GLENVILLE STATE ON CHOPPING BLOCK AGAIN

(01/13/2010)

By Bob Weaver Glenville State College could be back on the chopping block, listed among state colleges with shortcomings in a legislative audit released this week. The study says several of the 11-four-year colleges are too close to each other, forcing them to compete for in-state students. The study says Glenville State, Potomac State, WVU Tech and West Liberty are in isolated locations, several miles from a major highway. "The legislative auditor finds that by virtue of their isolation, these institutions may not remain viable...," says the audit. The audit says the state has far too many four-year-colleges for the state's population, with one of the poorest graduation rates in the nation. West Virginia has the lowest number of citizens with a bachelor's degree in the nation. The audit gives statistics comparing WV with other states, indicating the state's population cannot support the current number of colleges. The study indicates WV has about twice too many colleges. How the legislature deals with the issue is questionable. In the past, when closure issues and belt-tightening came up, they backed off. At that time, former House of Delegates finance chairman Harold Michael took budget digest funds and other education money and created a two-year community college in his district at Moorefield.

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