FAIRMONT, W.Va. — The bill that would reunify Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community and Technical College is currently before the House Education Committee.
The bill, HB 2805, was introduced last week by House leaders including House Majority Leader Amy Summers, House Speaker Roger Hanshaw and House Education Committee Chairman Joe Ellington. Monongalia County Delegate Joe Statler is also a lead sponsor.
Fairmont State Board of Governor’s Chairman David Goldberg said a reunification would better support students at all levels.
“Now we have the opportunity to take two good strong organizations and create the model back to where we started a few years back,” Goldberg said. “Traditional students and non-traditional students having a consistent pathway to success.”
Goldberg said last week on WAJR Radio’s “Talk of the Town” there will be no major staff reorganizations, but there will advantages in economies of scale.
“Take some of the excess money, reinvest it back into the programs like mechanics for aeronautical to tie in to what’s going on in Harrison County and the airport in Clarksburg.”
Goldberg said they want maintain solid systems for traditional and non-traditional students.
“The requirements for a community technical college and a university- the certificates, the degrees, the two-year associates degrees lead by the state-we will follow it,” Goldberg said. “The free tuition for the community college students will continue.”
The new look BOG for the merged institution will be expanded to include representatives from trades and professional careers from the area, Goldberg said.
“We’ll have a better opportunity to advance together rather than fighting for the same resources and sometimes not, in my opinion, investing in right way to succeed on a greater scale.”
Goldberg said the unified institution will be a benefit to north central West Virginia, industries and perspective students.
“I think together we can have a model to show a broader way to reduce cost and improve dollars of investment,” Goldberg said.