| West Virginia State University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | A Living Laboratory of Human Relations |
| Established | 1891 |
| Type | Public, Land-grant, HBCU |
| Endowment | $3.2 million[1] |
| President | Hazo W. Carter, Jr. (President Emeritus, effective July 1, 2012) |
| Students | 5000 |
| Undergraduates | 4400 |
| Postgraduates | 50 |
| Location | Institute, West Virginia, United States |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Former names | West Virginia Colored Institute West Virginia Collegiate Institute West Virginia State College |
| Colors | Black and Gold |
| Athletics | NCAA Division II |
| Nickname | "State" or "West Virginia State" |
| Mascot | Yellow Jackets |
| Affiliations | West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Website | www.wvstateu.edu |
West Virginia State University (WVSU) is a historically black public college in Institute, West Virginia, United States. In the Charleston-metro area, the school is usually referred to simply as "State" or "West Virginia State". It is one of the original 1890 Land-Grant colleges and the smallest land-grant institution in the country.
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WVSU is located on Mound Builder Native American land granted to George Washington for his service in the King's Military before the Revolutionary War. As a slave plantation, it belonged to Governor Cabbel. His son, Sam Cabbel, married one of his slaves, Mary Barnes. After his death she sold the land to the state as the site of the 'West Virginia Colored Institute. Sam and Mary Cabbel and their children are buried on the campus.
The school was established as the West Virginia Colored Institute in 1891 under the second Morrill Act which provided for land-grant institutions for black students in the 17 states that had segregated schools. Booker T. Washington, noted African American educator and statesman, was instrumental in having the institution located in the Kanawha Valley. Dr. Washington visited the campus often and spoke at its first commencement exercise.[2]
From 1891 through 1915, the school provided the equivalent of a high school education, with vocational training and teacher preparation for segregated public schools. Renamed in 1915 as West Virginia Collegiate Institute it began to offer college degrees. It became West Virginia State College in 1929.
East Hall and the Canty House, home of "Colonel" James Munroe Canty, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[3]
During World War II, West Virginia State College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission.[4]
In 1954, following the Brown decision to desegregate public education, the college transformed from an all-black college with a primarily residential population to a predominantly commuter school with mostly white students. WVSU's student body of 3,003 students in 2009 included 480 (16%) black and 28 (1%) Hispanic students.[5]
In 1957, WVSU lost its land grant status, the only land-grant institution to ever do so, in part due to desegregation. Although land-grant university funding is governed by federal laws, the federal aid is conditioned upon matching state funds. The WV State Board of Education voted to end the matching state funds in 1957 and WVSU also lost the federal funds for instruction, research and extension activities. Under the leadership of President Hazo W. Carter, Jr., a 12-year quest was begun to restore the land-grant designation. The first step toward regaining the status came when Governor Gaston Caperton signed a bill on February 12, 1991 that had been passed by the WV legislature to recognize the land-grant status on the state level. With the assistance from WV Senator Robert C. Byrd, the land-grant status was regained in 2000, effective in 2001. WVSU's birth right was restored and is recognized as an 1890 land-grant institution with recognition at the Federal level along with funding to carry out the mission of teaching, research, and public service. The land-grant institution of WVSU is named the Gus R. Douglass Land-Grant Institution.
In 2003 the school's community college, established in 1953, was separately accredited as the West Virginia State Community and Technical College but remained administratively linked to West Virginia State College. In 2004, West Virginia State College gained university status, becoming West Virginia State University and began to offer graduate degrees in Biotechnology and Media Studies. In 2008, the legislature fully separated the community and technical college. However, both schools continue to share the same campus. In 2009, the Community and Technical College went through a name change. The new name was announced on April 20, 2009 as Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College. Beginning in the fall 2012 semester, KVCTC will move to its new location where the former Dow Chemical research facility is located in South Charleston, West Virginia.
Hazo W. Carter, Jr. became the first president of West Virginia State University in 2004. He was previously the ninth president of West Virginia State College when WVSC was granted university status. Hazo W. Carter, Jr. is the longest serving college/university president in the state of West Virginia. In August 2011, the faculty, by majority, voted "no confidence in his leadership" and as such, President Carter planned to retire in June 2012 with the Board of Governers hoping to find a replacement by July 1, 2012.[6]
On December 29, 2011, it was reported that President Carter would remain at the school until 2014 as President Emeritus. "The Higher Education Policy Commission unanimously approved the WVSU Board of Governors' recommendation to amend Carter's contract...so he can stay on at the school as president emeritus until 2014 and continue to collect his full $167,444 a year salary." Chancellor of the HEPC Brian Noland noted that "this concept of president emeritus is extremely fitting given President Carter's more than 20 years of service" and that it's "extremely well-deserved." President Carter will transition into the role of president emeritus on July 1, 2012 and will serve until June 30, 2014. Under his new role, Carter will help the university fundraise, act as a spokesman, and help ease the transition for the new university president. The Board of Governors will finalize the makeup of the presidential search committee in January 2012, and hopes to find a new president to lead the school by July 2012.[7]
Past presidents of the university include James Edwin Campbell, John H. Hill, J. McHenry Jones, Byrd Prillerman, John W. Davis, William J.L. Wallace, Harold M. McNeill, and Thomas Winston Cole, Jr. Several buildings on campus are named after the presidents (Campbell Conference Center, Hill Hall, Jones Hall, Prillerman Hall, Davis Fine Arts Building, Wallace Hall, McNeill Facilities Building, and Cole Complex)
On October 19, 2009, West Virginia State University dedicated a monument to the memory of noted African American educator and statesman Booker T. Washington. The event took place at West Virginia State University's Booker T. Washington Park in Malden, West Virginia. The monument also honors the families of African ancestry who lived in Old Malden in the early 20th Century and who knew and encouraged Booker T. Washington. Special guest speakers at the event included West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin III, Malden attorney Larry L. Rowe, and the president of WVSU. Musical selections were provided by the WVSU Marching Yellow Jackets.[8]
February 24, 2010 was named WVSU Day by the West Virginia legislature. President Hazo W. Carter, Jr. and other WVSU officials were on hand to witness the declaration. WVSU Gus R. Douglass Land-Grant Institute extension agents and staff members presented various demonstrations and interactive displays throughout the day with a performance by the WVSU Jazz Band.[9]
WVSU's Fall and Spring Commencement Ceremonies are held in December and May, respectively, at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston. Until 2009, WVSU and KVCTC, when it was WVSCTC, had joint Commencement Ceremonies.
The athletic teams, known as the Yellow Jackets, compete in the NCAA's Division II as a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Students of KVCTC also play on these teams, but at games, only WVSU is recognized as being the school the team is from. WVSU athletics teams are men's football, baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, and track & field and women's basketball, cheerleading, golf, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.
In the mid-late 1990s, the band saw a period of resurgence under the direction of Chris Card. From 1995 until 2000, the band had an enrollment of between 35-50 members. Many of the members during this time period were scholarship recipients, and the band often contained 5-10 veterans or active members of Drum Corps International. The band was known for its small size and huge sound.
The band marches in a "corps-style" fashion, the only band of its type at an HBCU, as most have a "show-style" band.
Over the last few years, the Yellow Jackets Marching Band, known as the "Marching Swarm", has broken enrollment records by over 800% under the direction of Mr. Scott E. Woodard (claiming to be the fastest growing music department in WV). Mr. Woodard has been the Director of Bands since 2006 and as of 2010, is also the Chair of the Music Department of WVSU. When he became the Director of Bands, only 7 students were enrolled. The Assistant Band Director is Mr. David Lawson who is also a music professor for WVSU (2011-present). Mr. Keaton Neely is the Percussion Instructor (2011-present). The band does a different marching show at every home football game, with the exception of homecoming as half-time is taken up by the presentation of the homecoming court and a short speech by the president. The bands pre-game show consists of a "funky" version of the school's fight song, "Hail to the Team", while spelling out WVSU. This is then followed by the playing of the "National Anthem" and WVSU's Alma Mater. Another song/piece may be played between the fight song and the National Anthem.
The band performs in one parade unless invited to others: the WVSU Homecoming Parade. The band also plays for the president's "State of the University Address" and for WVSU's ROTC Hall of Fame Ceremony (in 2011, they also played for the Founder's Day ceremony). The marching band has served as the exhibition band at high school marching band festivals. These include Nicholas County's Mountain Band Spectacular (2008-2010) and Poca High School's Invitational Festival in Poca, WV (2009-2011). In 2008, the Band was invited to go to Chicago with the football team for the Chicago Football Classic to participate in the Battle of the Bands competition; the only competition the band has participated in. The competition occurred after the game and was against Central States Marching Band, "The Invincible Marching Marauders", to which they won because of their "show-style" marching to which the audience enjoyed more.
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble takes place during the last month of the Fall Semester and the entire Spring Semester. The Wind Ensemble performs two concerts (unless invited to do others); at the end of the Fall Semester and at the end of the Spring Semester. There are also concerts for student conductors in the beginning Instrumental Conducting class (offered every 4 semesters) and the Advanced Conducting studio of Mr. Woodard (offered every semester; generally featured on the main Wind Ensemble concerts). The student conductor concerts are a unique feature that WVSU offers to its conducting students. The Advanced Conducting studio is also a unique feature of WVSU as not many colleges offer it at the undergraduate level. In addition to the Fall and Spring Semester concerts, the Wind Ensemble also plays at WVSU's Fall and Spring Commencement Ceremonies. The pieces played for the Commencement Ceremonies include the "Star Spangled Banner", the "Fanfare and Processional", WVSU's Alma Mater, and for the recessional, the "Raiders March". There are also selected pieces played before the "Star Spangled Banner" as a prelude for the event.
Other instrumental groups at WVSU/KVCTC include the Jazz Band, the Brass Ensemble, the Guitar Ensemble, the Percussion Ensemble, the Indoor Percussion Ensemble (I.P.E), and the Woodwinds Ensemble.
In November 2007, the WVSU Jazz Band traveled to Austria to perform in Vienna, Graz, and Salzburg. The Jazz Band is one of the most visible groups performing for various events on and off campus.
There are currently two vocal groups - WVSU Choir and the State Singers The State Singers consist of eight vocalists with a required audition. The State Singers also perform as the WVSU Vocal Jazz Choir and consists of ten vocalists. Dr. Dirk Johnson is the Director of Choral Activities for WVSU and has been at that position since the fall of 2009.
Many of the students who live in dorms on campus are from large urban areas outside of West Virginia or from the rural counties in the state. Those who stay on campus generally congregate at Wilson Student Union.
The campus radio station at WVSU can be heard locally on 106.7 FM or over the internet. The station has hosted live music and interviews with recording artists. The campus newspaper, The Yellow Jacket, is published and edited by students and can be picked up in major buildings across the campus.
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