The Marshall University community is working together to reach out to undergraduates and increase enrollment.
The Marshall University community is working together to reach out to undergraduates and increase enrollment.Among the goals President Jerome A. Gilbert set for the university upon becoming president was an ambitious increase in the number of students. The Marshall community is getting behind this goal and has created some new programs that will assist in reaching it.
For the first time, undergraduate courses in selected disciplines will be offered this fall on the South Charleston campus, which up until now has been serving only graduate students. This new program will allow students interested in selected majors — including athletic training, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering and nursing — to complete courses in their first two years toward an undergraduate degree in South Charleston and then transition to the Huntington campus to finish their studies.
Open houses took place in South Charleston so prospective students and their parents could see the campus and meet with faculty members, deans and 
financial aid counselors. They also received information about applying to Marshall, the courses that will be offered in South Charleston and how students will be able to transition seamlessly to the Huntington campus after two years to complete their degrees.
“We’re using the tagline ‘Closer Than You Think’ for this new program in South Charleston because we think future college students in the Kanawha Valley will find it very attractive that we are now offering Marshall’s quality undergraduate courses convenient to where they live and work,” said Dr. Beth Wolfe, director of recruitment at Marshall. “For more than 20 years, Marshall has had great success with offering graduate courses in South Charleston. We are excited to see what the next 20 hold as we continue to enhance our undergraduate presence in the capital city.”
Wolfe added that students on the South Charleston campus will have access to a number of amenities and benefits, including free parking, a library and a study lounge. Merit-based and need-based financial aid is available for qualified students. Since there is no transfer required, students can make an easy transition to the Huntington campus for their remaining coursework.
For students interested in starting out on the Huntington campus, Marshall is offering extra enrollment incentives for out-of-state undergraduates in the visual arts and in engineering. This program will begin in a few strategically chosen markets, such as Columbus, Ohio, and Baltimore, Maryland.
“This program showcases our newest facilities, the Visual Arts Center and the Arthur Weisberg Family Applied Engineering Complex,” said Provost Gayle Ormiston. “We have a lot to offer prospective students in these fields, and we’re making a strong effort to bring these students to Marshall.”
These incentives are in addition to the “metro” tuition rates available to students who live in counties in Ohio and Kentucky that are near Huntington. These tuition rates, which fall between West Virginia tuition rates and out-of-state rates, apply to undergraduate and graduate students in most fields.
In addition, Marshall is continuing its Alumni Legacy Scholarship program for full-time students who are children and grandchildren of Marshall alumni and who live outside of West Virginia. These students can receive a tuition scholarship waiver to offset the cost of non-resident tuition. The waiver is renewable, provided the student maintains a minimum GPA and makes sufficient academic progress.
“We can always make room in the Herd for a few more,” Wolfe said. “Expanding our reach is one way of doing just that!”
Susan Tams is executive editor of Marshall Magazine.
Photos: (Second from top, left) Those seeking undergraduate degrees now have the opportunity to take course in selected disciplines on the South Charleston campus. (Third from top, left) Due to the success of the graduate courses offered in South Charleston, administrators hope the undergraduate program will have similar results. (Top right) Students on the South Charleston campus will have access to a number of amenities, including free parking, a library and a study lounge. (Lower right) Ashton Caruthers will be among the undergraduates attending Marshall’s South Charleston campus this fall.