Glenville State College pioneer welcomes students and parents
to a recent freshman enrollment clinic at the Waco Center.
Freshman enrollment us up 17-percent for the fall semester
Photos/Story By Drew Moody
Following two pre-enrollment clinics at Glenville State College, incoming freshman
class size for fall semester of 2014 has jumped 17-percent, according
to GSC's enrollment office. Student numbers at GSC has been bucking mostly
downward trends statewide, increasing from about 1400 prior to President Peter
B. Barr's arrival to last year passing the 1900 mark.
Chatter between staff and faculty as they prepared for the most recent
freshman enrollment effort during the WV State Folk Festival was positive and upbeat.
Several cited better communications between departments and a renewed
sense of working together as contributing to increased student outreach efforts.
Since arriving at GSC in January as associate vice president of enrollment, Greg King's
priorities have been focused on improving how the college recruits and engages students.
Those efforts are paying off.
 "Everything we do should be to aid recruitment and retention," King (left) said.
Now all students and potential students are logged into a database and the data
is updated continually as materials are sent out, calls are made or there's a visit to the
college's campus, King said.
He praised the five-person recruiting staff at the college, saying, "We have some
great leaders in this office."
While 85-percent of Glenville State College's students hail from a 16 county central
West Virginia region, King is expanding recruiting efforts to other areas where there
is a shortage of colleges to fill the demand. One such place is the greater Pittsburgh
area, that has more high school graduates annually than all the students currently
enrolled at West Virginia colleges and universities.
Last week, King traveled to Washington, D.C., to make contacts and attend seminars
to facilitate recruiting foreign students. Last year's GSC had one foreign born student.
In addition, he's also actively reaching out to alumni throughout WV, particularly teachers.
King's quick smile and friendly manner belies his initial work background in business and
finance. Despite being the top accounting and school of business graduate of his class at
King College (now King University) in Tennessee, all it took was one accounting internship
to decide the CPA route wasn't for him. After spending a few years in investment, finance
and the mortgage industry he returned to his alma mater to manage enrollment there.
While there, in addition to completing a master's degree in management and leadership he
steered the enrollment team to a 30-percent undergraduate increase, as well as 31-percent
growth in post-graduate studies.
King believes there is significant growth potential at Glenville State College and is pleased
with how he's been received. "Dr. Barr wanted a fresh set of ideas -- there's a desire for new
ideas and new energy."
"Great things can be accomplished if you don't care who gets credit for it," King said
smiling.
King resides in Glenville with his wife, Amber, and son, Jackson.
Campus tours are ongoing Monday through Friday until fall registration in mid-August.
Anyone interested in attending Glenville State College, or would like more information about
the school and degree programs, should contact the admissions office at 304-462-6130 or
1-800-924-2010. For other questions, the college's main number is 304-462-7361.
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