Went to Dr. Gilbert's Investiture Today
- Thread starter OVERHERD
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I was present and agree that Dr. Gilbert does seem to be a nice man and well thought of. Unfortunately he comes to Marshall at a time when the state is broke and budgets have been severely restricted. Time will tell how he works with our legislators, i.e., battling the WVU Law School grads. Hope he has a real thick skin and a willingness to go head to head in Charleston.
WV has a lot of hard decisions to make, including several about higher ed. I'm not encouraged that the right ones will be made.
Fact is we just spend too much money subsidizing out-of-state students at WVU and WVSC, and fact is we just have too many state colleges. But every little town has some local legislator who want to "save jobs".
Fact is we just spend too much money subsidizing out-of-state students at WVU and WVSC, and fact is we just have too many state colleges. But every little town has some local legislator who want to "save jobs".
Dr. Gilbert needs to get his facts and arguments ready for there will be a new state government and leadership in Charleston come January. He and other state higher ed leaders need to be united and firm in their convictions and arguments to these governmental leaders that the state's economy and indeed, future, will be tied to an INCREASINGLY EDUCATED POPULACE and to a QUALITY AND PROPERLY FUNDED HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM which will help produce more educated and prepared citizens!!
We have one of, if not the, lowest percentage of college graduates of all the states. It is no coincidence that our state business climate is rated one of the nation's lowest while state government continues to annually slash higher ed budgets. On the other hand, nearby Virginia continually is rated as one of the best two or three states in which to do business. And at the same time, Virginia governors, whether Democrat or Republican, constantly tout the state's whole system of Higher Ed institutions (and not just one horn tooting, self proclaiming "flagship") as a key, primary factor in the state's economic growth and favorable business climate. Same bipartisan governors have continually supported large bond issues and other state financial outlays to build and upgrade the state's higher education capital facilities across the board. In contrast, we see the opposite in WV, where college facilities continue to deteriorate, become obsolete and are often shuttered or razed without being replace with newer, modern structures. Whether Dr. Gilbert and his counterparts will have the wherewithal to forcibly make such arguments for higher ed remain to be seen.
We have one of, if not the, lowest percentage of college graduates of all the states. It is no coincidence that our state business climate is rated one of the nation's lowest while state government continues to annually slash higher ed budgets. On the other hand, nearby Virginia continually is rated as one of the best two or three states in which to do business. And at the same time, Virginia governors, whether Democrat or Republican, constantly tout the state's whole system of Higher Ed institutions (and not just one horn tooting, self proclaiming "flagship") as a key, primary factor in the state's economic growth and favorable business climate. Same bipartisan governors have continually supported large bond issues and other state financial outlays to build and upgrade the state's higher education capital facilities across the board. In contrast, we see the opposite in WV, where college facilities continue to deteriorate, become obsolete and are often shuttered or razed without being replace with newer, modern structures. Whether Dr. Gilbert and his counterparts will have the wherewithal to forcibly make such arguments for higher ed remain to be seen.
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