FSU Hosts State Higher Education System Forum on Innovation on Sept. 28

CHARLESTON, WV – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) is announcing a series of Regional Public Forums aimed at assessing higher education’s progress in meeting the goals and objectives as outlined in Charting the Future 2007-2012: A Master Plan for West Virginia Higher Education.  The forums will be hosted and sponsored by various four-year public colleges and universities and held at the respective campuses.  The forums will provide an opportunity to receive feedback from community members, higher education officials, and policymakers regarding the current master plan and the development of a new master plan.

Each of the forums will highlight one of the key areas of the master plan including: access; cost and affordability; economic growth; innovation; and learning and accountability and will promote linkages with civic, community, and corporate partners.  Charting the Future has been implemented by Commission and institutional staff since it was approved by the Commission in November 2007.  Through these key areas and over the course of the master planning cycle, the state’s four-year public colleges and universities have embraced and promoted public accountability and educational access for all West Virginians.

Dr. Brian Noland, the Commission’s Chancellor, said, “These forums will provide an opportunity for the local community to engage in an open dialogue with the Commission and its member institutions. The feedback received during these forums will provide a framework to guide the purpose and focus of the state’s higher education system in the months and years to come.”

Each forum will be followed by a Community Engagement Workshop aimed at encouraging community collaboration to address the issues of college access and student success.  The workshops will provide an overview of the Commission's statewide college access and student success initiatives and highlight opportunities for campuses to collaborate with the Commission, the college access community, and their local community stakeholders to maximize the impact of these outreach efforts and build a grassroots infrastructure to support the educational attainment and success of West Virginia’s citizens.

Each of the below Regional Public Forums will be held at 10:00 AM, followed by a Community Engagement Workshop at 1:00 PM.

•     September 28, 2011 – Innovation Regional Public Forum at Fairmont State University – Falcon Center

•     September 29, 2011 – Economic Growth Regional Public Forum at West Liberty University – R. Emmett Boyle Conference Center

•     October 3, 2011 – Cost and Affordability Regional Public Forum at Glenville State College – Mollohan Campus Community Center

•     October 5, 2011 – Access Regional Public Forum at Bluefield State College – Katharine B. Tierney Conference Center

•     October 14, 2011 – Learning and Accountability Regional Public Forum at Shepherd University – Erma Ora Byrd Hall

For information about Charting the Future 2007-2012: A Master Plan for West Virginia Higher Education, please visit www.hepc.wvnet.edu/masterplan.

West Virginia Higher Education Policy CommissionBrian Noland