An editorial from The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia University officials are continuing their negotiations over buying the campus facilities of Mountain State University in Beckley.
With luck, we should have a positive decision on the acquisition by the end of this year.
Concerns have been raised about the potential move to Beckley by other academic institutions in the area.
The University of Charleston – Beckley, which is using the facilities for its students at present, would be the school most directly affected. Yet Concord University, New River Community and Technical College and Bluefield State College also could be impacted by any expansion of WVU in southern West Virginia.
WVU President E. Gordon Gee has said the university is assessing “how we can better serve this part of the state, and also be great partners with the institutions that are here.”
We have no reason to doubt Dr. Gee’s sincerity that if WVU acquires the Mountain State campus and facilities, he and other administrators will indeed reach out to our existing higher education institutions to forge a shared vision for improving educational opportunities across southern West Virginia.
The acquisition of the MSU campus and facilities makes sense if WVU intends to establish a larger footprint in the southern part of the state…
