WVUP discusses in person and possible online learning plans

PARKERSBURG -- West Virginia University at Parkersburg is moving forward with plans to have in-person classes when the fall semester begins next week.

WVU-P President Chris Gilmer addressed the university's Board of Governors on Tuesday to discuss plans to return in the fall in relation to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in West Virginia which now has over 4,000 cases.

"COVID-19 is not only a grievous infectious disease, even more infectious as it mutates into the delta variant and other variants," he said. "It has become a societal disease which has been made into a political and partisan culture war with science and public health pitted against individual freedoms."

He asked the campus community to join with him in declaring that such a culture war is not welcome at WVU-P and that university officials will compromise during moments of crisis which demonstrate that their concern for each other's health is greater than the concern for correctness, personal liberty or vindication.

"We will welcome students back face-to-face for the first day of fall classes on Aug. 16," Gilmer said.

The university is planning to incorporate more hybrid and online approaches into its instructional delivery than it did prior to the pandemic, while honoring the overwhelming request of students for face-to-face instruction, he said.

Gilmer is planning to soon release updated COVID-19 protocols which address the wearing of masks, vaccination, instructional plans, testing and other protocols for the fall semester.

Nationwide COVID cases have increased significantly, especially for children and teens, and hospitalizations are the highest they have been since February. The more severe delta variant now accounts for 93 percent of new U.S. cases.

"We must be willing to change quickly with the times," Gilmer said. "There will be no single trigger which causes WVU-P to move back to full remote learning and full remote work assignments short of a federal, state, or local mandate to that effect; however, we are prepared to pivot in that direction if a confluence of events occurs which convinces the administration that such a move is necessary.

"The community can expect us to come down on the side of caution moving forward. Still, we are very excited to begin face-to-face instruction next Monday."

WVU-P is in sound fiscal condition with significant cash reserves.

"We are one of few colleges which did not downsize or furlough its workforce during the pandemic, and I am pleased to say that no employee of WVU-P has missed a paycheck because of COVID-19," Gilmer said.

Through COVID stimulus funds, WVU-P has utilized $230,000 to eliminate the debts owed to WVU-P by 245 students from spring 2020 through spring 2021, the main COVID-19 period.

"In other words, we just made returning to college possible for 245 people," Gilmer said.

Contact Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com