MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia University Board of Governors approved a tuition and fee increase, received updates on the presidential search and academic transformation, and selected a new set of officers for the coming year at its Friday meeting.**
The BOG approved a $228 per semester tuition increase (4.7%) for resident undergraduate students and a $624 (4.5%) per semester increase for non-resident students. Tuition for resident graduate students will increase by $252 per semester (4.6%), while non-resident graduate student tuition and fees will increase by $639 (4.5%) per semester. These increases include a $12 fee increase. As with last year, internal financial support for students will grow proportionally.
The balanced budget approved includes $1.2 billion in revenues and $1.2 billion in expenses, assuming there will be 4,329 first-time freshmen on the Morgantown campus. The total enrollment considered in the plan is 23,017 on the Morgantown campus and 24,490 across all campuses.
**Presidential Search**
The BOG also approved the members of the Presidential Search Committee on Campus. The committee is made up of 21 members, including representatives from all units of the institution and the Chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Sarah Armstrong Tucker.
Members of the presidential search firm WittKieffer, led by Melody Rose, toured the campus and presented key phases of the process. From July through September, various university groups, including the Search Committee, will participate in meetings to determine the most important attributes for the next president of WVU. A community survey will also be circulated during that time.
“Your love for the institution and the qualities you think are critical for the next president are important,” Rose said. “This is our opportunity to share the word about your presidential position and actively recruit candidates.”
The meetings and input from the Search Committee will produce a leadership profile, which will be approved by the BOG, and the search will then begin.
The leadership profile and job announcement will be advertised for about 10 weeks, during which WittKieffer will begin their vetting process.
“Our team will conduct a range of due diligence activities to bring forward information about the candidates to the BOG,” Rose said.
The Search Committee will conduct the first round of interviews, and by spring, a smaller pool of candidates will begin the final interview process. The 27th President of WVU is expected to be in place by July 1, 2025.
**Academic Transformation**
WVU Provost Maryanne Reed announced that on July 1, 2024, the new College of Creative Arts and Media and the merger of the WVU Extension, WVU Center for Community Engagement, and the renamed Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will form the new Division for Land-Grant Engagement.
A review of programs at Potomac State College and WVU Tech has been completed, with specific actions taken for 23 programs.
“Between WVU Tech and WVU Potomac State College, 50 academic majors were reviewed. Five were recommended for discontinuation, and 11 majors will be combined into cooperative programs,” Reed added.
Greenwood/Asher Associates LLC is managing the search for the next president at Potomac State College. Chris Gilmer stepped down as president in January after serving for a little over a year.
“Since June 7, 2024, we have already received 30 applications, many of which have excellent credentials,” Reed said.
A slate of new officers for the Board of Governors was also selected for the coming year. They include Richard Pill as Chairman, Patrice Harris as Vice Chair, and Robert Reynolds as BOG Secretary.