West Liberty University President Dr. Tim Borchers sat down with us on March 19th, 2024, to talk about his life before West Liberty University, his current experiences working at WLU, and some fun facts about himself. 

Q: Where are you from?

A: I spent a good time of my life in Western Nebraska.

Q: Where did you work before West Liberty?

A: I served previously as the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Peru State College in Nebraska, a very small town with a close-knit community of students similar to West Liberty.

Q: Where did you go to school, and what did you study?

A: I studied at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for my Bachelor’s in Speech Communications and studied for my Ph.D and Master’s degree in Communications at Wayne State University.                   

Q: How did you go from what you were studying before to doing what you do now?

A: I had first worked at the local Fargo Forum newspaper and then started coaching the speech team at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM), where I became closer with them and then became a faculty member. I enjoyed teaching and working with students, and I started to take on more and more leadership positions. I had taught more than 20 courses in communication and rhetorical theory at MSUM, where I then became the Associate Dean for two years, and then the Dean for Arts Media and Communications for seven years. I just kept saying yes to opportunities and had become excited to initiate change.

Q: What interested you in WLU?

A: West Liberty was very similar to where I was at. I fell in love with Wheeling and the community, along with the scenery.

Q: What are your favorite things about working at WLU?

A: The community and the students.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: My wife and I like to cook. I also run; I have been running since I did track in high school.

Q: Do you have any pets?

A: We have three cats: Griffin, Henry, and Husker. They are all around 14-15 years old.

Q: What’s an interesting fact about yourself?

A: I have been a fan of college football, especially a Husker football fan, since I was in the second grade.

Dr. Borchers’s Inauguration will take place in the ASRC on Friday, April 5, 2024. Throughout the week of April 5th, a series of events will be held to celebrate West Liberty, such as a 5k run/walk on Saturday, April 6th and an organ concert held on Sunday, April 7th. A full schedule of events can be found at https://westliberty.edu/inauguration/.