Heather and I were privileged to recently host the Emeritus Club at a breakfast at Blaney House. It was delightful to see alumni from the Class of 1958 and beyond return to campus—some for the first time in 50 years. Imagine their amazement to see the development of the Evansdale and Health Sciences Campuses, the PRT winding its way through town, and the new athletic fields and traditions.

In addition to taking tours, they honored Athletic Director Ed Pastilong and his coaches at a luncheon and inducted members into their esteemed ranks at an elegant dinner.

At breakfast, I met folks like Betty Jo and Neil Swann (Class of ‘54) from Blanco, Texas, and Richard and Pat Brindley (Class of ‘49) from Norfolk, Virginia—and spoke with old friends like former WVU administrators Ed and Ellie Flowers (Classes of ‘52 and ‘54), Carolyn Zinn (Class of ‘55) and Harold Shamberger (Class of ‘48).

It was also great to see long-time community and University supporters like Jimmy McCartney (Class of ‘41), Gloria Cunningham (Classes of ‘43, ‘63) and Mike and Louise Caruso, (Classes of ‘51, ‘56).

And, I watched as good friends and 1958 classmates Mary Curence from Charleston and Jerry Kessel from Morgantown reunited.

While many of these men and women are retired, there are others still going strong in the work force, among them award-winning journalist and University professor George Esper (Class of ‘53) and entrepreneur Eddie Barrett (Class of ‘52) and his wife Betty.

It was great to have these loyal alumni back on campus and to know that they helped lay the foundation for those of us who follow.

You’ll find a gallery of photos from this weekend here.

Last week, I had a chance to introduce five of the university’s bright young, innovators and thinkers to West Virginia’s business, industry and civic leaders. The group gathered to examine the changing workplace demographics across the state and around the world. A mixed group of “Baby Boomers,” “Gen X’ers,” and “Millenials” strategized on how to harness the talent and power of each generation to build the future. The passion and enthusiasm of the group was inspiring and convinced me that the future of West Virginia – and the nation – is boundless.

Most inspiring were the five young leaders from WVU. Each one mentors and leads teams to success on the playing fields, in the classrooms, in the research labs and in communities local and international. Each one values public service and a commitment to WVU beyond any personal success.

Nikki Izzo-Brown, the women’s soccer coach, shared her strategy for building a championship team by making sure each player had a clear vision of excellence and duty.

Maura McLaughlin, internationally recognized researcher, assistant professor of astrophysics, and recipient of the highly prestigious 2008 Sloan Fellowship, taught us all to reach for the stars – literally. She helped me realize that while technology can drive research collaboration, personal interaction still drives people to true innovation and discovery.

Michael Wilhelm, director of international students and scholars, taught us that to attract and embrace students and scholars from around the world, we must be able to listen and learn ourselves. The richness of difference, he said, is anchored in commonality of experience.

Joey Baltimore, a new assistant professor of philosophy possessing wisdom well beyond his years, brings his youthful passion and enthusiasm to an old and honored discipline. He inspires students to ponder the biggest and toughest questions, with playfulness, curiosity and joy.

Kristina Olson, award winning assistant professor of art history, like Coach Izzo-Brown, heads teams of scholars, students, and community leaders. Kristina’s design teams have expanded the definition of “design” as only an artistic expression, and pushed back the boundaries of academic and professional disciplines to create workable solutions for building community.

I was struck by their wisdom and their talent. I was also struck by their dedication to students, their willingness to listen and learn from their students, and their faith in students’ ability to do incredible things. These five – who represent so many talented, dedicated and inspirational WVU leaders – inspire awe and admiration. The future is not only boundless it is alive and well in the people of WVU.

Our students are in good hands.

There is nothing more important to our University than the integrity of our degrees and of our academic programs. You may have heard in the news media of the issue that arose recently with regard to the issuance of a graduate degree, retroactively, to a former student.

Working in cooperation with the Faculty Senate, WVU appointed an investigative panel to look into the matter. This investigation has been challenging and difficult for the people involved. I am thankful for the work of the panel and for the great investments of time and energy made by all parties in bringing this matter to a resolution.

The panel’s report was released yesterday.

It is not pleasant reading for me, nor for anyone associated with our University. My degrees from WVU are the accomplishments I worked hardest to obtain, and the credentials I value over all others. I know that their value is the most precious thing this University has to offer.

I want to assure the worldwide WVU community and West Virginia citizens that we will follow all of the panel’s recommendations.

This includes developing standard operating procedures for making decisions about academic concerns, strengthening academic record management policies, reviewing procedures for making and tracking changes to grades and transcripts, and training all employees who deal with academic records in Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations.

I take full responsibility for implementing the changes needed to ensure that this never happens again.

I will instruct the appropriate administrators to take action immediately with regard to the other committee recommendations, and I will report to the Board at its next meeting.

In short: these recommendations will be implemented.

There is no substitute in any administrative process for personal responsibility. As the leaders of West Virginia University, we must not only instill this value in our students, but we must practice it every day.

I believe that this process, and the willingness of the Board and University to allow it to operate independently, is an example of the transparency and accountability that we strive to attain.

You may have seen stories in the news media in the past few days about a ‘student loan crisis’. Several proposals are floating in Congress to direct more funds toward student aid – but the outcome of these efforts is not certain.

I know that many WVU students and their parents depend on student loans to meet the cost of education. I recently asked Brenda Thompson, assistant vice president for student affairs, and Kaye Widney, director of financial aid, to look into how this issue may affect WVU students.

Here’s their report:

The dwindling availability of student loans for college costs may have some WVU students and their families concerned about paying for their education next fall. More than 50 lending companies have curtailed or withdrawn from participation in the student loan market.

Fortunately, West Virginia University is one of over 1,100 schools nationwide who participate in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program. WVU students and parents who participate in this program borrow loan funds directly from the United States Department of Education and not from private lenders. The availability of student or Parent PLUS loan funds should not be affected by what is happening nationally in the lending community. The processing of Direct Loans in 2008-09 will continue without disruption.

However, there is a ceiling on the amount each student can borrow annually in Federal Direct Student Loans. Some of our students also use private or alternative loans to assist with meeting college costs. Student borrowers of these loans may face more stringent credit reviews than have been conducted in the past, and be required to have credit-worthy cosigners.

Students who believe they will need private or alternative loans should contact their lender soon to make sure they will be available, and that they meet the requirements.

As always, in order to be considered for the Direct Loan, or for parents to apply for the Parent PLUS Loan, students must file a 2008-09 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The WVU Financial Aid Office is available to assist students with any questions regarding financial aid programs. Call 304-293-5242 or email finaid@mail.wvu.edu.

WVU is committed to helping every qualified student access all available financial aid. Don’t hesitate to contact the Financial Aid Office if you are concerned about paying for next year’s costs.

Has the student loan crisis affected you? Post your experience here.

Global climate change may be the most serious problem facing today’s college students, and building a sustainable future is an increasingly high priority for them.

Our University has adopted many practices that will contribute to increase our sustainability:

• WVU employees collect paper, aluminum, plastic, and cardboard products for recycling. In the last year, WVU recycled a ton of plastic bottles and averaged ten tons of paper per week.
• Mountaineer football fans have helped WVU recycle more than 358,000 bottles and cans, generating thousands of dollars for WVU Children’s Hospital.
• Sustainability is a priority when WVU constructs or renovates buildings.
• The University supports public transportation by enabling all faculty, staff, and students to ride the Personal Rapid Transit system and Morgantown’s Mountain Line buses. This keeps several hundreds of cars off the roads each day.

We need to do more. This month, we will welcome Clement Solomon as WVU’s sustainability coordinator. Clement will oversee all aspects of the University’s sustainability efforts and planning for future efforts.

Often, the biggest obstacle to improving the environment is our doubt that we can make a difference with our individual efforts. WVU students, faculty, and staff are proving each day that we can.

I’d like to hear your ideas for “greening” our campus. Where do you see opportunities to save energy or eliminate waste?

Congratulations to Emily Calandrelli, WVU’s 19th Truman Scholar.

It was a joy to be there with Emily when she learned that she received this prestigious national award, which provides up to $30,000 for graduate study to students with exceptional leadership potential, intellectual ability, and the desire to make a difference.

Emily, a Morgantown native majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering, hopes to become a NASA engineer and work on missions to Mars or the moon.

At WVU, she’s started making her mark. She’s published research, interned with NASA, and spent spring break in Mexico building a greenhouse on an Engineers Without Borders service trip.

Emily is part of WVU’s tradition of academic excellence.

Many in WVU’s distinguished worldwide alumni family have started brilliant careers and made our world a better place. I have no doubt that Emily will do so, too.

Helping our students stay healthy and well as they pursue their education is one of WVU’s highest priorities. As we work to improve WVU’s Student Health Service, we want to hear from students about the issue that matter to them.

At a student health forum in the Mountainlair April 1, students generated some great ideas. They said they want a location that’s easy to access; operating hours that fit their schedules; high quality, affordable care; convenient pharmacy access; comprehensive health education, and better communication about student health programs and University wellness programs.

Many are also very interested in making sure students suffering from school-related stress and other mental health issues have easy access to help they need.

Now, I would like to hear from those of you who couldn’t attend Tuesday’s forum. What does it take to have healthy students? What are we doing successfully? What can we improve?

Student health and wellness is something that all of us at WVU care about and your suggestions are essential in helping us deliver on that commitment.

As spring break comes to a close, WVU students are preparing to return to Morgantown from their homes and vacations spots. Some students will bring back more than a tan or a few souvenirs—they will bring back the lessons they learned from helping people on an alternative spring break experience in Patagonia, Jamaica, or the Navajo Nation.

Service learning trips have become a tradition at WVU. In the past, students have served others while learning about civil rights history in the South, traveled to the Gulf Coast to help Hurricane Katrina survivors, built greenhouses in Mexico, and much more.

This year, WVU students could choose from three service-learning trips offered through a partnership between the University’s Center for Civic Engagement and Amizade Global Service-Learning Consortium.

In rural Jamaica, students learned about educational issues while completing a service project. In Arizona and New Mexico, they immersed themselves in Navajo culture while learning about the Navajo Nation’s history, current problems, and vision of the future. In Patagonia, Chile, students ventured in the backcountry of this “biodiversity hotspot” for biking, fly-fishing, and 40 miles of hiking as they learned about sustainable development.

The growing nationwide popularity of the alternative spring break movement reflects student interest in learning more about the world and doing their part to improve it. According to a Corporation for National and Community Service report, volunteering among college students increased by about 20 percent in just three years, from 2002 to 2005.

Students and faculty who participate in alternative spring break programs are honoring WVU’s commitment to change lives through knowledge.

To those who have participated in service-learning trips: Why did you decide to take part? And what did you learn from your experience?

West Virginia University serves the people of West Virginia by providing life-saving health care and by educating health care providers.

Why do they work long hours in our hospitals, clinics, and classrooms statewide and devote themselves to caring for others? That’s what I asked some of them at a recent forum at Blaney House.

Their answers deeply moved me. For these people and many like them, WVU’s mission to serve is embedded in all they do.

West Virginia United Health System CEO Tom Jones (video) experienced this mission in a personal way recently when his daughter was hospitalized with pregnancy complications before giving birth to a health baby.

“It was so wonderful that that kind of service was available in Morgantown, West Virginia,” Jones said. “I couldn’t help but think about the mission, not just the mission of caring for people but training the next generation of people who will care for West Virginians and doing the cutting-edge research that enables some of those things to take place for patients.”

Philosophy and political science senior Emily Renzelli (video) talked about how she went from having little awareness of the world around her to studying HIV and AIDS prevention services in Africa and developing a national-award-winning malaria awareness campaign in her years at WVU.

“I couldn’t have done this at any other school,” said Renzelli, who received an honorable mention on the 2008 USA Today All-USA College Academic Team.

Mollie McCartney (video), a biology and history senior who will enter WVU’s medical school next fall, wants to help West Virginians because she learned about the need for affordable, accessible health care growing up in rural Lewis County.

“Health care has always been something that’s a luxury—it’s not something that you can count on having…And so, just in my lifetime, to see the School of Medicine really push to see health clinics come and to know that there are places where people that I grew up with in my family and neighbors know that they can go and get health care regardless of their ability to pay is just really, really wonderful,” she said.

Dr. John Brick (video), professor and chair of neurology, summed up WVU’s impact best.

“There is no greater engine for good in the state of West Virginia than this institution,” Dr. Brick said.

But he challenged us to do a better job telling West Virginians about WVU’s health care impact and services that are available to them in their communities and in Morgantown.

So I ask you – what ideas do you have for educating our state citizens about WVU’s health care outreach and services?

West Virginia in the 21st century is certain to be a far different place than it was in the last century. Our state has to continue to shift to an economy based on information and intellect, or our children and grandchildren will pay the price.

As I told you recently, an economic study has shown that each dollar state taxpayers invest in WVU results in $19 in economic activity across the state.

WVU spends our state funds in large part on supporting its faculty and staff.

The faculty, in particular, are the state’s greatest engines of economic growth. They win competitive research funding from federal and private sources. They deliver new ideas and new products into the marketplace. They treat the sick and injured, and develop new cures for disease.

They also are the very best face of West Virginia. Whether it’s creating new technologies for cancer care, exploring the depths of universe, or developing new energy sources, they are the West Virginians who make world headlines.

WVU faces a two-fold challenge in maintaining our quality of faculty and support staff. A large number of our employees are approaching retirement in the next decade. And faculty and staff salaries at WVU, despite recent growth, remain substantially below our peers in neighboring states.

The West Virginia Legislature and the Governor have clearly seen these challenges in recent years. All of us at WVU appreciate their support to help us compete for the best quality faculty and staff.

But WVU is far from finished with this effort. If the Legislature has the opportunity to place additional resources into our hands, WVU will invest them in faculty and staff salaries. It’s our highest priority.

In a year when other states are cutting budgets and shrinking appropriations to their higher education systems, West Virginia can gain ground on our competition and solidify the progress we have made over the last decade.

We must invest our resources in creating West Virginia’s future.