The passage of Senate Bill 536 could mean more changes for the administration and structure of the Community and Technical College at West Virginia University Institute of Technology. The bill would unite the community college with the Community and Technical College at West Virginia State University. The goal of the unification would be to decrease costs and to increase efficiency and the amount of funding for programs in the resulting community college.
Senator Randy White (D - Webster) and Senator William Laird IV (D-Fayette) are openly opposed to this bill. “This institution has taken the brunt of the constant reinvention of the higher education system in our state,” Sen. Laird said in the committee meeting on Monday. “There have been too many changes in the past two years for any kind of stabilization to occur with WVU Tech. We need time to give programs the chance to succeed, rather than moving on to another plan when the previous does not immediately yield results.”
Two amendments offered by Senator White were voted on before the bill was passed in the Education Committee meeting. The first passed, which adds the requirement of performing a cost analysis for either merger or consolidation of the separate institutions, executed by the Council. The second amendment failed, which would have required a full time equivalent (FTE) enrollment of 500 to1000 to be considered as a consolidation and a FTE of under 500 to be considered as merger.
“A consolidation or merger would not help either institution,” Sen. White said. “The region that WVU Tech serves has a very delicate economic situation. I fear that any changes may so negatively affect the Upper Kanawha Valley that the citizens will feel the aftershock of such a transformation.”
The bill passed through the Senate Education committee on Monday, and is due to be discussed in the Finance Committee in the coming weeks.
Those wanting to gain more knowledge concerning this issue may contact the offices of Senators Laird and White. Senator Laird may be reached at (304) 357-7849 and Senator White may be reached at (304) 357 - 7906.
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2 comments:
March 21, 2009
Senators Laird and White,
I certainly concur with your stance on the Community & Technical College at WVUIT.
'Tech needs the stability period you describe.
I remain interested in the academic health of the Upper Kanawha Valley.
Sincerely,
Bob Johnson
WVUIT Class of '78
Senator White: I believe that in the best interest of the people of the State of West Virginia a bill should be introduced to eliminate Tax on Senior Citisens homes and property. The current $20,000,00 exemption does not justify itself at this day and time.
Senior Citizens and the disabled should be exempt from property taxes. They have paid into the system their entire lives and continue to pay property taxes (rent) on their homes until death.
It is about time that legislature gave back a little to the people, after all the Senior Citizens have made this state what it is today.
Suffocating from Taxes til death.
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