KEYSER, W.Va. — The president at WVU Potomac State College in Keyser has resigned.
A statement Tuesday from the WVU Provost’s Office in Morgantown said it was alerted last Thursday, Jan. 25, of President Chris Gilmer’s decision to resign.
“We thank President Gilmer for his dedicated service to the institution and to the WVU System,” the Tuesday statement said. “The senior leaders of the WVU System in Morgantown are working to determine transitional leadership for the PSC Campus. We will announce plans regarding an interim president and the transition of leadership, as well as the potential process and timeline to search for a new permanent president for PSC, no later than Feb. 12, 2024.”
Gilmer was named president just a year ago after his appointment as interim president in April 2022.
“From the moment he arrived, Chris prioritized making connections with students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community,” WVU President Gordon Gee said in a Jan. 27, 2023 news release. “His inclusive approach and dedication to our core mission, helping students learn and succeed, make Chris the right fit at the right time as we continue to expand opportunities at WVU Potomac State College.”
Gilmer came to Potomac State from West Virginia University at Parkersburg where he was president.
There’s been turmoil on the Potomac State campus in Keyser for the last several months, much of the controversy centering on Gilmer’s chief of staff Brady Whipkey. The Potomac State Faculty Senate approved a ‘no confidence’ vote concerning Whipkey.
The resolution said Whipkey has failed “to act as a liaison between the president and the campus community” including the faculty.
According to the resolution, Whipkey has failed to act on faculty proposals when it comes to academic advising equity, workload equity, and proposed revisions to the PSC Promotion and Tenure Guidelines.
Gilmer released a statement after the vote saying his administration would continue to keep the best interests of students as Potomac State’s primary motivation and the college “will continue to model transparency.”
“We also concur with the faculty’s resolution regarding the primacy of serving students and commend the faculty for affirming ‘the need to act in the best interest of students, and that all decision-making should be made by putting the best interest of students first and foremost.’
WVU also recently announced it had looked into a number of allegations against Whipkey.
“First, there were no findings of sexual misconduct, harassment, or assault by Whipkey,” the statement said. “Second, regarding allegations related to Whipkey’s credentials, the investigation did not reveal any false or misleading statements regarding his credentials.
“We hope that WVU Potomac State College will now move forward as a campus and trust the diligent process used to investigate these allegations.”
WVU said it only released information about the results of the Whipkey investigation after he gave the university permission to do so.