Country Roads, Take Me Home
August 20, 2023
I’m not from West Virginia. I lived in West Virginia for five years. I had a love-hate relationship with Morgantown, but I loved working at WVU, had incredible colleagues who were exceptional scholars and practitioners, and the students were smart, motivated, and interesting. The last thing I did before I left Morgantown was cast my vote for my former student, John Williams, in the House of Delegates primary. At 26, he became the House’s youngest delegate. As a flagship institution, WVU has given hope and provided a strong liberal arts education to hundreds of thousands of West Virginians throughout its 156-year history.
Thus, the news of program and resource cuts to the University on August 10 was shocking and a result of financial mismanagement by the president, Gordon Gee, the provost, Maryanne Reed, and the Board of Governors. In response to a $45 million budget deficit for FY 2024, 9% of WVU’s majors (32 programs), all foreign language programs, and 16% of full-time faculty members are slated to be eliminated. One program on the chopping block is the creative writing MFA, and the doctoral program in English will shift from a focus on literary studies to writing and rhetoric.
I shouldn’t be surprised. My newsfeed is flooded with articles about the shifting landscape in higher education. Fifty years ago, the US economy saw automation and computers/electronics as the core goals of higher education; now, our national aspiration aims at cyber/physical systems, the Internet of things, and networks. Where are the humanities? Nowhere in sight, it seems.
What’s troublesome is taxpayer-funded state universities produce workers to benefit the economy, and these days, the economy depends on workers having quantitative and scientific skills (e.g., STEM). Yet, every white-collar employer wants folx who are effective communicators and critical thinkers. Those who write, speak, and think have greater socioeconomic mobility. They are, in fact, tomorrow’s leaders.
However, I understand the attacks on higher education coming from different sides. Higher education often leaves students with enormous debt. Our obsession with success has valued a college degree over vocational education. Certification and apprenticeship programs and trade schools are growing to credential new collar workers. AI threatens the value of higher education. Tenure is in the crosshairs of legislators. Partisan politics takes its toll: one party says it’s going in the wrong direction, and the other party says it’s too costly and doesn’t prepare students for jobs.
I know state universities must shift with economic needs. I value liberal arts in developing whole humans. WVU’s poor leadership will gut the mission of the University, destroying “a diverse and inclusive culture that advanced education, healthcare and prosperity for all by providing access and opportunity; by advancing high-impact research; and by leading transformation in West Virginia and the world through local, state and global engagement.”
Tomorrow, there will be a student and faculty walkout. I’m sure John Williams will be there. I wish I could be there with my friends and former colleagues. Many voices might make a difference.
