In January, Wright State Provost Sue Edwards will officially become the university’s next president. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of Edwards assuming the post over the weekend.
She’ll succeed President Cheryl Schrader, who’s set to retire Dec. 31.
A spokesman for the university says information on next steps for the Board and Edwards to work out details of her contract are expected soon.
On Friday, Edwards told WYSO she's committed to continue making progress towards stabilizing Wright State’s bottom line, growing student enrollment and rebuilding trust with the community.
“Wanting to keep things moving in a positive way and not to interrupt things," she says, "because I think they even feel as though we've got a new energy and a new flow on campus and it's going in the right direction. My philosophy is: if it ain't broke, you don't fix it.”
Wright State saw a 20-day faculty strike earlier this year and has struggled to rebuild revenues and after years of overspending.
Board members said Friday student enrollment is down nearly 12 percent.
Edwards has already assumedsome presidential operational duties. She'll become the university’s eighth president Jan. 1.
“After carefully considering the best options for the university and after discussing the matter with employee and student leaders, we believe Dr. Edwards is the right person to take the university forward,” said Sean Fitzpatrick, chair of the Board of Trustees, in a statement. “We are confident Dr. Edwards will keep the university focused on providing an excellent education for our students and position Wright State to better serve the economic needs of the region, particularly in the high demand areas of health care, technology and business, as well as supporting the employment, educational and research needs of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.”
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