The WVSSAC-MVB Bank Opioid Awareness Summit is the kick-off event for a three to five-year Game Changer Initiative designed to help combat the state’s growing opioid epidemic. More than 8,000 high school students are expected to attend the summit with another 140,000 middle school and high school students given the opportunity to watch via live stream Tuesday, Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum.
Focus Forward: Preparing Today for the West Virginia of Tomorrow symposium hosted by the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative, WV Forward and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
A reception celebrating a special announcement about Encova Mutual Insurance Group’s partnership with the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics will be held Friday (Sept. 13) from 5-7 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Morgantown.
WVU kicks off Diversity Week with its first “WVU’s State of Diversity” address by Vice President for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Meshea L. Poore. Poore will provide a status report designed to highlight where we stand in our diversity and inclusion journey, celebrate accomplishments we have made as a Big XII institution while acknowledging the growth that we will continue to support and galvanize, along with the role each member of the Mountaineer family plays in ensuring that we have a campus that is welcoming, supportive and inclusive. Poore will be available for interviews immediately after her address.
WVU’s annual Diversity Week endeavors to promote celebration, education, and understanding of different identities and experiences present on our campus. Each event highlights a particular aspect of identity and explores how it contributes to the rich tapestry of our campus.
A kickoff ceremony will take place in the Mason County Library Thursday (Sept. 12) followed by a visioning workshop where community members can share ideas and opinions about Point Pleasant and its brand.
The West Virginia University Center for Excellence in Disabilities and the West Virginians for Affordable Health Care will host a roundtable discussion for challenges and solutions to keep kids healthy during the opioid crisis.
For the first time in more than a decade, women in West Virginia University’s Law Class of 2022 make up more than half of the class, which also boasts higher academic credentials than previous years. WVU also welcomes self-identified minorities who make up eight percent of these students, one-third of whom are first-generation college students. Greg Bowman, dean of the WVU College of Law, said diversity in law delivers fairness in the justice system.
The West Virginia University LGBTQ+ Center offers a variety of Safe Zone trainings, resources, classes and events to advocate for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Center is committed to helping provide a safe and inclusive campus for all students, while understanding that transgender students may arrive on campus already stressed and concerned about the potential for isolation.
This year's National Recovery Month theme at West Virginia University is Join the Voices of Recovery: Together We Are Stronger highlighting the notion that mental health issues and substance use affects all of us and the ongoing need to build campus and community networks that support recovery. The Collegiate Recovery Program will host events and activities in September designed to increase awareness and understanding of substance use and mental health disorders among college students and celebrate their journey and achievements.