Fairmont State will be inaugurating a new president tomorrow afternoon.
Dr. Maria Rose will be the 14th president in the history of the school and the seventh in the past 50 years. Some have been good. Some have been perhaps not too good, but Dr. Rose may rank right up there with the best of them.
She certainly will rank among the most popular.
Back when she was officially named to the position by the Fairmont State University Board of Governors, faculty and staff throughout the campus applauded the selection of the woman who has already spent more than 20 years of her career as part of the Fairmont State family.
Most of the other presidents have come from other states, and there is nothing wrong with that. But there is also nothing wrong with Fairmont State going in-house for a change and naming one of its own for the university’s No. 1 position.
Dr. Rose had served the university well for years in the capacity of provost and vice president of academic affairs and as a faculty member. She also taught a number of classes during her years at Fairmont State — classes that included developmental writing and developmental reading and study skills. She also has coordinated the campus-wide peer tutoring program. Her resume is filled with her outstanding achievements.
“Dr. Maria Rose came up through the academic ranks, so it is clear that concerns of academics and student success will remain at the forefront of the university’s agenda,” Peter Lach, dean of the School of Fine Arts, said following her appointment. “And she continues to maintain her friendships that were developed along the way with deans and chairs.”
This is one reason she remains so popular with her faculty and staff.
Of course, she attributes the fact she earned her higher-education degree from Fairmont State as a significant step toward the presidency.
She describes being selected as president as “the power of a higher-education degree. Education can create opportunities you never dared to imagine.”
Dr. Rose says as a youngster growing up, she always knew she wanted to be a teacher, but never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would be a university president, much less the president of her alma mater.
Ron Tucker, chairman of the FSU Board of Governors, predicts that “Dr. Rose knows FSU very well, and her love for the university and its people is evident. This unwavering dedication will help carry the university to a bright future.“
That unwavering dedication to a university she already is quite familiar with is another reason Dr. Rose is the ideal person to officially take over the presidential duties of Fairmont State.
We know the university is in excellent hands with a person with the background and passion of Dr. Rose as its leader.
Opinion
Dr. Rose has background, dedication to lead FSU
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