Second West Liberty University Presidential Finalist, Tim Borchers, Visits Campus
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WEST LIBERTY - Nebraska native and West Liberty University presidential candidate Tim Borchers wants to create stability and a place for transformational learning if chosen to lead the school.
Borchers was on campus Thursday as part of his three-day visit to WLU with the hopes of becoming the school's next president.
Borchers currently serves as vice president for academic affairs at Peru State College in Nebraska, a position he has held since 2015.
Borchers said Peru State College and WLU are similar in a few ways including the campus, the old age of the institution, the students, athletics and even the topography of the region. He noted West Liberty did have a few more hills.
Borchers grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and later moved to Sydney, Nebraska. He graduated from Sydney High School in 1987.
He and his wife, Susanne Williams, both attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Williams works as a retention specialist at Peru State College. If Borchers lands the position, he said his wife would move to West Liberty as well.
"Together we would definitely welcome the opportunity to serve the university. We would enjoy having people to the president's house for special events, and really work to establish relationships with the community, with donors, with alums, and with the students, faculty and staff," he said. "We would definitely work together to build those relationships."
Borchers and his wife have a 22-year-old son, Oliver.
Borchers said if he got the job he would want to maxmize students' learning opportunities.
"I think developing ways to provide a transformational education is critically important. That's part of the mission and I think that includes experiential learning, that includes student research they do with faculty, that includes study abroad trips, presenting research at conferences, engaging in student organizations.
"So really trying to maximize those opportunities for students to engage in the kinds of activities that will transform them as people," he said.
"I think coming in and creating some stability and getting to know everyone will be critically important.
"Getting to know the faculty and staff and listening to what they have to say, listening to the students, getting out and meeting community members and alums.
"And using all that information to really launch our next strategic plan, which will be starting soon."
Borchers is among four candidates university leaders are considering to fill the president position. The other candidates include David Christiansen, chancellor of Penn State York; Kelly Ryan, interim chancellor of Indiana University Southeast; and Robert Smith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and Professor of Mathematics at Valdosta State University in Georgia.