WVU President Shares Personal Plans, Faculty Gets Updates On Program Review

The West Virginia University (WVU) community learned Monday about the university president’s personal plans as well as a planned restructuring ahead of cuts to academic programs later this week. 

During a meeting of the West Virginia University Faculty Senate Monday afternoon, President Gordon Gee announced his intention to step down from his position in 2025. Gee’s contract was extended last week by the university’s Board of Governors.

“My plan beyond June 2025 is to return to the law school and start teaching again,” he said. “My intent is to be finished at that time and hopefully, we’ll have a new president at that point.”

Provost Maryanne Reed provided updates to the program review process.

“This week, the Provost Office will be developing the preliminary recommendations resulting from the program portfolio review process,” she said.

Unit leaders will be notified of decisions Thursday, while faculty and staff will be notified Friday. The preliminary recommendations will be communicated to the broader WVU community Monday, Aug. 14.

Chairs and faculty have until Aug. 18 to file an intent to appeal the provost’s recommendation for program reduction or discontinuation. The Faculty Senate adopted a resolution to urge unit leaders to seek robust faculty input in those appeals.

Reed also announced that another academic restructuring will be announced later this week. No details as to what colleges will be affected were shared.

“I cannot share the particulars right now, since not everyone in those units have been notified yet, but I did want to give you all the heads up because it is coming,” Reed said. 

A previous academic restructuring merged the College of Creative Arts and the College of Media.