CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the debate continues in Wheeling between city officials and local college leaders on whether Bluefield State College should open a branch campus in town, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission says the request process would have to cut through several agencies.
In a statement to MetroNews from the commission (HEPC) detailed what would need to happen in order for a part of the former Ohio Valley Medical Center (OVMC) property in downtown Wheeling to house Bluefield State College (BSC). The city and BSC entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) on January 5 to assess the feasibility of a long-term lease deal on the campus for a new Engineering and Manufacturing Center for educational purposes.
Jessica Tice, the Senior Director of Communications for the HEPC said there are several steps to the process since it’s a four-year institution seeking to offer two-year degree programs in a new location in the state. The HEPC is the coordinating board for West Virginia’s public four-year higher education system.
According to agency rules that comply with State Code, the HEPC would have to approve the request to offer degree programs at a new location. Similarly, the Council for Community and Technical College Education, the coordinating board for West Virginia’s two-year higher education system, must approve any new associate degree programs, Tice said.
The Higher Learning Commission, the independent regional accrediting body, must approve the opening of a new campus, as well. The process could begin this spring as the commission has its next scheduled meeting set for April 30.
No action was taken during last week’s Wheeling City Council meeting in regards to the BSC venture on city owned property but there were fireworks. West Virginia Northern Community College Daniel Mosser spoke during the meeting, blasting city officials and alleged them of not disclosing lease figures, giving BSC a ‘personal deal’ and bringing up past relationships with BSC President Robin Capehart.
Mosser, West Liberty University President W. Franklin Evans and Wheeling University President Ginny Favede voiced their opposition to BSC joining the local college arena in a joint statement released to the public March 10. Evans and Favede both yielded their time at the city council meeting to Mosser, allowing him to speak longer.
Wheeling officials, including Mayor Glenn Elliott, Vice Mayor Chad Thalman, and City Manager Robert Herron did not take Mosser’s accusations lightly. They released a joint statement on Friday evening, listing each allegation and asking Mosser to prove himself.
“Let us be very clear: The allegations made against the City Officials referenced herein are unequivocally untrue. And the making of these allegations in a public forum without any supporting evidence represents the height of irresponsibility,” the statement read on Friday.
Mosser and David Artman, chair, Board of Governors, at WVNCC both responded back to city officials on Monday. Mosser addressed the figures of a $2 million taxpayer bill and a $1.5 million rehab of the property that he brought up during the council meeting.
Mosser said Monday, “During the March 16, Wheeling City Council meeting, I shared several figures that have become a distraction. A couple were specifics, contained in the MOU that the City Manager executed with Robin Capehart on January 5th. Some were mentioned by Mayor Glenn Elliot himself in recent meetings with college leaders attempting to resolve this, including the gross square feet of the space in question (5,000 sf) and the City’s estimate of buildout costs ($1.5 million). I also compared Mayor Elliott’s figure with Northern’s actual costs (per square foot) from back when we renovated two deteriorating properties in recent years, expanding Northern’s footprint in downtown Wheeling. These buildings presently house industrial technology and applied technology programs similar to that in question. Northern could have shared our experience with these similar facilities prior to the Council meeting, had we been consulted.”
The OVMC campus, which was bought by the city in June, sits just a few blocks from the community college campus. Mosser previously told MetroNews he believes the city is in a deep hole with the property and desperate to find a tenant.
Mosser also told MetroNews he was disappointed because no one from the city reached out to him about using the campus or creating such engineering programs the city wanted.
“I feel the ongoing public dialogue and attacks have not been constructive nor do they focus on the matter at hand. I am a passionate person who cares deeply about our college and the people we serve — our students, our employees, and the residents of our community. I regret that my passion has likewise been used to create a distraction,” Mosser said on Monday.
“Let me be clear, I feel very strongly that recruiting any higher education institution from outside our City and region, locating them just one block from WVNCC and in close proximity to two exceptionally capable local universities, proposing to offer programs that overlap with and compete with our existing programs, underwriting this with Wheeling tax dollars represents economic malpractice on the part of our Mayor – regardless of who contacted whom. We colleges are among the largest local employers of Wheeling residents. We have survived, even thrived here in Wheeling for many decades. We remain Wheeling proud!
I look forward to reading the City’s feasibility study on this matter and to a more constructive and meaningful dialogue with Wheeling elected leaders and our higher education partners.”
Artman said the city needs to explain why it never reached out to WVNCC and why Elliott is “so defiantly committed to spending City tax dollars to bring an outside institution to Wheeling.”
“To this date, the Mayor has yet to confirm that he received the joint letter sent by our presidents on February 19th. I want to acknowledge and express our Board of Governor’s appreciation for the joint effort of Presidents Mosser, Favede and Evans,” Artman said. “Our Mayor has stated that one of his primary motivations for inking the MOU has been to drive economic investment in the City of Wheeling. We feel strongly that this goal would be better and more affordably achieved by a local college or university. At the very least, wouldn’t anyone grant their neighbor or a local business partner the right of first refusal? It’s just a common and decent courtesy.
“Recently, when there has been a need for programs such as Welding, Advanced Manufacturing, and Petroleum Technology to address employer needs for skilled workers in the oil & gas industry, Northern has delivered. We quickly provided these programs, filling employer needs in our region while preparing residents of Wheeling and the region to land these emerging jobs and earn good incomes. This also led to Northern acquiring and refurbishing the former abandoned Wesco Building in downtown Wheeling, which is now our state-of-the-art Industrial Technology Center. More recently, the Mayor asked Dr. Mosser to offer EMT/Paramedic training working with the Wheeling Fire Department. The EMT portion is underway now with Paramedic coming this Fall semester – at all three Northern campuses. Never has the Mayor committed a single dime of Wheeling funds to accomplish any of this. The State of WV covered most of these costs, bringing many millions of dollars in state funding to the City. This is real economic investment and impact!”
The joint statement from Wheeling leaders on Friday also criticized Evans and Favede for allowing Mosser to make such accusations. Evans became the president of West Liberty in January, around the time the MOU was signed. He said Monday in a statement that he has no ‘personal agenda.’
Evans spoke briefly at the council meeting, introducing himself. He said the meeting was the first time he had met or been in the presence of the city council, city manager and even Favede and Mosser.
West Liberty noted in Evans’ statement that the university was never sent the joint statement made by city officials on Friday.
“My belief regarding Bluefield State College coming into the area hasn’t wavered. I stated the same position consistently over the past few weeks, that I am confident that our local institutions are equipped to provide the educational needs of this region with quality programs that meet the demands of our regional employers,” Evans said.
“With that being said, I don’t have the time or energy for political games, and I’m surprised that I’m being questioned about whom I can associate with or appear within a photograph. I have other pressing strategic initiatives to move West Liberty University forward that require my time, energy, and focus. Thus, I refuse to be bullied, intimidated, or pulled into any childish antics. I am a professional who is ‘unbought and unbossed’ (reference to Shirley Chisolm’s campaign slogan from 1972).”
BSC has said that local business leaders in the Wheeling area welcome programs such as two-year degrees in civil engineering technology, electrical engineering technology and mechanical engineering technology. Capehart was seen meeting with Wheeling area manufactures on the accredited engineering technology program last week.