GLENVILLE, W.Va. — Change is coming to the Glenville State University nursing collaboration with Marshall University.
Since 2023, students have been able to register in the Marshall University nursing program and take the courses remotely from the campus of Glenville State University but that’s going to change.
GSU President Dr. Mark Manchin said the remote delivery system is not serving the students well. Many students are having difficulty grasping the nursing curriculum in a virtual environment. Manchin said it is vital to have face-to-face interaction for the students who need additional help.
“What we have found is that it is very difficult, particularly in nursing or any of the sciences, to provide these services in a remote setting,” Manchin said. “It’s just very difficult for our students.”
The Glenville State University program will be brought back in-house and operated from the future new Morris Family Health and Fitness Complex. Coordination is underway now with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC) and the Higher Learning Commission to get the programs of study approved.
“I think it’s so important that we have everything here on our campus,” Manchin said. “We can consolidate all of the programs and I think we can do a better job of facilitating what the students need and working with our students.”
The current GSU Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences includes eight areas of concentration: athletic training, chiropractic care, dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician assistant roles. The program also offers the Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance, with majors in Exercise Science or Wellness Management.
“We already have a pre-nursing program,” Manchin said. “We hope to make this an integral part of our health sciences program at our new $20 million facility—the Morris Family Health Complex.”
Students that started the program at its inception in 2023 will be able to graduate with no changes. However, all other students will have to move to Huntington or enroll in another nursing education program in the state.
“Those students who have already been accepted into the Marshall University Nursing program this following year will need to go to Huntington,” Manchin said. “They’re still accepted and everything is still the same.”
Construction for the new Morris Family Health and Fitness Complex is underway and the project is expected to be substantially complete by the summer of 2026 and open to students in the fall of 2026.
“We’re already in the process of purchasing equipment; we have grants that have already been approved,” Manchin said. “We believe we’re going to provide a facility that is second to none in the state of West Virginia.”