THE STORY TO REMEMBER
University appoints fourth president in four years
Some West Virginia University students found themselves in a different situation than most in 2009: receiving an education under four different presidents.
After the whirlwind of controversy that consumed much of 2008, the University, under Interim President C. Peter Magrath conducted a national search for his replacement.
The University selected Greenwood/Asher and Associates, Inc., conducted a national search.
Unlike the presidential search process that led to the appointment of Michael S. Garrison as president, the input of the faculty and staff was actively sought.
President Magrath set a deadline in his first few months as president for a new University leader by April 2009. The decision came down to two candidates: Gregory Williams, president of the City University of New York and James P. Clements, provost at Towson University.
Both candidates' accomplishments echoed that of the University's goals: increasing research dollars and overall enrollment figures.
Williams's accomplishments during his eight years at CUNY include increasing enrollment by 5,000 students and boosting research grants from $27 million to $45 million.
Since becoming provost at Towson in 2007, Clements' major accomplishments include locating funds for a 36 percent increase in research and increased minority freshmen retention rates to 86 percent. On March 9, it was announced Clements would become the University's 23rd president, and the fourth in four years.
"This is our University. We are going to set goals and work together hand-in-hand as a team," Clements said at his announcement. "We are going to have fun and make a difference at the same time."
Clements' appointment also marked a major raise in payment for the presidency – $450,000 per year. President David C. Hardesty, who left after 12 years in 2007, received $275,000 per year, with $42,500 of that provided by the WVU Foundation.
The annual salary of former President Michael S. Garrison was $255,000, of which $22,500 was provided by the Foundation. Interim President C. Peter Magrath currently receives an annual salary of $300,000. As with Higher Education Policy Commission guidelines, Clements will serve a maximum two-year contract before the Board of Governors will vote on whether or not to extend his contract.
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The recession continues
After the highs of the inauguration, the immediate needs of the nation became immediately apparent.
The recession that had actually begun in 2007 continued to mount in pressure.
After those who received subprime mortgages couldn't repay them, many financial institutions that placed large amounts of money in them began to go bust.
Risky lending practices within financial institutions have been blamed, leading many financial institutions to become riddled with assets and investments that were deemed "toxic."
Others blamed a rampant deregulation and lack of federal oversight that caused many operations to take greater investment risks.
Oil prices, which spiked to new highs including more than $100 for a barrel of oil, was also pointed at as a possible cause of recession.
In his last few months as president, George W. Bush announced immediate and unprecedented actions that pumped billions of American taxpayer money into the financial system.
Bush argued that without taxpayer money, many banks would go bankrupt and the recession could turn into a depression.
That line has been echoed by President Barack Obama, said of the Toxic Asset Relief Program: "There has rarely been a less loved or more necessary emergency program."
Since then, the United States has seen its employment numbers drop. Currently, 10 percent of the workforce is without a job, though that figure has dropped from a high of 10.4 percent.
There are glimmers of hope for the economy, including the ability of banks to repay the $750 billion TARP program its money back, lowering unemployment figures and lowering unemployment claims.
Swine flu
The effects of swine flu are still with us.
Many students will brave this week with symptons of H1N1 they probably didn't know they had and never will.
In the early months of the year, the world became paranoid with a sense of fear over a new kind of flu – one that had been transmitted from pig to human.
According to MSNBC, 4-year-old boy Edger Hernandez of Mexico contracts swine flu March 28. On April 13, a woman dies of swine flu, also in Mexico.
Shortly after, the death toll begins to escalate as 20 people have died in Mexico and cases in the United States have surfaced.
High Schools across the country close in fears of the virus' spread.
As the World Health Organization met, declaring a pandemic, the race for a vaccination began.
West Virginia University students were offered the vaccination in two separate clinics as soon as it immediately became available.
Students should call the Student Health Service to see if there are any remaining supplies or other medical agencies around town for inquiries about supplies.
There was no official policy at West Virginia University for issues with attendance relating to the contraction of swine flu.
Students, staff and faculty who experienced symptoms were urged to stay at home and isolate themselves for the duration of their infection, which is typically a week.
Currently, there have been 10,567 confirmed deaths of swine flu, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, with more than 3,000 reported in the United States.
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