West Virginia University - Monticola Yearbook (Morgantown, WV)

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Who ' s next? ELECTION 78 NAYMICK MARSHALL BARTON and WEATHERHOLT RICHARDSON LEE

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Wading in the mainstream Dr. Gene A. Budig, W-V-U ' s Youthful, New 17th President Dr. Gene Arthur Budig. 38. a man who believes in fair- ness, common sense, and flexibility, serves as West Vir- ginia University ' s 17th president and is also the youngest person to head a comprehensive, land grant university in the nation. He was selected from a field of 122 applicants and nominees by the West Virginia Board of Regents. Budig began his duties on July 1, 1977 and in his initial State of the University address on Oct. 5, 1977, he com- pared WVU in quality of faculty, staff and students and scope of program to any of the Big Eight universities. He also stated that in certain academic areas, WVU is as good as any institution in the Big Ten. Born on May 25, 1939 in McCook, Neb., Budig received his bachelor ' s, master ' s and Doctor of Education de- grees from the University of Nebraska. While taking a full- time schedule of academic work, Budig managed to find time to work on a local newspaper staff. Upon graduation, he worked for the Lincoln, Neb. news- papers, the Journal and the Star. I traveled throughout the state in search of human interest stories, Budig said, adding that his seven years of journalism experi- ence enables him to express complex ideas in an abbre- viated manner. In 1973, Budig was named president of Il- linois State University after serving as its academic vice president and dean. One of his major contributions at Illinois State was the completion of a new library. When Budig was interviewed for the WVU presidency last January, he asked the Re- gents for the support of a new library. The realization of a good library is the heart of a solid institution, ex- plained the youthful institutional head. Construction of the $4 5 million Evansdale Library will get away in the spring of 1978. Budig is the author of more than 40 articles on higher education and co-author of three books, Academic Quicksand, Dollars and Sense: Budgeting for Today ' s Campus, and Perceptions in Public Higher Education. When asked to pick one work to best describe WVU, Bu- dig chose the word, comprehensive. Too many people do not realize the quality of public institution that is located in their state: WVU is one of 18 major universi- ties that serves as both a comprehensive and land grant institution. Also, the university has an enrollment of over 21 ,500 and a staff and faculty of 6,000. Budig indicated that the school is running smoothly, but cited faculty sala- ries, accreditation of various programs and funding for the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) System as items that need to be dealt with. Salaries of faculty and staff are far too low, stated Budig, adding that the university must be in a position to retain its able people, or the college will lose its good faculty and staff members. The addition of teaching positions at WVU is a must, he noted, and un- less additional personnel is acquired, this institution will face some very real accreditation problems in the near future WVU is not overbuilt in its academic areas as some major universities; that is why we must continue to grow and expand Budig explained Budig believes that WVU is one of the best educational bargains in the na- tion, and he wants to keep it that way by holding student fees down To do that federal and state funds must be acquired for the operation of the PRT, he pointed out. Budig maintains that academics is his business, and to prove it, he teaches a class each semester to keep in close touch with students and the learn- ing process. He taught two graduate courses this year, Organization and Administration of Higher Education in the fall semester and Finance of Higher Education in the spring term 23 story by: MIKE FULTON

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The Winners Are: HENDRICKSON HOWARD