This photo was taken on a summer day in June in the downtown area of the WVU campus in Morgantown.
(WVU Photo/Jennifer Sheppard)
The West Virginia University Board of Trustees on Friday (June 21) approved 21 candidates appointed to a committee that will select the university's next president.
The special governance committee recommended four board members and three faculty members to the presidential search committee, which also selected one student representative and one representative each from the classified staff, deans and president. West Virginia University Athletics, West Virginia University School of Medicine, WVU Foundation, WVU Alumni Associationone regional campus representative, and three at-large representatives for a total of 18 voting board members. In addition, for continuity, one ex-officio representative will be selected from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and three ex-officio representatives from the Board of Trustees Chair (2023-2025).
See the full list, including names and titles.
“Selecting a president is a great responsibility and we were impressed with the quality of the candidates submitted,” said Dr. Patrice Harris, chair of the special governance committee.
The Board also approved the Mission of the Presidential Search Committee, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of the committee and its members, as well as the Presidential Search Committee's Confidentiality Agreement and Code of Ethics.
At Friday's regular board meeting, Wittkieffer, the national firm selected in May as the university's presidential search partner, outlined next steps in the process, which will include a series of listening sessions with various groups through mid-September. More details will be announced in the coming weeks, and updates can be found at presidentialsearch.wvu.edu.
The new president comes at a time of improving financial stability at WVU: The university has eliminated a predicted structural budget shortfall and increased its cash reserves over the past year.
“West Virginia University remains committed to strengthening the university's financial performance, developing a strong financial budget process, maintaining adequate cash levels and strengthening reserves to enable future strategic investments,” Finance Committee Chairman Kevin Craig said before the board approved the fiscal year 2025 financial plan.
The plan includes approval to increase tuition and fees for resident undergraduate students by $228 per semester and tuition and fees for nonresident students by $624 per semester. Tuition and fees for resident graduate students will increase by $252 per semester and tuition and fees for nonresident graduate students will increase by $639 per semester. To offset these increases, financial aid to students will also increase proportionately.
“In fact, 50 percent of resident graduates who earn their bachelor's degrees in May 2023 will graduate with zero debt, and our school continues to perform very well when compared to our regional and Big 12 peers,” Chief Financial Officer Paula Congerio said.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Marianne Reed told the board that summer enrollment has remained relatively stable due to increased demand for online courses. Renewal of academic programs at West Virginia University College of Technology and West Virginia University Potomac State College are proceeding as announced this spring, with the official opening of the new School of Creative Arts and Media scheduled for July 1. Also opening as scheduled are the new Land Grant Engagement division, comprised of West Virginia University Extension, West Virginia University Community Engagement Center and the renamed Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Reed also shared an update on the search for Potomac State University's new president.
“As I have stated before, my office is partnering with Greenwood Usher and Associates to manage this search,” Reed said. “After several stakeholder meetings led by Greenwood Usher this spring, a job description was developed, a search was launched, and the position was advertised. Since June 7, we have already received 30 applications, many of which are highly qualified. Our goal is to have a new president at Potomac State by January.”
The annual faculty report featured a presentation on the WVU Country Roads program, a first-of-its-kind initiative in West Virginia that has garnered national attention. Board members were briefed on record-breaking research activities and expenditures, as well as updates on several Faculty Senate initiatives.
Other Board action:
· A new Mine Safety Practices and Health undergraduate certificate program has been approved in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.
· Online postgraduate certificates in School Physical Activity Leadership, Sport Industry Leadership and Change Management, Advanced Sport Management Studies, Athlete Talent Identification and Development, Athlete Empowerment through Positive Coaching, and Applied Sport Science in Coaching have been approved within the School of Applied Human Sciences.
· An athletics project to develop a new WVU baseball hitting and pitching facility has been approved.
View the agenda and meeting materials for the June 21st BOG Regular Meeting.
Current vice chair Rick Pihl will serve as board chair starting July 1, Bob Reynolds will become secretary, and Dr. Patrice Harris will become vice chair, chair of the presidential search committee and continue in her role as chair of the special governance committee.
President Gordon Gee thanked Board of Trustees Chair Taunja Willis Miller, former Chair and current member Tom Jones, outgoing Faculty Representative Stan Heilman, and Student Representative and former Student Government Association President Madison Santemeyer for their service and dedication to the University. He also spoke of the impact West Virginia University has on communities across the state, which he sees firsthand during his county tours each summer.
“By shaking hands with residents, listening to their concerns and letting them know how we are addressing the needs of our state, we are making our land-grant flagship university an indispensable presence to the people we serve,” Gee said. “By planting gold and blue flags across the state, we are firmly staking our claim that we are, and always have been, West Virginia's flagship university.”
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for September 20th.
-West Virginia University-
ak/6/21/24
Media Contact: April Kaul
Executive Director of Communications
University
304-293-3990; April.Kaul@mail.wvu.edu
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