MORGANTOWN – WVU Faculty Senate raised the alarm during its Monday meeting over a bill introduced in the House of Delegates and on the agenda of the Higher Education Subcommittee Tuesday afternoon.
HB 3279’s stated purpose is “to require one person of the West Virginia University Board of Governors and of the West Virginia State University Board of Governors with a background in agriculture or in an agricultural field.”
The bill raises the BOG membership from 17 to 19 members.
But what stirred the alarm was the provisions stripping the two faculty representatives, the classified staff representative and the student body representative of their voting rights. The bill adds to each of their descriptions: “who shall serve as a nonvoting, advisory member.”
Faculty Senate chair Diana Davis opened the meeting commenting on the bill, which was introduced on Monday. “Faculty staff and student voices are critical in providing broad and comprehensive input into the governing process for this university. The introduction of this bill is disappointing at best.”
WVU Staff Council chair Shirley Robinson said the council was very disturbed by the bill. “Our staff would not be in favor of this bill. It takes away our rights. It takes away us having a voice,” she said. “We’re not a dictatorship at West Virginia University. All of our opinions matter.”
Previous Faculty Senate chair Frankie Tack said, “Not having a voting right for staff and students and faculty would diminish our voice.”
The four representatives are full board members, she said. “That has been very impactful along the way in many ways. … We live here, we work here, we are served here, and we serve here and that voice must be potent on the board of governors.”
Under the new House committee process, the bill was set for subcommittee hearing on Tuesday – essentially an overview of the bill. Markup and passage would come at a subsequent meeting, followed by reporting to the full Education Committee. From there, if approved, it would go to the House floor.
Research funding
Interim Provost Paul Kreider fielded a question about word circulating of certain graduate program admissions being rescinded because of budgetary challenges. Kreider didn’t have much information on the topic because it dealt with Health Sciences, but WVU had previously answered a question about this from The Dominion Post.
Our question came following a forwarded email indicating a student’s admission to the biomedical sciences graduate program had been rescinded. We had previously reported that on Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health announced that it will reduce indirect cost recovery at research institutions to a flat 15% from any previously negotiated rates. This affects new grants, as well as existing grants, WVU said then.
Direct research costs cover researcher salaries, student stipends, supplies and some equipment. Indirect costs cover the university’s expenses for heat and air, building maintenance, chemical and radiation safety and disposal, library access, IT access, cybersecurity, human subjects and animal welfare support, centralized research facilities, and the administration and oversight of awards to ensure that funds are spent appropriately and responsibly.
WVU projected it would lose about $12 million in research dollars.
In response to our question, WVU said its Health Sciences Office of Research and Graduate Education “is limiting admission to its PhD programs due to the unforeseen budgetary challenges resulting from proposed cuts to federal research funding. We’ve met with the students and faculty in the affected areas, and we will continue to support our existing students, faculty and staff and current ongoing research initiatives. If circumstances change in the future, admission to these PhD programs will be reevaluated.
“Our leadership teams continue to work with key constituents and policymakers to seek reconsideration of these proposed federal cuts,” WVU said. “Indirect costs are partial reimbursements for real costs essential to support human and physical infrastructure required for university research programs. Without support for these costs, our nation’s research universities cannot maintain research programs essential for continued national prosperity.”
Academic freedom resolution
In light of federal and state measures to curb DEI initiatives – and WVU’s recent closure of its DEI office – senators adopted a resolution on “Academic Freedom, Inclusion, and Advocacy.”
In view of uncertainties brought about by a shifting political and legal landscape, the resolution says, the Senate asserts the need for a safe academic environment, and values free speech and expression and academic freedom.
Every person has the right to pursue knowledge, it says, and faculty have the right to discuss such topics as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender.
Therefore, the Senate “reaffirms its commitment to academic freedom, inclusion, and the support of all faculty, students, and staff in their pursuit of knowledge and personal growth.”
And the Senate “strongly urges the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Governor Morrisey, and the West Virginia Legislature to work collaboratively to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives serve their intended purpose: to enrich educational experiences for all students and create pathways for success throughout our state and university.”
