Invest in the future: Fall semester begins at Fairmont State
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FAIRMONT - Students at Fairmont State University filed into classes Monday for the first day of the fall semester.
That very act made for a tall order, President Mike Davis told faculty and staffers during a welcome back breakfast last week.
Everything, the president said, from infrastructure improvements to overtures of kindness to students and their parents, is akin to an investment in the future - for Fairmont State and the Mountain State, he added.
"We have academic programs that matter, a campus that continues to improve, and growing relationships across the state and region," he continued.
"We serve families who trust us with their children."
Related, Davis in July did a road trip to West Virginia's southern coalfields to introduce - and reintroduce, in many cases - the school to potential students, civic leaders and the like.
Enrollment totals for this fall are still being compiled and won't be made official until Campus Census Day, which is Sept. 2, the university said.
Fairmont State went into Fall 2025 with 3,160 undergraduates and another 247 pursuing master's programs.
They came from all 55 counties in West Virginia, plus 33 other U.S. states.
A total of 44 international students, hailing from the United Kingdom to Australia, were also enrolled last fall.
Meanwhile, the university is gearing up for a community event Aug. 23 at The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center on campus.
The center is bringing back its annual awards ceremony and open house honoring the musicians and artisans who daily celebrate Appalachian life and culture in their works.
Folklife director Lydia Warren said it will be a happy reunion.
"The Folklife Center awards have been on hold since the pandemic," she said.
"Knowing how important traditional arts are to the community, we wanted to bring the awards back in a way that not only honors the awardees - but also allows students and the community to participate."