Wright State president speaks in Van Wert

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Wright State University President David Hopkins, the university’s self-admitted “biggest cheerleader,” had a lot to cheer about when he and Lake Campus Dean Bonnie Mathies presented the university’s Annual Report to the Community during a luncheon held Wednesday in the Grand Lobby of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.

Hopkins talked about Wright State’s accomplishments and also recognized Mathies and the success of the Lake Campus, which has seen significant growth and success over the past year.

“Her Lake Campus is thriving and that’s not by accident,” Hopkins said, also noting that Wright State is one of the models among four-year universities in coming up with collaboration opportunities with other institutions of higher education, including four-year colleges and universities, community colleges and career centers, such as Vantage Career Center, which offers a number of Wright State classes.

“One of things we also try to be at Wright State is a good partner,” the Wright State president said. “What it really takes is all of us working together in higher education, at all the levels … everyone has to work together to meet the needs of this great state.”

Hopkins also praised statewide efforts to avoid duplication and to make articulation and transfer more seamless.

“Ohio is the envy of the nation,” Hopkins said, adding that the state is No.1 in such efforts.

Closer to home, the Wright State president lauded the Lake Campus’ success, noting that the Celina-based campus now has seven bachelor’s degree programs, including a highly-successful mechanical engineering degree program.

Mathies noted after the program that the engineering program has far exceeded expectations, with more than 60 students in that program, when only 25 were planned.

The Lake Campus dean also noted that the campus was “growing by leaps and bounds,” adding that finding space at the lakeside campus for the growing number of students is becoming one of her major challenges.

“We’re out of space,” Mathies said. “That’s a good thing, I guess, because it means we are very successful.”

Appropriately, with the luncheon held at the NPAC, Hopkins talked about Wright State’s recent selection as a Center of Excellence for the Performing Arts.

Hopkins also said efforts need to increase in bringing higher education to more Ohio students. Noting that Ohio is one of the most “undereducated” states in the nation, Hopkins said there were many reasons for that, including the high number of well-paid jobs available decades ago to those without a college degree.

Hopkins said that, while Ohio has a large number of college graduates, the state also has a problem with the “out-migration” of many of those graduates, while “in-migration” of other state’s college grads needs to be increased.

“We want to provide more academic programs that would allow young people, and adults going back to school, to really have a choice that they don’t have to go far away to get a high-quality education,” he said. “Wright State is committed to being an affordable, high-quality institution; we continue to (have) … the second-lowest tuition of all the four-year public universities in the state.”

Hopkins said that has resulted in Wright State being the second-fastest growing educational institution in the state, while also adding that the recent economic downturn has resulted in more students choosing public colleges and universities over more expensive private schools.

The Wright State president said he was also proud of the school’s community engagement, noting that the school has been ranked in the top 100 of the nation’s 6,000 educational institutions in student community service.

He closed by touting Wright State’s community involvement. “That’s the heart of Wright State; we’re all about how we serve the needs of our community,” Hopkins said, adding that the school has accomplished much in its relatively brief 45-year existence.

Also speaking during the luncheon was Pete Prichard, Vantage Adult Education director, and Stacy Hohman, nursing coordinator at Northwest State Community College, who both praised the collaborative efforts between their entities and Wright State.