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New president selected for West Liberty

The next president of West Liberty University will be Dr. Tim Borchers, who has been vice president for academic affairs at Peru State College in Nebraska.

West Liberty’s board of governors named Borchers the university’s 38th president during a meeting this morning.

“I am pleased to announce that Dr. Borchers was chosen by a unanimous vote and has accepted our offer to become West Liberty University’s president. We welcome him to the Hilltop and look forward to introducing him to our students, alumni, donors, friends and the wider community,” said Rich Lucas, chairman of the Board of Governors, who also served on the Presidential Search Committee.

A native of South Dakota, Borchers will assume the presidency on July 1.

Dr. Tim Borchers

“I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next president of West Liberty University. For 187 years, West Liberty has served the state by preparing graduates to be leaders in their communities and professions. I look forward to continuing that work while identifying ways to be innovative and responsive to a changing world,” said Borchers, who attended the meeting via Zoom.

Borchers succeeds Interim President Dr. Cathy Monteroso who has served as president since Jan. 1.

The university’s previous president, W. Franklin Evans, left that role after his contract was not extended last year. Evans, the university’s first Black president, served two years. His tenure was marked by controversy over plagiarism allegations.

Borchers holds both a doctoral and master’s degree in communication from Wayne State University in Detroit, and a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

He is the author of the book “Persuasion in the Media Age,” which is in its fourth edition and co-author of “Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction,” now in its second edition.

Borchers was named after four finalists were winnowed from 59 original applications following video conference interviews with the university’s search committee and advice from professional consultants from AGB Search. He visited campus last month.

Borchers stated that, “The faculty and staff with whom I met during my campus visit were each dedicated to transforming the lives of students and it will be energizing to provide leadership for their work. I’m deeply committed to the mission and vision of West Liberty. Its values of being a caring and affordable university that provides a high-quality education resonates with my beliefs and background.”





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