WVU Parkersburg Successfully Transitions to Virtual Environment

Parkersburg, W.Va. (October 13, 2020) – Many students at West Virginia University at Parkersburg have made the transition to online courses. While about 25 percent of students visit campus to complete hands-on courses that could not be converted to fully online, all students are using technology-enabled tools to complete the remainder of their coursework. Faculty members started transitioning to online learning in March due to COVID-19.

As Holly Martin, associate professor, explains, “One thing that I love about teaching is the interaction with students in a face-to-face class. Creating that same sense of community in a virtual setting was one thing I mostly focused on when preparing my classes this semester.” Martin uses at least three means of communication with students. “Constant communication and timely feedback are critical for a virtual class,” she said.

College faculty are teaching in a variety of ways. Many students meet with faculty and classmates on the same day and time in a virtual manner. Synchronous online learning is a new teaching method many faculty are embracing. Synchronous learning means the faculty and students are interacting at the same time.

As WVU Parkersburg Provost Chad Crumbaker explains, “WVUP faculty have taken technology-enabled instruction to the next level by finding various ways to truly engage with learners without being in a traditional classroom setting.”

WVU Parkersburg has more than 50 degree programs students can choose from. Five of these programs are fully online, regardless of how instruction is delivered to the other programs.

Assistant Professor Katie Life uses online instruction to allow her students to take more ownership of their learning in her math classes. Using a ‘flipped-style classroom,’ students watch the lecture as homework before the class, then spend their class time on higher-level development of the concept by completing projects, practicing harder example problems and discussing the concept more in-depth.

“With the virtual environments, it’s like the material never grows cold. We’re crafting all of these different layers to the learning process week after week after week,” Life said. “It’s really made me reconsider how I will teach once the pandemic has passed, honestly. I’ve learned a lot about myself and what my students can do.”

Assistant Professor Dr. Billy Stone also takes advantage of recording his lectures. “Student feedback shows they enjoy the ability to refer to the recording to review class discussions,” Stone said. “It’s especially helpful should the student be absent from a Zoom meeting.”

Some faculty do prefer more traditional online teaching methods but take extra precautions to engage students. As Tom Riddle, associate professor, explains, “Online learning is lonely. There is less social interaction, and that makes motivation harder.” However, he has found that students enjoy the flexibility in doing their work any time. “I notice many of my students seem to be night owls, and I get many early morning emails.”

Although students no longer commute to campus, they can receive Tutoring Center services and sessions through Zoom. Students can also take advantage of Brainfuse, which offers free tutoring and proofreading services 24/7.
Students struggling with online learning may visit the college’s Distance Learning page to seek assistance.

“Online learning is a perfect example of the need for a community college,” Adjunct Professor Terry Tamburini said. “Many students were headed to other institutions and chose WVU Parkersburg to save money.”
Tamburini also found that students are taking advantage of online learning to expand their skill sets. “Some of my students seem older with a desire to use the opportunity for job upgrades.”

Visit wvup.edu/future-students or call 304.424.8310 to view WVU Parkersburg’s majors, cost and aid and other services.

WVU Parkersburg Board of Governors to meet October 14

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Oct. 12, 2020) – The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors will meet on Wednesday, October, 14, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the members will not meet face-to-face. The meeting will take place at 3:15 p.m. via video conference.

For further details and instructions on how to attend the meeting, please contact Brady Whipkey, WVU Parkersburg chief of staff, at brady.whipkey@wvup.edu.

Visit wvup.edu/about/board-of-governors/agendas/ to view the complete agenda.

WVU Parkersburg Fine Arts Committee Leads Community in Wood County Poorhouse and Farm Volunteer Clean-Up

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Oct. 8, 2020) – The WVU Parkersburg Fine Arts Committee will lead a community-wide volunteer initiative to clean up the Wood County Poorhouse and Farm gravesite on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., on the WVU Parkersburg main campus, in honor of the college’s Poorhouse Week celebration.

Volunteers will pick up trash, trim bushes and trees interfering with gravesite markers, replace rotten crosses and put new crosses on unmarked graves. This is a socially-distanced event, and participants are required to wear masks during service.

WVU Parkersburg now sits on the former site of the Wood County Poorhouse, and the Fine Arts Committee focuses on the social justice-related themes of the Poorhouse to emphasize its historical value.

The committee honors the Poorhouse every year with the release of The Poorhouse Rag. This literary magazine contains the published works and art of students, faculty, staff, alumni and their families and addresses social and political marginalization and lack of equity in opportunity.

The Poorhouse Rag has also restarted the creative initiative on campus. Part of this initiative is offering education to combat poverty to create a more enriched community as a whole.

“The college catalog says we consider education a ‘sacred trust,'” Dr. Sandra Kolankiewicz, WVU Parkersburg professor, said. “We share the property with souls who have come and gone before us and who most likely suffered in their lives.”

The Fine Arts Committee finds importance and value in honoring the Wood County Poorhouse, so keeping it clean and preserved is both a goal and a promise. The graveyard is a reminder to those who serve and volunteer to keep the historical aspect alive.

“Poorhouse Weeks is a way to celebrate our efforts to help others, be reminded of the past and be conscious of the importance of our efforts as educators,” Kolankiewicz said.

In addition to the clean-up, the Fine Arts Committee will celebrate Poorhouse Week by publishing The Poorhouse Rag, giving a Poorhouse Farm virtual tour and providing a virtual reading and art show.

The Fine Arts Committee also encourages students to use their voice and is open to any ideas to continue the Poorhouse’s education.

For more information about the gravesite clean-up or future Poorhouse initiatives, email thepoorhouserag@wvup.edu.

WVU Parkersburg Library Director Teams Up with Wood County Public Library to Present New Book

Parkersburg, W.Va. (September 28, 2020) – The Wood County Public Library (WCPL) is teaming up with Stephen Hupp, the library director of West Virginia University at Parkersburg, to present a video about Hupp’s novel “Wings in the Night.”

The WCPL and Hupp plan to air the presentation consistently from mid-September through October. The presentation is pre-recorded and available to watch on the WCPL Facebook page.

“The presentation went very well,” Hupp said. “The Mothman story is a bit of West Virginia folklore and should interest many people.”

In “Wings in the Night,” Mothman is seen once again over half a century after appearing in Point Pleasant, but this time in Collinsburg, the Two Rivers area. In an effort to learn more about Mothman, Kat and Erin (“Daughters of the Valley”) are joined by their new friend Jenny Jordan, in this second novel set in the Mid-Ohio Valley, to find out who Mothman is and why they are here.

“I have an interest in the occult and have been long familiar with the Mothman story,” Hupp says, explaining his inspiration for the novel. “It is a good choice to use in one of my novels.”

“Wings in the Night” is Hupp’s fifth novel and is the sequel to “Daughter of the Valley.” His other books are “Born to the Breed,” which is about the first female NASCAR driver; “On a Sunday in May” that covers three stories about the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and NASCAR World 600; and “Of Gods and Spirits,” a tale about a witch, warlock, voodoo priest and a Lakota Sioux holy man who recover stolen holy objects.

Stephen Hupp has been the WVU Parkersburg library director since 2001. He is currently working on two new books, one about organized crime in Wheeling, W.Va. The other is about events taking place in 2020.

All of his books are available for paperback or Kindle e-book purchases on Amazon.

WVU Parkersburg COVID-19 Update

Good afternoon, Riverhawks,

This message is intended to provide a COVID-19 update to the WVU Parkersburg family.

Any confirmed cases at WVUP have so far been contained to students learning remotely, and we can confirm no cases of exposed students or employees testing positive and spreading to the community at this time. While we have had several instances reported to us of students and employees either testing positive or being exposed to confirmed and possible COVID-19 carriers, our commitment to technology-enhanced online instruction, continuing to have many employees working remotely, mask-wearing, social distancing, and taking other precautions has so far prevented any known outbreak of COVID-19 on our campuses.

While we are deeply concerned about anyone who might be or become sick and want to offer support in every way possible, the current absence of a campus-based outbreak is good news at a time when many colleges in West Virginia and nationwide are experiencing significant outbreaks. We must continue to be vigilant in our protective measures and remain hopeful that they will protect us from a campus community outbreak. Should confirmed cases of COVID-19 occur among our campus-based, face-to-face students or employees, we will be transparent with that information to the community. To the best of our ability and while protecting confidentiality to the degree possible, those who might have been exposed would be notified. I repeat that this has not yet occurred, but would be our protocol should such a scenario occur.

Our protocol has been and will continue to be that we report to local health authorities any confirmed case or confirmed exposure to a carrier that occurs within the WVUP community. The responsibility of any WVUP community member, employee, or student is to report any confirmed case at WVUP or any confirmed or possible exposure to a carrier by any employee or student, particularly those working and learning face-fo-face in our facilities, to Brady Whipkey, Chief of Staff to the President. We will then enact the protocol described herein, and any affected parties will receive any needed instructions from the Office of the President.

Local health authorities then take over contact tracing, and we follow whatever guidelines we are given in each case which might include, but would not be limited to, required isolation from facilities for a prescribed period. So far, local health officials have been following up closely on first-degree exposures (someone who was directly exposed to a known carrier), but have not been following up closely on second-degree exposures (someone who was exposed to a person who was exposed to a known carrier). The latter scenario has been the most common for WVUP, and we have received no guidance concerning any additional follow-up or precautionary measures related to these reports. Please keep in mind, even as we do our best to protect our campus community, those who might become ill or who might be exposed to a sick person still have a right to expect privacy and confidentiality to the highest degree possible.

I learned yesterday that all colleges in West VIrginia will be required by state authorities, beginning as early as next week, to participate in randomized surveillance testing. Keep in mind that this is not a WVUP-generated requirement, but it is a state requirement with which our college and all others will be required to comply. I will update you as soon as more information is available.

The details of this initiative are still unfolding, and I will share the details with the community as I learn more. For now, I know that every college will be required to collect saliva-based COVID-19 test kits from a random sample of 10 percent of the aggregate of students, faculty, and staff who are engaged in campus-based activities, either face-to-face work or face-to-face learning. Any employee or student whose entire current plan of study or work assignment is remote from campus will not be required to participate. It is unclear at this time how quickly this state requirement will take effect, and we are still receiving updated information and formulating our plan of implementation. WVU and Marshall are already engaged in this process, and now the remaining colleges will be required to participate. While I understand that some members of the community will have concern about our participation and while I validate those concerns, we will endeavor to follow state mandates and will hope that the random surveillance testing will help to promote the safety of our community.

As always, I am eager to receive any feedback or suggestions from any member of our community, and I will answer any questions that you might have to the degree that I have answers for them. This is still uncharted territory for us all, and I appreciate your willingness to navigate it together. As always, the health and safety of those who learn and work here is my primary concern.

Best regards,

Chris

WVU Parkersburg Ranked Top in State for Affordability

Parkersburg, W.Va. – (September 14, 2020) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg has been recognized as the most affordable college in the state by University HQ. The published rankings help students discover the best school that matches their budget and career path by comparing college tuition rates, the number of degrees offered, and graduating salaries across the U.S.

“Providing the highest quality education possible at the very best financial value will always be a top priority at WVU Parkersburg,” President Dr. Chris Gilmer said. “We are honored and pleased to be recognized as the most affordable in West Virginia, and we remind the community that we are also highly rated for the quality of our programs.”

WVU Parkersburg offers in-state and out-of-state tuition below the national average, and over 86% of students have graduated debt-free with the help of financial aid, grants, and scholarships. Additionally, the university’s tuition charges are capped, so any credits taken in excess of 12 credit hours per semester are offered at no additional charge.

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Nursing; Certificate, Associate, and Bachelor of Applied Science in Child Development; and Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervisory Management are entirely online programs. All students, no matter where they live, receive in-state tuition when pursuing these degree programs.

Also, WVU Parkersburg’s Early College program allows high school students to take college credits at a reduced rate of $150 per course. Students have the potential to graduate high school with a certificate or associate degree. Therefore, students and parents can save up to $23,760 in tuition by enrolling in Early College.

Visit wvup.edu/future-students or call 304.424.8310 to view WVU Parkersburg’s majors, cost and aid, and other services. For information and registration regarding Early College, visit wvup.edu/earlycollege or call 304.424.8209.

WVU Parkersburg announces summer 2020 President’s and Dean’s scholars

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Sept. 3, 2020) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg is pleased to announce its President’s and Dean’s scholars for the summer 2020 semester.

President’s Scholars
Students on the President’s List maintained a 4.0 grade point average while earning 12 or more hours of college credit. The scholars include:

JACKSON COUNTY – Cottageville: Tyler Hill;

Millwood: Devin Haid;

Ripley: Casey Edwards;

PLEASANTS COUNTY – St. Marys: Colton Barnhart; Richard Burkhammer; Dylan Fitzsimmons; Mallory Webb;

WIRT COUNTY – Elizabeth: Kaitlyn Frazier;

Leroy: Aarin Cale;

Palestine: Stacey Wyer;

WOOD COUNTY – Parkersburg: Steven Marshall; Glen McGee; Cody Watkins;

Washington: LaDawn Joy;

OHIO – Marietta: Majeda Al Waked; Kelsie Ross.

Dean’s Scholars
Students named to the Dean’s List maintained a 3.5 grade point average while earning six or more hours of college credit. The scholars include:

BERKELEY COUNTY – Martinsburg: Judy Courtney;

CABELL COUNTY – Culloden: Breanna Akers;

CLAY COUNTY – Maysel: Heather Dawson;

DODDRIDGE COUNTY – Troy: Curtis Sleeth;

JACKSON COUNTY – Given: Brandon Cochran; Catherine Shouldis;

Kenna: Kenzie Crowder; Joseph Wortham

Leroy: Elizabeth Crihfield;

Mount Alto: Meredith McHugh;

Ravenswood: Leanna Amos; Allie Barton; Caylee Carmichael; Jacob Graham; Aubrey Nichols; Russell Nichols; Patricia O’Neil;

Ripley: James Dobbs; Joely Good; Nisha Holley; Jonathan Jones; Kevin Renforth;

Sandyville: Adriana Miller; Alexandra Miller; David Smith;

KANAWHA COUNTY – Charleston: Tabitha Guinn; Kevin Lynch; Courtney Mongold; Raul Olivares; Jacqueline Pring; Rebecca Sheppard; Anetria Stewart;

South Charleston: Candace Morgan;

LINCOLN COUNTY – Branchland: Ashley Spence;

MASON COUNTY – Leon: Emily Keefer;

Mason: Joshua Petry;

New Haven: Lauryn Fields;

Point Pleasant: Kinneson Leslie;

MINGO COUNTY – Delbarton: Carl Dempsey;

PLEASANTS COUNTY – Belmont: Alexis Carder; Michelle Neff;

St. Marys: Isabella Davis; Jacob Elder; Lara Fetty; Cari Weekley;

Waverly: Melissa Parsons; William Riddle;

PRESTON COUNTY – Bruceton Mills: Ashlynn Phillips;

PUTNAM COUNTY – Eleanor: Lindsey Pullin;

RALEIGH COUNTY – Crab Orchard: Shawna Hopkins;

RITCHIE COUNTY – Cairo: Fallyn Buffington;

Ellenboro: Morgan Reilly;

Smithville: Brianna Luther;

ROANE COUNTY – Gandeeville: Stacey Miller;

Reedy: Holly Terrell;

Spencer: Bethany Obrien; Madison Sutphin; Zachary Whitehouse;

Walton: Jamie Huffman;

WETZEL COUNTY – Paden City: Tanya Duncan;

WIRT COUNTY – Elizabeth: Victor Casenelli; Deborah Darling; Thomas Mullenix II; Mika Parsons; Shannon Stanley; Kaysi Trickett;

Palestine: Emily Shearlock; Brooklyn Smith;

WOOD COUNTY – Davisville: Ashleigh Carter; Autumn Corne; Melinda Digman;

Mineral Wells: Brooke Buchanan; Danielle Lockhart; Chelsy Martin; Marcus Sprague; Jennifer Ward;

Parkersburg: Lorrie Allman; Brian Belcher; Justin Blevins; Adam Colunga; Ali Cooper; Ashley Digman; Seneca Donahue; Brandy Edgar; Chelsea Ferguson; Michael Gaines; Evan Goudy; Toni Grogg; John Hickman; Shana Hogue; Kara Leisure; Ashley Lewis; Abbi Marshall; Travis Mcdonald; Mikala Miller; Allison Monroe; Rebecca Mullans; John O’Brien III; Christina Prunty; Candy Pyles; Bahrom Rahmatov; Jonathan Reynolds; Katherine Roberts; Chloe Salvatore; Jolene Sink; Kaci Sink; Braden Starcher; Taylor Stoneking; Madison Suszek; Robert Taylor; Alexandra Tennant; Gary Thompson; Danielle Toothman; Sherree Townsend; Adam Wilson;

Vienna: Dawson Cyran; Eryn Gray; Remington Hitchcock; Junaid Jamshaid; Elizabeth Malm; Sloane Miller; Uzoaru Nkpa; Teresa Ohrn; Nathan Settle; Julia Somerville; Audrey Ungar; Jia Bao Zhao;

Walker: Derek Ballengee; Tina Knopp; Mariah Stansberry;

Washington: Asia Brady; Melissa Dailey; Madison Dye; Trace Elder; Heather Lawson; Javier Santelices; Alex Saunders; Robert Shank; Amanda Stout;

Waverly: Meredith Davis; Amber Ward;

Williamstown: Kendra Allen; Tressa Burton; Allison Hurst; Ivy Linger; Curtis Mayo; Elijah McIntyre; Allyson Pickering; Kevin Townsend; Bailee Westbrook;

CALIFORNIA – Victorville: Jaylene Barrueta;

FLORIDA – Palm City: Cortney Gramenz;

Port St. Lucie: Jessica Catter-Gomez;

OHIO – Belpre: Dillon Blair; Rebecca Garrett; Kalei Knick; Austin Spencer; Kimberly Weiner;

Fleming: Matthew Stuckert;

Little Hocking: Christine Berg; Chance Weihl;

Marietta: Jessica Arnold; Derek Duckworth; Brian Flinn; Bryce Gilbert; Emily Hinton; Megan Ludwig; Jared Smith; Lacey Wilson;

Syracuse: Christine Morgan;

Woodsfield: Jordan Smith;

VIRGINIA – Maurertown: Mary Moats.

Summer 2020 WVU Parkersburg graduates announced

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Sept. 3, 2020) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg awarded certificates, associate and bachelor’s degrees to August 2020 graduates.

Graduates who attained a 3.50 to 4.00 grade point average (GPA) earned academic honors, as follows: 3.50-3.749, Cum Laude; 3.75-3.99, Magna Cum Laude; and 4.0, Summa Cum Laude. The August WVU Parkersburg graduates include:

CALHOUN COUNTY – Arnoldsburg: Mackenzie Holbert, AAS, Business Administration;

JACKSON COUNTY – Given: Catherine Shouldis, BS, Business Administration, Cum Laude;

Millwood: Sandy Simmons, AAS, BOG;

Mount Alto: Meredith McHugh, CAS, Patient Care Technician, Cum Laude;

Ravenswood: Samantha Casto, CAS, Child Development; Aubrey Nichols, AA, General Education, Cum Laude; Russell Nichols, AAS, BOG; Kaitlin Thompson, AAS, Child Development; Anthony Vespucci, AA, General Education, Cum Laude;

Ripley: Tyler Harmon, AAS, Multi-Craft Technology; Katherine Simmons, BS, Nursing, Cum Laude;

KANAWHA COUNTY – Charleston: Kevin Lynch, RBA, Cum Laude;

MARION COUNTY – Fairmont: Amanda Ludwick, AAS, BOG;

NICHOLAS COUNTY – Dixie: Donna Nelson, BS, Nursing;

PLEASANTS COUNTY – St. Marys: Robert Bills II, RBA;

Waverly: William Riddle, AAS, Welding Technology;

RITCHIE COUNTY – Harrisville: Miguelina Mcmichael, AAS, BOG;

Pennsboro: Robert Hoffman, AAS, Criminal Justice;

Smithville: Jamie Frymier, BAS, Criminal Justice;

ROANE COUNTY – Reedy: Holly Terrell, AAS, Business Administration;

Spencer: Barbara Smith, RBA; Madison Sutphin, RBA, Magna Cum Laude;

WETZEL COUNTY – Pine Grove: Kimberly Campbell, BS, Nursing, Cum Laude;

WIRT COUNTY – Elizabeth: Jason Hopkins, AS, Business Administration; Thomas Mullenix II, BAS, Business Administration, Cum Laude;

Palestine: Vanessa Duffield, BS, Nursing; Kaitlyn Lockney, RBA;

WOOD COUNTY – Davisville: Stephanie DeBerry, BS, Nursing;

Mineral Wells: Brooke Buchanan, AAS, Strategic Communication, Magna Cum Laude; Dylan Morgan, AA, General Education;

Parkersburg: Makenzie Allman, CAS, Criminal Justice; Bre Blackwell, RBA; Miranda Buffington, BAS, Business Administration; Rachel Cunningham, BS, Nursing; Casey Daggett, BS, Business Administration; Emily Hess, CAS, Patient Care Technician; Julia Moore, RBA; Nicole Raber, RBA; Marlee Sexton, RBA; Taylor Stoneking, AAS, BOG; Kelly Straley, CAS, Business Administration; Kailynn Taylor, AAS, Business Administration; Jordan Watson, BS, Nursing, Cum Laude; Adam Wilson, BS, Business Administration; Alisen Wilson, BS, Nursing;

Vienna: Hunter Ackerman, AAS, Business Administration, Cum Laude; Julia Blair, BAS, Criminal Justice, Magna Cum Laude; Angela Diehl, BS, Nursing; Daniel Miller, AS, General Education; Tiffani Walters, BS, Nursing;

Washington: Amy Dean, BS, Nursing; Alex Saunders, AS, Business Administration; Jacob Wilcox, AAS, Computer & Information Technology;

Waverly: Shannon O’Dell, AAS, Strategic Communication;

Williamstown: Allyson Pickering, RBA; Yurgita Vaidya, BS, Nursing, Magna Cum Laude; Jessika Walters, RBA, and AA, General Education; Bailee Westbrook, AAS, BOG;

OHIO – Belpre: Rebecca Garrett, CAS, Patient Care Technician, Magna Cum Laude; Kimberly Weiner, AAS, BOG;

Marietta: Lacey Wilson, RBA;

Pickerington: James Garrett IV, AAS, Occupational Development, Cum Laude;

Woodsfield: Jordan Smith, AAS, BOG;

VIRGINIA – Salem: Courtney Shaffer, BS, Business Administration.

WVU Parkersburg Announces Strong Enrollment for Fall 2020

Parkersburg, W.Va. (September 2, 2020) –WVU Parkersburg announces a significant enrollment increase in new students for fall 2020 and expects when final numbers are tallied to report level enrollment overall for the current semester.

“In the midst of a pandemic, I am delighted to be able to say that we are meeting so many of our enrollment goals for the fall semester at WVU Parkersburg,” President Chris Gilmer said. “While many colleges across the nation are struggling with significant declines in students, we have taken every step possible to keep our students safe, to encourage returning students to stay with us, and to welcome a large class of new students.”

Enrollment of traditional college students, currently 102.8% of last year’s total, shows efforts not only to retain students, but also to attract new students. New student totals are currently up 24% for fall 2020.

“The recruitment staff played a vital role in increasing the new student enrollment numbers,” Vice President of Enrollment Management Steven Smith said. “Prior to the pandemic, we were very intentional about increasing the number of applicants and cultivating that population to ensure enrollment growth.”

Continuing traditional student enrollment is currently up 1%, further showing an effort to retain students despite the pandemic. Final summer 2020 enrollment also showed a 10% increase over summer 2019. WVU Parkersburg is offering most of its courses for the fall semester in a technology-enabled instructional environment. Still, about 25 percent of courses have some hands-on, face-to-face component. Those courses are primarily in technical programs such as welding, and for some science, healthcare, and education programs which have lab and field experiences. The university also opened Zoom rooms and computer labs for students, recognizing that access to Internet in rural areas is one of the primary challenges of virtual instruction. WVU Parkersburg adjusted expenditures to keep tuition at the same affordable level for the 2020-2021 academic year, declining to implement an approved 5% tuition increase.

“We recognize that we will lose some students after fall deregistration, a process which adjusts our rolls for non-payment, non-attendance, or other factors, but we are doing everything within our power to find a way to hold onto every student who wants to earn an education. These amazing enrollment numbers will change somewhat over the next few weeks, but I could not be prouder of our team for posting such strong numbers during the third week of fall classes,” Gilmer said.

One section of enrollment that is not yet calculated into fall totals is the early college/dual credit population. To assist parents in getting students registered for classes, a process that normally would have occurred in May, college staff spent 10 evenings at high schools and allowed parents to drive up to register their children for early college. While that was effective at bringing in over 550 students, more registrations are expected through personal telephone calls to parents.

“The efforts to enroll early college students who haven’t been on their high school campuses since March is a team approach for which many people are to be thanked,” Vice President of Institutional Advancement Torie Jackson said. “This collaboration with our local school districts to provide higher education opportunities to high school students is essential and must be continued, which is why WVU Parkersburg devotes extra energy to ensure its success.”

The dual credit/early college classes at area high schools begin Sept. 8. Registration is continuing for those students. WVU Parkersburg provides early college/dual credit classes at 10 area high schools and in two vocational-technical centers. Workforce development registration has also not been computed as part of these totals and is expected to add a significant number of additional students this fall.

WVU Parkersburg instructor’s literary works celebrated during reading series

Parkersburg, W.Va. (August 27, 2020) – WVU Parkersburg Instructor of English Danielle Kelly recently headlined the first Little Kanawha Reading series event for Fall 2020. Kelly presented fictional readings from her novel-in-progress “Walk Me Down to Jordan” and a brand-new short story “Map Back to You.”

The Little Kanawha Reading Series showcases a diversity of literary forms and voices, acknowledging and enriching Appalachia’s cultural heritage and the communities around the Little Kanawha River.

“The pieces I chose for the reading embrace the theme of strong women,” Kelly said. “All the pieces deal with narrators that ruminate, express, and display hidden, oftentimes subtle strength of women, which is a common occurrence in women in Appalachian culture.”

“Walk Me Down to Jordan” details the family structure in an Appalachian community and how the family members navigate their individual lives and face larger impacts on the family unit. The story is told in a multiple narrative structure with four family members telling their story.

Another piece Kelly presented appeared in the Women of Appalachia Project’s fifth volume entitled “Women Speak” which can be purchased at mountainstatepress.org/shop/women-speak/.

Aside from fiction, Kelly has also written and published creative non-fiction. Her essay “What to Do on a Day Like This” details the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting events and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. The essay was originally published in the June 2016 issue of r.kv.r.y. quarterly literary journal and may be read at rkvryquarterly.com/what-to-do-on-a-day-like-this-by-danielle-kelly/.

“I enjoy writing because it allows for some flexibility and is all about letting the content dictate the form, so every piece is a process of discovery for the writer,” Kelly said. “I communicate the same philosophy with my students, that writing is messy and never truly complete, but we have to mine out the right ideas to find the gold amidst the dirt.”

Students, faculty, or staff interested in creative writing may contact danielle.kelly@wvup.edu. The WVU Parkersburg English Department re-established “The Poorhouse Rag,” the campus’ literary magazine, and looks to start a Creative Writing Club and offer creative writing classes to students.

To watch Kelly’s Little Kanawha Reading Series presentation, visit https://bit.ly/3kRU5vr.

APPLY NOW
Apply Now
Back to top preload imagepreload image