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You believe the 2+2 concept doesn't do justice to the southern tier, but what would be your alternative?
Yes, it would take more educational opportunities. That is exactly what they are doing. Engineering and technology is missing from that part of that state. WVU-B-Tech will add that to the mix. Hopefully, the institution will grow to 5,000 as Gee mentioned (he also said it would be a 4 year degree granting institution) and the school will create a new and exciting science and technology presence.
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There is no way the state can keep throwing money at it with the dwindling resources available, and while it would be nice to just create a new "tech hub", it would take more than just educational opportunities to do that.
So once again, if you listen to the radio show, Gee says that it will allow students to take classes there and move to WVU if they want. However, it will function in the opposite manor as well. They can take classes at WVU and move to Beckley. Or better yet, if you live in SWV and go to WVU, you can take summer courses there. And visa-versa. As Gee said, a student could "glide" between the two schools. This seems much more similar to the California system. A much more prestigious system btw. In order to get into WVU-B-Tech, a student would have to get into WVU as a whole and then apply for a certain program. Gee also said that the campus will have programs unique to them and the area. For many of those students, there will be no need to go to the main campus.
And again, he said "collaboration." A partnership must go both ways. So this means: "Okay Concord, (insert area of study) is your strongest program. We won't infringe on that and offer that program as well." So no competition. WVU-B-Tech will offer engineering and Concord may focus on health careers, as they already do. Or better yet, Concord has a very expensive and very nice electron microprobe (EMP). WVU-B-Tech will have absolutely no reason to have something like that. They can just go down to Concord and use theirs. This is what Virginia Tech and Concord are already doing with each other. This is what most universities in the country are already doing. In academia, this is what they mean by "collaboration." That's just how it is.
Yes, it would take more educational opportunities. That is exactly what they are doing. Engineering and technology is missing from that part of that state. WVU-B-Tech will add that to the mix. Hopefully, the institution will grow to 5,000 as Gee mentioned (he also said it would be a 4 year degree granting institution) and the school will create a new and exciting science and technology presence.
So once again, if you listen to the radio show, Gee says that it will allow students to take classes there and move to WVU if they want. However, it will function in the opposite manor as well. They can take classes at WVU and move to Beckley. Or better yet, if you live in SWV and go to WVU, you can take summer courses there. And visa-versa. As Gee said, a student could "glide" between the two schools. This seems much more similar to the California system. A much more prestigious system btw. In order to get into WVU-B-Tech, a student would have to get into WVU as a whole and then apply for a certain program. Gee also said that the campus will have programs unique to them and the area. For many of those students, there will be no need to go to the main campus.
And again, he said "collaboration." A partnership must go both ways. So this means: "Okay Concord, (insert area of study) is your strongest program. We won't infringe on that and offer that program as well." So no competition. WVU-B-Tech will offer engineering and Concord may focus on health careers, as they already do. Or better yet, Concord has a very expensive and very nice electron microprobe (EMP). WVU-B-Tech will have absolutely no reason to have something like that. They can just go down to Concord and use theirs. This is what Virginia Tech and Concord are already doing with each other. This is what most universities in the country are already doing. In academia, this is what they mean by "collaboration." That's just how it is.
Yep... that is what will happen with Concord likely. Bluefield is another matter. General admissions standards for Concord and Bluefield are different than they are for WVU, so the seamless glide won't happen, especially for some programs, without a 2+2 arrangement. I highly doubt Gee had the time to give all the specifics in an interview. I'm just telling you what I've been hearing in Morgantown for some time. This will help the southern tier greatly. I just hope some politico doesn't get mixed up in it and screw it up.
My point being that whether the particular program in question is part of a 2+2 arrangement or not, the collaboration (that's a good word) will benefit everyone.
I don't really know the situation for Bluefield either. I'm not really a fan of the "two-states-one-city" thing. Even though I know that they are technically 2 towns. I really feel like they should consolidate and become apart of a single state. I think that it would be more competitive and serve its citizens better that way. I think that the 2 schools in Bluefield (BSU (WV) and BC (VA))would benefit from it as well. However, that's another sorry for another thread.
This was never mentioned or hinted at by Gee. Also, these institutions are not "faltering."
I don't know how this really applies here because it was never mentioned by or hinted at by Gee.
I've never heard this about WVU, but you would be correct that this is incorrect. In fact, for first-time freshman at least a 2.5 is required to get admittance. This ranges depending on the school, but a 2.5-3.25 will get someone into most programs. https://admissions.wvu.edu/how-to-ap...sion-standards
This 2+2 thing you are mentioning doesn't make sense for the communities at hand here. It also doesn't seem like Gee is heading that direction. I've heard from a few sources they just want to promote inter-university interactions and possibly create another science-engineering-tech-hub in the state. Sort of like a miniature version of the North Carolina Research Triangle. By promoting more academic scientific and technological collaboration, more companies may move into the region. It will also promote more potential entrepreneurs in the area to create more startups. This would be the bones for an economic transition and hopefully revival in the southern part of the state. If successful, something like this could be a model for the rest of Appalachia and any other struggling areas in the country.
A 2+2 doesn't do any of those schools or the people that live in that part of the state any justice. Honestly, we need to be a little more creative than that here. Plus, most people would rather just go straight to a four year institution, rather than do a 2+2. Plus, why on earth would WVU want 2+2 programs from any of the schools in that area if there are already community colleges there that would gladly accept a 2+2 program from WVU? I mean it would just be soooooo much simpler. Soooo much less bureaucracy and fuss from the people. That would just make a lot more sense to everyone involved.
There is this too... WVU's general admissions standards are already the most stringent in our state (higher overall and a full 2 points higher in math) (much higher for select majors), private schools included, and plans are to raise them even further for the Morgantown campus...
I don't really know the situation for Bluefield either. I'm not really a fan of the "two-states-one-city" thing. Even though I know that they are technically 2 towns. I really feel like they should consolidate and become apart of a single state. I think that it would be more competitive and serve its citizens better that way. I think that the 2 schools in Bluefield (BSU (WV) and BC (VA))would benefit from it as well. However, that's another sorry for another thread.
Even though Bluefield College is 150 ft from the WV state line, BC is a private Liberal Arts Christian(Baptists) College with very stringent acceptance standards. They pride theirselves on being on the Virginia side of the border and would not be a good fit with BSC with different Ideologies and mission statement.
Even though Bluefield College is 150 ft from the WV state line, BC is a private Liberal Arts Christian(Baptists) College with very stringent acceptance standards. They pride theirselves on being on the Virginia side of the border and would not be a good fit with BSC with different Ideologies and mission statement.
Here's the problem for Bluefield State. From 2009 to 2013 enrollment there fell from 2,058 to 1,762 and there is no indication that trend will stop. That region is having serious population decline, especially in terms of the college age population. If it falls much further, it will not remain viable to keep it open as a 4 year school. There just won't be the numbers there to justify the more expensive 4 year offerings. Unless some sort of unexpected development takes place boosting prospects there, the only chance of survival would be with the collaborative approach.
Bluefield's situation is similar to that found in Fayette County, only worse.
Even though Bluefield College is 150 ft from the WV state line, BC is a private Liberal Arts Christian(Baptists) College with very stringent acceptance standards. They pride theirselves on being on the Virginia side of the border and would not be a good fit with BSC with different Ideologies and mission statement.
Well I meant that the schools stay as they are and the city become a whole. The combined city would either be entirely WV's or entirely VA's. One state would lose something while the other one gains. However, for Bluefield, the region, and indirectly the two schools this might be a good option to look into. The politics of this would be horrendous, but it's just a thought.
Well I meant that the schools stay as they are and the city become a whole. The combined city would either be entirely WV's or entirely VA's. One state would lose something while the other one gains. However, for Bluefield, the region, and indirectly the two schools this might be a good option to look into. The politics of this would be horrendous, but it's just a thought.
The cities are for all practical purposes a whole, but actually moving one part to another state would be a whole lot more complicated than just agreeing to do so. It would take the approval of both state legislatures as well as the Federal Government. That hasn't been done for a century and a half. I don't expect it would be done here either.
The cities are for all practical purposes a whole, but actually moving one part to another state would be a whole lot more complicated than just agreeing to do so. It would take the approval of both state legislatures as well as the Federal Government. That hasn't been done for a century and a half. I don't expect it would be done here either.
Yeah like I said, it would be a horrendous process. However, even though they are basically a whole, technically they are not. If they were a single city, the city would receive better funding from the government and it would gain more tax money from its citizens. It might be able to provide more for its citizens with more money.
Yeah I don't think something like that will ever happen, but I believe that it they might better from it. That might indirectly help the schools (long shot but possible). Anyway, I fell like this might be a tangent from the thread topic (I know I started it).
The media asked Concord about what they thought about what Gee said and the president of Concord seemed to not like the "words" he chose. I'll post the link here in a few.
Last edited by PynballWyzyrd; 09-09-2015 at 01:38 PM..
All one has to do is look at the situation to see that the current situation is untenable long term. Declining and aging populations, disappearing industry, and reduced tax revenue will make push come to shove sooner rather than later. Something is going to have to give, and I believe that will first be the smallest of the teachers "universities". It really should be the enormously bloated bureaucracy, but it won't be because they have political influence. Bluefield and Glenville will likely be under pressure to folk into WVU Tech Beckley and Fairmont State as 2+2 appendages. If trends don't change at WV State, due to the proximity to Marshall combined with declining enrollment, they will face the same pressures within a few years.
If a sensible administration takes office that cares more about the state's citizens than about political jobs for cronies, consolidation of the Boards will take place in Charleston, and the ridiculous duplication there will be eliminated. There is no logical reason to have separate boards for community colleges (one of which is actually a 4 year school) and 4 year schools answering to yet another higher education board, answering to who knows who? The schools irrationally ripped from WVU and Marshall should be returned to their rightful owners, and consolidation encouraged where possible to eliminate duplication in costs. That might save Bluefield, but I think smart things will come too late for that to happen there or at Glenville.
At some point, Manchin and Tomblin won't be able to shove their relatives into cush jobs in education and sensibility will have to take over.
Concord as well as the Panhandles schools are fairly stable and secure as I see it.
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