President Gee

Students will return to West Virginia University’s three campuses to begin fall classes on Wednesday, Aug. 19, the University announced Wednesday (June 3).

West Virginia University President Gordon Gee penned a letter to the Mountaineer family Wednesday, June 3, reflecting on the recent death of George Floyd, the other deaths in the Black community and the events of recent days.

From the mountains of West Virginia to cities and towns across the country and around the world, West Virginia University graduates and their families gathered around computers and other smart devices to attend Mountaineer Graduation Day on Saturday (May 16). The online experience, created due to social distancing restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, provided an opportunity for graduates to mark an important milestone and share familiar commencement traditions.

Jillian Blair from Wheeling Park High School, Olivia Dowler from Weir High School, Bethany Knight from Notre Dame High School, Rushik Patel from George Washington High School and Sarah Sweeney from Spring Mills High School are the 2020-21 cohort of WVU Foundation Scholars.

The WVU Foundation is leading the coordinated fundraising effort, which aims to unite Mountaineer Nation in support of a stronger WVU. All funds raised will offset the pandemic’s devastating economic impact on current and prospective WVU students and their families to ensure as many students as possible achieve their higher education dreams.

While West Virginia University’s 4,500-member Class of 2020 will graduate in various states and countries instead of Morgantown and in one ceremony instead of more than a dozen, graduates will be connected to each other and to Mountaineers around the world in WVU’s first virtual commencement ceremony.

Carolyn Eberly Blaney, a loyal West Virginia University alumna who carried on a longstanding family tradition of philanthropy, passed away Friday (May 8) at the age of 96.

All employees identified for temporary furlough were notified on Friday morning (May 8). The temporary furlough will be effective on May 24, and impacted employees will return to work on either June 28 or July 26, depending on operational needs. Employees on temporary furlough will continue their benefits during the temporary furlough period.

Envisioning a return of students to its three campuses in the fall, the West Virginia University Board of Governors announced Friday (May 1) that base tuition and fees will remain unchanged for the academic year beginning in August.

Tracy Morris, who has served as interim dean of the College of Education and Human Services since 2018, will serve as dean of the college for a two-year term, effective July 1. Jack Watson, who has served as interim dean of the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences since 2019, has been named dean of the college for a two-year term, also effective July 1.