CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Dr. Edwin Welch, president of the University of Charleston, announced Wednesday he will retire from the university in June 2018.
“It has been a pleasure to watch the growth and changes in the University over the last 28 years,” Welch said in a statement. “We are grateful to every staff and faculty member who has made these positive changes. We appreciate every donor and friend who has provided the necessary support.”
Welch began as university president in 1989. According to a university statement, he is credited with growing enrollment numbers from 736 full-time students when he arrived, to more than 1,800 when the 2016-2017 academic year began.
Welch oversaw 20 construction projects during his tenure at the private university. In 1994, Welch secured the largest gift in UC history at the time, which resulted in the construction of the Clay Tower Building. He also supervised the Wehrle Innovation Project, which was worth $20.5 million.
Welch previously served in the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon presidential administrations in the Executive Office of the President. He currently serves on multiple business boards, including the BB&T Corporate Board of Directors and as chairman of the Quality Committee for the Charleston Area Medical Center Health Systems.