INSTITUTE, W.Va. — Ericke Cage is the 13th president of West Virginia State University.
Cage, who has served as interim president since last September, was chosen on a unanimous vote by West Virginia State University’s Board of Governors in a Thursday morning meeting.
A native of Halifax County, Virginia, Cage was previously serving as the university’s chief operating officer and managing the day-to-day operations of the university since the previous president, Nicole Pride, resigned July 30, 2021.
Cage told MetroNews it’s humbling to be the permanent president of WVSU, one of the two land-grant institutions in West Virginia.
“It’s a university that is very much a part of the fabric of not only the Kanawha Valley but the state. It’s a university that has been around for 130 years and has transformed students’ lives,” Cage said.
Cage took over during a rocky time at WVSU. Pride had been president for less than a year after several members of her cabinet signed a letter of no confidence that included ‘Condescending and abusive language are common in exchanges with Dr. Pride.’
Cage said he believes his leadership since July showed the university board of governors, faculty, staff, students, and community that he is all in.
During his formal interview forums on campus on March 16, Cage stated, “Under my leadership, we have brought stability to this university during a time of historic change and upheaval. We’ve done the work of restoring the state spirit by creating a culture of care, civility and compassion. We have established relationships that are already connecting the university to new opportunities.”
Before arriving at WVSU, Cage served as the senior advisor to the president and university ombudsman at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia – where he served as principal advisor to the president on matters related to university policymaking, governance, and government relations.
Prior to joining Norfolk State, Cage served as director of government affairs for Teach for America, and also served as legislative counsel for U.S. Congressman Tom Perriello, in addition to serving as a law clerk for the U.S. Department of Defense, and a legislative fellow for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Cage said he always envisioned himself as a university president but did not see it coming at WVSU when he arrived in Institute.
“When opportunity knocks, you have to be prepared and ready to open that door and walk through it,” Cage said.
The West Virginia State University Board of Governors has selected Ericke S. Cage, J.D., LL.M. to be the University’s 13th President.
Read more: https://t.co/RDiMejM81S pic.twitter.com/PC3vIlq4Po
— West Virginia State University (@WVStateU) March 31, 2022
Cage said his administration wants to continue to bring stability to WVSU and “continue to be a university which is student-centered, customer service-driven, a land-grant university that is grounded in its heritage of being a HBCU, and focused on its future as an inclusive institution of higher learning.”
Student recruitment and retention are two of the biggest challenges facing WVSU, Cage said.
Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in leadership studies. He holds a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University Law School. He holds a masters of law degree in litigation and dispute resolution from the George Washington University Law School. He is also a graduate of the United States Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.
The BOG moved quickly to approve Cage after an executive session. His contract is still being negotiated, WVSU said.
The board brought three finalists to campus for interviews including — Dr. Lawrence T. Potter, Jr., the chief academic officer and provost for the University of the District of Columbia and Dr. Melva Williams, the vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at Southern University at Shreveport.