CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Kelly green swarmed the capitol’s lower rotunda Tuesday morning as Marshall University staff, students, faculty, and Marco came to show lawmakers the impact the university is having on the state.
Marshall University President Brad Smith
Marshall Day at the Capitol, allows the university to come and showcase the institution’s growth areas. The university decided to show the growth of six different majors in aviation, healthcare, entrepreneurship, advanced manufacturing, energy and cybersecurity.
University President Brad Smith, who was among those at the capitol, appeared on MetroNews Talkline Tuesday morning.
He said that Spring enrollment has gone up nine percent from fall enrollment.
Smith thinks that the new areas that the university is paying attention to has helped with that rise in enrollment.
“They want to be a part of the six pillars that are defining the 21st century economy,” he said.
He also said having the programs Marshall for All and Marshall for All: Tuition Free WV has also helped propel enrollment.
He said that they are trying to showcase these careers to students, whether there coming into college or still in middle or elementary school.
For those who are incoming freshman, the university puts them through a diagnostic program.
Smith said that this program allows them to help the students find out what there passionate about and how that correlates to a major.
“It helps them define what their superpowers are, what are their things that get them excited and then we help them map that to a major and we are now making sure that our majors map to in demand jobs,” he said.
Right now, there are two careers that are the most in demand, aviation and cybersecurity, which are the areas that the university has been trying to grow. Smith said that aviation in the next 10 years will have half a million open positions for pilots and cybersecurity was ranked as being the number one job in the nation for the next 10 years.
And for middle and elementary school students they have different programs that teach those students what careers are out there. Run with the Herd, which gives student athletes the opportunity to talk to younger students, there leaning more into robotics and they have the Science Adventure School which helps students learn about STEM.
“So, we’re trying to do a better job at opening their minds and letting them see what is possible,” Smith said.
He said if we can get students in West Virginia to stay in the state it will help get other people wanting to come here.
Smith said that everything that they are trying to do and achieve, is helping bring a new era to the university.
“Marshall University is seeing the dawn of a new era, we are standing on the shoulders of giants 188 years strong,” he said.
Photo: Marshall University Facebook