MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Morgantown City Council members are concerned about the effect West Virginia University’s (WVU) academic transformation will have on the greater Monongalia County area.
Mayor Jenny Selin acknowledged the difficult decisions being made by the administration and their effects on students. She said it’s hard to watch friends and neighbors deal with the transformation firsthand.
“I just think it’s very difficult all around our community and a tough day for West Virginia—this is our flagship university,” Selin said.
Deputy Mayor Joe Abu-Ghannam noted most people who work for the university also have a spouse, meaning turnover in the housing market could follow when the final cuts are approved and made. As a teacher at Morgantown High School, he also said there could be a ripple effect through public schools in the area as well.
“If you’re without employment, are you really going to stay in the area?” Abu-Ghannam asked. “I’m worried, and I’m fearful for those families, for the kids that I teach whose parents work at the university.”
Fifth Ward councilor and BOPARC President, Danielle Trumble, said the city will notice the loss of talented employees who offer help to the city and numerous organizations in the city. Trumble added that some of the cuts appear to be contrary to the immediate and long-term goals of the state.
“We’re losing so much expertise in a state where we’re preparing for a global economy, in a state where tourism and outdoor recreation are our future. Some of the cuts seem so shortsighted to me,” Trumble said.
Sixth Ward Councilor and WVU alumni Dave Harshbarger is concerned about the future of the city and university. Harshbarger also acknowledged there could be issues facing the housing market, but said the future of the institution is a main concern.
“I’m the second alum from WVU; one of my kids went to WVU, and being from Morgantown, the institution means a lot to me, so I hate to see the cuts occur,” Harshbarger said.
Seventh Ward Councilor Brian Butcher attended the West Virginia University Board of Governors meeting Thursday and spoke prior to the final vote on cuts he called indiscriminate and disheartening. Butcher told council members that the next cuts regarding student life issues will likely include some organizations they have worked with in the past.
“These programs that are up for student support are not available to be appealed, Butcher said. “So, anything that might happen to a lot of these programs that I know a lot of us on council have interacted with are just final cuts.”
Councilors Louise Michael and Bill Kawecki were unavailable for comment.