Photo by Joselyn King New West Liberty University President Timothy Borchers settles in to his office.

WEST LIBERTY — New West Liberty University President Timothy Borchers is now on campus and getting a view from the hilltop.

He said as far as he can tell, the university is on firm financial footing after several staff positions were eliminated prior to his arrival.

“I haven’t done a deep dive yet into the finances, but I know (the WLU Board of Governors) took some steps to address some revenue shortfalls,” Borchers said. “It’s something we will certainly keep our eye on as we move forward.

“I’m really trying to make sure we recruit a strong class of students. We have some new academic programs that will help with that, and some new partnerships.”

West Liberty will be collaborating with Bethany College on some education programs. In addition, last week it was announced the university will partner with Marshall University in starting an aviation program next fall.

“And our graduate programs — we have some new leadership there and some good plans in place,” Borchers continued. “These should continue to bring in some new students.

“I think the university is taking a lot of good steps to boost enrollment.”

Borchers has been on the job since July 1. He and wife Susanne made the cross-country drive from Peru State College in Nebraska — where he previously served as vice president for academic affairs.

Along for the ride came their three cats and some belongings. Their moving trucks haven’t yet arrived at the president’s estate at West Liberty.

It’s been a quiet first week for Borchers in West Virginia. Most of his staff has been out of the office, and Susanne has gone back to Nebraska to oversee the sale of their home there. He expects her to return Sunday.

For now, it’s just him and the cats. He said they are settling in fine.

“I feel very comfortable here,” he said. “People are friendly and interested in working together for the betterment of students.

“Everyone has been gracious and welcoming as I’ve gotten started.”

He said he and his wife are very interested in historical and cultural activities, and enjoy cooking.

A marathon runner, Borchers said he has had just one chance to get out running since his arrival. He did so on July 4 along the riverfront in Wheeling just prior to the city’s Independence Day celebration.

“That was a fabulous orchestra (the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra) and it was just a great concert they put on,” Borchers said. “I got to meet some community leaders there — the mayor, the music director, a few of our alums.

“That was my first dive into the local scene. But I have a long list of other events that I plan to attend.”

Borchers added he spent much of his first week on the job trying to get to know people on campus.

“I’ve had some meetings with campus leaders just to understand what successes they have, what challenges they have. I want to know what I can do to support their work,” he said.

“Some of their concerns surround communication. They just want to know what is happening on campus. They addressed budget concerns early on, so I think that’s still probably a concern that we have a balanced budget.”

The challenges West Liberty University sees are similar to those faced by most colleges and universities and pertain to enrollment and academic success, he continued.

“The pandemic has made it so that students are no longer as prepared for college as they used to be — both academically and socially,” Borchers said. “There will be challenges to make sure they are engaged with all activities we offer, and that we are able to support their preparation — whether it’s through tutoring or other types of interventions.”

He noted there are some “exciting upcoming programs” planned at West Liberty to assist students that need help.

Meanwhile, student leaders will be called upon to bring out students to activities so they “just don’t sit in their dorm room and play video games.”

“We will make an intentional effort to make sure those students are engaged,” Borchers said. “I will be out trying to mingle with students, make them feel very welcome, and that they can come forward if there is anything we can do to help them out.

“Having a presence with the student population will be important to get them engaged.”