CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Excitement and pride filled the air inside the State Capitol on Wednesday for West Virginia State University interim president Ericke Cage.
The 36th day of the regular legislative session of 2022 marked West Virginia State University (WVSU) at the Capitol. It’s a traditional day during the session but the first for Cage in the presidential role.
“To be able to walk in these hallowed halls and see West Virginia State University strongly represented underscores the impact our university is having on the state of West Virginia,” Cage said.
The day comes a week past the halfway point of the session. Cage said WVSU came into the session with three top priorities for lawmakers including a 100-percent state match of federal land grant funds. WVSU is one of two land grant institutions and Cage said the state match allows WVSU to pull down all federal land grant funds.
Cage added that WVSU officials are asking the legislature to support the state Higher Education Policy Commission’s performance-based formula fund for higher education.
The third top priority is for increased funding for WVSU healthy grandfamilies initiative. It’s a program through the university’s extension service that serves all 55 counties and helps grandparents raise grandchildren.
Cage said the university’s message Wednesday is that it is a part of the state’s future.
“With the conversations we have been having with Nucor, the work we have been doing with our nursing program, work we have been doing for land-grant initiative across the state speaks to the huge and significant contributions that we have made to the growth of West Virginia,” Cage said.
The event brought WVSU students, administrators, faculty and staff to Charleston to meet with West Virginia lawmakers, university alumni and the public.
More than 30 informational displays were set up outside the House and Senate Chambers of the State Capitol presenting the variety of educational offerings to be found at WVSU, as well as information on student services, admissions, extension services, athletics and alumni events.
Cage said with 8,000 WVSU alums in the Kanawha Valley, Yellow Jackets are everywhere in the community including under the Capitol dome.
“A large majority of the legislative offices you go in you’re going to see someone who has gone to state. We have elected officials from WVSU, Delegate (Caleb) Hanna is a graduate. We are proud to call him one of our graduates,” he said.
We are having some fun at the West Virginia Capitol today with Stinger for #WVSU Day at the Capitol! We’ll be here until 2 p.m. (So come see us!) pic.twitter.com/mdqOMtAH4Q
— West Virginia State University (@WVStateU) February 16, 2022