Mid-Ohio Valley Foundations – Education: West Virginia University at Parkersburg focuses on facilities, programs

PARKERSBURG -- West Virginia University at Parkersburg is looking at the needs of the communities it serves as the college expands and focuses on facilities and programs in Parkersburg, Vienna and Jackson County.

WVUP President Torie Jackson, who was officially named to the post in May 2023, said the college is looking at converting the former Ohio Valley University property into the new WVUP Incubator and Technology Center (ITC) as well as focusing classes being offered at the WVUP Jackson County Center in Ripley to meet the needs of business/industry locating in the area and growing programs like health science offerings at the main campus in Parkersburg.

Jackson was a student at WVUP in the late 1990s and is the sixth president since she has been there.

"I have been watching for years and seeing the direction that I would hope we would go," she said. "Now we have the ability to move and go in that direction.

"We are doing what I consider to be really productive changes for the whole community. That is our mission."

OVU shut its doors in December 2021, amid financial and academic struggles. WVUP announced last summer it was purchasing the 225.22-acre property for $4.6 million as part of a $10 million gift from The Ross Foundation, the largest in the school's history. The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Foundation, the school's fundraising arm, closed on the purchase just before Thanksgiving 2023.

Since OVU no longer exists as an organization she wants the community to start thinking of that location as part of WVUP, but still providing educational opportunities for the community. She has even been in contact with Vienna city officials about repainting a water tower on the property with a new logo as it still has the OVU logo.

"I like to joke and say 'OV-what...,'" Jackson said with a laugh.

The goal is to renovate the north campus, which includes the former Stotts Administration Center and Smith and Rampy Hall. There is now 24/7 security at the site to prevent break-ins.

The Stotts building is planned as the future home of the WVUP ITC, which will focus not only on technological degrees but also provide incubator space for businesses.

"That is primarily where we are investing our time and money," Jackson said.

They have the "ambitious goal" of having the building ready to open for the fall 2025 semester, she said.

A priority has been to get the heat back on in Stotts and Smith and Rampy Hall to prevent the deterioration of those buildings. They have already ordered a cooling system for Stotts but it will not be available for 32-36 weeks. Jackson said with all the renovation work that will be happening in the coming months they won't need it.

However, supply line issues are a concern and they want to be sure they have it ready to install when the time comes.

An evaluation will begin soon of all of the windows and doors and what will need to be replaced. They have applied for federal funds for that and are awaiting the approval of the federal budget.

They are dealing with a lot of deferred maintenance that OVU was not able to address, Jackson said, adding a primary focus is roof repair, which they have applied for state money to help address.

"The primary focus right now is to stop the leaking roofs," Jackson said. "We are focusing on the Stotts building which will be the primary location for the ITC."

The building will have a combination of education and business spaces where the two can operate together, allowing businesses to grow and develop as well as providing educational opportunities to students. Plans are to have around 25 businesses eventually operating at the site.

"It is a nice concept that helps it become an economic driver," Jackson said. "We are looking at bringing new businesses to or expanding businesses in Vienna.

"You are also giving students the possibilities for jobs."

Programs planned to be moved over there include computer science, computer information technology and a bachelor of applied technology, including cybersecurity and network administration. There are currently around 125 students in those programs. One day, they want to set up a mechanical engineering program there.

The site will allow many of those students and others to be able to take some of their general education classes. The site is also along established bus routes.

"It can allow some people in the community to be able to go to college who didn't have that before," Jackson said. "It makes us a little more accessible which is part of our mission statement."

The south campus, including the Fox Dining Hall and other facilities, are being assessed to determine which buildings will be sold, which might serve academic needs and which need demolished because they've reached the end of their useful life, Jackson said, adding there have been inquiries on the former Snyder Activity Center and it may be purchased soon.

There have been a number of businesses that have reached out to indicate they are interested in expanding or looking to establish a second location in the area. They are working with Wood County Economic Development to find a good fit.

"It is very diverse with the people we are having initial conversations with," Jackson said. "We are talking to a lot of companies that are interested."

WVUP's Jackson County Center in Ripley has been operating at a loss for some time. Over the last 10 years, they have seen an 83% enrollment drop there.

"We are admitting it has been a financial loss for years," Jackson said. "We have decided to do something different with it."

Traditionally, the site was a place where students could go to do general education classes without having to drive to the main campus in Parkersburg.

"I think it will be beneficial to the Jackson County community to do something completely different with it," Jackson said.

The WVUP Board of Governors agreed to invest $425,000 into a construction project to make that whole facility an applied technical center. WVUP officials have been having discussions with businesses locating around that area about what skills and knowledge they will need in the local workforce. Businesses coming into that area include Nucor in Mason County and Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables which is building a solar plant to power Precision Castparts, a titanium and aerospace company that makes products at the former Century Aluminum site.

"We are going to have lots of equipment and opportunities for people to come there and get an advanced manufacturing degree," Jackson said of the need for people with those skills. "If the local companies need people with that degree we need to do our best to provide it in their community as we have a facility there," she added.

They are applying for economic development funds to be able to purchase the $1.6 million in equipment they need to offer that training and education, she said. Welding classes will still be offered at the main Parkersburg campus for those who need them.

The bids have come in and the construction phase is underway. That will be an over $2 million investment in that facility.

The main campus in Parkersburg is seeing an increase of 300 enrollments for this spring semester.

"That is amazing and we are very excited about that," Jackson said. "We were up 150 in the fall.

"We have a goal to maintain that enrollment. We will put a lot of effort into maintaining that."

She is estimating a lot of the growth in the immediate future will be in the health sciences. They are looking to reestablish a surgical technology program this coming fall.

They received a grant from the West Virginia Technical and Community College System for $220,000 to begin a Radiology Technician program. They hope to have it in place by this fall or next spring. They will be working with WVU Medicine to be able to utilize some of the equipment at the Camden Clark Medical Center.

WVUP is partnering with Bridge Valley Community & Technical College in South Charleston to do an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program with 20 students starting out.

"There has been a lot of local interest for that," Jackson said, adding they will eventually have to take it over after the initial period.

WVUP is the only college in the state community and technical college system to offer bachelor degrees. Jackson said they are partnering with other community colleges to offer more students opportunities to receive a bachelor degree in nursing, education, supervisory management and more in the future.

"There have been a lot of changes made," Jackson said. "I want us to have strategic growth, rather than just going in any direction.

"I want to be sure we have a plan."

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com