<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0b9dsi_0vkLJCeg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0b9dsi_0vkLJCeg00" width="1200" height="630" >As the search for a new University president continues, West Virginia Campus Workers (WVCW) is calling for the Board of Governors to commit to an open and public search process through a petition launched earlier this month.The group, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), is led by WVU affiliates to create a better version of WVU and ensure the fair treatment of students and faculty, according to computer science professor and WVCW member Brian Powell.Powell said WVCW members are concerned with transparency as the search process moves forward, as they believe BOG members should seek more input from the WVU community throughout the candidate selection process.“We want to make sure that the presidential search leads to a candidate that’s going to be widely supported by everyone on campus,” Powell said.The petition has currently collected 142 signatures of its goal of 200.The group calls for a reevaluation of the search process by requiring the BOG to announce presidential finalists to the campus community, schedule public campus visits for finalists and adhere to the search committee’s recommendations for candidate selections.“Public visits not only give the University and West Virginia community an insight into finalists’ knowledge of the campus and demeanor, but also their ability to unify and lead the students, faculty, staff and administration. These visits also give finalists important understanding into the University community they aspire to lead,” the petition said.When asked about finalists visiting WVU’s campus at a Sept. 10 Faculty Senate meeting, Presidential Search Committee Chair Patrice Harris said the Board is yet to determine the finalist selection process, how they will be announced to the WVU community and whether or not they will visit campus.The WVCW petition places emphasis on the presidential search committee’s role in the selection process, as it is comprised of students, faculty and other University stakeholder groups. The petition encourages the board to take the committee’s feedback and recommendations seriously.“[The Search Committee] is the only representative of the campus community involved in this process, and the prospect of the Board rejecting its recommendations or injecting a last-minute candidate is unconscionable. Such action would be a deep betrayal of the principles of shared governance, and any president selected under these circumstances would immediately struggle to win the trust of the campus community,” the petition said.During the spring 2024 semester, WV United, a student-run union at WVU, voiced similar concerns for the presidential search process in a change.org petition. The group advocated for a campus-wide vote to determine the next president, aiming to amplify students' and faculty members' desired characteristics in a new leader.Campus community members voiced concerns and suggestions for the process during a public comment portion of a BOG meeting on April 13.Many students and faculty referenced BOG Rule 1.3 "Presidential Selection, Contracts and Evaluation" which initially granted the board complete authority in rejecting or adding candidates during the search process.The board responded to the concerns by revising the rule, which now allows BOG members to reject or “suggest” additional candidates to the search committee.The board rejected various requests for a campus-wide vote, citing West Virginia Code Section 18B-2A-4, which gives university governing boards authority over presidential selections.Jesse Wozniak, one of the authors of the petition, said its goal is to make the search process a campus and community-wide conversation where everyone can be involved.“This petition is not for us. It’s for the entire University community. This is just asking for everyone to get to have a voice,” Wozniak said.“WVU is more than the Board of Governors. It’s students. It’s faculty. It’s staff. Any new leader will really need buy-in from all of these constituents in order to be successful,” he continued.The petition said a transparent search process will increase the success of the next University president by ensuring the candidate has the full confidence of the WVU community.“We’re really just seeing this as an opportunity for the Board of Governors to really repair a lot of the trust that’s been lost in the past year by involving the students, faculty and staff, the people who are actually making this University work, in such an important decision,” Wozniak said.“We can only move forward together if everyone is involved.”For more information on the presidential search process, visit presidentialsearch.wvu.edu.</div></body>

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West Virginia Campus Workers petition for open, public presidential search

As the search for a new University president continues, West Virginia Campus Workers (WVCW) is calling for the Board of Governors to commit to an open and public search process through a petition launched earlier this month. The group, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), is led by...