“We don’t measure our success by the students we exclude, we measure our success solely on the success of the ones we include,” Dr. Catherine Wehlburg, Athens State University’s 39th president, said.

In an exclusive interview with The News Courier, Wehlburg reaffirmed her commitment to continue Athens State’s storied history of being the only public upper-division university in the state of Alabama.

“We are not looking to be the most selective college, there are already places for that,” Wehlburg said. “Our role is to be highly innovative and exceedingly accessible, so students from every level can find pathways to be successful.”

Wehlburg, after serving the role of interim president since January 2023, officially assumed the role of president after a vote from the board of trustees on May 17. According to her signed contract, her current term as the institution’s president will run until May 1, 2027.

“It was very exciting to have that vote finally happen, because we’ve been talking about it for a while,” Wehlburg said. “We have already started on a lot of really exciting and positive projects that we now know we can continue with.”

Some of the projects that Wehlburg has already introduced to the campus have been in classrooms, where they are becoming more fluid in education opportunities to fit the career paths of each student that walks through their doors.

“We have been looking very carefully at how our teaching can be more flexible for our students to work with them and not against them,” Wehlburg said. “Our students are not the traditional 18-year-olds fresh out of high school; many of our students are parents who have jobs, so we must work with their schedule.”

These nontraditional college students that Athens State has built its educational foundation on continue to flood into the growing community — as Athens grows, so too does the university.

According to Wehlburg, Athens State University’s enrollment and student retention has continued to increase in the past three years she has been with the institution.

“Making sure what and how we teach fits with adult learners and our industry partners is a must,” Wehlburg said. “We are removing any barriers that are preventing our students from being successful and not finishing their academic careers.”

Wehlburg noted that the state of Alabama has close to half a million people with some collegiate education but no degree to show for it, and how that will be a driving point in her presidency term.

“There are a lot of people who, for a variety of reasons, have dropped out of college and not completed their degree,” Wehlburg said. “So, when we help a student finish that degree, data indicates that their earning potential increases. That benefits not just them and their families, but the community they are in as well.”

As for Wehlburg, though her time as Athens State president may officially just be getting started, the institution is providing a residency on East Bryan Street to accommodate her role. According to her contract, she will also be paid a base salary of $300,000 per year in her current three-year contract.

“I have the honor and the privilege to be in this role,” Wehlburg said. “But, the honor and the privilege for me comes from seeing our students as they are graduating, and knowing that their kids and families are just as proud of them as I am.”