CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Senate narrowly approved a bill altering the composition of boards of governors at the state’s colleges and universities amid questions about the motivation for the legislation.
The Senate approved HB 3279, which removes students, faculty, and staff from voting roles on boards of governors, on a close 19-15 vote. Senator Mike Woelful, Cabell-D, whose district includes Marshall University, questioned if the bill was the result of the recently concluded hiring process for new West Virginia University President Michael Benson.
“I think we have to talk about this bill in a little more candid fashion than has occurred. The genesis of this bill and I think everybody in the body knows this, somebody applied for a job. They didn’t get the job and now we’re running a bill to change the board of governors for every college and university in the state,” said Woelful.
Although Woelful did not mention anyone specifically, his comments referenced House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw, who was among the three finalists considered to succeed Gordon Gee as WVU president. In February, the WVU Board of Governors voted 15-2 to hire Coastal Carolina President Dr. Michael Benson.
Board members Steve Ruby and Bray Cary voted against Benson’s appointment and supported Hanshaw for the job. However, other board members were concerned Hanshaw could be perceived by the faculty as a political appointment.
MetroNews reached out to Speaker Hanshaw who did not have any response to Senator Woelful’s comments.
Since the bill was introduced in the House of Delegates on March 10, multiple lawmakers have questioned the reason behind the bill. Senator Mike Oliverio, Monongalia-R, represents both West Virginia University and Fairmont State University, pointed out that students, faculty, and staff, were extended the right to vote on institutional boards in 1989, and had not heard a satisfactory answer as to why those rights should be stripped away.
“I’ve asked for three weeks now for any member to come forward and tell me a problem that has existed with a student, faculty, or staff member, and I haven’t heard one,” said Oliverio.
“I think it’s a step in the wrong direction. I think a strong college campus benefits from those voices and those voting members of those students, faculty, and staff.”
Woelful also questioned why students should lose their vote.
“If you think our students are not knowledgeable or sophisticated enough to cast a thoughtful vote, you don’t know our students. If you think our students are so weak that some woke professor is going to groom them into being some flaming liberal, you don’t know our West Virginia students. They’re smart, they’re savvy and overall they’re fairly conservative.”
The same questions came up in the House of Delegates. Members of the House Education Committee wondered why changes to the makeup of the boards were necessary.
“I’ve not been approached by a single person. I don’t know what we are doing this. I’m not sure what the purpose of this is to silence the voices of faculty and students. I don’t understand what the problem is we’re trying to fix,” said Mike Pushkin, Kanawha-D, during committee discussion on the bill.
It passed the House on a 62-35 vote.
Senator Patricia Rucker, Jefferson-R, defended the bill and explained it brings West Virginia University in line with other institutions in the Big 12 Conference that do not extend voting rights to students, faculty, and staff.
“The bill is not meant to attack anyone. We’re making a policy decision. We are actually in the minority for a lot of these institutions around the country, allowing faculty, students, and staff to vote,” Rucker said.
She added that being employed by the university and having a vote in the direction of the university could present a conflict of interest on the board.
“We want these governing boards to do the job of representing and doing what is in the best interests of those institutions.”
Additionally, the bill requires that one member of the WVU and WVU State boards represent the agricultural/forestry industries.
It also increases the number of board members.
The Senate made some minor changes to the bill and has asked the House to agree. If that happens, the bill will head to the governor’s desk.