West Virginia University slashing programs, setting off protests
- Two dozen majors and over a hundred faculty will be cut
- The university justifies the move as necessary from budget constraints
- But many faculty are outraged by the cuts
MORGANTOWN, WV – OCTOBER 26: Fans of the West Virginia University Mountaineers cheer on their team during a Big East game against the University of Miami Hurricanes on October 26, 2002 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia . Miami won 40-23. (Photo By Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — West Virginia University, the state’s largest university, will be moving forward with plans to eliminate 28 of its majors and cut 143 faculty positions.
The university’s governing board went through with the cuts on Friday despite intense protests from students and faculty.
Programs cut include all of the university’s foreign language degree programs and its math graduate degree programs.
The school says it’s making the cuts in order to control costs ahead of an expected dip in enrollment.
But critics charge that the university will be undermining the opportunity for students to get a well-rounded liberal education.
Faculty members who will be laid off will be told they’re losing their jobs by mid-October, but they will be able to stay at the school through early May. The school also insists that it will be taking steps to make sure students who have already accrued a large number of credits in cut majors will be able to graduate or will be steered to alternatives.
But many faculty members remain critical of the move.
“As long as I’m here, my priority is the students I serve,” Christine Hoffman, Assistant English department chair. “I’m also going to need to prioritize my escape from a place where the people in charge will spit in your face and tell you it’s raining.”
