Throughout their histories, the relationship between West Virginia University and Marshall University has been complicated, with each institution looking out for its own interests, often at the detriment of the state as a whole. Now, the universities are not only on speaking terms, they are cooperating and working together for the betterment of the entire state.
The instinct to protect status or advance and grow has even forced lawmakers to take sides in the past and left alumni with bitter feelings toward the other institution.
For instance, when Marshall College was seeking legislative approval to become Marshall University, there was pushback from WVU leadership at the time, trying to protect the school’s status as the only university in the state. According to a 2011 article in the WV Gazette Mail, Alan Gould, then the executive director for the John Deaver Drinko Academy for American Political Institutions and Civic Culture, recalled former WVU President Elvis Stahr saying that “Marshall should be a first-rate college rather than a fourth-rate university.”
Ouch.
That is just one example of the rivalry, sometimes real and sometimes imagined, that persisted for the better part of six decades. To get the two universities to agree on anything nearly took an act of the legislature.
However, times have changed, and so has the state of West Virginia, as well as the attitudes of leadership at both universities. Instead of working against each other, WVU, Marshall, and other state institutions are realizing the benefit of cooperation.
Last week at the Capitol, Marshall and WVU displayed the best of their institutions for lawmakers and highlighted the “Universities United” initiative that has helped secure over $51 million for state economic and workforce development projects since 2023. A total of 124 awards have directly led to the creation of or sustained 270 jobs in West Virginia.
Michael T. Benson, WVU President, and Brad Smith, Marshall President, were even in the same room together for budget hearings before the House Finance Committee last week, presenting a united front to lawmakers.
West Virginia is a small, unique state and does not have room for higher education institutions to butt heads in bitter turf wars. West Virginia is better off when institutions complement each other and provide students with the necessary tools to be successful, and be successful here in West Virginia.
Both schools have rolled out programs to offer tuition assistance for undergraduate programs, removing a barrier for West Virginia students to attend college.
“We’ve grown enrollment 22.5 percent since 2022, and this year we grew 7.5 percent. The nation grew by one percent in terms of enrollment. The other thing we do when we get them here is we make sure we’re teaching them 21st-century skills. So they have in-demand jobs,” Smith said on Metronews Talkline.
Universities United brings together the state’s two largest institutions and puts the best interests of the state ahead of the self-preservation attitude that dominated the complicated relationship over the last 60 years.
And it didn’t even require an act of the legislature.