WVU-P reaches partial deal
Approves agreement with WVU, but trademark remains an issueBy MICHAEL ERB, merb@newsandsentinel.com
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PARKERSBURG - The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors approved part of an agreement with West Virginia University Monday, but requested another part of the agreement be reworked.
The board met behind closed doors for more than an hour Monday evening after several staff and board members presented information on an online survey and recent series of public forums concerning the future of WVU-P's relationship with WVU.
Upon returning to open session, the board passed a motion by Greg Smith to approve a Memorandum of Understanding with WVU, but to send a request with the approval for WVU's Board of Governors to rework a two-year limit on a trademark agreement with the university.
"What they are saying to WVU's board now is they are accepting the overarching Memorandum of Understanding, and if the language is changed in the trademark agreement to be more in line with the MOU, then we'll approve that too," said Connie Dziagwa, spokeswoman for WVU-P.
Joe Campbell, chairman of the WVU-P board, said the college would like to continue its affiliation with WVU regardless of the local school's name.
"We've always been OK with that Memorandum of Understanding," he said. "If they were to put the same language in the trademark agreement, the same type of termination language, the board indicated they would likely accept that."
Campbell said the MOU allows either side to end the contract with a one-year notice, but places no end or renegotiation date on the relationship. Campbell said he also would like to see a clause added to the trademark agreement which would give the local college a period of time to correct any problems should they arise.
Regardless, Campbell said he would like to see the Parkersburg college continue its affiliation with the Morgantown university, even if it loses the use of the WVU name and logo.
"We would still need some of the services they can provide which we cannot do right now," he said. "They would still like to have some of their graduate programs on this campus."
The WVU Board of Governors meets again June 5, and its decision will likely affect the vote taken at the WVU-P Board of Governor's June 10 meeting, Campbell said.
The vote took place after local board members received updates from staff and board members on a series of local forums. Though officials say they have received a tremendous amount of feedback from staff, students and the community, they have not received a clear direction.
Violet Mosser, director of student services at the Jackson County Center and staff representative on the board of governors, said more than 60 classified staff members attended a forum, and the overwhelming majority voted to change the name of the college rather than remain with WVU for two years as an affiliated campus.
Matthew Santer, an instructor at the school and faculty representative on the board, said he saw a shift in opinions during the faculty forum.
"The faculty were strongly in agreement at the beginning of the discussion. Keep West Virginia University. Stay West Virginia University at Parkersburg," he said. By the end of the forum, "the faculty overwhelmingly changed their minds. They'd rather not (sign the agreement) than have somebody change the name for us."
Student board representative Kim Starkey said attitudes among students during the three student forums changed dramatically as questions were asked and answers were given. The majority came to the forums urging officials to sign the contracts with WVU, but by the end those same students were calling for a name change.
"Students seemed to be excited about a possible name change," she said.
Officials said part of the shift had to do with the many misconceptions concerning the name change and the July 1 deadline.
If the board chooses to rename the college, it will have control over what to name the school, whether that would be Parkersburg College, the College of Parkersburg, Vandalia College or something else. After July 1, the state Community and Technical College Commission, also known as CTC, has control over the name change, and would rename the college as a community and technical college, even though WVU-P offers four-year degrees.
Should WVU decide to not renew the trademark contract in 2011, WVU-P would lose its name and be renamed by the commission.
"A lot of (the students) were of the opinion, 'Take the agreement. We'll work something out at the end of the two years, ' " said board member Keith Burdette. "They weren't aware, we may not have control over that at the end of the two years. The attitudes did change when they found out they may lose control of the name after July 1."
Officials have warned if the name were changed to community or technical college, it would adversely affect enrollment and the college's four-year programs, which are controlled locally and not through West Virginia University.
The school also received 816 survey responses in a little less than two weeks. The majority of responses urged the college to retain its WVU affiliation, and hundreds of accompanying comments were posted, said Dziagwa.
"For the most part, people seemed to be informed," she said. "It was more than just a name change."
