MORGANTOWN, W.Va. During a special meeting of the West Virginia University (WVU) Board of Governors (BOG), officials introduced the next target for reorganization and adjusted the timeline for the review of academic service units.
President Gordon Gee told the BOG he introduced “transformation” in his first speech as president in 2014, and over the last 10 years, 500 non-academic positions have been cut.
Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Rob Alsop, told President Gee after meetings that the department of talent and culture would be reorganized and that current Vice President Cris DeBord would retire.
“Through that reorganization, which will take place over the next several weeks, we intend to eliminate that vice president position,” Alsop said. “Those units will report to a combination of me, Paula Congelio (Vice President and Chief Financial Officer), and Stephanie Taylor (WVU General Counsel), so that will be a savings to the university for that vice president.”
University leadership is working on the academic portion of the transformation that the BOG will vote on on Sept. 15 and will begin work on Academic Support Units (ASU) review next. Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed said the results of the review of the ASUs will be presented at the Sept. 15 BOG meeting.
“We will be reaching out to those (ASU) units at the beginning of September to share with them our findings, the results of the surveys that were done across campus, and our assessment of their self-studies,” Reed said.
Reed also said the review of the WVU Extension and campuses in Keyser and Beckley will begin in January 2024.
Mark Gavin, Associate Provost for Budget, Facilities, and Strategic Initiatives, stressed the cuts to 32 programs and 169 faculty are very difficult, but said when considering single major students, the proposed cuts impact about.7 percent of the student body, or 147 students.
“If we include double majors, we would add another 60 students, raising the impact to 1 percent of students,” Gavin said.
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed said these decisions are difficult to make. Reed said they would provide ample notice to faculty who are going to be let go, severance packages, and access to assistance.
“Briefing up our mental health resources for faculty and staff who are maybe in duress at this time, and we know there are some who are,” Reed said. “And the help with job placement. The university is currently negotiating a contract with an outplacement provider.”
Before the BOG got down to business, 30 minutes were allotted for public input. About nine students took the opportunity, expressing frustration and, in some cases, calling for resignations from senior leadership.
Freshman Joey Demes told the BOG he came to WVU from the foster care program with an SAT score of 1520. Demes said he had many other opportunities, but he selected WVU because of the welcoming faculty, campus, and financial aid package offered.
“What I am being told with the grad program for math being cut is that you guys don’t want me here; you guys want me to go to another state to get an education,” Demes said. “I’ve been in West Virginia since I was 8, since my father’s passing.”