MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU held its first campus conversation Thursday in preparation for the implementation of the Campus Self Defense Act on July 1.
WVU Associate Vice President Travis Mollohan said during the online event the rule, approved last week by the WVU Board of Governors, will apply to all WVU campuses throughout the state. The rule directs the campus community to resources, describes exception areas where weapons or deadly objects are never allowed, and outlines potential actions that can be taken against those who violate the provisions.
“Our campus here in Morgantown, both the Downtown and Evansdale campuses, applies to Beckley and Keyser campuses, as well as our Health Sciences campuses in Charleston, Martinsburg, and Bridgeport,” Mollohan said.
The financial impact on the university is expected to be about $1 million. The BOG has approved the sale of a little more than 4.5 acres near the University Police Department to meet some of that obligation.
“Being mobile (metal detectors), we can move them between facilities; that’s a cost-saving measure. Also, about $500,000 for the storage lockers that are in the process of being built and designed,” Mollohan said.
WVU Dean of Students Corey Farris said students living in dorms that wish to have concealed carry weapons will have access to secure storage lockers at either Brooke Tower or Summit Hall. Those students who wish to conceal carry will have to pay a fee to be determined for the use of the lockers.
“We will be sending notification emails to our students with housing contracts for next year with information on how they will log in and sign up for a locker,” Farris said.
WVU Deputy Legal Counsel Kevin Cimino said some venues or areas can become temporary exception areas after the measure goes into effect. The rules allow areas hosting a primary, secondary school, or private function to become exceptions for the period of the event when adequate notice is provided. Areas with enough security to ensure weapons and deadly objects “cannot be carried by the public into area” are also included.
“An example of something that fits that category is Fall Fest. It takes place on the field in front of The Towers; it’s not a stadium or arena, so it doesn’t specifically meet the exemption above, but the public entrances fit the definition because they are equipped with electronic equipment and armed personnel,” Cimino said.
Officials are also working on color-coded online maps that help people understand what is campus property, what is not, and where established exception areas are to include “sole occupancy” designations.
“We’ll have a link that will take you to the specific rooms that have been identified and are exempted from the act,” Cimino said. “We’re in the process of fine-tuning that right now, and it will be available in the near future.”
That law, approved by state lawmakers in the 2023 session and signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice, allows a person, with a valid license, to carry a gun concealed on college campuses with some exceptions.
West Virginia becomes one of 10 other states in the country to enact the policy.
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They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
At this point, Paul Hardesty, President of the West Virginia Board of Education, must be on the precipice of losing his mind. During a recent call with reporters, Hardesty again emphasized the dire financial outlook for the state’s public schools. Enrollment continues to decline, and more school closures and consolidations may be coming next year.
It’s not the first time Hardesty has sounded the alarm.
Hardesty has repeatedly pointed out that public schools are withering under the current school-aid formula and burdensome regulations.
Some state lawmakers have received the message but during the 2026 60-day legislative session, while there was more discussion that legislative action is needed to address growing financial strains, ultimately, there was not enough political will for state lawmakers to take any action.
Senator Amy Nicole Grady, R-Mason, chairs the Senate Education Committee and is a public school teacher. She has spent the last three years trying to educate her fellow legislators about the frustrations teachers and school officials deal with on a daily basis.
“We know it’s nothing new. It’s something we have discussed for at least three years now, knowing that we need to move forward and change that formula in some way. But how we change it, that’s the challenge,” Grady said during an appearance on Metronews Talkline.
Grady recognizes the “how” is the major stumbling block for legislators who must make difficult decisions and must then face unhappy constituents.
“It’s very, very difficult, and this is something that’s big that really takes a lot of thinking, and it can require a lot of hard, difficult decisions, and you also have that model of self-preservation.
“A lot of people are thinking, this is hard for me to make this decision. I don’t want to make this decision because it could mean my seat. But when it’s the right thing, it’s the right thing regardless.”
House Education Committee Chairman Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, has also been on the front line trying to build a case for legislators to support major changes. Statler has repeatedly emphasized the gap in special education funding, where costs continue to outpace revenues.
The number of special education students continues to grow, now making up nearly 21 percent of the student population.
It is not only the legislature that has not found the political fortitude to address public education. It has not been a priority for the executive branch either.
Gov. Morrisey focused his political capital on accelerating the elimination of the personal income tax and preventing changes to the Hope Scholarship.
You can’t help but question whether the lack of action is due to a lack of political will or indifference to public schools’ failure. There’s no doubt that outside interest groups, many of which have supported legislative campaigns, have indicated a preference for alternative education choices.
Either way, if lawmakers continue to ignore the tidal wave of financial failures in the public education system, they will have abdicated their constitutional duty to provide West Virginia students with a “free and efficient” education system.
For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the West Virginia Mountaineers women’s basketball roster will feature a West Virginia native.
Wheeling product Alexis Bordas transfers in after having a tremendous freshman season up the road at Duquesne, where she averaged 15.5 points (ranked fifth in the A-10) and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 34.6% from beyond the arc. At season’s end, she was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team.
Morgantown’s Olivia Seggie was the last West Virginia-born player on the women’s hoops roster.
Of course, WVU was Bordas’ dream school. Pretty much her entire family went to school here and grew up coming to Mountaineer games, so Mark Kellogg probably didn’t have to do much convincing once he made it known that they wanted her.
“Chase Harler’s from Wheeling, so I came to a lot of his games. Jevon Carter, my brother, loved him. We watched a lot more of the men back then, but Kysre Gondrezick, she was someone that I always watched.”
When asked what it’s like to finally be in a Mountaineer uniform and practicing with the group, she responded, “Yeah, it’s great to finally be here and get to meet all my teammates and become such good friends with them already. It’s been super fun, and just seeing the difference from day one to now, and how much we’ve progressed already, it’s super exciting to see.
“All the fan support last night, we had an event, and just seeing all the fans and how it’s June, and everyone’s already so excited and rallies around this team,” she added. “I know it’s extra special being from West Virginia, and I’m sure lots of little girls will look up to me and hope to be playing here one day, so it’s great to be a role model for them, too.”
Nine times last season, Bordas registered 20+ points, and of course, as a true West Virginian would, she had her best performance against the Pitt Panthers, dropping 38 on them in an 84-69 win. She went 11/22 from the field in that one, including a 10/18 day from three-point range.
Bordas is a high-volume shooter from range, as 58.8% of her attempts came from downtown last season. When you shoot 34% from there and can maybe hit the high 30s, no one will care about the shot diet being so reliant on the three-ball.
Under the new rules, Bordas will have four years of eligibility remaining.
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