DR. CLAY MARSH

MORGANTOWN — More than 500 employees of the West Virginia University Research Corp. will transition to direct university employment, effective Oct. 31.

A Workers’ Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notice included on Wednesday’s Monongalia County Commission meeting agenda explains that all 507 WVURC employees will be permanently laid off and offered employment with the university.

The WVURC was created as a nonprofit corporation in 1985 to support research at WVU.

The university has explained the move is purely “structural” and will not result in the elimination of any positions.

In an Aug. 21 letter, WVURC Executive Director Clay Marsh explains, “WVU will be offering state positions that are identical to each employee’s current WVURC position in both job duties and pay rate.”

According to the university, the transition is designed to streamline administrative processes, reduce duplication between entities and improve access to institutional resources, systems and support while providing improved benefits to WVURC employees.

In July, the university explained that WVURC has operated as its own legal and operational entity with separate HR policies. It notes that the “expanded personnel freedoms” granted to WVU, Marshall University and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine by the West Virginia Legislature in 2017 made it possible to manage the affected employees within its own employment structure and align WVURC positions with grant funding timelines and requirements.

“Shifting WVURC employees to University employees will ensure long-term sustainability and compliance with funding and regulatory requirements and also offer a more consistent reemployment experience for research personnel,” the university stated, later adding, “This change reflects our shared commitment to creating a more unified and sustainable environment, and we are committed to supporting WVURC employees throughout this period.”