Higher Education
News Clippings
Week of November 26, 2012
1018 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Suite 700, Charleston, WV 25301
November 26, 2012
Extended learning spikes
2,298 older students enrolled at WVU
By Alex Lang
WVU has seen an increase in the number of adults going through WVU Extended
Learning.
In fall 2011, 2,086 adults were taking online courses. By the spring semester, that total
jumped to 2,298.
Each of the age brackets of students in Extended Learning also saw an increase, but
the biggest jump is in the youngest age bracket.
The number of students who are 45 or older jumped from 515 to 538 — and the age 2732 bracket saw a jump from 758 to 858.
The figures were included in the WVU compact, a document submitted to the state’s
Higher Education Policy Commission.
A majority of Extended Learning courses are offered online. In fall 2011, 453 online
courses were offered and in the spring that total jumped to 466. In the summer, 530
courses were available online.
Dean of Extended Learning Sue Day-Perroots said the university has seen “a significant
rise” in online course offerings. She expects the number of online courses to continue to
rise.
The community college system is relatively new, so some of WVU’s Extended Learning
participants are finishing their associate degrees, Day-Perroots said.
WVU Extended Learning offers 17 minors which can allow students to tailor their
education to meet their needs and those of the community, she said. For example, an
area might have a need for childcare — a person could then study child development
and business administration to prepare them to open their own childcare center.
Some people might not have time to travel to Morgantown for classes, but they can fit
the online learning into their schedules, Day-Perroots said.
Studies have shown that someone with a bachelor’s degree earns $1 million more in
their lifetime than someone who doesn’t have the degree, Day-Perroots said.
A U.S. Census Bureau report, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce,
shows that during an adult’s working years, a high school graduate, on average, will
earn about $1.2 million; someone holding a bachelor’s degree will earn $2.1 million; a
master’s degree, $2.5 million; a doctoral degree, $3.4 million; and someone with a
professional degree will likely earn more than four times that of a non-degree holder,
making $4.4 million.
HEPC’s Director of Statewide Academic Initiatives Sarah Beasley applauded WVU’s
efforts.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Beasley said.
WVU efforts go hand-in-hand with statewide initiatives to try to get adults into college
classrooms. Beasley said the state has a Train-the-Trainer program where higher
education leaders attend workshops then returned to their home campuses to help
initiate change. The attendees, in part, focused on implementing or improving support
services for adult learners.
Beasley said they have trained about 300 people.
“That’s been pretty successful,” she said.
There are also various marketing campaigns to encourage people to get their college
degrees, Beasley said.
While some adults might have hesitation about heading to classrooms with 18 or 19
year olds, Beasley said they will find in today’s college world that isn’t the case as
classes are often a mix of younger and older students.
There are several benefits for adults to attend college, Beasley said including a sense of
personal satisfaction, and for job training or to advance their careers.
November 26, 2012
Housing can make life difficult for WVU students
By Jane Abenir and Dan Sweeney
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – From the outside, it seems like a normal house a little worse
for wear. The paint is dull and chipping a little; the chips create a tree-like texture on the
front wall. Inside, wet rust-colored spots are visible on the ceiling and one wall, and the
smell of mold lingers in the air. Lucy Sutton, who lives on Grant Avenue, says the
bathroom above the living room occasionally overflows and water drips down into the
living room. She says that she has complained to the landlord, Joseph Nevara, and to
the city’s housing office about the water damage and mold. But nothing has been done.
“The last time the code officials were through here, they said everything was up to
code,” says Sutton, a junior at West Virginia University.
While city housing officials say they have no record of a complaint from Sutton, she isn’t
the only one who lives in such conditions in Morgantown.
Similar housing code
violations can be found all over the city from South Park to Grant Avenue to past Don
Knotts Boulevard, according to Morgantown Code Enforcement Office records. Some
of the most common complaints involve problems like water damage, faulty heating,
holes in the floor or walls, big tears in the carpet, leaky ceilings and broken doors and
steps. Over 50 percent of the cases also cite accumulated rubbish piled high in the
front and backyards of the listed properties.
“In most leases it says that landlords should be contacted for house repairs,” says
Nicholas Filardo, a graduate student at WVU. ” But when they are, nothing seems to get
done.”
However, city officials say they work hard to keep Morgantown’s housing up to code.
Ann Skinner, the city’s Rental Housing Coordinator, says the city endeavors to inspect
the more than 8,000 rental properties within city limits every three years. If the housing
office receives a complaint, it will work a re-inspection into its schedule to address the
new concerns, she says.
“Just because a place is up to code doesn’t mean it’s going to look like the Taj Mahal,”
Skinner says.
She acknowledges that the city’s code enforcement office is currently understaffed.
There are only three housing code inspectors working at present. A fourth inspector is
on medical leave, she says.
Out of the nearly 1800 code violations recorded since 2011, housing code officials say
owners or landlords have done the necessary repairs in order to comply with the city’s
housing code about 75 to 80 percent of the time. However, 357 cases still remain open
or unresolved. Fines have been levied in 62 cases and landlords or owners found guilty
of housing code violations in 50 cases. Yet despite so many violations, only 37 houses
have actually been condemned, according to housing records.
Russ Randolph, a realtor at Pearand Corporation, LLC, says that most of the housing
code inspectors do a good job. But he expressed concerns about the consistency of the
inspections.
“It depends who you get, as far as what violations you can expect them to look for,”
Randolph says.
Morgantown’s fire marshals also inspect city property to look for fire hazards that could
be life threatening such as a blockage to any possible fire exits and non-working fire
extinguishers.
Code violators are cited, fined and unresolved cases can lead to court hearings, says
Skinner. The possibility of a property being condemned is high if nothing is done about
the problem. Fines can range from $50 to over $1000, but Skinner acknowledges that
no property owners have ever faced jail time. Once the housing code office issues a
citation, Monongalia county court handles the punishments from that point on. The
worse that could happen is an owner having their driver’s license suspended.
According to the file on Sutton’s Grant Avenue rental, it doesn’t appear as though the
housing code office took any action against her landlord in response to her repeated
complaints. Although Sutton claims to have called the code enforcement office, the
office has nothing on file. The last inspection took place on February 28, 2011 and
astonishingly, Sutton says, the housing inspector who conducted it found no evidence of
water damage.
Sutton plans to keep calling the housing office in the hope that something eventually will
be fixed. But she fears that her landlord will do nothing and the house will just get
condemned.
“And I’ll have to move,” says Sutton with a sigh of resignation.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility. The property in question on Grant Avenue has
been condemned twice in the last five years.
November 26, 2012
On Students' Paths to College, Some Detours Are Desirable
By Jeffrey R. Selingo
Every spring, millions of 18-year-olds graduate from high school and start on one of
three paths: college, the military, or work.
College is the choice encouraged most often by high-school guidance counselors, and
for good reason. By 2020, two out of every three jobs will require some sort of higher
education, according to the Center on Education and the Workforce, at Georgetown
University.
But not every high-school graduate is ready for college at 18. By promoting college as
the preferred pathway right after high school, we leave those students who are not
ready, or who have no idea why they enrolled, at risk of dropping out with no more idea
of what to do next than when they arrived on campus—and very likely saddled with debt
as well.
The higher-education establishment in the United States has been obsessed with
raising graduation rates ever since the Obama administration and two major
foundations, Gates and Lumina, vowed to see that the country soon has the world's
highest share of adults with college credentials.
Getting students who start college to eventually finish is a noble goal. But we focus too
much time, effort, and money on pushing students through a narrow, simplistic view of
higher education—one that starts three months after high-school graduation and ends
two or four years later with a degree.
That vision doesn't reflect either the reality of today's students or the higher-level skills
our economy needs in its workers to compete on the global stage.
Over the past year, as I reported for my forthcoming book on the future of higher
education, I met dozens of students who were struggling with their studies or their
finances, and sometimes both. People like Samantha Dietz, who dropped out after her
first semester at Fairleigh Dickinson University because she was worried about her
tuition bills and saw more practical value in her job than in her coursework.
I met others who were in college only because their parents wanted them there, like
Cullen Edmunds, who dropped out of Plymouth State University in the spring of his first
year and is weighing his options while working at a gas station.
I began to investigate alternative paths to a credential. I talked with students who took a
year off after high school before going to college. I met adults, like Evan Burfield, who
had delayed going to college for several years. Mr. Burfield went to a top public school
but chose to defer a rowing scholarship at Tulane University. "I graduated high school
with 400 of the smartest kids, and 399 of them went to college," he told me. "But some
of them didn't know why."
A Convenient Warehouse
The idea of graduating from a four-year college is so ingrained in our culture that many
of us have trouble envisioning anything else. Certainly, additional education after high
school is crucial. I still consider a two-year or four-year college campus as among the
best places to get that education. The problem is that a significant number of students
today are poorly matched with the colleges they attend. And we lack high-quality
educational substitutes. It seems we send some kids off to college because there is
nowhere else to put them. The campus is a convenient, if expensive, warehouse.
By clinging to the belief that education after high school can be found only on a college
campus, we exclude large portions of the American population from sharing in the
nation's economic successes. In 1970, seven in every 10 workers with a high-school
diploma or less were in the middle class; today, fewer than four in 10 remain there.
In the United States, college is considered the default maturing experience for
adolescents who have no interest in joining the military. Colleges weren't designed with
that primary task in mind, however. Their cost has risen so fast in part because they feel
pressure from parents and the government to keep adding services to help students
mature.
One of the best ways to improve completion rates and fill jobs is to make sure that
students who go to college after high school are truly ready for it, or else channel them
into alternatives that motivate them to go eventually, or give them needed skills for the
workplace.
One key reform would be to blend the transition between high school and college.
Instead of a three-month gap, more students would ease into credit-bearing college
courses in their senior year of high school.
Further along, a large part of the first year of college would be mandatory work or
service, through which students could learn practical skills, work alongside people of
other ages and backgrounds, see the daily results of their labors, and earn some money
to pay for college.
"The reason college graduates don't know what it's like to work is because they study
20 hours a week and they have their life in college managed for them," says Mr.
Bur-field, who is now chairman of Startup DC, a regional branch of a national effort that
provides resources to those who start businesses. "They are getting a warped
perspective of what life is like."
Even without major changes in the organization of the education system, colleges could
encourage more incoming students to take gap years—not necessarily so they could
backpack through Europe, but rather so they could link up with groups, like AmeriCorps,
that provide structured experiences for young adults.
The United States should also bring back the apprenticeship model, which still works
well in other countries (see related article, Page A12). Many European countries, with
such programs in place, report fewer problems than the United States does in getting
students from school to the workplace. For the 12 million manufacturing jobs in the
United States, however, only 18,000 apprentices are in training. Before the worldwide
economic downturn, more than 80 percent of young Germans found jobs within six
months of completing their educations, compared with only about half of young
Americans.
Perhaps the most important change may prove the most difficult: a shift of attitude on
the part of parents, guidance counselors, and higher-education officials themselves,
about college being the place to go right after high school. This is not about
encouraging students to skip college. This is about creating more pathways to college.
Seven years after Evan Burfield graduated from high school, and after he created
several start-up businesses, he finally went to college. He earned a degree in
philosophy, politics, and economics from the University of Oxford. "There is something
to be said ... for taking a step back and examining your life and the world around you,"
he says.
Rather than view additional pathways to their institutions as new competitors, colleges
should see them as ways to improve their own completion rates, expand educational
opportunities to more students, and provide the American economy with the skilled work
force of tomorrow.
November 26, 2012
State sees billions thanks to higher education
By Whitney Burdette
The state's higher education system is an enterprise worth about $13.5 billion, and West
Virginia sees a large chunk of that.
Paul Hill, chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, told a
legislative interim committee that the higher education system has an economic impact
of about $7.9 billion, meaning the state can expect to see a $50 return on every $1
spent on education in fiscal year 2014. This information is based on a 2010 report by
the West Virginia University Bureau for Business and Economic Research and takes
into account inflation as well as expected jobs created, business volume generated,
employee compensation and state taxes.
However, the higher education system may have some problems maintaining this level
of economic impact. Hill said although the HEPC and individual institutions are
implementing ways to keep students in school and graduate on time, the number of
students who need remedial courses or who drop out of school continues to rise.
"We know there's an issue of getting students in the door and we lose many of our
students in the first year or two," Hill told the committee.
Enrollment has dropped this school year, but is still up by about 6 percent over 2008.
Hill credits the economic recession for growing enrollment numbers, saying many adults
decided to return to school because they lost their jobs or to advance their education.
More than 60,000 graduates have entered the state's work force, and an increasing
number of graduates are choosing to remain in West Virginia after earning their
degrees. According to the WVU report, 45.2 percent of graduates in the past 13 years
were on the payrolls of West Virginia businesses in 2010. Most of these graduates work
full-time and have associate's, bachelor's or master's degrees, earning an average
yearly wage of $42,247.
However, the state's work force still needs more students. Recent reports show the
state is facing a "skills gap" that requires at least 20,000 additional degrees, above
current degree production, by 2018 to sustain the state's economy.
"We see a need for about 20,000 additional students added to the workforce in West
Virginia by 2018. That's only five years out," Hill said. "We need to increase this number
just to stay where we are in West Virginia."
To do that, HEPC has challenged institutions across the state to develop their own
ideas to retain and graduate their students. The West Virginia College Completion Task
Force established five recommendations to help colleges and universities. The
recommendations include making graduation a visible and tangible priority for all
students, reducing the time it takes for students to earn a college certificate or degree,
improving developmental education and connecting to funding priorities.
Increasing adult completion rates is another recommendation. According to Hill, more
than 173,000 West Virginia adults have some college but have not earned a degree.
Many colleges and universities across the sate, including Marshall University, Shepherd
University and WVU, offer the RBA Today program that allows adult learners to earn a
regents bachelors of arts. The program graduated nearly 1,100 students in the 2011-12
academic year, a 27 percent increase over the 2010-11 academic year. In 2011, every
institution graduated more students than it did the previous year. Marshall graduated
340, an increase from 231 in 2010. Shepherd and WVU graduated 109 and 162
respectively.
"We are reaching these students who have returned to complete course sand we're
graduating more and more," Hill said.
The RBA program focuses mainly on the 32,000 adults in West Virginia who have
already completed more than 60 hours of coursework between 1998 and 2007.
November 26, 2012
WVU plans electronic transcripts for recent grads
By The Associated Press
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Recent graduates of West Virginia University could soon
obtain electronic versions of their transcripts.
Graduates currently can order their transcripts electronically. But they receive a physical
document.
Registrar Steve Robinson tells The Dominion Post that WVU officials hope to begin
offering secure electronic transcripts over the next several weeks.
However, the option will be available only to graduates dating back to 1997. Robinson
says all documentation prior to 1997 was done on paper and is not in the university's
computer system.
Robinson says demand for immediate access to transcripts is increasing.
November 27, 2012
Dining halls are ‘going green’
By Carlee Lammers
As part of a campus-wide effort to increase sustainability, West Virginia University
Dining Services is working to eliminate the use to Styrofoam to-go containers next
semester.
Dining Services has contracted with OZZI Enterprises to provide reusable to-go
containers at select dining facilities across campus.
OZZI Enterprises has developed a sustainable to-go system that uses tokens and a
collectable machine system to provide an easy and sustainable alternative to
disposable to-go boxes.
"The OZZI system is a means of collecting reusable eco-containers in a convenient
manner, while reimbursing the student with a token that is good for the next container.
This system could ultimately eliminate disposable takeout containers in our residential
dining program and replace them with reusable containers to reduce the amount of our
trash sent to our landfill," said David Friend, Director of WVU Dining Services.
Each container will have a printed barcode that is read by the collection station. The
system will then issue the students a token for returning a container. Cashiers will issue
new sanitized containers to students in exchange for a token.
WVU students will have an opportunity to try a test of the system in the spring at the
Terrace Room in Stalnaker Hall. During the first week of the spring semester, students
will be able to pick up a free token at the Terrace Room. Students can exchange their
token for a heavy, washable, plastic, environmentally friendly to-go container when they
enter a dining hall.
Friend said Dining Services has been exploring viable alternatives to the styrofoam
containers for quite sometime and believes the OZZI system will prove to be the most
effective for the lowest price.
"Our first initiative was to explore the costs of alternative take-out vessels to replace the
styrofoam. The cost was 525 percent higher per unit to provide a more sustainable to go
container with similar features. We did not want to pass this cost on to our dining plan
holders," he said.
"Therefore, Kathy (Curtin, Assistant Director of Dining Services) started exploring
options for reusable containers that would ultimately replacedisposables," he said.
"The styrofoam hinged containers for takeout have been a concern for a couple years.
The OZZI system came to the forefront after conducting a review of reusable options.
Several colleges and universities have successfully launched this program, including
the University of Maryland."
Chris Haddox, a visiting assistant professor for the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural
Resources and Design, said he is excited for the opportunity to make WVU a more
environmentally conscious campus.
"While styrofoam containers have many advantages for the food service industry, they
have the potential to leave behind a nasty legacy in terms of nondegradable trash in the
environment," Haddox said. "In addition, the use of styrofoam containers promotes the
‘use it once and throw it away’ mentality that is associated with many of the
environmental problems we face as a world," he said.
I look forward to involving my students in the campaign to reduce the use of styrofoam
containers on the WVU campus."
Friend said the WVU Dining Services has already taken other initiatives to increase
sustainabillity, including going trayless in each on-campus dinning hall. However, he
said, Dining Services is always working to improve.
"We have improved the majority of our takeout containers in our grab-and-go
operations; however, there is always room for improvement," he said.
Dining Services conducted an extensive waste audit last year in
conjunction with the University Sustainablity Committee to determine various items both
pre-and-post-consumer that end up in the land fill," he said.
"Our goal is to continuously develop strategies that will ultimately reduce the generation
of waste within dining services."
The system will be tested throughout the spring semester in the Terrace Room.
Dining Services will assess the effectiveness of both waste reduction and financial
impact of the OZZI system.
If it is successful, Friend said Dining Services would try to expand the program to both
Boreman and Arnold the following semester.
For more information on
www.ozzienterprises.com.
the
OZZI
syetem
or
OZZI
Enterprises,
visit
November 27, 2012
Former WVU AD Pastilong joins West Liberty University to help with
fundraising
Edward Pastilong, who served as West Virginia University's athletic director for more
than 20 years, is now working with West Liberty University to raise money for the
school's capital campaign.
Pastilong will serve as a special consultant for the school. According to a news release
from the university, he will work with Angela Zambito-Hill, the campaign coordinator and
WLU Development Director, as well as Jason Koegler, WLU's vice president of
institutional advancement, on the university's largest fundraising campaign ever.
The campaign was announced last month during West Liberty's homecoming events. A
quiet fundraising effort has been ongoing at the Northern Panhandle school for several
years.
"As a visionary and successful athletic director, we could find no one better than Ed
Pastilong. Our students will benefit from his involvement, and I thank him for his
willingness to share his talents with us," Zambito-Hill said, adding that Pastilong will
focus most of his efforts on athletic fundraising.
Pastilong is a native of Moundsville who served as the AD at WVU from 1989 to 2010.
Many credit Pastilong with spearheading WVU's growth into one of the nation's finest
intercollegiate athletic programs in the nation during his tenure with the Mountaineers.
At the time of his departure, Pastilong had one of the longest-serving tenures of any
athletic director at a BCS-level school.
The news release from WLU said Pastilong directed more than $65 million in facility
renovations during his time with WVU, witnessed the athletic department's budget
increase from $20 million to more than $50 million, steered WVU into the Big East
football conference in 1991 and full-fledged member status in the league in 1995, the
school's first-ever association in a major athletic conference. He also initiated the
Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll, where nearly 4,000 student-athletes have been
recognized for outstanding work in the classroom. Pastilong solicited financial support to
start the Athletic Scholarship Endowment Fund, providing a perpetual source of
financial support for athletic scholarships that has now grown to nearly $30 million
dollars.
While at WVU, Pastilong oversaw numerous improvements and projects involving
athletic facilities, including adding suites and the Touchdown Terrace at the Milan
Puskar Stadium, as well as the Caperton Indoor Practice Facility and new locker rooms.
He also helped to oversee renovations to the WVU Coliseum and Hawley Field, as well
as the construction of the Dick Diesk Soccer Stadium, Cary Gym, a wrestling facility and
basketball practice facility.
November 27, 2012
HEPC asks for university emergency procedures
By Whitney Burdette
The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission wants to know how the state's
colleges and universities are preparing for future natural disasters and other emergency
situations.
Paul Hill, chancellor of HEPC, told a legislative interim committee he asked
administrators of the state's higher education institutions to provide emergency plans to
the HEPC so the commission can review and compile that information. Hill's request
comes on the heels of two big natural disasters — a derecho in late June and
Superstorm Sandy in late October — which caused widespread power outages, road
closures and downed trees in much of the state. In some cases, colleges and
universities served as heating or cooling shelters for those without power and housed
out-of-state emergency crews.
But the commission isn't just focusing on natural disasters. Hill pointed out that previous
HEPC chancellors have requested emergency plans from the state's institutions in
response to other situations, such as the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Brian Hemphill,
the new president of West Virginia State University, was instrumental in enacting an
emergency plan when a shooting took place at Northern Illinois University, where he
previously worked.
Hill said Hemphill's experience would be a "great addition," and said he would bring
Hemphill to a future interim committee meeting to share his experiences.
November 27, 2012
Lawmakers make more moves toward outcome-based funds for
higher ed
By Ann Ali
Legislators polished their plan for outcome-based funding for higher education at a Nov.
27 meeting.
Jimmy Clarke, senior associate with HCM Strategists, visited the West Virginia
Legislature to discuss the draft of a report about outcome-based funding that
stakeholders have been tweaking since August.
Clarke reminded everyone that Senate Bill 436 charged the interim committee with
studying outcomes-based funding models along with some public policy objectives and
to provide recommendations about how to balance the needs of institutions, relative to a
few other factors.
Clarke said West Virginia is good at getting young people to attend college, but the
state doesn't do a good job keeping them enrolled or graduating them. He said it's
important to look at the complexities of the Mountain State's demographics that might
lead to those statistics.
The committee adopted the goal of seeing an additional 20,000 college degrees
completed in the state by the year 2018, and the report establishes a framework for a
timeline to implement outcomes-based funding.
Clark said stakeholders wanted to keep a distinction between two-year and four-year
institutions, and they want to allocate 25 percent of the state's existing higher ed funding
to outcome-based funding by Fiscal Year 2019. Clarke said Fiscal Year 2014 could
serve as a pilot, and in 2015, the program could start with 5 percent of the state's
funding, then build by 5 percent each year until the 25 percent goal is attained. Clark
also said an audit function will be included.
Sen. Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, co-chairman of the interim committee, said it was both
surprising and nice to see more presidents from the state's four-year institutions at the
meeting than he had ever seen at an education meeting.
He also stressed the need for "unfiltered data," without any bias before making a motion
that the committee accept the report.
Plymale said the committee will continue to work in its December and January meetings
to move the document into draft legislation for the upcoming session.
November 27, 2012
Legislators visit Marshall forensic science center
By Clark Davis
Nearly 25 state legislators from around the state paid a visit to the Marshall University
Forensic Science Center Monday morning.
The tour started with a look at the DNA Forensic Laboratory and explained the
processes involved in DNA testing. Among the jobs conducted there are programs set
up with places like Miami, Dade in Florida, to test DNA. This is collected during
property crimes and a back log of sexual assault kits from cities like Detroit. Dr. Terry
Fenger is the Director of the Forensic Science Center.
“We’re extremely honored that the legislature sent a group of individuals to tour the
forensic science facility, this is a keynote event in the sense that many of these
individuals are interested in economic development potential as well as the educational
aspects of forensic science,” Fenger said.
The tour was the second leg of a presentation started in June by Fenger that outlined
the operation and management of the facility. It works in conjunction with the West
Virginia State Police on difference aspects of Forensic Science.
“This is where we do DNA testing for the state of West Virginia as well as other states,
some of that DNA testing is focused on the convicted offender database which we call
CODIS and we have a lot of different partners or stakeholders that we’re working with
continuously and that really puts our program and center on the map,” Fenger said.
The members of the tour watched from the other side of the glass as scientists
examined DNA evidence at the facility. They also were able to take a peek inside of a
room that houses backlogged sexual assault kits from Detroit. The center is helping the
Michigan city catch up on its testing.
Fenger said the participants were interested in many aspects of the facility.
“Our forte all these many years has been DNA technologies and chemistry so we’ve
been able to pull together on many different aspects of this infrastructure to allow this
development in West Virginia and in the future we anticipate even more development in
the area of biometrics and forensic science,” Fenger said.
The second part of the tour focused on the digital forensics lab conducted at the site
along with the WV State Police. There they focus on cases involving computers such as
child pornography cases and others involving the internet. Senator Herb Snyder
Chairman of the Government Organizations Committee said it was an important visit.
“I think they’re very professional here, the link with the state police is obvious, it’s an
excellent relationship and we need to do more of this, the state in so many areas
doesn’t have to do everything themselves and this is one where you have a partnership
between Marshall and the state police to do a critical job for our judiciary and law
enforcement and it’s working very well,” Snyder said.
Senator Clark Barnes from the 11th district said it was an intriguing tour.
“This helps us to understand the degree of difficulty, the degree of technology that’s
truly involved, the timelines that are involved in developing DNA cases and also how
sterile the environments have to be and how well they maintain their credibility,” Barnes
said.
The Senators are members of the Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary.
November 27, 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - WVU assuming the role of land baron in
area
It is a well-established fact that WVU is integral to the growth and prosperity of
Morgantown, and some would say to its very survival. Obviously the university has been
very beneficial providing jobs and creating an environment that encourages business.
However, now the game has changed. Like the mine owners and coal barons — all too
memorable in West Virginia’s past — money and political pull have given WVU the
ability to buy outright whatever it wishes with no input from those on whom it will have
the most effect.
The people are “consulted” to inform them what will happen to their lands and
neighborhoods, without the opportunity to question or dispute.
However, the matter that most bothers me is not the building of “dorms,” but apartments
complete with a grocery store, a restaurant and a parking lot — all of which become
tangential businesses owned or leased out by the university.
All money eventually goes to the same owner that acquired these properties much the
same way the barons of old did. Surely I cannot be alone in seeing what is happening.
I would propose that an injunction or some sort of temporary hold be placed on WVU’s
expansion plans until the legal rights of those most affected are taken into account.
There is a public voice that feels it is being disregarded and even silenced. A voice that
is willing to work with “the company store,” not for it.
Carolyn Pena-Ariet - Morgantown
November 27, 2012
Marshall Med Student Elected to National Association Post
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jay R. Bronder, a second-year medical student at the Marshall
University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, was recently elected by his peers as a
regional representative to the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates
(AMA-HOD).
The AMA House of Delegates is the principal policy-making body of the American
Medical Association “I’m very excited to represent Marshall University and our region in
this organization,” Bronder said. “Part of my responsibility is to act as a mentor and
liaison between Region 5 and the HOD to help refine resolutions coming from Region 5
students to the full house. I’m looking forward to being part of this process.”
Dr. Marie Veitia, associate dean for student affairs, congratulated Bronder on his
election.“We are very proud of Mr. Bronder,” she said. “He will represent the School of
Medicine very well and is certainly deserving of this position.”The AMA’s House of
Delegates meets twice annually and represents the views and interests of a diverse
group of member physicians on a variety of issues including health, medical, and
professional and governance matters. Bronder is a native of Monroeville, Pa.
November 27, 2012
Marshall prepared for disaster
By Ashley Killingsworth
While Superstorm Sandy did not directly hit Marshall University’s Huntington campus,
the university was prepared to take action if necessary with the MU emergency
management plan.
John Yaun, director of Housing and Residence Life, ensured students Marshall has a
plan in place to deal with a variety of potential emergencies.
“If you look in this plan, I think the university has done a really good job of trying to
prepare for any potential emergency, whether it’s tornadoes or severe weather crisis
anything flooding, anything that might occur, they have a pretty thorough plan in here,”
Yaun said. “Those aren’t things that we typically have in this part of the country but you
never know what can happen and so it’s always good to be prepared. I mean you’ve
seen other campuses deal with some of the emergencies.”
Yaun said if an emergency was to occur on Marshall’s campus, there is a team in place
to plan possible courses of action.
“Typically what we do is we coordinate through an emergency response team that the
university has made up of various individuals,” Yaun said. “We would communicate with
them. We typically gather that team together and they would then decide what a plan
would be and see what resources are available.”
Students are encouraged to sign up for MU Alerts. Students, faculty and staff can
receive MU Alerts by email, text message or phone call.
“The university has an emergency notification system and so they’re sure to notify
students depending on the situation and once a decision is made from the presidents
office, a group gets together and figures out the best way to implement that plan,” Yaun
said. “And then what we do is we communicate the relevant information to the students
in the halls.”
In case of a power outage on campus, Yaun said the university works closely with the
community to get power restored quickly.
“We do work with the city and with AEP to try and get it back on as soon as possible,”
Yaun said. “There’s no guarantee obviously because they’re having to look at Marshall
and the surrounding community. If we had to find alternative housing for students
depending on the situation we would certainly do that. We would look at hotels, you
know any type of alternative housing that would be available in the area and if we had to
do that obviously we’d try to find a shuttle to be able to shuttle students back and forth.”
The 36-page Marshall University emergency management plan can be found on
Marshall’s website under the emergency notification system section.
“From my understanding we look at it each year just to make sure it’s updated and I
think there’s a date at the bottom of the plan as to the last update of that plan,” Yaun
said.
Yaun said the university implements the best option available for students and staff
depending on the severity of the situation.
November 27, 2012
State higher ed chief says no cuts to financial aid
By Dave Boucher
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The state Higher Education Policy Commission won't cut
funding for its financial aid programs, including the Promise Scholarship, regardless of
whether Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin exempts higher education from statewide budget cuts.
That means public universities and other commission programs could suffer more than
originally anticipated, according to a statement from Chancellor Paul Hill.
"As a result of the financial aid exemption from the proposed budget reduction, the
institutions and other programs administered by the state's higher education system and
individual institutions will be subject to an increased proposed budget reduction in order
for the overall proposed reduction in higher education's budget to equal 7.5 percent as
requested by Governor Tomblin," Hill said in a statement emailed late Monday by a
spokesperson.
In August, Tomblin's office asked state agencies to cut budgets for the 2014 fiscal year
by 7.5 percent.
While some agencies or programs are exempt from the cut - the funding mechanism for
K-12 education among them - the $456 million currently allocated by the state to higher
education is not.
The request for slimmer budgets has solicited a variety of responses from Hill and the
commission.
Shortly after Tomblin's office announced the proposed cuts, the commission voted to
send a letter to the governor asking him to exempt higher education.
In subsequent meetings with legislative committees, Hill and James Skidmore,
chancellor of the state Council for Community and Technical College Education, said
the cuts could translate to higher tuition.
Hill also told legislators in October the cut "alone does not per se impact the Promise
scholarship."
Although he was quoted in an Oct. 14 Sunday Gazette Mail story as saying the cuts
could prevent qualified students from receiving the Promise, he later told the Daily Mail
those comments were taken out of context. Instead, he meant the cuts could potentially
affect funding for the program, a representative said at the time.
However, in a letter dated Sept. 4 from Hill to the state Department of Revenue, he said
the state might have to consider changing the qualifications of the Promise scholarship
as a result of the budget cuts. In the letter, he states legislators might need to consider
a code change that would make only students who plan to attend public, in-state
colleges or universities eligible.
This change was one of several, including "significant tuition increases," that Hill's letter
listed could come as a direct result of budget cuts, according to Daily Mail records.
The Promise is an award for West Virginia high school students who perform well
academically. There is $47.5 million allocated to the program this year: $29 million from
revenue earned through video gambling (or "grey machines") and $18.5 million from
general revenue.
Budget requests are presented by state agencies to the governor, and were due to the
state Budget Office by Sept. 4. After a legislative committee meeting Monday, Hill said
the commission had decided to "exempt it ourselves."
That decision was not included in the initial written budget submission, but Hill
recommended the change earlier this month during discussions with officials from the
state budget office, a spokesperson said late Monday in an email.
The budgeting process is far from over.
Tomblin isn't expected to present his budget to the Legislature until February. After the
committee meeting Monday, Hill said exempting financial aid is the latest step in the
process, but each line item in the commission's budget could change as negotiations
continue.
Although the exemption could mean more financial strain for other commission entities,
Hill said it shows the commission's dedication to students.
"The commission's recommendation makes direct student support the first and foremost
priority of the state's higher education system," Hill said in the statement.
November 27, 2012
West Virginia U. suspends fraternity
West Virginia University Tuesday said it has suspended a fraternity following an
investigation into an alleged hazing incident in October that involved alcohol.
The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity previously was put on temporary suspension while the
matter was investigated, said Ron Justice, director of student organization services.
The suspension likely will remain in force for at least two to three years, he said, during
which time the fraternity will not be recognized as a student organization, cannot use
campus facilities and its members must move out of the fraternity house.
The alleged incident occurred during the overnight hours Oct. 15 and 16 and involved a
drinking game, Mr. Justice said. About 20 to 25 pledges or associate members were
present, some of them less than legal drinking age, and a substantial number of those
present were drinking, he said.
Mr. Justice said at least one student became ill. He said the university believes peer
pressure was used.
November 27, 2012
WVU FACULTY SENATE - WVU eyes change in way GEC applications
reviewed
By Alex Lang
WVU officials are considering a change in the review process for General Education
Curriculum (GEC) applications that would require educators to provide data detailing
successes in meeting certain goals.
The change was discussed during Monday’s Faculty Senate Executive Committee
meeting. Though it was discussed, the final details are still being finalized and would
need approval from a few faculty committees.
GEC course are groups of classes taken by every student to provide a wellrounded
educational experience. Courses are reviewed every five years.
On the current GEC course application form, educators are asked to check which
objectives the course meets. Some examples are basic math and scientific inquiry,
artistic expression and American culture.
Then they are asked to provide descriptions on how courses meet that goal.
Faculty Senate Chair-Elect Lisa DiBartolomeo said the new plan would require teachers
to provide assessment data to show how many students met the objective when
courses come up for review.
The GEC Curriculum Oversight Committee then could use the data to decide whether to
continue a course or allow a professor to detail the changes they plan on making to
ensure students are meeting objectives.
“If the percentage who met your expectations is too low, what have you done to raise
that percent?” DiBartolomeo asked.
Colleges and departments will look at the data, but it is not looked at from a universitywide GEC perspective, DiBartolomeo said.
Faculty Senate Chairman Michael Mays said the change would allow the university to
see how well the objectives were achieved.
The change also helps with the Higher Learning Commission’s upcoming visit and
allows WVU to document how it is looking at its practices and making changes, Mays
said.
University officials have already started working toward the commission’s visit, which
should occur next fall, according to WVU documents. The visit is part of the
commission’s accreditation process for the entire university.
November 27, 2012
WVU’s STEM degrees growing annually
Increase matches efforts embodied in strategic plan
By Alex Lang
In eight years, WVU has increased the number of degrees awarded in in science,
technology, engineering and math and health fields by more than 800.
Science, technology, engineering and math are commonly referred to as the STEM
fields, and the grouping is frequently referenced when officials talk about WVU’s 2020
Strategic Plan.
According to WVU data, in 2004-’05, the university awarded 1,123 bachelor’s degrees
in STEM and health fields. That number has ticked up each year, and last academic
year it handed out 1,971 bachelor’s degrees in those fields.
Some of the biggest jumps have occurred in the multidisciplinary studies, mechanical
engineering and animal and nutritional sciences fields.
The total number of doctoral degrees in the fields has also increased from 69 in 2004’05 to 83 last year. However, the number of master’s degrees has dropped from 323 to
295.
In total, WVU handed out 1,515 degrees in STEM and health fields in 2004-’05. There
has been an average 7 percent increase in degrees awarded each of the past eight
years. Last year, WVU handed out 2,349 STEM or health degrees.
WVU President James Clements said the growth fits in with what the university is trying
to accomplish in its 2020 strategic plan and efforts to improve its research standing.
There has also been a national call to increase the number of STEM graduates,
Clements said, and WVU is meeting that request.
STEM graduates are important because they provide highpaying jobs in the state,
Clements said.
“I think it ties directly to economic development,” Clements said.
During the next few years, Clements said, he “absolutely” expects WVU to continue to
see an increase in STEM degrees.
One college awards hundreds of STEM degrees each year — the Benjamin M. Statler
College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.
Glen H. Hiner Dean Gene Cilento wrote in an email that the increase is “wonderful
news” for the college. He said that his college has played a part in that increase, as the
enrollment has doubled since 2001. Today the college’s enrollment is more than 4,000
students — the fourth largest engineering college in the Big 12.
Like the university, there was a drop in the number of master’s degrees awarded in
several fields in the engineering college. Cilento wrote that the level of degrees has
often been a cyclical trend and tied to the the job market.
Faculty and staff have focused more on attracting doctoral students since they are
predominantly funded through research projects, he said.
The engineering college continues its efforts to increase the number of graduates,
Cilento wrote. He said they have outreach programs to engage not-yet-college-aged
students in the engineering fields.
The college also has its own first-year academy to help student learn the study and time
management skills needed for the major. The college has a faculty dedicated to helping
students succeed, Cilento wrote.
November 28, 2012
Accreditation Officials Visit Marshall's School of Medicine
Two members of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the national
accreditation agency with oversight for Marshall University's School of Medicine, are in
Huntington to close out the week.
Since June 2011, Marshall's School of Medicine has been operating on probationary
status because of compliance issues. The School is accredited now, but that could
change if the problem areas are not adequately addressed by next year.
On Thursday and Friday, the LCME members will be meeting with administrators,
faculty members and students in Huntington to get an update on the progress made up
to this point.
Action plans to address those problems have already been submitted to the LCME and
approved. Eight committees in Huntington are overseeing the implementation of those
plans.
This week's LCME visit is an informal one that comes about five months before the
official LCME visit, next spring, which will determine future accreditation for Marshall's
School of Medicine.
You can see specifically what Marshall University School of Medicine officials are doing
to address the compliance issues at www.musom.marshall.edu/lcme/.
November 28, 2012
Officials discuss college funding changes
By Dave Boucher
Legislators accepted a report and pledged to move forward with its recommendations
for changes in the way the state funds institutions of higher education.
For the past several months, a legislative committee has worked with HCM Strategies, a
private company, to investigate an outcomes-based model for funding higher education.
This method awards money to schools based on how their students perform rather than
on the size of their enrollment or how much money they received in the past, explained
Dr. Jimmy Clark, a senior associate with HCM.
The model assigns points to various indications of university and student success. An
institution would receive points for more students graduating on time, for example, or for
the number of credit hours a student might complete.
Criteria for four-year public universities are different from those for community and
technical colleges, according to a report Clark gave to the committee. After determining
the number of points accrued by a school, the state would see how that number
compared to the points earned by peer institutions and award funds on a proportional
basis.
For example, using a point system suggested by HCM, West Virginia University
received about 47 percent of all possible points. Therefore, it would receive about 47
percent of funding allocated to four-year public universities.
There are still many details to work out, Clark said. In some states, schools receive
points for the number of developmental courses its students successfully complete.
Several West Virginia legislators thought this was a bad idea and instead want four-year
institutions to pursue arrangements with local community or technical colleges for the
administration of those programs.
The committee and HCM also discussed how to implement an outcomes-based funding
model. Clark recommended piloting the program next year and then gradually
increasing the amount of funding distributed based on outcomes. By 2019, HCM
suggests allocating 25 percent of higher education funding using an outcomes-based
model.
In the short term, that would not mean large funding changes. Allocating 5 percent of
higher education funds based on an outcomes formula would not decrease or increase
the current amount of funding at any West Virginia public institution by more than 3
percent.
"Outcomes-based funding can be a powerful tool to promote improvement, refocus
institutional priorities, and increase efficiency," the HCM report states.
The committee voted to accept the report and said it would be used during the
upcoming legislative session in any attempt to change or create new code.
November 28, 2012
Tolliver to take over for mom as Perinatal Partnership director
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Charleston resident Amy Tolliver will be the new director of
the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership next year.
Tolliver is taking over for her mother, current director Nancy Tolliver, who will retire Dec.
31.
Amy Tolliver has experience in state and federal health policy development, including
legislative and regulatory policy. She has served as budget analyst for the West Virginia
House of Delegates Finance Committee, program coordinator for West Virginia Child
Care Association and as a government relations specialist for the West Virginia State
Medical Association.
She's been involved with the Perinatal Partnership since 2006.
The Perinatal Partnership, a project of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy
Commission, is a statewide partnership of health-care professionals and public and
private organizations that aims to improve perinatal health by promoting effective health
policy. The Perinatal Partnership is managed by West Virginia Community Voices, Inc.
November 28, 2012
WVU Receives $1 Million Donation
A West Virginia University alumnus donated $1 million to the College of Business and
Economics Wednesday.
Half of Michael Bodnar's gift will go toward WVU's hospitality and tourism programs; the
other half will go toward the entrepreneurship program.
Bodnar, a 1969 graduate and 1970 MBA recipient, has been a highly successful
restaurant executive and president of Bodnar Investment Group Inc.
“I am happy and honored to announce this gift to the College of Business and
Economics,” Bodnar said. “The College is making great strides in the areas of
entrepreneurship, innovation and hospitality, and those are things I am very passionate
about in my life. It’s important to me to provide this kind of support, which will only help
the College advance in these areas.”
The contributions will establish the J. Michael Bodnar Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Endowment and the J. Michael Bodnar Hospitality and Tourism Support Fund.
WVU President Jim Clements spoke at the announcement and thanked Bodnar for his
generosity.
“We are very thankful for this gift,” Clements said. “As a WVU graduate, Michael
Bodnar is providing future students with the kind of opportunities he found at WVU. In all
that he has done for our College of Business & Economics, he is enhancing the quality
of our programs, and most importantly giving others the opportunity to follow their
dreams. We are extremely grateful for his support.”
In 1986, Bodnar founded a company that develops real estate, provides start-up equity
and provides consulting for restaurants. Bodnar has been involved in developing a
number of restaurants, including Maxie’s in northern Florida, El Polo Loco in Las Vegas,
Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, Baha Burgers, Tellini’s Italian Café and Martin’s BBQ. In
1999, he was named CEO of Shoney's.
“It’s very rewarding to support programs at my alma mater,” Bodnar said. “It’s a good
thing when you can help your university mold minds, develop skill sets and tap into the
passions of students. WVU’s business school is doing great things, and I certainly want
to be a part of that.”
Dr. Jose Sartarelli, the dean of the College of Business and Economics, said the money
would provide crucial support for programs to help the college grow and develop.
"(Bodnar) has embraced business and hospitality in our College in a number of ways,
and his gift will have a significant impact on entrepreneurship, innovation, and
hospitality and tourism," Sartarelli said.
The gift also counts toward the $750 million "State of Minds Campaign" from the WVU
Foundation.
“Mike’s passion and love for the College of Business and Economics and its academic
programs are evident by his long history of giving back. We salute Mike for his
continued generosity and sincere desire to help students," said Wayne King, the
president and CEO of the WVU Foundation.
November 29, 2012
Mayor-elect meets with SGA president
By Sean Delancy
Ray Harrell Jr., Marshall University student body president, and Huntington Mayor-Elect
Steve Williams both said they have ambitions of improving student safety and
beautification around campus.
Harrell met with Williams to discuss three possible joint initiatives he said would benefit
Marshall students.
“Considering the economic impact that this campus has on the community, I reached
out to him,” Harrell said.
Williams said all the initiatives are being evaluated to see if they could work before they
think about implementing them.
Harrell said the first initiative they discussed was a late night bus service designed to
improve student safety at night. Williams said he would need to consult the Tri-State
Transit Authority before the extent of the bus service could be determined.
Harrell said the second possible initiative involved collaboration between his office and
Williams to organize regular meetings between Williams and students on Marshall’s
campus.
Williams said he would like to meet with representatives from Greek life, honors
organizations and other colleges. Williams said another method he would use was to
have coffee or lunch on campus and have impromptu discussions with students to
gauge student concerns.
“Every time I step on campus, I walk off energized,” Williams said.
Harrell said the third possible initiative was to appeal to local pride by beautifying the
areas surrounding Marshall’s campus. Williams said he wants to reach out to members
of the community and encourage them to clean their property as opposed to forcing
them to.
“It’s a lot easier to accomplish something with a carrot rather than a stick,” Williams
said.
Harrell will also be joining 15 other members of the community on William’s Transition
Team. Williams said the team is composed of four committees: finance, public works,
public safety and economic development. Williams said these committees are designed
to gauge public necessities before he steps into office.
Harrell said he was throwing his full support behind the new mayor.
“Despite my public support of Mayor Wolfe and the Republican Party during the
campaign, my number one job is to be the representative of the student body,” Harrell
said. “In that capacity, there is no partisanship.”
Williams said his three goals concerning Marshall when he enters office will be to
improve student safety, provide work for students who plan on staying in Huntington
and, if they choose to leave, provide a great place for them to return to visit.
November 29, 2012
State commission set to approve WVU acquisitions
HEPC to weigh in on university’s purchase of properties
By Alex Lang
Another organization is set to sign off on two of WVU’s recent property purchases that
will expand the campus’ footprint.
The state’s Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) is set to vote during its Dec. 7
meeting on WVU’s purchase of 25 acres along Falling Run Road and the acquisition of
about 40 properties in Sunnyside.
Under consideration will be WVU spending about $15 million to buy properties in
Sunnyside near Summit Hall. The properties — many of them student houses — will be
demolished to make room for University Place — a mixed retail and residential
development with a $70 million price tag.
Students have to move out of the residences by the end of the semester, but WVU is
working with them to find alternative housing.
Sunnyside Superette is a block away from the land WVU purchased.
Owner of the store, Peter McGinley, said he believes the development is a good thing.
Although, McGinley said, there are a few things he believes the developers have
overlooked, including putting hundreds more students in the neighborhood without any
additional parking. While some might believe they won’t be driving, McGinley said he
thinks they will.
He’s also concerned WVU won’t be able to attract a larger store because business in
that area is typically highest when students are around for the traditional academic year.
McGinley said he doesn’t have any plans to move his business elsewhere. He added he
doesn’t think they will sell beer or cigarettes inside of University Place.
“I plan to survive,” McGinley said.
The other purchase awaiting HEPC approval is $5.25 million to purchase 25 acres of
property near the square at Falling Run. The properties are along Falling Run Road,
College Avenue, Yoke Street and Overlook Street. They are part of a bankruptcy
proceeding for McCoy 6 LLC.
According to HEPC documents, WVU is acquiring the property for future academic
development.
The purchase is on top of $4.3 million spent by the university to acquire the Square at
Falling Run from the city. The development was started by the Warner family — who
are also members of McCoy 6 — but reversed to city control after the Warners failed to
meet deadlines. Part of the development was the Augusta Apartment complex, which
WVU bought in previous bankruptcy proceedings and is now called Vandalia Hall.
That $4 million purchase isn’t included in the agenda for HEPC approval.
November 29, 2012
WVU trademark licensing is big business
By George Hohmann
From T-shirts to shoes to bouquets of roses, it seems almost everything is available
with a West Virginia University logo.
T-shirts continue to be the biggest-seller, said Marsha Malone, WVU's director of
trademark licensing. But traditional gear is just the beginning for fans who want to
proclaim their college allegiance.
TOMS Shoes is globally recognized for its "One for One" movement, donating a pair of
shoes to a child in need for every shoe purchased. WVU fans can buy a pair of TOMS
that feature the school's gold-and-blue with the "Flying WV" logo on the box.
The FTD Rose Program offers distinctive, stem-dyed, blue-and-gold bouquets of 12 to
24 roses, displayed in an etched vase and shipped in a WVU gift box.
Other products adorned with WVU insignia range from duct tape to a toaster to mailbox
decals. There's a cuddly Pillow Pets-brand black bear wearing a coonskin cap and
plush blue and gold jersey.
Expected soon: gloves with touch-screen fingers.
It's all regulated by WVU's trademark licensing program, which grossed a record-setting
$3.5 million in royalties in the 2011-2012 financial year.
"Royalty revenues generated from the sale of officially licensed WVU merchandise help
fund university marketing initiatives and provide support for WVU athletic scholarships,"
Malone said.
Malone said the WVU trademark-licensing program began in the mid-1980s with the
registration of four trademarks: "West Virginia University," the WVU Seal, the
Mountaineer Mascot and the "Flying WV" logo.
The university's portfolio of trademarks has grown over the years. It now includes "West
Virginia" when used in reference to WVU, "Mountaineers," "WVU," "Let's Go
Mountaineers!" and "Gold Rush."
"Currently there are approximately 480 companies licensed for use of the WVU
trademarks," Malone said. "It is difficult to quantify how many retail outlets carry WVUtrademarked merchandise. The availability of WVU-licensed merchandise has grown
significantly over the years and the Internet has helped improve availability.
"We do believe that there is a correlation between the success of the sports programs
and the increase in sales of licensed products," she said.
Collegiate Licensing Co. has managed the program for the last four years. Earlier this
month the Atlanta, Ga.-based company signed a 10-year contract extension with WVU.
In a press release announcing the extension, Collegiate Licensing Co. said it has
enabled WVU to extend its retail presence in the marketplace into new channels of
distribution and to expand product selection in current distribution channels including
Best Buy, Cracker Barrel, Walmart and Target.
West Virginia University is one of seven schools in the Big 12 Conference represented
by Collegiate Licensing Co. The company said it represents nearly 200 colleges,
universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, The Heisman Trophy and the National
Collegiate Athletic Association.
Malone said WVU extended its contract with Collegiate Licensing Co. to continue to
increase exposure in the marketplace and to help ensure the continued growth of all
facets of the university's licensing program, which includes assisting WVU with the
protection and enforcement of its trademark rights.
Payments to WVU from Collegiate Licensing Co. are based on percentages of annual
generated revenue, she said.