WVU President E. Gordon Gee Facing Second No-Confidence Vote
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CHARLESTON -- For the second time in nearly two years, West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee is facing a possible vote of no confidence as the university carries out its review of programs and faculty to close a $45 million budget hole.
The Faculty Senate received a petition Monday seeking to call a meeting of the University Assembly to consider a vote of no confidence in Gee's leadership.
"... the University Assembly affirms the need for a fiscally responsible and visionary leader who understands the importance of a comprehensive liberal arts education and the responsibility of the university to WVU students as well as to the residents, taxpayers, and youth of the state of West Virginia," according to the proposed resolution. "President E. Gordon Gee has mismanaged the university's finances while also refusing to accept responsibility for the current financial situation of the university..."
The WVU Faculty Senate includes 150 representatives representing all three campuses in Morgantown, Potomac State College and the WVU Institute of Technology and WVU's individual colleges and schools. The University Assembly includes all full-time faculty and representatives of retired faculty.
While the University Assembly meets once a year, special meetings can be called if the Faculty Senate Office receives a petition with signatures from 5% of full-time faculty. The special meeting of the University Assembly to consider the no confidence motion could be called as soon as next month.
Reasons cited by the proposed resolution for the no confidence vote include Gee's 2014 and subsequent claims of increasing student enrollment to 40,000 by 2020. WVU's combined enrollment across its three campuses last fall was 27,367, a 14% decrease from 31,976 students enrolled in the fall of 2014.
WVU's total budget increased by 37% between fiscal years 2013 and 2024, tuition increased and debt increased. Per-semester undergraduate tuition for West Virginia residents at WVU rose by 58% during that same period.
State funding for WVU from the general revenue budget has dropped nearly 12% since sitting at a high of $129 million in fiscal year 2013 for WVU. State funding in the fiscal year 2024 general revenue budget is $114.8 million, returning to levels not seen since fiscal year 2015 when state funding dropped to $102 million.
WVU is filling a $45 million hole in its budget that is projected to grow to $75 million by fiscal year 2028. In June, the Board of Governors approved a $1.256 billion budget for fiscal year 2024.
Some of the $45 million deficit is being made up from salary and wage cuts with more than 135 positions being eliminated. The university also is cutting 12 graduate and doctorate programs.
WVU released its preliminary recommendations earlier this month for academic programs to either shrink or eliminate entirely.
Once an appeals process happens next week, the university could see as much as 9% of WVU's majors eliminated along with 7% of faculty across the university. Some of those programs include world languages, master's programs for creative writing, public administration, mathematics, acting and higher education administration.
In the proposed resolution, faculty accused Gee of not clearly communicating how the program cuts would help WVU in its larger goal of academic transformation and fully disclosing how the program closures will affect students and faculty. The resolution also calls for a freeze of WVU's academic transformation program.
News of the proposed University Assembly no confidence resolution was announced at Monday's Faculty Senate meeting at the WVU College of Law. Gee released a statement following that meeting.
"I realize this is a stressful time for everyone on our campus and I understand that change is very difficult. But as I have stated before, though difficult, change is necessary within higher education," Gee said. "I understand we are making very hard decisions that will affect people's lives and careers. I also understand there is frustration and anger regarding the process, and I am a logical choice for those feelings. I accept that criticism as it comes with the job."
Gee also faced a no confidence vote in 2021 along with WVU Provost Maryanne Reed. That resolution laid out five criticisms, focusing on a lack of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students and staff, the administration's hiring practices for senior staff, their academic reforms, a lack of consideration of academic qualifications for top-tier positions and other concerns. Gee and Reed survived that non confidence resolution in a 20-103 vote.
Gee announced earlier this month that he will step down as WVU President in 2025 after the university's Board of Governors extended Gee's contract by one year.
"My plan beyond June 2025 is to return to the law school and start teaching again," Gee told Faculty Senate members on Aug. 8.