More than 30 West Virginia University students will take part in the 16th annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Charleston Tuesday (Feb. 26) from 8:30 - 11 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda.
West Virginia University education expert Erin McHenry-Sorber believes SB451, which allows for charter schools and Education Savings Accounts, is “curious legislation” for West Virginia, a state that has, since 2007, underfunded its public education system, and had the deepest cuts of any state in the 2017-2018 academic year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Additionally, assistant professor Matthew Campbell notes that charter schools have lower standards for teachers, meaning those schools would house some of the least qualified teachers in the state.
The debate over SB 451, which promotes charter schools and vouchers in West Virginia, while offering teachers raises, has centered around choice and parents’ ability to send their children to school where they want. Passage of the bill in the state senate prompted an immediate response from teachers who voted to strike in the anniversary week of a landmark court decision which held education is a fundamental right. A West Virginia University expert believes the arguments miss an important provision of the bill — a “deceptively modest change” that would allow county school boards to increase property taxes with voter approval.
Education Law Symposium examining the landmark West Virginia Supreme Court decision of Pauley v. Kelly, where the court held that education is a fundamental right. Discussion will further touch on recent teacher strikes and education law in areas of higher learning.
West Virginia University Athletics will celebrate diversity and inclusion at the second annual “iBelong” game, which will welcome people who may have felt excluded from sporting events for a variety of reasons. The “iBelong” game will be held at the women’s basketball game vs. Oklahoma at the WVU Coliseum Saturday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. Participants will receive an “I Belong” t-shirt and free admission to the game for themselves and their families and friends. Gates will open at 2:30 p.m. featuring booths with activities, informational sheets and giveaways.
West Virginia University’s Formula SAE Mountaineer Racing Team, which provides opportunities for students to gain broader insight into the engineering profession, will enhance its mission through a $30,000 award from the DENSO North America Foundation. The grant money will be used to develop an engine powertrain dynamometer testing facility used to test, tune, and enhance the team’s racing engines and transmissions.
The “I Heart IDEA Hub Pitch Challenge” provides students, faculty, staff and community members who utilize any of the IDEA Hub’s services the opportunity to showcase their innovative ideas and compete for cash prizes to further develop their innovations. Fourteen individuals or teams will pitch their innovations in three minutes to a group of judges, followed by a question and answer period. The event will also serve as a valuable networking opportunity for IDEA Hub members, innovative leaders and West Virginia entrepreneurs to convene.
West Virginia University will host more than 325 Boy and Girl Scouts from six states Saturday, February 9, for an on-campus experience at “Merit Badge University.” This day-long event is both educational and fun-filled. With headquarters at the WVU Recreation Center, MBU@WVU provides a taste of college life to middle and high school youth, including rides on the PRT.
The West Virginia University Collegiate Horsemen’s Association will hold an indoor sale to benefit the U. S. Equestrian Federation Disaster Relief Fund Sunday (Feb. 10) from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the J. W. Ruby Research Farm, Reedsville. The United States Equestrian Federation Disaster Relief Fund which helps to ensure the safety and well-being of horses affected by natural disasters.
A community-wide philanthropic endeavor led by the women in the Panhellenic Association at West Virginia University has raised $37,000 for the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation to help build a school in Malawi, an effort to support entities around the world that remove educational barriers for girls and women who face poverty and oppression. The school is now open and students are attending classes.