CHARLESTON,
WV – Gov. Jim Justice today announced the creation of a Blue Ribbon Commission
on Four-Year Higher Education to study and evaluate ways that West Virginia can
create a more efficient and meaningful Higher Education system. The Commission will
be officially created by executive order and is expected to be signed by
Monday, July 2, 2018.
The
commission will be tasked with finding bold and unique solutions to a problem
that West Virginia has faced for several decades. The Governor has asked the
commission to give regular updates and reports and has mandated the work be
completed by the December 2018 interim meetings of the West Virginia Legislature.
Gov.
Justice said, “Our West Virginia colleges and universities are so critical to
our communities, and the continued erosion of their stability deeply concerns
me. My hope is that every possible solution will be considered and evaluated,
all colleges and universities will be consulted, and that the Commission will
find the right solution for our higher education system in West Virginia.
“Just
as my philosophy has been in opposition to K-12 school consolidation, our
colleges and universities need an advocate to stand up for their continued
stability and to recognize their critical importance to West Virginia
communities. These colleges and universities are a lifeline for the students
they serve and represent the future of West Virginia. We must find a more
efficient means of ensuring that these colleges and universities stay in the
communities they serve today.”