. That's a terrific loss, both in terms of economics but, more importantly, in the social costs to our society and to the individual."

He's set to meet with Glenville State's Foundation this weekend to launch a capital campaign. And Doctor Barr says he wants to work alongside community members to benefit economic development within the region.

"I started about eight weeks ago, that's when we arrived, and it's probably been the most exciting eight weeks of my life."

Glenville State College is located in Gilmer County. Classes begin on Monday.