CHARLESTON, W.Va. — University of Charleston President Marty Roth says record-breaking enrollment of over 800 new students for this fall semester only calls for continued expansion in programs, offerings, and degrees.
Roth came on 580 Live on WCHS Radio Monday to reflect on the milestone. He said this is big considering the challenges which higher education intuitions have been facing statewide and around the country.
“Given the pressures that we’re all reading about in higher education, the drop in the number of students graduating from high school and so forth, we’re very pleased,” Roth said.
Marty Roth
He said the highest numbers of per-semester enrollment over the past five years prior has been just over 700. Roth said this now brings total enrollment to over 2,900 students for the Fall 2024 semester at UC.
Roth said the university has also seen a growth of enrollment within some of its programs as well.
“As you can imagine, we have become a pretty diversified campus with lots of programs offered in Charleston, in Beckley and online serving traditional high school graduates as well as adult learners,” he said.
He said they have launched three new programs just this fall. They include a Doctorate in Nursing, a Masters in Mental Health Counseling, and a Bachelors in Criminal Justice Leadership.
Roth said in the process of new offerings, they also hope to bring a Bachelors of Nutrition and an Artificial Intelligence degree through their Computer Science program online in the Fall of 2025.
He said this increase in student enrollment as well as new programs has a lot to do with the school’s commitment to being very student-focused.
“That’s why we’re here, that’s what gets us excited to get up and come to work everyday is having the opportunity to work with students and transform their lives, and enable them to achieve their personal and professional goals,” he said.
Roth said UC is also proud to continue its support for the law enforcement and first responder community in Charleston.
He said this fall, they have close to 400 members of law enforcement enrolled in a Senior Leadership Certificate program through a grant that Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin helped the university procure through the U.S. Department of Justice.
Roth said they are proud to be able to expand their leadership training for these purposes out to the community.
“We’re really committed to be able to take this expertise we have in leadership education training and provide it to different parts of the West Virginia communities who can really benefit from it and the first responder, EMS, law enforcement, corrections are groups that we’re really proud to help,” said Roth.
He said in 2022, they helped a total of 300 EMS personnel earn a college credit leadership certificate funded by Gov. Jim Justice and the state Legislature as well.
Roth said they’re always looking at ways they can improve the educational landscape at UC.
“We’re always trying to identify the areas where there is a great demand for jobs and opportunities for us to work with students of all ages and backgrounds, and provide them with the skills to get great jobs here in West Virginia and throughout the region,” said Roth.