Carnegie Foundation Reclassifies           
WVU Parkersburg                                      

News Release

(For additional information, please contact WVU Parkersburg President Erik Bitterbaum, (304) 424-8200.)

West Virginia University at Parkersburg is one of 52 institutions of higher education classified in a new category by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

In its latest listing of higher education institutions in the United States, the Carnegie Foundation has classified WVU at Parkersburg in its new Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges listing. This represents a change from the institution’s past classification in the Associate of Arts Colleges’ listing, originally assigned in 1994.

WVU Parkersburg President Erik Bitterbaum said the new classification reflects the nation’s colleges responding to community need. Impacting WVU Parkersburg’s new listing is the institution’s role as a regional campus of WVU, its emphasis on workforce development and technical programs, and its increase in delivery of baccalaureate degree programs, he noted.

"I am definitely pleased that the Carnegie Foundation has recognized how WVU Parkersburg and colleges similar to us have matured and evolved in the past few years," he said. "This is an important step in our continuing development as an institution."

Carnegie defines Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges as institutions that are undergraduate colleges offering significant baccalaureate programs with the majority of degree conferrals at the associate’s degrees and certificates level.

WVU’s classification is also changed. The University is now classified in the Doctoral/Research University-Extensive category from the Research I listing.

Also, WVU’s other regional campuses have been reclassified. WVU Institute of Technology moved to Baccalaureate Colleges-General and Potomac State College of WVU is listed in the Associate’s Colleges category.

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