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Academia: Gee’s cuts at WVU are encouraging move

West Virginia University president Gordon Gee was right to refuse to call a potential $45 million in spending cuts at the university by 2020 a “problem.” Academia makes the bloating in state government look downright tame, most of the time, and Gee has instead chosen to see an opportunity to make his school better, while better serving the state.

Colleges and universities throughout the state are used to being able to throw money away, under the guise of “teaching moments,” or encouraging students to explore the many ways they can fail at something. Some spend huge sums of money on trendy technology that is obsolete by the time the check is cashed.

Oh well, they will just buy more new stuff next year.

Upon graduation, most students will find out the real world does not work that way. So why waste money on programs to create “safe spaces,” counselors to talk to students offended by Halloween costumes, nonsense degrees that will never lead to jobs — but will lead to lots of student debt, and fancy new facilities filled with what everyone thought would be the latest technology, but very few students?

Among the cuts Gee must make is the cutting away of the insulation that allowed academia to spend its way into la-la land for so long.

West Virginia has good colleges and universities, with mostly good teachers who should be helping Mountain State students become productive, accountable members of society with jobs that sustain them and the state’s economy. It is encouraging to know Gee plans to evaluate WVU’s ability to better serve students and the state and waste less money.

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