With the fall semester now underway, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Beverly Wendland is reaching out to the faculty members and instructors who will play meaningful roles in students’ educational journeys.
Dear WVU Colleagues,
As we begin a new academic year, I am delighted to welcome our students, faculty, staff, and academic leaders back to West Virginia University. There is something energizing about this time of year — the return of our students, the start of new classes and research projects, and the sense of possibility that comes with a new academic year.
As your new provost, I am especially excited to begin this year alongside you. During these first weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet many members of our University community, and I have been struck by the depth of talent, commitment, and pride that define this institution. I am grateful for the warm welcome, and I look forward to continuing to listen, learn, and work with you.
At an R1, land-grant university, our purpose is both ambitious and deeply rooted. We are here to create new knowledge, educate the next generation, and use the power of research, scholarship, teaching, and engagement to make a difference in the lives of people across West Virginia and far beyond our borders. Our land-grant mission reminds us that excellence and service go hand in hand.
This year, I hope we will build on that foundation with both confidence and curiosity, by protecting what WVU does exceptionally well while being willing to ask where we can do better. Our greatest opportunities will come from bringing together the extraordinary talent already present across our colleges, campuses, and disciplines — and keeping our focus on the students and communities we serve.
I also know that the work of a great institution like ours is never finished. An R1 institution is, by definition, a place that asks questions, challenges assumptions, and pursues what comes next. That spirit of inquiry should characterize not only our research, but also how we think about our academic programs, our student experience, and the ways we serve our state.
So, as we begin this new year, I invite you to bring your ideas, your curiosity, and your sense of possibility with you. Be ambitious about what we can accomplish together. Be generous with one another. And remember that every class we teach, every student we mentor, every discovery we make, and every partnership we build contributes to the larger mission of this University.
I am honored to be part of this community, and I am excited about what we will accomplish together.
Welcome back, and best wishes for a successful and inspiring academic year.
Let’s Go!
Beverly Wendland
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Biology