The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

October 9, 2012

WVU Tech faculty votes to support work of committee

For The Register-Herald

MONTGOMERY — The faculty of West Virginia University Institute of Technology met Thursday and voted resoundingly to support the work and official recommendations of the WVU Tech Revitalization Committee.

In October 2011, a Revitalization Team Report was produced at the behest of the West Virginia Legislature to address decreasing enrollment, aging facilities and financial strain at the school. A Revitalization Committee was formed to implement the report’s recommendations, a process that began early this year.

A community representative on the Revitalization Committee, Dorothy Phillips, recently alleged that the revitalization process is ignoring the Revitalization Team Report and concentrating on facilities to the exclusion of other issues at WVU Tech.

The faculty assembly prepared and endorsed the following statement:

“The Faculty Assembly of West Virginia University Institute of Technology, whose members include the entire full-time faculty of the college, supports the work and official recommendations of the WVU Tech Revitalization Committee.

“The Revitalization Committee and, in particular, the Facilities Subcommittee, has done a good job at prioritizing infrastructure needs at Tech in light of the reality of budget challenges facing the State of West Virginia.

“As far as funding goes, we think any infusion of cash into WVU Tech at this point would best be put to use into our buildings, making this a more attractive campus for present and future students.

“Academic excellence has always been our strength. As our student population grows in size, so will our ability to increase funds to further enhance our academic programs.

“The original revitalization team report submitted to the WV Higher Education Policy Commission was based on a view of WVU Tech during a period of incomplete reorganization after the Community and Technical College had been separated from its original parent institution and the remaining institution was transitioning from a regional campus into a division of WVU.

“By the time the Revitalization Committee and its subcommittees had been constituted to make recommendations based on the team report, the revitalization of WVU Tech had already begun through the efforts of the present-day Tech administration, faculty, and staff.

“We expect that through the support of the Revitalization Committee, the Higher Education Policy Commission, and West Virginia University, Tech will emerge stronger and more focused than the period of time leading up to Senate Bill 486, and continue to provide excellence in higher education for the state of West Virginia.”

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