MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Outgoing WVU President Jim Clements told the university’s Board of Governors Wednesday he wants the see the momentum created during the last 5 years to continue even after he leaves for the president’s job at Clemson University.
“I don’t want to see the progress stop because I’m really proud of what’s been accomplished together,” Clements said.
Clements was introduced as Clemson’s 15th president Monday. He spoke to the WVU BOG Wednesday afternoon at the beginning of an emergency meeting in which the board decided its next step. Clements said he would be in Morgantown until about January 1. He said he’s help in any way with an interim president or the upcoming search process.
Clements told the BOG there’s been great team success at WVU.
“I’m convinced, that although there’s never a good time to leave, the university is really strong and really stable with great people and a great team of people here and it will continue. It will continue,” Clements predicted.
When he arrived from Towson State University nearly 5 years ago Clements said he and his family just wanted to make a difference.
“Ultimately that’s all we wanted to do was come and do a good job, bring people together and I think the fact that the staff, students, the board and the alumni are unbelievably united—-so I think that together we’ve done some good things and made a difference,” Clements said.
Three of the president’s children will remain WVU students. He said he looks forward to returning often to campus and looks forward to seeing them graduate from WVU.