Education

June 26, 2023 by WVCBP
West Virginia University Cuts $7M in Staff Amid Budget Crunch

Higher Ed Dive - West Virginia University is grappling with an enrollment decline all too familiar for many higher education institutions — though it is somewhat unusual for a public flagship to be staring down such a significant budget hole.  Read the full article. E. Gordon Gee, WVU’s president, has said the falling enrollment is a…

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June 23, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Shrinking Pains at West Virginia University

Inside Higher Ed - When West Virginia University president E. Gordon Gee announced plans to cut programs and faculty in the face of a projected $75 million budget shortfall, he said he wanted the process to be as compassionate and transparent as possible. It was, after all, the first reduction in force (RiF) in the university’s history to…

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June 21, 2023 by WVCBP
This R1 University Doubles Down on Mergers to Adapt to Budget Shortage

University Business - West Virginia University is potentially facing a $45 million budget deficit in the next fiscal year, and considering its current tuition and enrollment trends, that gulf can grow past $70 million in the next five years. Read the full article. As a result, President Gordon Gee is merging the College of the Creative Arts…

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June 17, 2023 by WVCBP
West Virginia University to Merge Two Colleges in the Face of Deep Budget Deficit

Higher Ed Dive - West Virginia University announced Wednesday a merger of its College of Creative Arts and the Reed College of Media, heralding it as a “creative and innovative collaboration.” Read the full article. But in the same breath it cast the consolidation as inventive, it acknowledged it was staring down “a challenging collegiate landscape,” which…

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June 15, 2023 by Kelly Allen
WVU’s State Funding Levels Questioned

The Intermountain - West Virginia University has been facing financial challenges for years. This year it will be dealing with a projected $45 million deficit. According to one in-state think tank, lawmakers dropped the ball by failing to maintain steadier state funding for higher education over the past few years. Read the full article. The…

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June 12, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Center on Budget & Policy: WVU Budget Woes About More than Declining Enrollment

Charleston Gazette-Mail - The cause of a West Virginia University budget crisis varies, depending on who you ask. Read the full article. WVU is grappling with a $45 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, which is expected to swell to $75 million a year by 2028. Over the past several months, the university…

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June 11, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Steady State Funding Could Have Eased WVU’s Financial Gap, Think Tank Concludes

West Virginia MetroNews, Hampshire Review - West Virginia University is going through the difficult job of coping with a projected $45 million deficit. A West Virginia think tank has concluded that if state support for higher education had remained steady over the past few years, that would have nearly made up the difference. Read the…

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June 7, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Erosion of State Funding for Higher Education Explains Most of WVU’s Budget Crisis

West Virginia University is currently facing a $45 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, expected to balloon to $75 million annually by 2028. During this year’s State of the University address, WVU President Gordon Gee pointed to several factors driving the shortfall including declining college-aged population, lower college-going rates, and rising financial costs.…

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