Photo by Joselyn King David Christiansen, chancellor at Penn State University’s York campus, chats with West Liberty University staff during a visit to the campus on Wednesday. Christiansen is the fourth and final candidate seeking the WLU president’s job to visit the campus.

WEST LIBERTY — David Christiansen, chancellor at Penn State York, remembers driving through West Virginia in the past, but he had never been to Ohio County or West Liberty until Wednesday.

Christiansen was the fourth and final candidate presently seeking the West Liberty University president’s job to visit the campus, and he appeared to like the school’s isolated location.

“My wife (Cindy) and I absolutely love living and being out in the country, even though we live in a minor metropolitan area in York County (Pennsylvania),” he said. “We spend our weekends hiking and being outdoors.

“And whenever we’ve driven through West Virginia, we’ve always talked about what it would be like to live in this area and just how beautiful it would be living here.”

Christianson’s son Michael lives not far away from Ohio County in Pittsburgh, and his daughter Erika lives in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Christiansen indicated he also likes the individuals he interacted with during his visit.

“First and foremost, I have been impressed with the people and with the pride staff members take in their work here,” he said. “I’ve been impressed with the faculty members, and the seriousness with which they talked about educating students.”

Christiansen had the opportunity to have lunch with three students selected by WLU presidential search committee member Katie Cooper — also assistant vice president of enrollment management and director of admissions at the school.

“They were a delight to talk to about what their goals are at West Liberty, how the faculty and staff are committed to their success, and how they really feel the college experience is setting them up for success in the future,” he said of the students.

The challenges at WLU are the same that is seen throughout higher education, according to Christiansen.

“We have fewer college-going students as individuals are questioning the value of higher education as a public benefit,” he explained. “There is competition from other institutions for students, and there are more expectations that students have more flexibility for academic programs that closely align with their career interests.

“These are challenges that West Liberty has to face, and that all institutions have to face.”

Christiansen said the first thing he would do on his first day as president at WLU “is go around and introduce myself.”

“I would want to walk around campus and get a chance to listen to what individuals have to say,” he continued. “I’m a big proponent of the concept ‘listen, look and learn.’

“There are so many wonderful things happening on this campus. The last thing I would want to do is come in with some preconceived ideas that are ill-founded and ruin some things.”

Christiansen has served as chancellor at Penn State York since Aug. 1, 2018. He joined Penn State in 2004 as a senior associate dean for academic affairs at Penn State Erie. In 2013, he was appointed the associate vice president and senior associate dean for the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses, overseeing the academic mission of 20 Penn State campuses, along with its 30,000 students and 1,700 full-time faculty members.

His responsibilities included academic programs, enrollment management, digital and distance learning, continuing education, learning assessment, education abroad, and serving as the primary campus representative with multiple university central offices.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in history and Latin from Texas Tech University, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in classics at the University of Wisconsin.