Return to Limited Face-to-Face Classes and Other COVID-19 Updates

Parkersburg, W.Va. (November 6, 2020) – Good morning, Riverhawks,

This message is to inform you that the two-week break from all face-to-face instruction will end on Sunday, November 8, and that students and faculty are allowed to resume limited face-to-face instruction and clinical and field experiences on Monday, November 9. Only those classes and field and clinical experiences which were face-to-face before the two-week break may resume in a face-to-face manner. Those classes and field and clinical experiences which have been online only all semester will remain online only. If students or faculty have questions about implementing these instructions, please consult the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Chad Crumbaker. If students or faculty wish to petition for an exception of any kind, please contact the Vice President of Facilities and Chief of Staff to the President, Brady Whipkey.

To the best of our knowledge, all known cases of COVID-19 which were part of the very small outbreak on our campuses have been released by local health authorities, and no new cases have been reported to the Office of the President. Good job!

It is my hope if we diligently follow all of our public health protocols including required mask wearing, social distancing, and prompt self-reporting of any positive cases that we will be able to hold limited face-to-face classes until the Thanksgiving break, after which all remaining instruction will be online for the rest of the fall semester. If we are able to continue face-to-face instruction until the Thanksgiving break, it is our belief that no students will be impacted by not completing and receiving credit for any courses.

Offices which are student-facing and necessary to process spring enrollment will remain open. Employees with questions about remote versus face-to-face work assignments should consult the Vice President of their area.

Our weekly state-mandated random COVID-19 surveillance testing will continue until further notice. This process has been going very well. Thank you for your cooperation.

As always, these instructions are subject to change and update based on the trajectory of the pandemic.

Best regards,

President Chris Gilmer

Donato-Sapp family to be Given Generations Award during National Institutes for Historically-Underserved Students 2020 Think Tank

Parkersburg, W.Va. – (November 4, 2020) – “A family legacy typically takes generations to build,” said Dr. Chris Gilmer, WVU Parkersburg president and founder of the National Institutes for Historically-Underserved Students.

The Donato-Sapp family will be honored with this year’s Generations Award during the National Institutes for Historically-Underserved Students Think Tank 2020 closing ceremony. The closing ceremony will take place Saturday, November 7, at 11 a.m., and be streamed live on WVU Parkersburg’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The Generations Award is given annually to multiple generations of the same family working to promote equity and inclusion. Educators, artists, activists and writers, Erwin, Jeff and Helena Donato-Sapp, use their talents to bring individuals of diverse backgrounds together to do as such.

“This year, the advisory council of the National Institutes is delighted to add the Donato-Sapp Family of California to the distinguished list of recipients of our Generations Award,” Gilmer said. “Two gay men of different races came together to build a family with an African-American daughter and have faced incredible odds in gaining respect for their family structure, and yet they have bravely blazed a trail for other people to define the term ‘family’ in many different ways.”

Gilmer continues, “Families represent love, and I have witnessed no greater love than these three have for each other. Their willingness to live their lives proudly in the light of day and their commitment to lift Helena up to reach her fullest potential is truly inspiring.”

Erwin arrived in the United States from the Philippines at the age of 12 in 1984. His identity and experiences as an immigrant shape much of his worldview. He has degrees in negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Jeff is a professor of Education at California State University – Dominquez Hills. He writes curriculum for major organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, Civil Rights Memorial Museum, Simon Wiesenthal Center and Go for Broke National Education Center.

Helena, age 11, is an accomplished writer and artist with works in several national collections, including part of a mural project at the Brown v. Board of Education historical site in Topeka, Ka. She also has two published chapters in “Queer Families: An LGBTQ+ True Stories Anthology.” A second book, “Black Girls: Patchwork Stories of Remembrance, Resistance, and Reliance,” is in the works.

“Jeff is a son of West Virginia and still has strong family ties to our community,” Gilmer said. “I know that the many family members and friends the Donato-Sapps have in West Virginia are proud to share this moment with them, and the family and friends they have nationally and around the world are cheering with them as well.”

Former Generations Award recipients include the family of the Honorable Constance Slaughter-Harvey, Esquire, the first African-American judge in the State of Mississippi, noted attorney and Civil Rights icon; the family of Dr. Lionel Bordeaux, Sinte Gleska University president and the longest-serving American university president inducted into the inaugural class of the National Native American Hall of Fame; and the family of Anna Maria Pacheco, the matriarch of a prominent Colorado family who has spent her life as an advocate for human dignity and educational attainment.

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West Virginia University at Parkersburg Receives Funding for Diversity Initiatives

Parkersburg, W.Va. (November 2, 2020) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg is among 17 state higher education institutions awarded grant funds from West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System to support strengthened diversity efforts.

The Diversity for Equity Grants are designed to support campus-led initiatives that make higher education more accessible to people of all ages, races, genders and backgrounds. Each institution received funds between $2,000-$5,000 for their individual projects. WVU Parkersburg received $5,000 for the OPEN: Opening Pathways to Equity Now, Peer Facilitation Initiative.

“The Peer Facilitation Initiative is a program in development to identify and train students in coaching, conflict resolution, mediation, identifying the signs of stress, anxiety and depression and knowing when and how to make referrals to mental health professionals,” said Kurt Klettner, WVU Parkersburg OPEN logistics coordinator and campus counselor. “The goal of the initiative is to have self-identified peers trained and available for fellow students to talk with in an effort to provide informal support in a compassionate and caring manner.”

The OPEN Task Force is a group of self-selected individuals who strive for equity and inclusion at WVU Parkersburg. The goal of the group is to make campus more equitable for all students.

“Communication, open and without fear, is the most essential foundation stone of a successful equity and inclusion program,” said President Chris Gilmer. “Our focus this year will be building and sustaining the skill sets needed for effective, non-prejudicial, inclusive conversation.”

WVU Parkersburg to Continue Technology-Enhanced Learning for Spring 2021 Semester

Parkersburg, W.Va. (October 30, 2020) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg will continue technology-enhanced learning for the Spring 2021 semester, President Chris Gilmer announced on October 29.

“This decision was made after very careful consideration of the most current public health information and future public health predictions and consultation with the leadership of the WVU Parkersburg Board of Governors and Executive Team,” Gilmer explained.

As with the current semester, limited in-person classes will continue for technical programs, labs, clinicals and field placements, evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Regarding the current semester, all classes, including face-to-face instruction, will be online from November 23 to December 11. This means students will not physically return to campus after Thanksgiving break. However, campus facilities will remain open during this time to register, advise and serve students as they prepare for the Spring 2021 semester.

“Perhaps you might grow tired of hearing it, but I do not grow tired of repeating that I feel my first and most solemn duty is to do everything I can to keep this community safe and healthy. All other considerations, important as they may be, are secondary,” Gilmer said. “I long for the day when this moment in time is behind us, and I pledge to you that we will emerge from it stronger and even more WVUP Proud than we have ever been before.”

Spring 2021 classes begin Monday, January 11. Priority registration for current students begins Monday, November 2, and open registration begins Monday, November 9.

For support resources to help students participate in online courses, visit wvup.edu/distance-learning.

WVU Parkersburg Makerspace Continues to Serve the Parkersburg Community

Parkersburg, W.Va. (October 27, 2020) – In response to the pandemic, the WVU Parkersburg Makerspace will offer distance services to continue community access to the center’s resources.

Through the Reverse Makerspace, the center will accept projects, and staff will complete them with client guidance. The cost is $15, plus an additional equipment usage fee. Makerspace staff will discuss project expectations, materials needed, cost and more with the client before the start of the project.

“To keep the Makerspace open, we still need people who want to learn or have projects they want to complete,” said Logan Mace, Workforce and Economic Development Program coordinator. “We need our community to understand that we are still here, and we are still a top-notch resource for exploration and education.”

At the start of the pandemic, WVU Parkersburg’s Workforce and Economic Development team used the makerspace to 3D print over 400 face shields for local and state healthcare facilities, nursing homes, businesses and organizations.

The Makerspace provides public access to tools and training in a creative and fun environment for the purposes of creative expression, exploration and skill advancement. The tools currently available are: 3D printers, laser cutter and engraver, CNC milling machine, vinyl plotter, metal lathe, and their appropri-ate creative software such as Autodesk Fusion 360, Inkscape, Easel, RetinaEngrave, etc.

“The main goal is to be valuable by providing education and resources that may otherwise go under-supported in the community,” Mace said.

For more information on the WVU Parkersburg Reverse Makerspace and how you can get started on your next project, contact Logan Mace at amace1@wvup.edu or 304.420.8606.

COVID-19 Update from President Gilmer

Parkersburg, W.Va. (October 26, 2020) – Good afternoon, WVU Parkersburg,

I have the unhappy news of reporting that during the last week WVUP has experienced its largest incidence of COVID-19, eight confirmed cases among students, faculty, and staff in a one-week period. A large residential university might consider this a more expected report, but at a community-based college of our profile where we are very close-knit and familial, this news distresses me greatly as I am sure it will distress you.

There are defining moments in leadership, and I believe this is one of those moments for me. Sometimes we get it right. Sometimes we get it wrong. Often, we don’t know the verdict until the passage of time. Always, a leader shares credit for the good and takes responsibility for the bad, and I will model this behavior with this decision.

In consultation with the Board of Governors, executive team, and leadership of the faculty senate and staff, but accepting that the final decision is mine, I am announcing effective immediately that all face-to-face instruction is temporarily suspended on both campuses for a period of two weeks. Face-to-face clinical placements for our healthcare students are suspended for the same period. We will evaluate a return to the limited face-to-face instruction which we have been doing this semester to begin Monday, November 9, with updates prior to that date and further decisions based on the trajectory of the pandemic.

Instruction will continue, but for at least two weeks it will be all technology-enabled instruction. Students, your instructors will be in touch with you about how your classes will continue during this period, and the administration will be in touch with how to proceed with registration for the spring semester.

Furthermore, I am instructing the Vice Presidents of each area to reduce the face-to-face workforce for the same period as deeply as possible while maintaining essential academic and support services, especially services directly to students. Your Vice President or direct supervisor will be in touch by close of business Wednesday with instructions for your division or department.

While this outbreak at WVUP is small and hopefully containable, and while largely our public health protocols seem to be working, I simply am unwilling to expose you or your family to risk which I can mitigate. We were the first college in West Virginia to move to virtual instruction when Covid-19 hit, so it will not surprise you that I am acting on the side of caution. During this time we will complete very deep cleaning of all facilities and evaluate our protocols for any needed updates.

Please know that I make this decision with respect and concern for the temporary instructional challenges it will cause for both students and faculty and for other challenges it will cause for staff as we are already gearing up for the spring semester.

My foremost concern is for our students, like students across the nation, who have been asked to change almost everything about your college experience. To you, I say this: while technology-enabled instruction at the expense of face-to-face instruction is not an optimal longterm situation, we are doing our best in the short term to ensure the quality of the experience and to prepare you to shift back face-to-face as soon as it is safe to do so. Better days will come again, and please do not give up on your education or your dreams. These are hard times, but hard times build character. We are fully invested in your success, and I ask each of you to remain fully invested in your success.

Finally, to the entire community, I say this: when I wrestle with my conscience as I often do these days, I only win when I value the lives and the good health of you and your families above all other considerations. Enrollment is important. Budgets are important. Your happiness is important.

Your lives are more important, so please begin taking the necessary steps to implement this decision with all due speed even as we hope that it will only stand for two weeks. No doubt you have questions about implementation, and you may ask them of your supervisors and Vice Presidents. If you have more general questions or concerns about this or other leadership decisions, as always you may address them to me directly. If I may be of service to anyone during this challenging moment, please call on me and know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

President Chris Gilmer

WVU Parkersburg Associate Registrar receives Anderson-Milam Award

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Oct. 23, 2020) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Associate Registrar Sandi Smith has been awarded the Anderson-Milam Award by the West Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (WVACRAO).

The award honors distinguished professionals in admissions, records or enrollment management who have made a significant contribution to WVACRAO and have been involved with the organization for a minimum of five years.

“Receiving the Anderson-Milam award is one of the most significant events of my professional career,” Smith said. “To be selected out of so many deserving individuals is truly an honor. I feel blessed to be a member of such an amazing organization.”

Smith assists the university’s registrar’s office with the overall operations of the records office. The management areas include student records, official and unofficial transcripts, grade petitions, the graduation process, monitoring academic guidelines, degree audits and other related manners. The associate registrar also supervises student workers, manages the records office in the absence of the registrar, determines undergraduate degree completion, issues all WVU Parkersburg diplomas and certificates and ensures the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act compliance at all times.

Serving approximately 12 years with the WVACRAO, Smith is currently the Constitution Committee chair and previously served on the executive committee for five years as the treasurer and president of the organization. She began working in the WVU Parkersburg records office in 1995 as a records assistant and promoted to transfer analyst before receiving an associate registrar title in 2008.

Smith received her associate degree from Fairmont State University and her bachelor’s from WVU Parkersburg. She has been the recipient of the WV Community College Association Outstanding Contributions Award, Staff Member of the Year by WVU Parkersburg and is the four-time recipient of WVU Parkersburg’s Employee of the Month.

The Anderson-Milam Award was established in 1976 to commemorate the services of Douglas Anderson, former West Virginia State College registrar, and Otis Milam, former Fairmont State College registrar. The individual who receives the award has made a significant contribution to WVACRAO and is presented it as a distinguished service award.

Award-winning Photographer Visits WVU Parkersburg, Will Display Exhibits Downtown and Share Message of Peace

Parkersburg, W.Va. – (October 16, 2020) – John Noltner, Minnesota photographer who has shot for national magazines and Fortune 500 companies, will visit West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Center for Civic Engagement during October, sharing photos and stories from his award-winning series “A Peace of My Mind” with the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Noltner will transform Downtown Parkersburg businesses and organizations into exhibits, featuring compelling portraits and inspiring stories from people of diverse backgrounds responding to the question, “What does peace mean to you?” Since 2009, he has driven over 40,000 miles across the U.S., meeting unique individuals and telling their stories.

“I’ve learned that storytelling can help build a community,” Noltner said. “When we share our stories, we begin to see ourselves and those around us in new ways.”

The community may view the “American Stories” exhibit through a free walking tour from now until November 6. Participants are asked to follow social distancing and mask-wearing policies when viewing displays and entering local establishments.

Displays will be exhibited at:
• WVU Parkersburg Center for Civic Engagement, 414 Market Street
Parkersburg Art Center, 725 Market Street
Actors Guild of Parkersburg, 724 Market Street
Wood County Society, 317 8th Street
Artsbridge, 925 Market Street
Edward Jones Office, 617 Market Street

Noltner also invites community members to be a part of his new exhibit, “Voices of the Mid-Ohio Valley.” From Tuesday, October 20 until Friday, October 23, Noltner will host an on-site studio at the Center for Civic Engagement. Individuals wishing to have their portrait taken and share their voice and personal stories may make an appointment by calling 304.424.8341.

“I’m looking forward to gathering stories about resilience in the Mid-Ohio Valley,” Noltner said. “We have all been through a lot over the past several months and storytelling has the ability to remind us how much we are connected, even as we may be apart.”

“Voices of the Mid-Ohio Valley” will be on display at the Center for Civic Engagement from November 4 until November 14.

WVU Parkersburg will host two master class workshops with the artist for those wanting to learn more about photography, storytelling and writing.

Wide-Eyed Rambler: Photographing the beauty and wisdom that is all around us will take place Tuesday, November 3. During the session, Noltner will share his techniques and processes for photographing people, places and things while crafting storytelling images. He will use examples of his own photography from across the country and world.

Soul Sessions: Writing to reveal our personal story will take place on Wednesday, November 4. Noltner will lead a writing workshop designed to explore your own story and celebrate your mission, vision and values in the world. Participants will complete short writing exercises and open discussions, tapping into themes of vulnerability, courage and connection.

Both sessions will be from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Center for Civic Engagement and are free and open to the public. Limited seats are available to accommodate social distancing. Please email wed@wvup.edu or call 304.420.8606 to register.

Programming is sponsored by the WVU Parkersburg, WVU at Parkersburg Foundation, Ross Foundation, First Energy, Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, Arts Collaborative of the Mid-Ohio Valley and Judy Sjosdet Ritchie.

Please contact Senta Goudy, WVU Parkersburg dean of Civic Engagement, at senta.goudy@wvup.edu or 304.424.8341 for more information.

The Poorhouse Rag, WVU Parkersburg’s Fall 2020 Literary Magazine

Parkersburg, W.Va. (October 15, 2020) – The WVU Parkersburg Fine Arts Committee is proud to release the Fall 2020 edition of The Poorhouse Rag, the college’s literary magazine. This edition honors 100 years of women’s suffrage with prose, poetry, children’s literature and artwork from students, faculty, staff, alumni and their families, addressing the theme of social and political marginalization and lack of equity in opportunity.

Click here to read The Poorhouse Rag.

Student Shares Perspective of College During Pandemic

Presented as a first-person narrative by student Sarah Weeks.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (October 13, 2020) – Every professor I had at West Virginia University at Parkersburg gave me the same message. They assured me that despite changes in courses, one thing would be certain – they would be with me every step of the way.

Faculty extended due dates. They allowed grace periods. Best of all, I felt my professors were listening and doing their best to understand each situation as it arose.

Yes, challenges did arise when WVU Parkersburg unexpectedly began an online school journey in the middle of March due to COVID-19. As a student, I was personally affected by the pandemic in terms of health, finances, family, schooling, careers and more. Despite any economic hardships, I found consistent comfort in being a student at WVU Parkersburg.

Face-to-face communication and course work turned into weekly Zoom meetings, and questions were asked via email. Although it seems, at first glance, that communication between students and professors would be compromised, I quickly found that it was not. My professors were extremely quick to respond to any question I had and were understanding when it came to technical difficulties and communication issues.

WVU Parkersburg gave its faculty time in the spring and throughout the summer to enhance their technology tools and online presence. The end of spring 2020 seemed to fly by, not because we were online, but because I found myself enjoying going to school from home. I found a relaxed comfort in taking courses in my pajamas.

I have a great admiration for every professor who opened up as many lines of communication as he or she could for each student. Faculty worked every day to ensure we were given an education at the same high-quality level that we would have experienced in a classroom. In my opinion, they accomplished what some felt would be an unachievable task.

WVU Parkersburg’s professors have gone above and beyond each day to ensure their students’ needs are met and our tasks are clear. Although I have never struggled with online courses, many students do not have that same luxury, and I think the greatest part about the WVU Parkersburg staff and faculty is that they recognize that. They provide additional resources. They provide Zoom tutoring sessions.

I never intended for my junior year to end the way it did –with a prolonged spring break that had me quarantined in Georgia for three months. I can thankfully say, though, that it resulted in more positive opportunities than I expected. The WVU Parkersburg campus community worked with every student to ensure academic success following their belief and promotion of equity.

I have both joy and appreciation for the college and my faculty because I feel that I am better prepared for my career because of what I have learned through the pandemic. I am now a self-driven professional marketer and show initiative in every project I attempt because of the confidence I have gained by learning to be timely, efficient and dedicated to my work.

As we are in the midst of our fall semester, I am in my senior year, and I am still given great opportunities I would have received if we were still on campus. WVU Parkersburg, my advisors, professors and peers want to see me succeed in every way, just as I want to see for them. The entire campus cheers on their students and welcomes new students with open arms as they begin their college journey in this time of uncertainty.

I recommend that each student continue to pursue their dreams with WVU Parkersburg because there is no other place with the same unwavering support and guidance as this campus community. The one thing I know for sure is that I will succeed because I am WVU Parkersburg proud.

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