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Higher Education News Clippings

Week of March 4, 2013

February 26, 2013

Budget cuts could affect tuition at MU Board of Governors confronting $5 million reduction in state funds By Bill Rosenberger HUNTINGTON — Frustration about proposed state budget cuts to higher education spilled from Mar-shall University President Stephen Kopp and the university’s board members on Monday. Marshall’s budget could take a $5.1 million loss in the amount of state money it receives in the coming budget year, based on budget reductions requested by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. This fiscal year, Marshall’s appropriation was $57.1 million of a $193 million budget. “In 2000 to 2002, there was about an $11 million cut and we kind of fought back,” John Hess, a member of the university’s Board of Governors, said at a board meeting Monday. “And now, to take a step backward, it’s all going to fall on students’ backs. That’s who’s going to pay for this.” Later, Kopp said if students were to make up for the proposed cuts in the state budget, they’d be asked to pay $700 more per year in tuition. “Far more than we feel comfortable with,” he added. This year, West Virginia undergraduates are paying $2,965 per semester at Marshall. That was an increase from $2,824 per semester during the 2011-2012 school year. After the meeting, Kopp said Marshall’s responsibility is to serve the state and provide access to a college education, particularly to those from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. He said it’s irresponsible for anyone to say they can do so without raising tuition in light of the state budget cut. Kopp told the board it appears the administration in Charleston is dead set against imposing any tax increases. But, he said asking public higher education to absorb 46 percent of the $75 million in state budget cuts is unfair. “The challenge we have before us is to try and influence through advocacy,” Kopp said. “I can’t understand a $75 million cut in a $4 billion budget with a $1 billion rainy day fund. I can’t justify that.” One solution Kopp offered was to raise the 1 cent tax on soda to 5 cents, which could provide $80 million each year — enough to fund the $70 million in state appropriations currently given to the state’s three medical schools and use that money for other needs.

He clarified after the meeting that his point isn’t to single out soda — 1 additional cent on beer could generate an additional $11 million annually. He described himself as a solution finder and said there are options out there to deal with the budget crisis. “When there is a public benefit, you support it publicly,” Kopp said. “This is cost shifting, pure and simple. You are taking it from public support and shifting it to students and families.” The state budget won’t be finalized until after the legislative session, which continues through April. That’s a problem for Marshall because board members won’t be able to approve a budget until their June meeting for the budget that begins July 1. Chief Financial Officer Mary Ellen Heuton said a budget outline will be discussed at the April meeting that will be built around Tomblin’s proposed state budget. She said it will include all options, including tuition increases. The medical school also is facing a budget cut, from $19.7 million to about $18.5 million. The total budget for medical school is $44 million.

March 3, 2013

19 students attend annual research day A total of 19 WVU students took part in the 10th-annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Charleston on Thursday: Caitlin Ahrens of Fairmont, “Primary Shadow Ring Analysis for Forecasting Earthquakes” Alexandra Bay from Princeton, “Parasites in Beef Cattle” Michael Carlise of Morgantown, “Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genus Sorghum and the Determination of Evolutionary Relationships in Poaceae Using Low-Copy Nuclear Gene Sequences” Jessica Carr of Fairmont, “Computational Simulations of Gold Nanoparticles for Cancer Imaging” Loren Clevenger from Clarksburg, “Expression of Transcription Factors Involved in Lipid Metabolism in Mice Fed Algae, Yeast, or Fish Oil” Guy Jabob Cordonier from Parkersburg, Samantha Dolin from Madison and Nicholas Underwood from Beckley, “Variable Gravity Liquid Spray Coolant Optimization” Katie Hackney from Charleston, “Psychometric Properties of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Amanda Hanrahan from Wauwatosa, Wisc., “Associations Between Adolescents’ Alcohol-Related Secrecy and Disclosure with Alcohol Consumption” Areej Kuzmar from Morgantown, “Performance of Direct Carbon Fuel Cells Using Bio-Derived Fuels” Tessa Maynard from Fort Gay, “Pulsar Science: Arecibo 327 MHz Drift Scan Processing” Anna McClung from Morgantown, “Performance of Direct Carbon Fuel Cells Using Bio-Derived Fuels” Christopher Oldaker of Cross Lanes, “Different Dietary Sources of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Influences Renal Fatty Acid Composition, Gene Expression, and Risk of Nephrocalcinosis in Female Rats”

Brittany Szafran from Moundsville, “Protein Supplementation Mitigates Effects of Parasitism on Lambs Raised Organically” Nathan Tehrani from Morgantown, “Pulsar Science: Arecibo 327 MHz Drift Scan Processing” Jonathan Tucker from Morgantown, “Characterization of the Physical Properties for Solid Granular Materials” Megan Villers from Morgantown, “Protein Supplementation Mitigates Effects of Parasitism on Lambs Raised Organically” Zachary Willison-Headley of Vienna Wood, “Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genus Sorghum and the Determination of Evolutionary Relationships in Poaceae Using Low-Copy Nuclear Gene Sequences”

March 3, 2013

Student named editor of review Imad Matini has been named the editor-in-chief of The West Virginia Law Review for 2013-‘14. Matini is a second-year law student in the joint JD/MBA program at the WVU College of Law and College of Business and Economics. He was elected to his new position by his peers. Founded in 1894, the West Virginia Law Review is the fourth oldest law review in the country. It is a professional, student-governed legal journal that publishes articles of interest to legal scholars, students, legislators and members of the practicing Bar. Matini said that the legal community should expect big things from the West Virginia Law Review. “We are a very ambitious group,” he said. “We want to innovate and we want to build on the foundation that we have. Our goals are to provide an avenue for legal discourse, and to raise the prestige of our community and state in the process.” Matini’s first duty as editor-in-chief was to appoint the executive board of the West Virginia Law Review Volume 116. In addition to running the publication, the executive board trains new members, selects articles for the multiple publications and begins preparation for the annual Law Review Symposium. “We have such an outstanding and qualified group of editors that will take our organization to the next level,” Matini said. “I am excited to see what they will bring to the table because they have a lot of experience and knowledge.” In addition to his Law Review responsibilities, Matini is a research assistant for law professor Atiba Ellis and a legal writing tutor for the law school’s writing center. He is also an American Bar Association student representative. This summer, he will work for Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC, in Clarksburg. Although uncertain about the type of law he wishes to practice, Matini has a keen interest in corporate law, securities law and antitrust law. Raised in Fredericksburg, Va., Matini earned his bachelor’s degree in government and finance from the College of William & Mary in 2011. While at William & Mary, he was president of his fraternity and rugby team and involved in student government. “I am thankful for the support I have received so far,” Matini said. “I have a great community, great friends, and a great family. Without the love and support of my parents, grandparents and little brother, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this.”

March 4, 2013

College or no, dropping out not an option COLLEGE FOR ALL? By Norm Julian Well, the opportunity to gain skills and advance human potential is a good idea for everyone, but college isn’t the only way. A friend came by the other day for talk and business. He had just visited a store and while he was there, he overheard two teenage girls talking in the checkout line. One said to the other, “I’m so happy. I just turned 16 and now I can quit school.” My friend wondered what kind of future a young person with that attitude would face. Despite not being born affluent himself, my friend had managed to become a lawyer. He knows that the lack of at least a high school diploma usually leads to a life of working at low-paying jobs, or unemployment and a dependency on others. Surely a “drop-out” attitude is not conducive to succeeding at college or elsewhere. Should a person not be attracted to college, but want to learn a trade or technical skill instead, the result likely would be a productive citizen capable of caring for herself and a family, and contributing to the general welfare. In my old neighborhood of Clarksburg, when I was growing up not one person had attained a college education. But they were good skilled workers who had learned the essentials of maintaining a family. Most worked in Clarksburg’s glass industry, booming then, or in the mines. Those jobs in large part aren’t available now. A neighbor, Clifford Jones, took a wise course. He was always handy, so he studied vocational education in high school. He could fix practically anything, especially cars. He applied himself. After more training in the Marine Corps, he went on to own his own company.

College, for him, wasn’t necessary, as it isn’t for many successful people. But specialized training usually is. A new kind of elitism has taken root in America. For some, if you don’t own a college degree, or degrees, you are devalued. Some of the most intelligent and enlightened people never attended college. They knew how to read, though, and got a liberal education through vast reading. Today that is even easier. Free college-level courses are available. Try Cosmo.com for some examples. A degree in the liberal arts isn’t the ticket to esteem or bigger paychecks that it once was. How many liberal arts majors make $50 or $70 an hour, as many mechanics and fix-it technicians do? Someone on Facebook the other day asked this question, addressed to one and all: “What was your best classroom experience?” The answer for me was difficult. I loved learning, but hated being in a classroom. For some active boys especially, having to sit for five or six hours a day from grade school on constitutes a kind of torture. Better their energy and talents be channeled into more active learning pursuits. They can use the Internet to take courses on a schedule that melds with their restlessness. Kim Komando, the computer guru who informs on WAJR radio on Saturday mornings, noted the other day the large number of free learning programs on the internet. Today, there are good alternatives to dropping out, and not everyone should go to college. Wanting to make something of yourself, though, is still required.

March 4, 2013

Concord prof brings international experience to American classroom By Jessica Y. Lilly A biology professor at Concord University is helping to internationalize education at the institution. Dr. Darla Wise recently returned from a trip to Greece where she taught at a college in Cyprus. “I was honored," Dr. Darla Wise said. "I actually got as much from them as they got from me. So it was mutual." Concord University Professor of Biology Darla Wise got a little emotional when she shared some memories of her experience as a visiting professor at Near East University in Greece. “Some of them are from countries that are in war right now,” Wise said. "Being in that area near the Middle East and where a lot of turmoil is going on but yet Cyprus is relatively safe. "It’s kind of on it’s own there in the Mediterranean and so parents who could afford to would send their children to school there so they would be safe. "We don’t see that type of situation where you can’t go home.” Wise taught microbiology, virology and bacteriology in Cyprus during the Fall 2012 semester. She was surprised to teach English as a second language and faced the challenge of teaching much larger classes. “The class of 200 taught me that struggling with 40 is nothing compared to 200,” Wise said as she laughed. Wise explains her Cyprus students have a serious incentive to excel. “They compete very hard for any position,” she said, “because a lot of the positions are government based and so there’s only so many. “So you can do really, really well but you’ve got to be the best of the best in order to get those positions when you’re done.” The experience was part of a Consortium established by the WV Higher Education Policy Commission in 2006 meant to enhance international education opportunities across the state’s colleges and universities.

Among other international efforts, Concord University created a relationship with Near East University in Greece through collaborative research, faculty exchanges and other opportunities. “They were very honored and excited that someone would come all the way from the United States to teach them,” she said. “That it was a very unique experience to the point that the vice president of the university overheard students bragging about how they had American instructor.” Dr. Paul Hill, Chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission, says the small consortium is meant to help West Virginia students compete in a global economy. “The numbers are increasing again as far as their desire to get a post-secondary education within the United States," Hill explained, "however we are not doing much to attract them to our campuses in West Virginia. Part of this is to do just that." Hill says the efforts of the Consortium are especially important to West Virginia institutions because of the relative lack of diversity within the state’s population. “The fact that West Virginia is a fairly homogeneous state. That is we are more than 95 percent caucations we have only 3 percent African Americans. We have no other minority group I believe Hispanics have moved to one percent Asians to one percent." "So you see that there is not a lot of cultural diversity within our local population and yet we as West Virginians are doing a lot of work and travel and business, particularly in selling equipment and selling coal to other countries, therefor the opportunity to have more of an international experience while students are gaining their education rather than to be forced to do address that after education brings a more rich more educational experience." Since 2006, Hill says larger schools like Marshal and WVU have made significant progress in expanding their international education. Hill says it takes a plan or strategy to help foster these relationships, and while smaller schools have smaller budgets, the HEPC can help. “The commission has authorized the central office to begin to build the capacity here," Hill explained, "that we might help particularly the smaller institutions in the state like Concord. We would work with them to help direct students who may express some interest to help bring them to their campus and to help facilitate the program as a whole that is one of the first things we might be able to do because the resourses are not there on each and every campus in the state.” Dr. Wise hopes to see this relationship grow.

“I’m hoping that my experience there will get other faculty to take the opportunity to do these experiences and enrich themselves," Wise said. "But also maybe open some doors for some of the students for example collaborative research projects where they would do part of their project at Near East and then get their degree hear at Concord." "Do some international shadowing for veterinary medicine or some of these other areas so that they’re not just looking at local or even national but they’re looking at these careers from a more global perspective and I think that would be great but you have to do that one person at a time.” Chancellor Hill says he hopes to see more classes that offer English as a second language at colleges and universities across the state. Despite looming state and federal budget cuts Hill says the efforts will continue.

March 4, 2013

New WVU software makes purchases easier Website keeps track of employee receipts By Alex Lang WVU employees spent more than $500,000 through WVU’s new procurement system in the first few months of its existence. “Perhaps the best way to think of WVU Buy is our version, WVU’s version, of amazon.com,” said Dan Durbin, senior associate vice president for finance. In the Fall, WVU debuted WVU Buy for employees to use to make purchases. Employees log in and can search for items ranging from office supplies to research equipment. They then pick the item they want and it’s shipped to the university. It’s a supplement to the traditional P-Card purchasing method. Melanie Jimmie, an administrative secretary for resource management in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, says it’s an upgrade over the old system. “I really like it,” she said. In the past, Jimmie said, she would have to go to a store’s website to order office supplies. Now she can just log into WVU Buy. WVU Buy also keeps track of her receipts. The system has allowed her to save money on items such as pens and Post-it notes, which are cheaper at some suppliers than others, Jimmie said. There are a few benefits for the university in using WVU Buy, Durbin said. One is that it reduces the amount of paper. WVU Buy also allows the university to better track who is buying what from where. Durbin said that in the past, the university relied on finding out from the companies what people were spending on what items. Now WVU can collect the data itself, Durbin said. They can then use that information to negotiate contracts for certain items purchased in bulk.

So far, WVU Buy has about 1,200 people who have set up profiles and there are 16 vendors on the site, Durbin said. There is a $220,000 annual membership fee for access to the software, Durbin said. But the state Auditor’s Office has agreed to pay the cost for WVU.

March 4, 2013

The Intermountain.com Thousands receive free help during event Volunteers from across the state provided free assistance completing college aid applications during West Virginia's fourth annual College Goal Sunday event. Approximately 2,000 people including students and their families attended the Feb. 10 event, which offered free workshops staffed by financial aid professionals at 23 locations across the state. The workshops focused on helping families navigate the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. "Completing the FAFSA is one of the most important steps in preparing for college," said Angie Holley, chairwoman of College Goal Sunday West Virginia. "This event allows us to work with families one-on-one to remove some of the logistical and financial obstacles to pursuing education and training beyond high school." Students who were unable to attend a College Goal Sunday workshop can still receive free help completing the FAFSA by calling the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission's financial aid hotline at 1-888-825-5707 to set up an appointment or receive help over the phone. Information regarding all state and federal financial aid programs is also available from the College Foundation of West Virginia, the state's free college-planning website online at www.cfwv.com. College Goal Sunday was created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., and with supplemental support from Lumina Foundation for Education. College Goal Sunday West Virginia is coordinated by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission in partnership with the West Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, and college access organizations such as TRiO and GEAR UP. The event is made possible through the volunteer efforts and resources of public and nonprofit organizations and businesses across the state.

March 4, 2013

WV ed bill invites nonprofit; teacher orgs balk By Lawrence Messina CHARLESTON, WV (AP) — Teach for America, the national nonprofit organization the governor wants to invite to West Virginia as part of his proposed education overhaul, already is recruiting professionals and recent college graduates from the state to serve in high-needs public schools across the country, organization officials say. The governor's legislation would provide the temporary certificates that Teach for America participants would need to enter West Virginia classrooms. It would also provide them a way to pursue a permanent certificate should they choose to stay. A couple dozen West Virginians are currently taking part in the two-year program, which seeks to improve student performance in low-income areas, said Will Nash, executive director of the group's Appalachian region. "We've got a good number of people who are West Virginia natives and are interested in teaching in West Virginia," Nash said. He added, "The interesting thing is, they all have to leave the state." Critics of this part of the governor's legislation include groups representing teachers. Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, contrasted it with other provisions that increase teacher training requirements. Those more rigorous standards aim to aid Tomblin's goal of ensuring that every third-grader finishes the year reading at grade level. "Someone without a degree in education can take five weeks' training and teach (kindergarten through third grade)," Lee said Monday. "Tell me how that makes sense. It just lowers the standards of the profession." Teach for America prepares participants through a five-week training program billed as intensive. Nash estimated that it will accept only about 12 percent of the more than 60,000 who apply to take part. Program officials cite high marks for the effectiveness of its teachers in Louisiana, North Carolina and Tennessee. Fans of Teach for America's training approach include Gaston

Caperton, a former two-term governor of West Virginia who stepped down as president of the College Board in October after 13 years. The program now sends around 10,000 beginning teachers to districts in 36 states, including neighboring Ohio and Kentucky. Virginia's Legislature passed a measure earlier this year, requested by that state's governor, creating the sort of provisional certification that Tomblin seeks in his bill. Judy Hale, president of the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, questioned why Tomblin isn't focusing on an in-state alternative certification program approved by lawmakers last year. The West Virginia program sets a higher education standard, Hale said. While would-be teachers would still need a bachelor's degree under Tomblin's bill, it would no longer have to be in a discipline offered in public schools — a change that would apply beyond Teach for America participants. "(The in-state program) offers a great opportunity for us to have homegrown West Virginia teachers in the classroom," Hale said. "We think this is a far superior process to bringing in people from out of state who have no commitment and no roots to West Virginia, who are not certified to teach and under the bill will not have to work toward that certification." Besides noting the number of state residents currently in Teach for America, Nash cited studies showing high retention rates for program participants in high-poverty schools. Nash said that about half of the program's 40 teachers he oversees in Kentucky school districts grew up in that state or attended college there. He added that the Kentucky Education Association, the counterpart to Lee's West Virginia group, has welcomed Teach for America there. A KEA spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Monday. Tomblin Public Policy Director Hallie Mason said the need for teachers outpaces the capacity of existing alternative certification programs, which she said are still getting up to speed. Mason also said that it will remain up to county school boards whether to hire Teach for America participants. Lee questioned whether West Virginia has the sort of vacancy problem that Teach for American has sought to address in other states. "In West Virginia, we don't have a teacher shortage problem; we have an export problem," Lee said. "(New teachers) are leaving the state because they can make $6,000 to $20,000 more in any of the surrounding states." Nash said Teach for America has already spoken to officials in McDowell County, which has struggled to fill classroom slots with qualified teachers. That county's ailing schools are the focus of Reconnecting McDowell, a five-year, multibillion-dollar attempt to improve student outcomes by also tackling community problems. Hale's group helped assemble the effort's public-private coalition.

March 5, 2013

Bridge program assists students in transition to college By Taylor Stuck If you do not feel prepared for the challenge of college, you are not alone. Studies have shown that students across the nation are not prepared for college and Marshall University is finding ways to help its students adjust to the strain of college. The Marshall Summer Bridge Program is a two-week workshop for incoming freshman that are not eligible for the developmental, gateway, math or English classes based on their ACT and SAT scores. “It’s for students to come in for a two-week crash course to get them through their remediation, take a placement test and get them to the gateway math or English,” Corley Dennison, associate vice president of Academic Affairs, said. The program is free to students, and students also have the opportunity to stay on campus for free and take part in orientation. Marshall faculty members teach the courses. Last summer, 188 incoming freshman took part in the first Summer Bridge program. Dennison said Marshall started the program after about 40 percent of students in last year’s freshman class were placed in the remediation classes Math 098, Math 099 and English 099. “We really tried to encourage students to come and take their remedial classes,” Dennison said. According to collegeathome.com, more than 2.2 million college freshman across America must take a remedial course to learn high school material, costing taxpayers $5.6 billion dollars to pay for the courses. Jordan Hancock, freshman primary education major from Milton, W.Va., and Carolyn Browning, freshman elementary education major from Milton, W.Va., said they were not prepared for college the first time around. “Last time I didn’t take it very seriously,” Hancock said. “This time I feel better prepared because I know what I’m in for.” According to College at Home, four out of five students do not feel their K-12 education prepared them to pursue a degree in math or science. Dennison said most of the students in Summer Bridge are there for the math program.

Rebecca Sanders, freshman communications disorders major from Franklin Furnace, Ohio, said she felt her high school prepared her for college. “I think high schools are changing their curriculum to more of a preparatory curriculum for college instead of a preparatory curriculum for life,” Sanders said. College at Home also reported eight out of 10 high school graduates believe they are ready for college, yet only 56 percent of students pursuing a four-year degree graduate within six years. Marshall is hoping the Summer Bridge and other projects will help its students graduate on time and feel prepared for the road ahead. The Summer Bridge Program will take place July 8-18 and July 22 through August 2.

March 6, 2013

Construction continues on campus By Taylor Stuck The sounds of dump trucks and pounding hammers can be heard all over the Marshall University campus, as construction and renovations continue to move the university forward. Marshall is currently undergoing four major constructions, including the Arthur Weisburg Family Applied Engineering Complex, the School of Art and Design building downtown, the indoor training facility and the Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex, which is scheduled to begin construction in April. Multiple renovations are also taking place in East Hall, which will be turned into the INTO facilities, and renovations of the Joan C. Edwards stadium include new box seats and the inclusion of an elevator. The Welcome Center will also undergo some renovations this summer. Marshall President Stephen Kopp said the new additions to the campus are an important part of keeping the university moving forward and attracting new students. “Modern facilities and modern classroom space are one of the calling cards that students are looking for,” Kopp said. “As much as we would like to do that across the board for every discipline, you have to start somewhere and we decided to start with these facilities such as the Biotech facility.” Cory Gibbs, a sophomore engineering student from Princeton, W.Va., said he was excited for the new engineering building even though it would not be finished until his senior year. “It will be a huge addition to CITE, containing state of the art labs, class rooms and offices,” Gibbs said. “Most importantly, there will finally be a space large enough for the whole college to be located in one place. Engineering at Marshall is growing very quickly, and the new building will be a huge addition.” Kopp said Marshall realizes the importance of thinking ahead to what students will need in the future. “At the same time, we don’t want to mortgage our future,” Kopp said. “By that I mean, taking on too much debt that limits what we can do for students today.”

Private fundraising, money from the state and bonds fund the projects. Kopp said students are encouraged to visit the virtual town hall on the ten-year master plan website and give their input and share ideas about future projects.

March 6, 2013

Higher Ed tech park ready to take next step By Jeff Jenkins State Higher Education Chancellor Dr. Paul Hill says he’s hopeful the state Dept. of Agriculture’s testing labs will soon take up residence in the state-owned West Virginia Regional Technology Park in South Charleston. Chancellor Hill says he recently spoke with new state Agriculture Commission Walt Helmick about the possibility. “He’s making plans to do just that,” Hill said. “He is looking at ways he can move his operation there as well.” The move would be a key one for the technology park as it continues to get established after Dow Chemical gave the 258-acre property and buildings to the state three years ago. Two community and technical colleges, Kanawha Valley and Bridgemont, already offer classes at the park and construction continues on other facilities. “The Advanced Technology Center is under construction now, lots of activity there,” Chancellor Hill said. “There is still work going on at Building 2000 and we hope to see that completed this year.” The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission is now looking for a new executive director for the park. The first one, Phil Halstead, left recently to pursue other interests. Chancellor Hill says the person hired to replace Halstead will be a key hire. “We’ve done some things now to get the facility on solid footing, to get some of the operations issues worked out,” Hill said. “Now we want to bring additional interested parties to the park, R&D companies, that may want to use more of those pilot facilities in the future.” Chancellor Hill says he wants to see an increase in tenants because that will help the bottom line and the long-term stability of the park. “We will be focusing on more recruitment, working with Matric, which is of course the primary research group there. We’re seeing continued growth and hope we are going to see more,” Hill said.

March 6, 2013

Marshall Digital Scholar accepting faculty submissions for database By Chris Hodge Marshall Digital Scholar, Marshall University’s institutional repository, is accepting submissions of previously published work written by Marshall University faculty. Jingping Zhang, director of libraries operations, said faculty members have the opportunity to have their already published work added to Marshall Digital Scholar by submitting curriculum vitaes or lists of their published work to the Marshall Digital Scholar staff. “We’ll do the work for you,” Zhang said. “Just send us an email with your curriculum vitae or lists of your published work and we’ll work to gain the appropriate copyright clearances for your work and add your research to Marshall Digital Scholar.” All documents from Marshall Digital Scholar are available for review and research purposes free of cost, and once an article is uploaded to Marshall Digital Scholar, faculty members will be able to track how often each article is downloaded and receive monthly readership reports by email. Zhang said faculty members also have the opportunity to build and edit individual faculty profiles on Marshall Digital Scholar. Faculty pages can feature biographies, contact information, links to downloadable full-text documents, mailing lists and more. “Faculty profiles give Marshall University’s faculty a digital landing page, which highlights their individual achievements and research, while enhancing Marshall’s visibility, status and value as a research institution,” Zhang said. Since launching in January 2012, Marshall Digital Scholar has added 1,441 full-text articles that have been downloaded a total of 75,475 times. “The goal of Marshall Digital Scholar is to bring all of the university’s research under one umbrella,” Zhang said. “It was designed to collect, record, preserve, promote and provide access to Marshall’s scholarly output and make it available to the world.” Marshall Digital Scholar’s collection of theses, dissertations and capstones contains 419 records going back to 1946. Since Marshall Digital Scholar launched in 2012, items from the theses, dissertations and capstones collection have been downloaded a total of 47,196 times.

In January 2013, theses dissertations and capstones had 5,866 full-text downloads and added four new submissions. The most downloaded article, “The Impact of Social Networking Sites on College Students’ Consumption Patterns,” by Whitney Sue Thoene, was downloaded 1,028 times in January. Marshall Digital Scholar also serves as the university’s digital archive, collecting and preserving the diverse output of the university’s publications from Board of Governor’s meeting reports to individual issues of the university newspaper, The Parthenon. Donna Spindel, dean of the Graduate College, said Marshall Digital Scholar gives students a chance to see the work Marshall was doing as a research institution. “Marshall Digital Scholar is a one stop shop for all of the creative and scholarly work of Marshall University,” Spindel said. “In a couple clicks users can get a picture of the quality of work our students and faculty are doing at Marshall University.” Spindel said Marshall Digital Scholar was also an essential tool for recruiting potential graduate students. “Our website is our greatest recruiting tool,” Spindel said. “Marshall Digital Scholar shows potential students that there’s not only a place for their research, but a network which will spread their research to the world.”

March 6, 2013

MU discloses consumer information online By Jessica Patterson The Consumer Information and Disclosure for Marshall University has been released online. Michael McGuffey, director of institutional research and planning, said the disclosure includes information the university is required to provide to students, faculty and the public and information the university feels students and faculty need to know to make an informed decision about certain aspects of their lives at Marshall. “What we’ve done is gathered all of these individual pieces of information into a single webpage where you can get to any of the information we’re required to provide to students,” McGuffey said. McGuffey’s office sent an email about the Consumer Information and Disclosure to students and faculty this past week. Kathy Bialk, director of student financial assistance at Marshall, said the disclosures are required of all institutions who participate in Title IV federal student aid programs. “The disclosures aren’t specifically all about financial aid,” Bialk said. “They’re about an institution over all.” The information in the disclosure includes financial aid, retention rates, student body diversity, textbook requirements, crime statistics, completion and graduation and transfer out rates and several other reports. Bialk said she thinks the website has a lot of information, but it is what the Higher Education Opportunity act requires. “I think it’s very important to disclose information, but it’s so much information that some of it might not be relevant,” Bialk said. “The information might get lost in the shuffle and the student might not look at it at all, and we do not have a choice in the matter. We’re required to disclose it by law.” McGuffey said the university did not always have to add the current amount of information.

“We’ve always had to provide certain information,” McGuffey said. “They’ve upped it and added quite a bit of additional information we are required to provide. McGuffey said the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is the national privacy statute that lists what information is directory — such as names, majors and class status — that the university can give out about students, or what information is confidential. McGuffey said the Higher Education Opportunity Act required a net cost calculator for students to check their net cost for attendance. McGuffey said the information on the website can be helpful to students. “It’s mostly so students can make informed decisions about where they go to school and attending that certain school,” McGuffey said. The website, www.marshall.edu/disclosures, includes links to the information each department has disclosed.

March 6, 2013

Tech students earn state-funded research grants MONTGOMERY — Two student teams from West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) showcased their research at Undergraduate Research Day at the Legislature. Senior mechanical engineering students Kevin Goff and Paul Shaw and senior engineering technology majors Amy Young and Hannah Clutter presented their research at the State Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 28. Goff and Shaw presented their research poster entitled “Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer Research,” which investigates the ability to convert solar energy into storable hydrogen energy. Goff is a resident of Charleston, and Shaw is a resident of Williamstown. Their research was completed under the supervision of Dr. Farshid Zabihian, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. The Young/Clutter research team showcased their research on the “Environmental Impact Study of the Morris Creek Watershed.” Under the supervision of Dr. Moayyad Al-Nasra, associate professor and chair of engineering technology, the students monitored the Ph balance at Morris Creek Watershed and discussed the need to generate power for the devices used to measure the water quality. Young is a resident of St. Albans, and Clutter is a resident of Charleston. “I’m so proud of our students and faculty. Their research is advancing our mission to serve the state of West Virginia, while providing our students with hands-on learning opportunities,” said WVU Tech CEO Carolyn Long. In conjunction with Undergraduate Research Day, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) recognized faculty from across the state that were awarded scientific research grants during the past year. WVU Tech faculty members Dr. Stephen Goodman, Dr. Mingyu Lu, Dr. Houbing Song, Dr. Baozhong Tian, Dr. Horng-Jyh Yang and Dr. Nan Wang were recognized during a luncheon at the Culture Center. Goodman received a $30,000 Innovation Grant for his project, “Field test bed of connected vehicle applications in the mountainous terrain of West Virginia.” Lu received $20,000 for an experimental test bed to study wireless communication in underground coalmines. The Song/Tian/Yang/ Wang research team received $100,000 for the development of the West Virginia Center of Excellence for Cyber-Physical Systems at WVU Tech. This

Research Trust Fund Award was distributed as a result of interest earned on the “Bucks for Brains” account. In applauding this achievement, Dr. Z. Torbica, dean of the WVU Tech Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering & Sciences, added, “This accomplishment indicates the faculty talent that we have been able to attract to WVU Tech. These grants will significantly enhance the learning experience of our students, as they will be able to actively participate in real-life research activities.”

March 6, 2013

UNI 101 helping along University College students By Courtney Brown Incoming Marshall University freshmen enrolled in University College must take UNI 101 to learn the basic skills to succeed in college. Sherri Stepp, director of the University College, said the college decided to keep UNI 101 as a requirement for their students. “Since University College works with students who are considered to be at-risk, we made a decision to continue UNI 101 as a requirement for conditionally admitted students,” Stepp said. UNI 101 is a semester long class taught by students’ academic advisors. Stepp said advisors teach UNI 101 because mentoring relationships are established between students and advisors. “We believe that continuation of the course content, along with the weekly interaction, would help us develop a mentoring type relationship with our students,” Stepp said. The class covers college terminology, time management, study skills, test-taking, critical thinking, academic dishonesty policies and core general education requirements. Patricia Gallagher, academic counselor, said the UNI syllabus covers basic areas that are considered beneficial to University College students. “It is helpful to have advises in class because it means I get to interact with them and help them on a weekly basis,” Gallagher said. “This helps with scheduling as well, because the class has discussion on majors and the mechanics of scheduling, as well as the core general education requirements.” In fall 2012, the UNI 101 class became a graded class and had a designated textbook. Amber Bentley, advising coordinator, developed the UNI 101 textbook. Bentley said the class is a great way for students to learn about Marshall’s campus. “I think it is a huge resource for the students,” Bentley said. “Instead of asking a friend for information that may not be correct, this class gives them first hand information about the university. Whether it is about a class or when second semester classes start.

It is more hands on getting them involved on campus, which they may not get if they are a new student or commuter. It helps to keep them on track with their first semester.” Stepp said the class helps familiarize students with future career and personal goals. “They will learn things they don’t realize they need to know until they need it,” Stepp said. “We want students to be comfortable in coming to their advisor for help. It’s the easiest class they will encounter on campus, but they need to show up and participate.” UNI 101 used to be a requirement as a general education course since fall 2010, but the requirement was dropped. Marshall requires incoming freshmen to participate in Week of Welcome activities and take the UNI 100 class.

March 7, 2013

Booking construction WVU taking bids for library renovations WVU is taking bids on the construction work for the renovations to the Evansdale Library. Companies have until March 28 to submit proposals. The project includes renovations on all three floors of the library, according to the bid documents. The work includes construction of additional study rooms, a new café and a new computer classroom. The current classroom will also be renovated. Infrastructure work for the facility is also part of the project. WVU officials have said the café will be an Einstein Bros Bagels. The number of books will be reduced in the facility. The displaced books will be stored at the book depository at WVU’s Research Park. The number of study rooms will double under the plan with 10 to 15 more being added. The work will be done in two phases during 16 months, according to the bid documents. Construction is planned on the first floor this summer and the second floor next summer. The project has a $3.75 million price tag, with roughly $3 million coming from the Provost Office, and the other money from Student Affairs funds. The work is part of the Evansdale Revitalization Plan. As part of the plan, WVU is spending roughly $200 million.

March 7, 2013

HEPC forced to go beyond Tomblin's budget reduction mandate By Whitney Burdette The state's higher education system is preparing for perhaps the biggest punch to come from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's requested budget cuts. While most other agencies are reducing their budgets by 7.5 percent, the Higher Education Policy Commission is slashing its budget by 8.9 percent in an effort to save financial aid programs from reduction. Paul Hill, HEPC chancellor, said at a joint meeting of the House of Delegates Finance and Education committees that financial aid programs — those funded by HEPC and the individual institutions — were exempted from the budget cuts. "If we slowed down the number of students coming into our institutions, it would have a detrimental affect in the long run," Hill said. About $22 million of HEPC's budget was not subjected to Tomblin's cuts, Hill said. To offset that, other line items in the budget had to be reduced 8.9 percent so the HEPC's entire budget would comply with Tomblin's request. As a result of the cuts, the HEPC will see a budget reduction of $29.3 million, resulting in a fiscal year 2014 budget of $298 million, down from $328 million. Hill emphasized the importance of financial aid. Between 2007 and 2012, 155,000 students attending West Virginia schools relied on some form of financial aid. A large percentage of students qualify for federal Pell grants, meaning they come from low-income homes. "Forty-three percent of our students qualify for the Pell," Hill said. "What this tells us is 43 percent of our students are considered low socioeconomic status … by (the federal government's) definition so they meet the qualifications to receive the Pell grant." In addition to the Pell grant, West Virginia students can take advantage of other grants, the Promise Scholarship and institution-specific scholarships. Then there's student loans.

Hill said 52 percent of students borrow money to fund their college education, the average loan totaling $7,300. "I know there's a lot of concern about this nationally," Hill said. "This 2011 data shows what its like for the average West Virginia student." Although many students depend on financial aid, including student loans, to pay for their higher education, Hill said West Virginia's costs are on par with the national average and in some cases, lower. For the average four-year, public institution, students in West Virginia can expect to pay about $22,000, including $8,000 in tuition and $9,000 in room and board, as well as book, supplies and transportation. These prices are much lower than what a student would pay at an out-of-state school, Hill pointed out. "It is more expensive today than it was 10 years ago, no doubt about it," Hill said. "But we do lag behind peers nationally."

March 7, 2013

Some former Mountain State students feeling a financial pinch in transfer to UC-Beckley By Sarah Plummer BECKLEY — Mountain State students who transitioned to University of Charleston at Beckley and must wait a prolonged period for financial aid feel like they are still in the shadow of MSU’s problems. A criminal justice student planning to graduate this spring said a delay in federal financial aid distribution makes it impossible to purchase caps and gowns and pay for graduation. An e-mail sent to students on Saturday said they must apply and pay fees associated with graduation by March 31 to participate in graduation and receive their diploma. A late fee will increase to $100 if applications are not received at the close of business on March 11. Wednesday, UC-Beckley president Dr. Jerry Forster said students with money tied up waiting for financial aid disbursement will not be penalized with late fees while they wait for funds. Forster explained that because Mountain State University’s appeal process ran until just before Christmas, students enrolling at UC-Beckley this spring could not apply for federal financial aid on time. He said UC-Beckley did not receive official notification that the U.S. Department of Education recognized these students until February and the money distribution is expected mid-March. “I empathize with the continued challenge. While I know it is disappointing, I also understand the Department of Education is saying these are the steps and the time frame we have to accept. It is frustrating to the students and it is a challenge to the financial aid folks,” he said. Forster again reiterated that UC-Beckley will not penalize or apply late fees for students awaiting financial aid to cover the remainder of their fees.

Scott Castleman, University of Charleston public relations director, said the school has simply had to wait for the Department of Education to process and disseminate the funds. “We are doing everything we can to work through these issues and we want to help out any student who is having concerns about not being able to participate in graduation due to financial aid funds and not getting their distribution,” said Castleman. “I understand these students, particularly former MSU students, are very sensitive about these issues, but we really care about our students and we will work with those who feel financially unable to pay to order gowns while waiting on their financial aid distribution.”

March 7, 2013

WVU creates Clinical Research Center WVU Healthcare announced March 7 the formation of the West Virginia University Clinical and Pharmacological Research Center to conduct clinical trials of medications being developed for use in the United States and elsewhere. "All medications used in the U.S. must be rigorously tested to meet the standards set by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and other regulatory agencies," said Dorian Williams, a board-certified family physician, a certified physician investigator and long-time member of the WVU School of Medicine faculty who serves as medical director of CPRC and currently is the interim director of the organization. "These tests include highly monitored and regulated trials with healthy human subjects," Williams said. "By contracting with CPRC for these tests, manufacturers can be assured that their products will be tested under the high standards required by the FDA and that the tests will be conducted in a short time frame at a reasonable cost," he said. "This leads to more efficient delivery of drugs to the marketplace and lower overall healthcare costs." The CPRC will recruit volunteers from the Morgantown area and beyond to participate in testing of pharmaceuticals. "Our first priority is protecting the health and safety of research volunteers and making sure each volunteer is fully informed before participating," said Williams. Having the center at WVU creates opportunities for partnerships with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, according to WVU Chancellor for Health Sciences Christopher C. Colenda. "This is an important investment for the economic future of our community," Colenda said. Created by the WVU Research Corporation and the WVU Health Sciences Center, the contract research organization has created 21 full-time jobs at its testing center on Chestnut Ridge Road in Morgantown.

CPRC expects to employ up to 60 part-time staff, mostly health professionals, who will conduct and monitor testing. Although CPRC is new, healthy-subject pharmaceutical research has been conducted in Morgantown for more than three decades. WVU graduate and family physician Thomas Clark established a clinical and pharmacologic research unit in Morgantown in 1979 and conducted the first trials in 1982. This later became a part of Kendle International Inc., a publicly-traded contract research corporation. Kendle was acquired by INC Research, LLC, in mid-2011. INC Research closed the Morgantown location in July 2012, leaving the community without this service for the first time since the 1980s. Williams was affiliated with Kendle and INC Research from 1982 to 2012 and served as medical director of the Morgantown facility for 12 years. Mylan, one of the world's leading generics and specialty pharmaceutical companies, operates a manufacturing facility in Morgantown and has entered into an agreement with CPRC to receive services formerly provided by the earlier enterprises. CPRC will actively seek additional industry clients. The current projection is that CPRC will have an annual local economic impact of $7 million.

March 8, 2013

Health care, education popular for W.Va. grads A study shows that half of all graduates of West Virginia's public colleges and universities who remain in the state were employed in two industries _ health care and education. The study was published by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research. The study found that of the 115,730 college graduates from the previous 10 years, 48 percent were working in West Virginia in 2011. Among those who chose to remain in the state, 27 percent work in the health care industry and 23 percent were employed in education. While only about 1.5 percent of the college graduates were employed in mining, their wages were the highest in the study at average of nearly $66,000.

March 8, 2013

PRT facelift WVU seeks bids to update system WVU is looking for a company to help the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system with its facelift, provide automatic train controls for its cars, and an automatic upgraded fare collection systems. “We ’re looking to replace the original train controls,” said Hugh Kierig, director of WVU Transportation and Parking. The PRT opened in 1975. Many of its technologies are outdated, Kiering said. The replacements are part of the PRT modernization plan, which totals $90 million. Kierig said the replacements are necessary. A change in fare collection could create a new way for riders to get onto the PRT. Kierig said a computer chip could be installed on ID cards to replace the swipe system. Most companies that could help with the project, work with trains that move forward or backward, Kierig said. But, PRT cars need to switch around to run properly. Despite the difference, he said many companies are interested in the project. Bids are due by the end of June. It will take two to three months for the university to review the proposals, Kierig said. The Board of Governors will have to sign off on the plan and provide funding. Once an agreement is in place, the entire project is expected to take up to three years, Kierig said.

March 2, 2013

Company’s link to WVU debated before Foundation invested $8M in W.Va. Media By Ed Owens WVU’s pending media rights deal with IMG College would be the most recent time West Virginia Media Holdings used its university connections to benefit financially, but it isn’t the first. West Virginia Media, which has investors on WVU’s Board of Governors and an executive on the board of the WVU Foundation, is in line for a significant role as an IMG subcontractor. The university launched a review into the bidding process earlier this month. That review is ongoing and WVU General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs Bill Hutchens said negotiations would not progress until the process finishes. West Virginia Media has capitalized on its relationships within the university community in the past. The company, which was founded in 2001, turned to the WVU Foundation (WVUF) as one of its initial investors. At the time, W. Marston Becker — the No. 2 executive at West Virginia Media behind President and CEO Bray Cary — was a member of the board of directors at the WVUF. Cary is also a former WVUF Board of Directors member. The Foundation decided to invest $8 million in West Virginia Media. In 2004, John Raese and Robert Gwynne threatened legal action over the WVUF’s sizeable investment in the start-up company. Raese and Gwynne, as WVUF donors, drew up a complaint on the Foundation’s behalf against Becker, Cary and Dorothy Dotson, the WVUF’s vice president of investments at the time, as well as eight unnamed officers and directors at the Foundation. The Dominion Post obtained a copy of the civil complaint, which was delivered to the Foundation in October 2004, but never filed in Monongalia County Cir- cuit Court. In the complaint, Raese and Gwynne outlined seven counts in which the Foundation’s investment in West Virginia Media violates ethical and legal codes, and jeopardized the WVUF’s tax-exempt status.

Raese and Gwynne argued that the WVUF’s investment benefited Cary, Becker and Dotson, whose “personal investments in [West Virginia Media] would have been of little or no value absent the investment by the Foundation.” They also charge the Foundation with making misrepresentations and misleading donors concerning how its endowment funds would be used, and accused Becker, Cary, Dotson and the unnamed Foundation members of conspiracy, as well as five separate breaches of fiduciary duty of care. Based on those accusations, Raese and Gwynne demanded that the Foundation liquidate its investment in West Virginia Media. While neither side would comment on the outcome of the complaint, sources told The Dominion Post that a nondisclosure settlement was reached. Foundation President and CEO Wayne King confirmed that the WVUF sold its stake in West Virginia Media in 2007. When asked about the complaint against the WVUF, King confirmed that he had heard about it but that it was “long before my time.” King joined the Foundation in 2007. Sources told The Dominion Post that the Foundation sold its stake at a significant loss. King would neither confirm nor deny the report. “We don’t share that information,” he said. “The WVU Foundation has a policy not to disclose any information related to our investment program.” In an interview with the Charleston Daily Mail earlier last month, WVU Board of Governors Chairman Drew Payne, another West Virginia Media investor, said that the reason he did not sell his interest in the company was because, “I don’t have anybody to sell it to.” Payne’s comments speaks to the value of an investment in West Virginia Media, which indicates it would be difficult for the Foundation not to have taken a loss on the deal. Becker, who still sits on the Foundation’s Board of Directors, did not respond to messages. “No one is going to discuss anything,” King said. “No one is going to talk about investments. We don’t do that publicly.” JOHN RAESE and David Raese co-own the West Virginia Radio Corp. The corporation currently works with the Mountaineer Sports Network to broadcast sporting events. It also filed a bid in response to WVU’s Request For Proposals. The working agreement is not connected to The Dominion Post newspaper, which is produced by the West Virginia Newspaper Publishing Co., a business co-owned by the Raese brothers, but operated by David Raese.

March 6, 2013

Raese wants special investigator for WVU media deal By Eric Eyre CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Morgantown businessman John Raese asked West Virginia University's Board of Governors on Wednesday to hire an independent investigator to look into WVU's pending third-tier media rights deal with IMG College. Raese also wants the investigator to review scoreboard purchases for Mountaineer Field and the Coliseum in 2008. WVU and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are examining a tentative agreement the university has signed with Winston Salem, N.C.-based IMG College. Raese called for an "external investigation, completely independent of WVU," according to a letter sent to board members Wednesday. "There needs to be a third-party investigator, somebody who's fair and objective and has credibility with all parties," said Bob Gwynne, a lawyer for Raese-owned Greer Industries. "It shouldn't be somebody connected to the university." WVU purchasing officials are reviewing the media rights contract, while Morrisey is representing the university during the examination. Raese has alleged that WVU broke state and university purchasing regulations when it agreed to sign a "letter of intent" with IMG College to handle WVU's third-tier media rights, which cover some televised non-Big 12 Conference football and basketball games, radio broadcasts, non-revenue sports, coaches shows, online content, signage and seatback sales. IMG is negotiating a partnership with West Virginia Media Holdings under the media rights contract, according to sources familiar with the deal. WVU Board of Governors' Chairman Drew Payne serves on West Virginia Media's board of directors and held a major stake in the company until last year. Payne, who stands to gain financially from the deal, has said he played no role in a special committee's decision to award the media rights contract tentatively to IMG College and West Virginia Media. In his letter to WVU on Wednesday, Raese said Payne has a "duty of loyalty to both entities which creates the conflict of interest. "As I understand it, he did not notify the Board of Governors of the conflict or the need to be recused," Raese wrote.

The Raese-owned Dominion Post newspaper recently quoted WVU's chief lawyer as saying Board of Governors members were updated on the media rights deal in late January. The Board of Governors didn't have a meeting scheduled that month, according to meeting agendas and minutes. "Mr. Payne's failure to affirmatively act to recuse himself raises questions whether he violated the state Ethics Act," Raese wrote. A WVU spokeswoman would not comment Wednesday. Payne has said he no longer will comment on Raese's allegations. Payne previously accused Raese's company, West Virginia Radio Corp., of having a decades-long "sweetheart deal" to broadcast WVU football and basketball games. West Virginia Radio also was one of seven unsuccessful bidders for WVU's media rights contract -- valued at $110 million over 12 years. Raese's letter to the WVU board also raised numerous questions about WVU's acquisition of Panasonic scoreboards for the Coliseum and Mountaineer Field five years ago. Raese included excerpts from emails sent and received by former WVU athletic director Ed Pastilong. Raese's letter said Panasonic's representative, Richard Ballard, pushed the scoreboard deal. Ballard's brother, Ralph Ballard, holds a major stake in West Virginia Media, according to Federal Communications Commission filings. Ralph Ballard also serves on the WVU Foundation board. The WVU Foundation initially promised to donate the scoreboards to the university, but WVU wound up paying $5 million for the two boards, according to Raese's letter. The purchase wasn't competitively bid, Raese alleged. Raese's letter also spotlights connections among WVU officials, athletic director Oliver Luck and men's basketball coach Bob Huggins. ". . . In 2010, Luck gave Huggins his raise, [WVU President] Jim Clements gave Luck his big raise, and Payne and the Board of Governors gave Clements his big raise," Raese wrote. "Meanwhile, the athletic department is bleeding red ink, the football team is setting records for all-time defensive failures, and the basketball team -- oh well."

March 6, 2013

WVU seeks help with review Attorney general looking at media rights process By Drew Rubenstein The state Attorney General’s Office has been called to help WVU in its review of its multimedia rights process. “Specifically, this office will assist WVU in the ongoing internal review of this issue,” Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a statement released Tuesday morning. “Through our engagement, we will help ensure that all applicable laws and regulations are being followed.” Morrisey also said WVU has offered to provide his office “with all necessary information, access and resources.” WVU, which released a two-line statement Tuesday, said it asked Morrisey’s office “to provide legal advice and assistance” with its internal review. WVU said it will not comment further during the review. The Dominion Post has posed a number of questions that have gone unanswered in recent weeks, as the u n ive r s i t y ’s review continues. WVU sent out a Request for Proposals (RFP) in June for its multimedia rights and athletic sponsorship. WVU signed a letter of intent with IMG College in late January. Information uncovered has revealed questionable connections between entities involved and/or apparent conflicts of interest. On Feb. 19, WVU announced that it had suspended its RFP process and that chief procurement officer Brenda Mowen was conducting an internal review. At the time, WVU General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs Bill Hutchens said that contract negotiations with IMG would not move forward until the review was complete.

March 7, 2013

Letter from John Raese to WVU’s Board of Governors March 6, 2013 Special Assistant to the Board of Governors West Virginia University Office of the President P.O. Box 6201 Morgantown, WV 26506 Re: Proposal Number 9002782X Athletic Sponsorship and Media Rights Dear Board of Governors: This letter is being written to all members of the Board of Governors except those holding an investment in WV Media. I have previously written to Jim Clements on several occasions to express my concern over several issues relating to WVU. Some of these issues relate to the governance of WVU. I am sure you are aware of my letters and the issues I have raised. I have not received any response from Mr. Clements as of the date of this letter. I am now asking you to take immediate action with respect to the matters I have set forth herein. I will start with what I see your fiduciary responsibilities and duties are to WVU. First, let me say that this letter should not be construed as me lecturing you as to what your fiduciary responsibilities and duties are. It is merely a convenient way of going over the facts with you. As you know, your duties are codified by state law and are on your website. The first and foremost duty prescribed by West Virginia law is the duty to “control, supervise, and manage the financial, business, and educational policies and affairs of WVU.” As I understand it from the experts that provide our companies governance advice, this is called a “duty of due care.” The duty of due care requires all Board members (1) to monitor and oversee the conduct of WVU’s business, (2) to inquire into matters on the basis of information received that reasonably gives cause for concern, and (3) to use care in making decisions by being properly informed prior to making a decision. It is often referred to as a non-delegable duty meaning that even if you delegate or assign responsibility to others, the duty of due care never goes away, i.e., much like in business, you, as a member of the Board of Governors, always retain a duty of due care to see that the overall mission of the University is being met. Whether you are meeting this duty of due

care is measured by how effective you are in adhering to the duty to “control, supervise, and manage the financial, business and educational policies and affairs of WVU.” Against this backdrop, it was surprising to learn from the Chairman of the Board of Governors as well as the University’s attorney, Bill Hutchens, that the Board of Governors was not in any way, shape, or form involved in the above-referenced media rights bid, including the selection and approval process. After all, it has been reported in the media that these rights might involve a contract over several years in the amount of $110 million dollars. In addition, it has also been stated, I believe by Oliver Luck, that WVU has never entered a transaction like this before, i.e., licensing its media rights to a third party. This is obviously a transaction that is “not in the ordinary course of business” and is for a substantial sum of money over several years. Yet, Chairman Payne and Mr. Hutchens want me, as well as others, to believe that this is a transaction that does not require Board of Governors’ review, vote and approval. I would like to ask each of you if this is your understanding of the Board of Governors’ preeminent duty under the above-referenced West Virginia law. I would predict that each of you would answer this in the negative. Furthermore, the duty of due care goes to other issues I have described in my prior letters to Mr. Clements. I will address some of those concerns later in this letter. Right now, I would like to discuss another duty of the Board of Governors — the duty of loyalty. The duty of loyalty stands for the principle that members of the Board of Governors, in making decisions as fiduciaries, must act without personal economic conflict. The duty of loyalty can be breached either by making a self-interested transaction or taking a corporate opportunity. In essence, no man can have two masters; otherwise, you have an inherent “conflict of interest.” Against this standard, let’s look at Chairman Payne’s situation. Mr. Payne has stated on his Ethics Statement that he is a board member, shareholder, and note holder in WV Media. He has also informed us that he has reduced his investment in WV Media to what he has labeled as a small investment of $500,000. I don’t know about you, but I think $500,000 is a lot of money. I assume this thought process could have contributed to the $1 million raise Coach Huggins received. Coach Huggins as we know is an investor in WV Media. Also, Mr. Payne did not disclose whether his wife or any other family member or corporation or trust was holding WV Media stock or debt for any of their benefit. He also did not disclose whether any corporation or trust in which he was a stockholder or beneficiary was an investor in WV Media. I, as well as others, would like to know the answer to these questions. In any event, Mr. Payne is Chairman of the Board of Governors, an entity that WV Media is attempting to contract with. Mr. Payne has a duty of loyalty to both entities which creates the conflict of interest. One entity he has a financial investment in: the other he does not. Given this, I would have thought Mr. Payne would have recused himself in accordance with the WV Ethics Act by notifying the Board of Governors of the conflict and his need to recuse himself and to not be in the review, the evaluation, or the voting process. As I understand it, he did not notify the Board of Governors of the conflict or the need to be recused.

In addition, through this point in time, can you tell me if Mr. Payne has either sought or taken advantage of an advisory opinion or informal advice from the Ethics Commission with regard to the media rights bid process? The Ethics Commission routinely provides this type of guidance, and Mr. Payne could have easily sought this guidance. According to Mr. Hutchens, Mr. Payne participated in a Board of Governors’ meeting in late January where confidential information regarding the media rights bid was discussed. Mr. Hutchens, I believe, labeled this meeting an update. I would call it a review, and given the duty of due care and loyalty stated above, Mr. Payne’s failure to affirmatively act to recuse himself raises a question as to whether he violated the Ethics Act. (By the way, was this meeting held in accordance with the Open Meetings law? I did not see it on the Board of Governors’ schedule.) Payne later released confidential information from this meeting, information to which the general public did not have access, to the media resulting in another potential violation of the Ethics Act and a violation of the bid process initiated by WVU Purchasing. At a minimum, Payne could have recused himself from the relevant portion of the January meeting. He did not. I note, in a March 1 unrelated news article, that Oliver Luck sits on a board of a company that is trying to do business with WVU. Mr. Luck was quick to point out that he had recused himself from the possible contract with WVU. Mr. Luck, as we know, is familiar with the Ethics Act. Although he was neither subject to nor sanctioned under the Ethics Act, he was involved in the factual scenario in what I believe was the first ever Sanction issued by the Ethics Commission. Inasmuch, I would like to know if the Ethics Commission’s findings with regard to this matter were ever raised when he was appointed to the Board of Governors in 2008. A copy of the Conciliation Agreement setting forth the Sanctions is attached for your review. Mr. Luck is the same person who could not remember how the media rights selection committee was formed when he in fact formed it; who gave us the convoluted explanation of Brady Ackerman’s tenure at WVU; who just the other day at a press conference stated that the Facilities Building had not been renovated since 1980 when it has in fact had several million dollars of renovations since then; who has us playing Iowa State instead of Pitt; who has assigned WVU’s television rights to the Big 12 for the next 12 years; who has executed questionable provisions in Coaches’ contracts with Huggins, Holgorsen, De-Forest and Mazey to name a few; and who has led us to a $12.9 million deficit through June 2012 when the Athletic Department has operated in the black for the past 20 or more years. Let’s move on to another duty of each member of the Board of Governors — the duty of oversight and compliance with law. Simply stated, the Board is expected to establish the proper “tone at the top” by setting clear expectations for the institution’s ethical behavior and compliance with law. Before I go here, I need to take you back to 2008 and then bring you forward to the media rights bid. In 2008, WVU was rocked with national embarrassment in the Heather Bresch scandal, and President Garrison and others resigned. At the same time, Oliver Luck was appointed to the Board of Governors and Coach Huggins was now about a year into his WVU coaching career. In the same time period, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) statements were filed revealing

that Chairman Andrew A. (Drew) Payne, III, Ralph L. Ballard, III, and Albert Bray Cary, Jr., as well as corporations that I believe Chairman Payne was associated with, were taking an active involvement in financing WV Media. A copy of those statements is attached. I assume, but do not know, that this financing possibly resulted from the WVU Foundation unloading its interest in WV Media. More importantly, in 2008, WVU acquired scoreboards for the Coliseum and Mountaineer Field. First, based on correspondence between the relevant parties, it is clear that then Athletic Director Ed Pastilong and his Associate Russ Sharp did not want to invest in a new scoreboard for Mountaineer Field on the basis that approximately $500,000 was owed on the existing scoreboard and that it was operating fine. For whatever reason, their opinion did not matter despite the fact that Pastilong had operated the Athletic Department in the black for 20 years and WVU’s teams had achieved unparalleled success on the field and court. Mr. Pastilong expressed his concern in the following correspondence to Mr. Narvel Weese, Vice President/Finance and Administration: “My concern that WVU is not following proper purchasing practices regarding the scoreboards continues as Russ shares a recent e-mail from Panasonic complaining about the manner in which their name will be displayed on the boards. This project has gone from one free board to buying two boards for $5,000,000 and now providing Panasonic the best advertising spot on the boards for free. I realize you, President Garrison, and Craig Walker have told me that we are within the law as the WVU Foundation is contracted for payments of the boards. However, Panasonic’s name will be on state property, at the two most visible locations on campus, for free.” The e-mail from Panasonic that Mr. Pastilong refers to was written by Richard Ballard who coincidentally is none other than the brother of Ralph L. Ballard, III, the WV Media financier mentioned above. Mr. Sharp also forwarded e-mails to Mr. Weese. One e-mail stated: “Narvel — Are you confident that we are not going to get any [flack’ or] push-back’ from anyone because this project was not done through a competitive process? We certainly understand that this is a gift to the Foundation but athletics funds are going to be used to ultimately pay the $4,250,000 not covered by the Statler gift and the boards are going to be placed on state property.” The very next day another e-mail was sent to Mr. Weese by Mr. Sharp. This e-mail stated: “Narvel — I have shared your e-mail with Ed and he would like confirmation from you that we followed proper procurement practices regarding these boards. This project began with a free board and has turned into a $5,000,000 expense. Ed is still concerned that others did not have the same opportunities that Panasonic did.”

The foregoing correspondence obviously raises several concerns. Were the WVU officials involved trying to structure this as a transaction through the WVU Foundation outside the scrutiny and procedures of State purchasing laws and regulations? What appears to have happened here is no different than the every day credit transaction, i.e., the State (WVU Athletic Department) received the scoreboards in consideration of a loan from the WVU Foundation to the Athletic Department and the payment of Athletic Department funds, the total of which amounts to $5,000,000. That my friends, in my opinion, is no gift but is a purchase of scoreboards by a State agency from what WVU calls a private entity, the Foundation, without competitive bids. If this is so, was it an attempt to circumvent State procurement procedures in violation of State purchasing laws and regulations? In addition, by law, I did not think a State agency could incur debt or contract for more than one year. If you disagree with my opinion, I would very much appreciate your interpretation. There are several questions here, the first of which would be were State procurement procedures followed? Even if there was no question about state law, which I am not conceding here, what in the world is the Foundation doing buying scoreboards without competitive bids? Would this have been an appropriate use of donor funds — sole sourcing a multimillion dollar purchase? I note from an Internet article regarding college football stadium scoreboards that Daktronics is the apparent leader in the scoreboard industry. Was a bid obtained from them? Also, have you compared the Pixel Pitch of the WVU scoreboard with other college scoreboards bought during the relevant time period? A question for all of us might be why Panasonic? Why did WVU have to have a Panasonic scoreboard? It appears that Messrs. Garrison, Walker and Weese were spearheading this, but it would be hard to believe that on a given day in 2008 they came up with the idea on their own (1) to purchase a new scoreboard for Mountaineer Field which was not requested by the Athletic Department, (2) to sole source it to Panasonic, and (3) to provide free advertising to Panasonic at some of the most visible locations on campus. Who was directing them to make this acquisition? Who did they consult with in this decision? Let’s move forward to the time period after 2008. Jim Clements was hired by the Board of Governors as the President of WVU, effective June 30, 2009. It is believed that Coach Huggins was involved in this hiring through his relationship with the head basketball coach at Towson State — apparently an old friend of Huggins just like Mr. Payne. In 2012, WVU opens a new basketball practice facility. Interestingly, if you go to the new basketball practice facility, you will note that the entire facility is furnished replete with Panasonic equipment, including, but not limited to, an exhaustive number of large screen televisions, scoreboards, and digital signage. I would hate to guess what the costs were for this type of equipment. Can you tell me if this equipment was competitively bid and what the costs were? Likewise, in 2012, Luck gave Huggins his raise, Clements gave Luck his big raise, and Payne and the Board of Governors gave Clements his big raise. Meanwhile, the Athletic Department is bleeding red ink, the football team is setting records for all time defensive failures, and the basketball team, oh well.

In this environment, we have the media rights bid of 2013. Given all of the above, do you as members of the Board of Governors believe there is integrity in this process or a basic fairness to all bidders? It is time that the Board authorize an external investigation — completely independent of WVU, which would — include the media rights issue, the scoreboard issue, and other matters raised in my prior letters to Mr. Clements. Mr. Morrisey for certain has the jurisdiction to look into the Foundation transactions under the Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act. West Virginia Radio Corporation will continue to reserve its rights and remedies under the current bid process. Sincerely, John R. Raese

March 7, 2013

WVU buying tainted? Scoreboard purchases questioned By Drew Rubenstein Former WVU athletic director Ed Pastilong said he and another high-ranking athletic official questioned the purchase and installation of scoreboards at Milan Puskar Stadium and the Coliseum “several times.” The Panasonic scoreboards were installed at two sites in 2008. In a Wednesday interview with The Dominion Post, Pastilong said he is “pretty sure” he did not sign any documents for the purchase or installation of the scoreboards. He added that he is no longer privy to those sorts of documents, so he could not confirm it. When asked if he thought the purchase and installation of the Panasonic scoreboards were pushed on the athletic department, Pastilong answered, “yes.” When asked who pushed the scoreboards on the athletic department, Pastilong declined to name any individuals. When asked if he thought the university broke any procurement rules or regulations in the acquisition of the scoreboards in 2008, Pastilong reiterated that he and Russ Sharp, WVU’s former associate athletic director of finance who has since died, “questioned the process.” Pastilong confirmed Wednesday that he sent a note to Narvel Weese, WVU’s vice president of finance and administration, indicating as much. On Monday, The Dominion Post filed a Freedom of Information Act request for email exchanges between Pastilong, Sharp and Weese regarding the scoreboards. The FOIA followed previous requests, made several weeks ago, for documents regarding the scoreboard purchase and installation. On Wednesday, local businessman John Raese sent a letter to the WVU Board of Governors (BOG) concerning the scoreboards and other issues. In the Raese letter, Pastilong’s correspondence is quoted. “My concern that WVU is not following proper purchasing practices regarding the scoreboards continues as Russ shares a recent e-mail from Panasonic complaining about the manner in which their name will be displayed on the boards,” Pastilong wrote.

“This project has gone from one free board to buying two boards for $5,000,000 and now providing Panasonic the best advertising spot on the boards for free. I realize you, President (Mike) Garrison, and Craig Walker have told me that we are within law as the WVU Foundation is contracted for payments of the boards. However, Panasonic’s name will be on state property, at the two most visible locations on campus, for free.” When contacted Wednesday, Weese said he didn’t recall details of the events that occurred five years ago. However, he remembered that Pastilong and Sharp had reservations about the purchasing process. “They had some concerns and I didn’t think it was a significant issue,” he said. Pastilong said he wrote that letter in response to a note received at the time from Panasonic salesman Richard Ballard. The Dominion Post asked Raese, through attorney Bob Gwynne, for a copy of the correspondence. The request was denied. Richard Ballard is the brother of Ralph Ballard, who — according to West Virginia Media Holding’s latest statement filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – has been a financier in the company beginning in 2008. In a July 2008 press release, the university announced the acquisition of the scoreboards “under a partnership between the WVU Foundation and Panasonic.” However, the WVU athletic department took out an internal loan through the university for $2,283,724.32 to “repay the WVU Foundation” for the scoreboards, according to a document provided to The Dominion Post by the athletic department. Several questions about the process in purchasing the scoreboards and setting up the loan were not answered in time for this report. Calls left for Ralph Ballard, Garrison, who resigned from WVU in 2008, and Walker (WVU’s former chief of staff) also were not unreturned in time for this report. WVU entered into a letter of intent with IMG College regarding its multimedia rights and athletic sponsorship in late January. Potential conflicts of interest stemming from the connections between WVU, IMG and West Virginia Media, have been uncovered in recent weeks. The WVU Foundation invested $8 million in West Virginia Media and later sold its stock in the company in 2007. Bray Cary, president and CEO of West Vi r g i n i a Media, sat in on IMG’s presentation to the university and WVU athletic director Oliver Luck confirmed that Cary was part of “the IMG team.” West Virginia Media, which owns WBOY-TV, The State Journal and

WVillustrated.com, among other instate media properties, was initially involved in WVU’s request for proposals regarding the university’s multimedia rights, but the company was not one of the nine that eventually submitted bids. WVU Board of Governors Chairman Drew Payne and BOG member Dave Alvarez are both stockholders in West Virginia Media, which would stand to benefit financially from a deal with IMG. Payne may have also violated the state Ethics Act by disclosing confidential financial information regarding the potential deal. Three days after telling The Dominion Post he was not involved in any part of the selection process and was unsure if he would see the contract, Payne told two other newspapers that WVU would net $5 million more annually through a deal with IMG, should one be finalized, than it currently makes by handling the rights in-house. WVU General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs Bill Hutchens later said Payne “realizes he shouldn’t have said that.” Hutchens said Payne and other BOG members were confidentially informed of the financial parameters of the contract once the letter of intent was signed. WVU has not commented on whether or not it believes Payne has violated the Ethics Act. WVU Foundation member W. Marston Becker is also listed as an executive at West Virginia Media. Luck, along with WVU deputy athletic director Mike Parsons, associate athletic director Michael Szul, associate professor Robert Griffith and professor Steve Kite, was part of the evaluation committee that selected IMG from a final group of four presenters. Luck and Tim Bostonia, WVU associate director for business development, chose that six-person panel. Luck served on WVU’s Board of Governors alongside Payne until he was named athletic director in 2010. Luck also appears regularly on Cary’s “Decision Makers” TV show. WVU filed a Request for Proposals (RFP) in June for its multimedia rights and athletic sponsorship. WVU signed a letter of intent regarding those rights with IMG College in late January. On Feb. 19, WVU announced that it had suspended its RFP process and that chief procurement officer Brenda Mowen was conducting an internal review. At the time, Hutchens said that contract negotiations with IMG would not move forward until the review was complete. On Tuesday, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s office said it had accepted WVU’s request to assist in the review. In his latest letter, Raese raises several questions he asks the WVU BOG to answer through “an external investigation.”

WVU spokeswoman Becky Lofstead said the university received the letter but has no comment. John Raese and David Raese co-own the West Virginia Radio Corp. The corporation currently works with the Mountaineer Sports Network to broadcast sporting events. It also filed a bid in response to WVU’s RFP. The working agreement is not connected to The Dominion Post newspaper, which is produced by the West Virginia Newspaper Publishing Co., a business co-owned by the Raese brothers, but operated by David Raese. Sports Reporter Ed Owens contributed to this report.

March 8, 2013

Questions about WVU scoreboards go unanswered Several questions regarding WVU’s purchase and installation of scoreboards at Milan Puskar Stadium and the Coliseum remain unanswered by university officials. Narvel Weese, WVU vice president for administration and finance, agreed to a Thursday morning interview with The Dominion Post on Wednesday night. However, Weese did not return two phone calls. A reporter was told he was busy and unavailable to meet Thursday afternoon outside of his office. WVU spokeswoman Becky Lofstead indicated it may take time before answers could be provided. On Wednesday, former WVU athletic director Ed Pastilong said his department questioned the purchase and installation of the scoreboards “several times” to Weese and others at the university. The scoreboards were installed at the two sites in 2008. The Dominion Post continues to wait on a number of Freedom of Information Act requests regarding WVU’s process in acquiring the scoreboards and other topics related to WVU’s multimedia rights.