Lauding the University’s retention and graduation rate improvements, the state Higher Education Policy Commission Wednesday (Dec. 15) accepted West Virginia University’s compact, or progress report, required by the state.

Of the four-year public universities and colleges in West Virginia, WVU was the only school to show improvements in both graduation and retention rates for 2003-2004all the while growing its enrollment.

WVU ’s retention rate is 81 percent, well above the national average of 74 percent while its graduation rate is 56 percent, also slightly above the national norm. Enrollment at WVU has also gone up steadily at WVU to more than 25,000 students on the Morgantown campus.

In fact, WVU accounts for two-thirds of the growth this year in the state’s enrollment among HEPC institutions, Chancellor Michael Mullen noted.

WVU is a model for other colleges and universities in West Virginia to follow,said commission member Tom Jones.It’s time we put retention and graduation rates on a higher plain for the entire system. We’re not going to get to where we need to be until we set the bar higher.

To that effect, HEPC approved establishing a sub-committee to look at possible policy changes aimed at directing schools to place greater focus on raising their retention and graduation rates.

It’s time for the institutions to improve, or change the way they are doing business,Jones noted.

HEPC also accepted compact updates for WVU at Parkersburg and Potomac State College of WVU . The compact update for WVU Tech was accepted while noting a series of deficiencies, namely a decline in enrollment, graduation rates, retention rates and degree production. Commissioners noted the strategic improvement plan adopted earlier this year at Tech, and will recommend the school not be penalized financially by the Legislature while the institution works to improve in those areas.

In other business, HEPC :

-approved a $2.7 million project to rehabilitate the main classroom building at WVU -P. Work will begin in late spring or early summer, and take about a year to complete. The funding will come from HEPC revenue bond proceeds.

-approved a new rule regarding purchasing by colleges and universities. Under the change, a school can now spend up to $25,000 without having to get estimates over the phone. The previous dollar amount was $5,000.

-put out for public comment changes in the standards and procedures for undergraduate admissions at four-year colleges and universities. Two major features of the proposed rule are that effective in Aug. 2008, first-time enrollees at WVU and

Marshall must have a composite ACT score of 19 and a 2.0 high school GPA for regular admission; and beginning with the 2006 fall semester, students submitting ACT or SAT scores for purposes of undergraduate admission must complete the writing assessment section of each exam. First-time enrollees at the other four-year institutions will need only an ACT score of 18.

-approved a master of arts in teaching, a master of business administration and a master of music at Shepherd University.

-swore in new member Richard Adams, who is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of United Bankshares, Inc., replacing John Hoblitzell.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the state Higher Education Policy Commission is in February.