MORGANTOWN – WVU has entered Phase 2 of its Academic Transformation program, and on Tuesday President Gordon Gee sent a letter to the campus community restating his vision for the transformation, while WVU officials fielded questions from the press on the process.
WVU is dealing with a $45 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year, which began July 1. The Board of Governors approved a budget to deal with it that includes reducing expenses by $21 million – $7 million of that through reductions in force – and $24 million in one-time support from the WVU Foundation. For Fiscal Year 2025, WVU said it expects to reduce its expenditures again by at least $24 million from the authorized FY 2024 expenditures.
In his letter, Gee addressed the issue of declining enrollment that is fueling the shortfall.
“There is a shift that has been happening for a long time; one accelerated by the pandemic,” he said. “We have been facing a declining student population, a declining college-going rate and a more competitive market for years. Our post-pandemic world has forced a change in the job market, leaning even more heavily on technology and healthcare. But perhaps, even more disconcerting is that we fight a pervasive narrative that a college education no longer holds the same value in today’s society.”
He continued, “Though post-pandemic financial challenges added to the urgency, we are at an inflection point in higher education that we cannot ignore. We must adapt to be relevant to the students of today and the industry of tomorrow. We must make certain that education continues to be a founding pillar of our great nation. It is, in my view, our greatest hope to future prosperity.”
WVU has begun its Academic Program Portfolio Review and Realignment to determine what needs to be changed. Programs and academic units – such as departments – that house the programs are under review.
According to information presented Monday, 25 of 52 units (48%) have been identified for review, as well as 111 of 238 programs (47%). The number of students in programs under review is 6,293 of 18,892 (33%). And the number of affected faculty is 590 of 1,230 (48%).
Associate Provost Mark Gavin explained that the majority of the programs will remain after the review. Review may determine that a program will continue at its current level, continue but with specific action, such as RIFS or combining programs, continue at a reduced level, or be discontinued.
“We don’t have any presumed outcomes here,” he said. The law school and the School of Public Health are both up for review, but that doesn’t mean they’re on the chopping block or that the state’s only law school will stop training lawyers. The review may identify ways to operate those programs more efficiently.
Determinations will be based on an array of metrics, including enrollment and program revenues and expenditures.
The Dominion Post told the officials about concerns it has received: that the transformation process could be self-defeating to some degree by discouraging faculty and student recruitment and perhaps tarnishing the university’s reputation.
Gavin said, “We understand those concerns. This is not easy stuff.” They aim to get through the hard part as quickly as possible so they can emerge at the other end and “continue to be the university we need to be. … We’re unsettled during this period. We’re headed to a much better place.”
Will the transformation affect student recruitment? “I think the answer to that is no,” Gavin said, They are
laser-focused on creating a portfolio of programs that will attract students, while cutting some that the data shows aren’t drawing students.
Gee wrote in his letter, “The data we gleaned through the Academic Program Portfolio Review and Realignment process positions us for meaningful discussions. It clearly shows what we are doing well. It also shows where we have room for improvement, for growth and for change.
“I do not diminish the challenges and the loss that comes with transformation,” he said. “In five to 10 years, I see our university’s student success programs leading to increased retention and higher graduation rates. Our entrepreneurial spirit creating more industry partnerships that provide a strong pipeline for our students into internships, co-ops and jobs. I see our alumni being a formidable resource in continuing to assist our students in their purpose.
“We will differentiate ourselves with programs that serve our stakeholders and play to our strengths,” he said. “Our narrative is not one of reducing to be smaller. Our narrative is one of refining to be strategic – to be stellar.”
Tweet David Beard @dbeardtdp Email dbeard@dominionpost.com
