Academic Transformation at WVU

Rethinking Academics for the Future

Higher education is at a crossroads, which was apparent even before the COVID-19 pandemic upended our traditional ways of providing instruction. With a declining high school population, limited instructional support and growing skepticism in the public about the value of a college degree, higher education is facing an existential crisis. In such an environment, universities like ours must restate our relevance to current and future students and their families, stake our claim as a leader in innovative and purposeful research, and be ready and willing to adapt to an ever-changing landscape.

During this time of disruption and opportunity, West Virginia University must adopt a future-focused approach to succeed now and into the future. We must anticipate trends in enrollment and be equipped to address evolving work force needs. We must take advantage of our unique position as our state’s land-grant institution to drive progress and prosperity in the region and provide a learning lab for our students to solve real-world problems impacting West Virginia and the world.

To meet the future head on, we must align our resources to support and invest in areas of growth and opportunity and identify areas where we can have greater impact and be more effective. While the crisis facing higher education is not as immediate as COVID-19, without an intervention, its impact will be felt for years to come.