BY MIKE NOLTING
West Virginia University announced its latest attempt to address its financial challenges — combining the Davis College of Agriculture and WVU Extension next July.
“Aligning these key areas honors our rich history and advances our role as the flagship R1 university in the state,” President Gordon Gee said. “It will strengthen West Virginia University’s commitment to continually improve the lives and livelihoods of individuals, families and communities within West Virginia and beyond as we transform to be a model for the modern land-grant university in an evolving higher education landscape.”
Davis College and WVU Extension already share faculty and grant-funded research and outreach projects. The consolidation will put more emphasis on the support and development of shared faculty, according WVU Provost Maryanne Reed.
“Ultimately, this will result in enhanced instruction both in classrooms and the community, increased potential for industry and agency partnerships, meaningful experiential learning opportunities for students, and increased opportunities for faculty research collaborations,” Reed said.
The WVU Center for Community Engagement will continue scholarship programs, 4-H, FFA and other outreach programs throughout the state and at WVU Jackson’s Mill.
The structure for the new unit will be developed this fall and decisions about a name for the unit will be addressed in the coming months.
WVU said a series of working groups will begin meetings to address portions of the organization, like academic and outreach programming, promotion and tenure guidelines and practices, fundraising, technology, communications and student support services. Faculty, staff, students and alumni will be engaged to help with that planning process.
The next deadline in WVU’s transformation timeline is Friday, when deans and department chairs are to notify faculty of preliminary recommendations for reduction or discontinuation as determined from the Office of the Provost. The deadline for the notice of appeal for those decisions is Aug. 18.
