Top leader of Wright State’s Lake Campus resigns

The dean of Wright State University’s only branch campus has resigned.

Jay Albayyari will leave his position as the top leader of Wright State’s Lake Campus on Sunday. Albayyari will return to a faculty position at the Lake Campus, provost Sue Edwards said in an email to WSU students and employees.

Albayyari has served as dean of the Lake Campus in Celina for four years, according to the university. He came to WSU from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne where he served as vice chancellor for research, engagement and sponsored programs.

» RELATED: Projected enrollment drop could cost Wright State $9 million

The university plans to initiate a search for the campus’s next dean this fall, Edwards said in the email. The university is working on plans to “maintain Lake Campus leadership on an interim basis,” Edwards said.

“I understand this is a difficult time for the Lake Campus, but rest assured we are treating this leadership transition as a top priority” Edwards said.

Located around 80 miles north of Dayton, the Lake Campus has thrived in recent years under Albayyari. While Wright State has been marred by scandal, lawsuits and financial setbacks, the Lake Campus has remained one of the university’s bright spots.

The Lake Campus operates on its own budget and is funded through its own revenue streams, which are also separate from the main campus, Albayyari said in 2017.

» RELATED: Wright State increases tuition, fees by maximum allowed under Ohio law

Enrollment at the Lake Campus has increased every year since 2014, even as the total number of students attending WSU’s main campus has steadily declined since 2015, data shows. In the fall of 2018, enrollment was up by just over 1 percent at the Lake Campus and the previous fall it was up by 9 percent, according to records from the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

The branch campus built a new agriculture and water quality center in 2017 and a new library has been in the works too, administrators have said. President Cheryl Schrader has referred to the Lake Campus as a “gem” for the university.

“The Lake Campus has flourished under Dean Albayyari’s leadership,” Edwards said. “Wright State thanks Dean Albayyari for his hard work and service to Wright State and the surrounding communities.”

This news organization has reached out to Albayyari for comment.

FIVE FAST READS

• Air show attendance takes a dramatic dive

• Dayton in the spotlight: MSNBC town hall event discuses presidential race

• Central State, Wilberforce to merge some operations, campus services

• Stories of Survival: Brookville couple feels ‘lucky’ to be alive after tornado outbreak

• State proposal could lower college tuition for active duty military

About the Author