Kopp discusses Marshall success at Newseum

 WASHINGTON — Marshall University President Stephen J. Kopp shared the university's success Wednesday in his state of the university speech at the Newseum, an interactive news museum just blocks from the White House.

Kopp, who recently completed his fifth year at Marshall, highlighted the university's progress during the past five years, the economic impact of the university and many of Marshall's new programs and initiatives.
"This visit to the nation's Capitol is always an exceptional opportunity to thank the members of West Virginia's congressional delegation and their many hard-working staff members, as well as our many friends and faithful alumni from the Washington, D.C., area and showcase the impressive progress and developments that underscore and affirm the benefits of our collective efforts," Kopp said. 

"It's a chance to talk in concrete terms about our exciting new programs and projects and share with our elected officials the positive and extensive economic and societal impact that Marshall University has on the City of Huntington and the region as well our beloved state and nation."
Some of the highlights from the past five years include more than $190 million in new capital projects, the founding of Marshall's Honors College, construction or completion of 12 new facilities, the doubling of research grant funding, significant increases in non-resident student enrollment and full-time freshman enrollment; 10 new, high-demand degree majors; and the implementation of the new core general education program.
Kopp said higher education is an economic multiplier and needs to be recognized as such. Marshall University is an enterprise that multiplies and returns to the state more than 20 times the state's investment each year in terms of economic impact. He cited Marshall's $1.5 billion total economic impact and noted that the university's annual economic impact has tripled since 2005. 

These developments are the product of fiscally responsible decision-making and priority initiatives that have placed Marshall University in a position to fulfill its mission worldwide. For every state dollar invested in Marshall, Kopp said, the university returned more than $20 to West Virginia's economy. He also said Marshall has a total employment impact of more than 6,000 jobs.