WVU-P

With Gov. Joe Manchin now involved in the contract dispute between West Virginia University and West Virginia University at Parkersburg, we have no doubt the situation will soon be resolved.

However, we question why the situation got to this point and why it is taking the governor's intervention to push for a resolution.

We also wonder what long-term ramifications this will have for WVU-P.

During a WVU-P Board of Governors meeting last Wednesday evening, it was announced that despite several attempts locally, WVU has not contacted the Parkersburg campus about renewing its affiliation for the upcoming year.

The existing contract expires June 30.

Apparently, WVU has ignored every communication by WVU-P administrators and board members, including e-mails, calls, letters-and even a visit to Morgantown by WVU-P Board Chairman Joe Campbell-about the situation.

This puts the school in an extremely difficult position. There is no question WVU-P has benefited from its relationship with the state's flagship university. Since the link, attendance is higher now than at anytime in the school's history. The school now offers both two- and four-year degrees in many fields, allowing area students to receive a quality education while staying closer to home , thus making college affordable for many who otherwise would be unable to attend.

The question becomes, then, could WVU-P keep the status quo or expand without being under West Virginia University's umbrella? The answer probably is yes. According to WVU-P spokeswoman Connie Dziagwa, none of WVU-P's two- or four-year programs would be lost.

"Those programs are ours, not WVU's," she said.

The name, however, is not. How would losing the WVU affiliation-and name-affect enrollment in the future?

The WVU-P has come a long way in the past decade. If forced, we feel it could stand on its own two legs. However, it will take a longer than between now and June 30 to strengthen those legs.

We appreciate Manchin's becoming involved in this matter and hope his involvement pushes the people in Morgantown to quick action. However, WVU-P officials need to know if this is going to be a long-term relationship, or if this problem is going to reappear everytime a new contract is due.

If this is going to be a continuing problem, WVU-P's administrators and board of directors may need to start planning for the school's future-possibly without WVU.