Topic: H-D: WVU, MU presidents focus on issues

[biggreenarms]

HUNTINGTON -- As far as Marshall University President Stephen Kopp and West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee were concerned Tuesday, the only rivalry between the two schools moving forward will be in athletics.

"I think they (West Virginians) should have an expectation that the only competition we have is for three-and-a-half hours on a Saturday afternoon or in a basketball game, and that's good, healthy competition," Gee said. "The rest of the time, we are absolutely committed to partnerships. ... I think it's important for us to have that conversation."

The two university leaders discussed their intentions to partner to improve academics and tackle issues facing public higher education in the state in the Marshall University Foundation Hall.

Gee was on campus as part of a statewide tour of West Virginia, which will take him through all 55 counties by mid-August to commemorate 100 years of the National Cooperative Extension Service, the federal program that facilitates extension services, including the West Virginia University Extension Service. Tuesday's trip for Gee also included visits to Point Pleasant Junior/Senior High School and Wahama High School in Mason County, and it ended Tuesday eveing with a WVU alumni event at 21 in The Frederick in downtown Huntington.

Following a tour of campus via a golf cart driven by Marshall University Police Chief Jim Terry, Gee and Kopp stopped in the Foundation Hall to talk in broad strokes about the changing higher education landscape and their goals with the collaboration.

"We started by talking about all of the things we have in common," Kopp said. "Certainly higher education, serving the people of West Virginia and the higher education realm is what holds us together."

Gee said it had been more than 30 years since he last visited Huntington during his previous tenure at WVU on a similar statewide tour.

Now, Gee said the landscape of higher education has changed as well as which priorities are most important in ensuring economic viability for the state.

"The truth of the matter is we've moved from a hardware to a thoughtware society," Gee said. "The economy is dependent on that. It's not to say that coal isn't important or oil, gas and energy are not going to be important. In order to compete in the world, we are going to have to be able to out-think and out-perform. We are in the thinking business, and we produce people who will then produce the economic vitality that needs to exist."

Gee suggested that programs such as bioengineering, a subject area that is flourishing at both universities, would be a good place to start refreshing academic partnerships between the schools.

To do that, the presidents said it was important to create opportunities within the state for West Virginians after they graduate from college and to provide them with a higher quality of education while moderating or even lowering the cost of providing it.

"What we can do is create the kind of opportunities here in West Virginia that's going to keep people in the state, especially people who are better educated, because this is where we want to be," Kopp said. "We already know from talking to our graduates year in and year out that they want to stay in West Virginia because this is home. Part of our responsibility is to amplify the opportunities that are available to people to make them want to stay here and look forward to staying here."

A recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities indicated West Virginia was one of only eight states to make cuts to its public higher education system for fiscal year 2014-15, but Gee said public funding and keeping college affordable is a nationwide challenge.

"We need to create an environment in which quality is the coin of our realm," Gee said. "At the same time, parents are squeezed. There's a $17 trillion deficit in this nation. There's a $1.3 trillion deficit in terms of student loans ... Therefore, we're going to have to rethink the nature of higher education in order to make sure we improve quality but that we moderate the cost."

Gee and Kopp said money is an issue, but it also is up to them as presidents to more efficiently manage their resources.

The presidents' did not develop specific plans during their first meeting, but Kopp said having a united message will make a difference in garnering support for higher education with West Virginians as well as state legislators.

"It's not about making the case for Marshall, WVU or both of us," Kopp said. "It's making the case for why higher education and pursuing higher education is so vitally important to our future and our collective future. ... I would suggest that by the time the next legislative session rolls around, you're going to find us working very closely together on some initiatives in the legislature.

"We hope when West Virginia University and Marshall come together and talk in a unified voice about what's important, we're going to get a lot of response from folks at the legislature."

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x271214859/WVU-MU-presidents-focus-on-higher-education-issues

[biggreenarms]

WSAZ VIDEO

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/WVU-and-Marshall-Presidents-Agree-to-Work-Together-261743471.html

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- When you think of Marshall and WVU coming together, you probably think of the many bitter battles between the two rivals on the football field or basketball court.

But Tuesday brought a new era for the two schools.

"This is a symbol of the solidarity between WVU and Marshall going forward and how critical it is that we work together in the future," Marshall President Stephen Kopp said.

President Kopp and WVU president E. Gordon Gee have agreed to team up in what's increasingly becoming a tough time for universities.

"Higher education has changed dramatically during the last 30 to 35 years," Gee said. "We can no longer afford to be in competition. We have to be in collaboration. We have to be colleagues."

Kopp said the schools will put the past behind them and work on the bigger issues affecting schools across the nation.

"The competition will be on the playing surfaces, not between us," Kopp said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us. We have a lot of problems to solve. Were both committed to working together to solve them."

One issue that ties both WVU and Marshall together is the rising cost of getting a college education.

"Parents are squeezed," Gee said. "There's a $1.3 trillion deficit in terms of student loans. States have no money. Therefore, were going to have to rethink the nature of higher education in order to make sure that we improve quality but that we moderate costs."

The two leaders also hope by uniting forces, they'll have a louder voice when it comes to fighting for state funding.

"We need to carry that message all over the state," Kopp said, "and so doing it's not just making the case for WVU or Marshall or both of us. It's making the case for why higher education and pursuing higher education is so vitally important to our future and our collective future."

"These two institutions alone are the most important economic, social and cultural institutions in this state and our intent is to make sure that we do make a difference by working very close together," Gee said.

[wasbarryb]

It would be good for Marshall, the state, and its’ citizens for the two schools to work together. However such an effort would require both sides to recognize the other as a partner rather than either side viewing itself as superior to the other school. For those reading the article and thinking good things are going to come from this PR stunt, one quote stood out for me:

Gee said it had been more than 30 years since he last visited Huntington during his previous tenure at WVU on a similar statewide tour.
 

Unless and until I see the arrogant arses in the Hole cooperating with MU I’ll take articles like this as nothing more than WVU smoke and mirrors intended to keep other state institutions down.

[backontrack]

Consider the source as well...E. Gordon Goofball...f*cking Maroon...

[mxman870]

Consider the source as well...E. Gordon Goofball...f*cking Maroon...

That dude never did learn to shut his pie hole.

[The Right Stuff]

I am Leary of this whole thing.  It reminds me of that scene in the movie Patton when all of the generals are at some big dinner and Patton refuses to drink a toast to the Russian leaders.  He made the statement that he would not drink a toast to a son of a bitch that he couldn't trust.  I don't trust any of those guys in the hole to do right thing toward Marshall. >:(

TRS
MU 71

[lovetheherd2]

I definately do NOT trust Gee. His mouth without a brain cost him a big gig at the ohio st.

But I do think Kopp is very smart and if there's a way to jointly lobby Charleston to stop cutting operating budgets for higher education, maybe they can find some common ground.

Get your enemy in your camp, that way you at least will know where he physically stands and maybe learn something to help you and your mission.

[wasbarryb]

I definately do NOT trust Gee. ....



Get you enemy in your camp, that way you at least will know where he physically stands and maybe learn something to help you and your mission.

Problem is this is Gee's dog and pony show as part of visiting all 55 counties. I'd feel a lot better about this if it was a case of Knopp playing Gee rather than being a case of Gee putting on the show.

[CJHerdgrad]

Academically, I think they want to avoid competition.  I was told years ago our medical school is geared towards rural health care, & orthopedics while WVU's medical school is geared towards research and hospital care. 

The forensic sciences is another area where they compliment rather than compete.  MU does the blood analysis and computer forensics and WVU does more towards the scientific end of crime scene processing.  Both will do general lab type work. 

Not sure if all this current, but this was my information about a decade ago.

WVU has had it good with politicians largely not meddling in their affairs.  The most notable exception to that was Manchin forcing a completely unqualified president on them which begat the whole degree thing with his daughter. 

Not sure what to think of Gordo.  Seems nice enough, but a little on the goofy side with that ridiculous bow tie.

[biggreenarms]

Academically, I think they want to avoid competition.  I was told years ago our medical school is geared towards rural health care, & orthopedics while WVU's medical school is geared towards research and hospital care. 

The forensic sciences is another area where they compliment rather than compete.  MU does the blood analysis and computer forensics and WVU does more towards the scientific end of crime scene processing.  Both will do general lab type work. 

Not sure if all this current, but this was my information about a decade ago.

WVU has had it good with politicians largely not meddling in their affairs.  The most notable exception to that was Manchin forcing a completely unqualified president on them which begat the whole degree thing with his daughter. 

Not sure what to think of Gordo.  Seems nice enough, but a little on the goofy side with that ridiculous bow tie.

Since 2007, Ohio State has spent more than $64,000 on bow ties, bow tie cookies and O-H and bow tie pins for Gee and others to distribute, the newspaper found.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/expenses-of-osu-president-run-into-millions-for-tr/nSGkK/

Sounds like an elitist jerk to me and I'm sure there is some underlying agenda that will benefit him with his circuit tour schmoozing.

[morpheus]

Wouldn't trust Gee any farther than I can throw him.  And my arm's not as good as it use to be.

[luckytoes99]

While in high school my mother shared with me the following joke E. Gordon Gee gave at a county education in service event in Ripley. This was shortly after the passing of Alabama's Bear Bryant in the early 80's, which occurred during Marshall's 19 year non-winning season's streak and Gee's first term as WVU's President.

Did you hear that Bear Bryant's widow has decided to move to Huntington WV?

She wanted to get as far away as possible from College Football.

I can see where many would find it funny but my mom was an MU grad along with many others at the event. Mom was quite upset and it further solidified my disdain for WVU.

[whf]

Wow, I'd hate to look at this think practically; I'd hate to be alone.

Good grief,each school has a mission just like each company. The best are collaborative models; not stand alone entities.  I find it refreshing that these two forward-thinking educational leaders are in our state and talking to each other.

[backontrack]

I don't have any problem with EGG (appropriate, for he is a true egghead) making a joke like that in from of an alumni group...after all, Bobby was famous for gigging the p!ss-yeller-and-blew during his tenure...and if Drunk Dana wants to talk about "hanging 70 on 'em" in front of his people, so be it (although he shouldn't be surprised if a comment like that gets beyond the four walls)...however, if he made a snide remark like that in Ripley in front of a "mixed" audience, well, that's a different story...anyhow, we shouldn't be surprised that he has continued to demonstrate his advanced foot-in-mouth-disease over the years with his "Little Sisters of the Poor" and "Polish Army" blunders...

[field pass]

Gee is a long time nutbag... but I aprreciate his gesture.   I just wonder how much of this commeradery talk from Gee wvu rednecks will stand for before they gag is mouth and threaten his job if he doesnt fall in line with the long standing policy to oppose Marshall.

Hes in for a rude awakening from his own base!

[firstate]

Have you ever noticed University Presidents seem to all be flaky?

I've met 6, and all have been just a little strange.