CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A few weeks after a state Higher Education Policy Commission report blasted West Virginia State University for financial mismanagement and lack of leadership, WVSU questioned several of the report's findings, saying its financial woes stem from a lack of state funding.
In a six-page report in October, Chancellor Brian Noland of the Higher Education Policy Commission said WVSU administrators had an out-of-control hiring scheme and lacked "a University-wide culture of financial discipline." The disregard for expenses could result in "at least a $3.8 million deficit for fiscal year 2012 unless major changes are made," according to the report.
"Across the institution, a combination of leadership failures, mission incongruence, lack of discipline, and underutilized technology have contributed to the university's weak financial position," Noland wrote.
WVSU President Hazo Carter took issue with several of the HEPC conclusions, which he detailed in a 10-page letter to Noland on Oct. 25.
Carter questioned the HEPC's recommendation to eliminate WVSU's Research and Development Corporation, which Noland said does not "provide any services that cannot be provided by the University" and has too many staff positions that strain the school's coffers.
"The Research and Development Corporation should not be eliminated," Carter wrote. "The structure has served us well since its creation in 1991. The underlying reason we have a Research and Development Corporation is not because the University cannot provide these services but because the Research and Development Corporation can provide these services in a more timely and cost-effective way."
The HEPC report also faulted WVSU for nepotism, saying, "employees are promoted into management positions without adequate knowledge and experience to be successful."
Carter categorically disagreed.
"This observation is particularly troubling because it casts a shadow on all appointments and promotions made recently," Carter wrote in his letter. "Every organization struggles with finding the right person for any job, we are sure that our efforts in this regard have not yielded the wrong person being appointed or promoted in every instance."
Carter also told Noland the root cause of WVSU's financial troubles was not a lack of leadership but a lack of state funding.
While schools such as Fairmont State University and Marshall University each receive millions of dollars from the state to compensate for the loss of their respective community colleges, WVSU receives no such funds, Carter said.
"It is obvious to all that our current situation would not exist if this request had been granted," said Carter in his letter.
In 2008, the WVSU's Board of Governors asked the state for money to prop up the school after the Legislature required all four-year universities to sever ties with their two-year community colleges. WVSU's request was denied.
In fact, the HEPC criticized WVSU in its report for focusing too much on increasing state funding and not addressing flagging student enrollment.
Carter also defended the Planning and Advancement Office's funding of a trip to China in fiscal year 2011. In the HEPC, Noland said that the $50,000 trip's "relationship to the University mission is not clear."
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A few weeks after a state Higher Education Policy Commission report blasted West Virginia State University for financial mismanagement and lack of leadership, WVSU questioned several of the report's findings, saying its financial woes stem from a lack of state funding.
In a six-page report in October, Chancellor Brian Noland of the Higher Education Policy Commission said WVSU administrators had an out-of-control hiring scheme and lacked "a University-wide culture of financial discipline." The disregard for expenses could result in "at least a $3.8 million deficit for fiscal year 2012 unless major changes are made," according to the report.
"Across the institution, a combination of leadership failures, mission incongruence, lack of discipline, and underutilized technology have contributed to the university's weak financial position," Noland wrote.
WVSU President Hazo Carter took issue with several of the HEPC conclusions, which he detailed in a 10-page letter to Noland on Oct. 25.
Carter questioned the HEPC's recommendation to eliminate WVSU's Research and Development Corporation, which Noland said does not "provide any services that cannot be provided by the University" and has too many staff positions that strain the school's coffers.
"The Research and Development Corporation should not be eliminated," Carter wrote. "The structure has served us well since its creation in 1991. The underlying reason we have a Research and Development Corporation is not because the University cannot provide these services but because the Research and Development Corporation can provide these services in a more timely and cost-effective way."
The HEPC report also faulted WVSU for nepotism, saying, "employees are promoted into management positions without adequate knowledge and experience to be successful."
Carter categorically disagreed.
"This observation is particularly troubling because it casts a shadow on all appointments and promotions made recently," Carter wrote in his letter. "Every organization struggles with finding the right person for any job, we are sure that our efforts in this regard have not yielded the wrong person being appointed or promoted in every instance."
Carter also told Noland the root cause of WVSU's financial troubles was not a lack of leadership but a lack of state funding.
While schools such as Fairmont State University and Marshall University each receive millions of dollars from the state to compensate for the loss of their respective community colleges, WVSU receives no such funds, Carter said.
"It is obvious to all that our current situation would not exist if this request had been granted," said Carter in his letter.
In 2008, the WVSU's Board of Governors asked the state for money to prop up the school after the Legislature required all four-year universities to sever ties with their two-year community colleges. WVSU's request was denied.
In fact, the HEPC criticized WVSU in its report for focusing too much on increasing state funding and not addressing flagging student enrollment.
Carter also defended the Planning and Advancement Office's funding of a trip to China in fiscal year 2011. In the HEPC, Noland said that the $50,000 trip's "relationship to the University mission is not clear."
Carter said the China trip cost only $8,000 and that "the effort to create relationships that foster the enrollment of Chinese students at WVSU is shared by other West Virginia Institutions of Higher Education, as they are now planning their own visit to China."
Carter did implement a number of the HEPC recommendations, including:
a review of university staffing levels, which the HEPC said exceed the level of comparable universities
a university-wide hiring freeze
reviewing courses to increase the student-teacher ratio
scaling back the Physical Facilities Department, which the HEPC said exceeded its $583,00 budget for 2011 by $1 million.
providing the Board of Governors frequent summaries of the university's financial reports
hiring a financial aid consulting firm to evaluate the financial aid office and make recommendations for improvements.
Reach Amy Julia Harris at amy.har...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-4814.
