View source for Organization:West Virginia University

{{Short description|Public university in Morgantown, West Virginia, US.}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = West Virginia University
 | image                  = West Virginia University seal.svg
 | image_upright          = 0.7
 | latin_name             = Collegium (Universitas) Occidentalis Virginia
 | former_name            = Agricultural College of West Virginia (1867–1868)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://birthday.wvu.edu/history/timeline|title=Timeline – WVU 150th Anniversary|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=May 23, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523181246/https://birthday.wvu.edu/history/timeline|archive-date=May 23, 2019}}</ref>
 | motto                  = ''Πίστει τὴν ἀρετήν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ τὴν γνῶσιν'' ([[Social:Koine Greek|Koine Greek]])
 | mottoeng               = "Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5 KJV)
 | established            = {{start date and age|1867|2|7}}
 | type                   = Public [[Organization:Land-grant university|land-grant]] research university
 | academic_affiliations  = {{hlist|CONAHEC|WVHEPC|[[Organization:National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program|Space-grant]]}}
 | endowment              = $875.1 million (2022)<ref name=NACUBO>{{Cite web|title=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY21 to FY22 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) |url=https://www.nacubo.org/-/media/Nacubo/Documents/research/2022-NTSE-Public-Tables--Endowment-Market-Values--FINAL.ashx |date=April 21, 2023 |access-date= June 1, 2023 |format=PDF }}</ref>
 | administrative_staff   = 7,566
 | faculty                = 1,870
 | president              = E. Gordon Gee<ref name="President Gee">{{cite news|title=WVU Board begins process to extend President Gee's contract |url=https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2019/04/12/wvu-board-begins-process-to-extend-president-gee-s-contract |access-date=May 23, 2019|work=WVU Today|publisher=West Virginia University |date=April 12, 2019}}</ref>
 | provost                = Maryanne Reed<ref name="Provost Reed">{{cite news|title=Maryanne Reed named provost at West Virginia University |url=https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2019/04/17/maryanne-reed-named-provost-at-west-virginia-university |access-date=October 18, 2019|work=WVU Today|publisher=West Virginia University |date=April 17, 2019}}</ref>
 | students               = 29,933 (All campuses)<ref name="WVU Facts">{{cite web|title=WVU Facts|url=https://www.wvu.edu/about-wvu/wvu-facts|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=May 23, 2019}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 21,086 (Morgantown)<ref name = "WVU Enrollment">{{Cite web|title=Headcount Enrollment–Total University–Main Campus, Fall 2004–Fall 2019 |url=https://institutionalresearch.wvu.edu/files/d/6104b411-b539-4436-a0a9-d7a0a4e5c612/he_totu_f04-19-wb.xls|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 24, 2020}}</ref>
1,300 (Keyser)<ref name = "WVU Keyser Enrollment">{{Cite web|title=Enrollment–WVU–Potomac State College, Fall 2018–Fall 2019 |url=https://institutionalresearch.wvu.edu/files/d/10ef6aa3-cfb3-4b0d-9a13-a9bba343fc8c/psc_enroll_fall2018_fall-2019.xls|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 24, 2020}}</ref><br />
1,794 (Beckley)<ref name = "WVU Beckley Enrollment">{{Cite web|title=West Virginia University–Institute of Technology–Fall Enrollment, Comparison Fall 2018 to Fall 2019 |url=https://institutionalresearch.wvu.edu/files/d/0750bec0-525b-49bd-9b2a-f955970c4d61/wvuit_enroll_fall2018_fall2019.xls|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 24, 2020}}</ref>
 | postgrad               = 4,263 (Morgantown)<ref name = "WVU Enrollment" />
 | doctoral               = 1,490 (Morgantown)<ref name = "WVU Enrollment" />
 | city                   = Morgantown
 | state                  = West Virginia
 | country                = United States
 | coordinates            = {{Coord|39.6458|N|79.9697|W|type:edu_region:US-WV|display=inline,title}}
 | campus                 = Small city<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wvu.edu/about-wvu/wvu-facts|title=West Virginia University Facts}}</ref> 
| campus_size = {{convert|1892|acre|km2}}
 | colors                 = Gold and blue<ref name = "WVU Color Palette">{{cite web|title=WVU Brand Center|url=http://brand.wvu.edu/downloads-toolkit/color-palette |access-date=June 7, 2016}}</ref><br />{{college color boxes|West Virginia Mountaineers}}
 | mascot                 = The Mountaineer
 | nickname               = Mountaineers
 | sporting_affiliations  = {{hlist|NCAA Division I FBS - Big 12|CHMA}}
 | website                = {{URL|www.wvu.edu}}
 | logo                   = West Virginia University logo.svg
 | logo_upright           = 1.0
 | accreditation          = [[Organization:Higher Learning Commission|HLC]]
 | free_label2            = Newspaper
 | free2                  = ''The Daily Athenaeum''
 | free_label             = Other campuses
 | free                   = {{hlist|Beckley|Bridgeport|Charleston|Keyser|Martinsburg|Parkersburg}}
}}

'''West Virginia University''' ('''WVU''') is a public [[Organization:Land-grant university|land-grant]] research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the [[Organization:West Virginia University Institute of Technology|West Virginia University Institute of Technology]] in Beckley, [[Organization:Potomac State College of West Virginia University|Potomac State College of West Virginia University]] in Keyser, and clinical campuses for the university's medical and school at Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston and the Eastern Division at the WVU Medicine Berkeley and Jefferson Medical Centers. WVU Extension Service provides outreach with offices in all 55 West Virginia counties.

Enrollment for the Fall 2021 semester was 25,474 for the main campus, while enrollment across all three non-clinical campuses was 28,267.<ref name = "WVU Facts" /> The Morgantown campus offers more than 350 bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs throughout 13 colleges and schools, including that state's only law and dental schools.<ref name = "Academic Excellence at WVU">{{Cite web|title=About WVU|url=https://www.wvu.edu/about-wvu/wvu-facts|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=May 23, 2019}}</ref>

The university has produced 25 Truman Scholars, 47 Goldwater Scholars, 88 Gilman Scholars, and 70 Fulbright Scholars. 25 Rhodes Scholars are WVU alumni, including former WVU president David C. Hardesty,&nbsp;Jr.<ref name="Academic Excellence at WVU" />

In the summer and fall of 2023, WVU instituted a program of "academic transformation" that resulted in widespread criticism from national media, including ''Forbes'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Salzberg |first=Steven |title=West Virginia Says It’s Too Poor To Support Its Only Major University |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2023/08/21/west-virginia-says-its-too-poor-to-support-its-only-major-university/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> the ''Nation'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Corrigan |first=Lisa M. |date=2023-08-16 |title=The Evisceration of a Public University |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/society/wvu-cuts-higher-education/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |language=en-US |issn=0027-8378}}</ref> and the ''Atlantic'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Powell |first=Michael |date=2023-12-03 |title=What Happens When a Poor State Guts Its Public University |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/12/class-war-west-virignia-university/676152/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> with the last decrying "the destruction of dozens of majors and careers at WVU." The ''Nation'' summed up much of the prevailing mood: "West Virginia University is being gutted, and it’s a preview for what’s in store for higher education."

==History==
[[File:WVU Cadet Corps.jpg|thumb|left|WVU's Cadet Corps, c.&nbsp;1880, from the site of where Oglebay Hall is today, Martin Hall (center) and Woodburn Hall (right) are in the background.]]

===Establishment===
Under the terms of the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, the West Virginia Legislature created the '''Agricultural College of West Virginia''' on February 7, 1867, and the school officially opened on September 2 of the same year.<ref>{{cite book|last=Doherty|first=William T.|author2=Festus P. Summers|title=West Virginia University: Symbol of Unity in a Sectionalized State
|publisher=West Virginia University Press|year=1982|page=8|isbn=0-937058-16-5}}</ref><ref name="MWP">{{cite news|title= West Virginia College|newspaper= Morgantown Weekly Post
|date=August 10, 1867|url=http://www.wvculture.org/history/education/wvu01.html|access-date=August 16, 2010}}</ref> On December 4, 1868, lawmakers renamed the college West Virginia University to represent a broader range of higher education.<ref>{{cite book|last=Doherty|first=William T.|author2=Festus P. Summers|title=West Virginia University: Symbol of Unity in a Sectionalized State |publisher=West Virginia University Press|year=1982|page=11|isbn=0-937058-16-5}}</ref> It built on the grounds of three former academies, the Monongalia Academy of 1814, the Morgantown Female Academy of 1831, and Woodburn Female Seminary of 1858.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://monongalia.ext.wvu.edu/about_monongalia_county |title=About Monongalia County |publisher=WVU Extension Services |access-date=August 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202090003/http://monongalia.ext.wvu.edu/about_monongalia_county |archive-date=February 2, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Upon its founding, the local newspaper claimed that "a place more eligible for the quiet and successful pursuit of science and literature is nowhere to be found".<ref name="MWP" />

The first campus building was constructed in 1870 as University Hall and was renamed Martin Hall in 1889 in honor of West Virginia University's first president, the Rev. Alexander Martin of Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://journalism.wvu.edu/about_us/about_martin_hall|title=A Brief History of Marin Hall|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 17, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831152605/http://journalism.wvu.edu/about_us/about_martin_hall|archive-date=August 31, 2010}}</ref> After a fire destroyed the Woodburn Seminary building in 1873, the centerpiece of what is now Woodburn Hall was completed in 1876, under the name New Hall. The name was changed to University Building in 1878 when the College of Law was founded as the first professional school in the state of West Virginia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://law.wvu.edu/about_us/deans_message/history|title=WVU College of Law History|publisher=WVU College of Law|access-date=August 18, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820015539/http://law.wvu.edu/about_us/deans_message/history|archive-date=August 20, 2010}}</ref> The precursor to Woodburn Circle was finished in 1893 when Chitwood Hall (then Science Hall) was constructed on the bluff's north side. In 1909 a north wing was added to University Building, and the facility was renamed Woodburn Hall. Throughout the next decade, Woodburn Hall underwent several renovations and additions, including the construction of the south wing and east tower (in 1930) housing the Seth Thomas clock.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/fall2001/htmlfiles/woodburn.html|title=Woodburn Hall, WVU's Historic Centerpiece|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 17, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719062631/http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/fall2001/htmlfiles/woodburn.html|archive-date=July 19, 2011}}</ref> The three Woodburn Circle buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="dhr">{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/monongalia/74002014.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Woodburn Circle|date=February 1974|access-date=August 18, 2011|author1=George A. Smyth|author2=Ted McGee|author3=James E. Harding|name-list-style=amp|publisher=State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation}}</ref> In 1899, the Vance Farm was acquired for the West Virginia University Experiment Station. The Reymann Memorial Farm was given to West Virginia University in 1917 by the family of Anton Reymann of Wheeling in memory of Lawrence A. Reymann. The farm consisting of 990 acres located in Wardensville in Hardy County, comes until the Davis College of Agriculture.<ref name="dhr6">{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/monongalia/91001731.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Vance Farmhouse|date=January 1991|access-date=August 18, 2011|author=Lee R. Maddex|publisher=State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation}}</ref>

WVU was required to have a Cadet Corps under the terms of the Morrill Act of 1862, which allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges. The United States Department of War—a predecessor of the U.S.&nbsp;Department of Defense—offered military equipment to the university at no charge, forming the basis of the school's Military Tactics department. The heavy military influence led to opposition of female enrollment that lasted through the first decade of the university.<ref name="WVU HIST">{{cite web|url=http://wvuhistory.wvu.edu/historyofwvu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127130337/http://wvuhistory.wvu.edu/historyofwvu|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 27, 2007|title=West Virginia University: 1867–2003|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 17, 2010}}</ref> The trend changed in 1889 when ten women were allowed to enroll and seek degrees at the university. In June 1891, Harriet Lyon became the first (white) woman to receive a degree from West Virginia University, finishing first in the class ahead of all male students.<ref name="WVU HIST" /> Lyon's academic success supported the acceptance of women in the university as students and educators.<ref>{{cite book|author=WVU Student Government|title=Dream Big, Dream Here|publisher=Tapestry Press|year=2007|chapter=8|isbn=978-1-59830-150-2}}</ref>

[[File:WV football team 1891.jpg|thumb|right|West Virginia University's first football team, formed in 1891]]
During the university's early years, daily chapel services and roll call for all students were mandatory, limiting time for student recreation. Following the removal of these obligations, students became active in extracurricular activities and established many of the school's first athletic and student organizations. The first edition of the student newspaper known as the ''Athenaeum'', now ''The Daily Athenaeum'', was published in 1887, and the ''West Virginia Law Review'' became the fourth-oldest law review in the United States when it was founded in 1894. In 1897, E. Eva Hubbard (1858-1947) became the first head of WVU's new Department of Art.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Portrait of Eva Hubbard |url=https://wvhistoryonview.org/catalog/037180 |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=West Virginia and Regional History Center On-View}}</ref> Of Hubbard's students was renowned Modernist Blanche Lazzell.<ref name=":0" /> Phi Kappa Psi was the first fraternity on campus, founded May 23, 1890, while Kappa Delta, the first sorority at WVU, was established in 1899.<ref name="WVU HIST" /> The first football team was formed in 1891, and the first basketball team appeared in 1903.<ref name="Sports Hist">{{cite web|url=http://sportsintegration.wvu.edu/index.html|title=A History of the Integration of Sports at WVU|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 17, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831010953/http://sportsintegration.wvu.edu/index.html|archive-date=August 31, 2010}}</ref>

===Early 20th century===
[[File:Boyd Arnold Mascot.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Boyd "Slim" Arnold, the first Mountaineer mascot to don the traditional buckskin uniform. His selection in 1937 marked the beginning of an official process to name the mascot annually.]]
The university's outlook at the turn of the 20th century was optimistic, as the school constructed the first library in present-day Stewart Hall in 1902.<ref name="dhr1">{{cite web|url=http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/monongalia/80004034.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Stewart Hall|date=March 1980 |access-date=August 18, 2011|author=Rodney S. Collins|publisher=State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation}}</ref>

The campus welcomed U.S. President William Howard Taft to the campus for WVU President Thomas Hodges's inauguration in 1911.<ref name="WVU HIST" /> On November 2, 1911, President Taft delivered the address "World Wide Speech", from the front porch of Purinton House.<ref name="dhr2">{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/monongalia/85003206.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Purinton House|date=July 1985|access-date=August 18, 2011 |author=Randall Gooden|publisher=State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation}}</ref> However, the university's efforts to attract more qualified educators, increase enrollment, and expand the campus was hindered during a period that saw two [[Social:World war|World Wars]] and the [[Finance:Great Depression|Great Depression]]. With a heavy military influence in the university, many students left college to join the army during World War&nbsp;I, and the local ROTC was organized in 1916.<ref name="WVU Timeline">{{cite web|url=http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/winter2000/html%20files/yearbyyear.html|title=WVU Year-by-Year|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 19, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627064613/http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/winter2000/html%20files/yearbyyear.html|archive-date=June 27, 2010}}</ref> Women's involvement in the war efforts at home led to the creation of Women's Hall dormitory, now Stalnaker Hall, in 1918.<ref name="dhr3">{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/monongalia/85003205.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Stalnaker Hall|date=July 1985|access-date=August 18, 2011 |author=Randall Gooden|publisher=State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation}}</ref>

Despite its wartime struggles, the university established programs in [[Biology:Biology|biology]], [[Medicine:Medicine|medicine]], journalism, [[Chemistry:Pharmacy|pharmacy]], and the first [[Engineering:Mining engineering|mining]] program in the nation. In 1918, Oglebay Hall was built to house the expanded [[Earth:Agriculture|agriculture]] and forestry programs.<ref name="WVU Timeline" /> Additionally, the first dedicated sports facilities were constructed including "The Ark" for basketball in 1918, and the original Mountaineer Field in 1925. Stansbury Hall was built in 1928 and included a new basketball arena named "The Fieldhouse" that held 6,000 spectators.<ref name="WVU BB">{{cite book|author=Bill Bradley|title=ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game|publisher=ESPN|year=2009|page=36|isbn=978-0-345-51392-2}}</ref> Elizabeth Moore Hall, the woman's physical education building, was also completed in 1928.<ref name="dhr4">{{cite web|url=http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/monongalia/85003208.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Elizabeth Moore Hall|date=July 1985 |access-date=August 18, 2011|author=Randall Gooden|publisher=State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation}}</ref> Men's Hall, the first dormitory built for men on campus, was built in 1935 and was funded in part by the Works Progress Administration.<ref name="dhr5">{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/monongalia/89002309.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Men's Hall|date=January 1989|access-date=August 18, 2011 |author1=Stanley Bumgardner|author2=Barbara J. Howe |name-list-style=amp|publisher=State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation}}</ref>
The Mountaineer mascot was adopted during the late 1920s, with an unofficial process to select the Mountaineer through 1936. An official selection process began naming the mascot annually in 1937, with Boyd "Slim" Arnold becoming the first Mountaineer to wear the buckskin uniform.<ref name="Mascot">{{cite web|url=http://msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?section=9614|title=The Mountaineer|publisher=MSN Sports|access-date=August 19, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714130110/http://msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?section=9614|archive-date=July 14, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

As male students left for World War&nbsp;II in 1941–42, women became more prominent in the university and surpassed the number of males on campus for the first time in 1943.<ref name="WVU HIST" /> Soldiers returning from the war qualified for the G.I. Bill and helped increase enrollment to over 8,000 students for the first time, but the university's facilities were becoming inadequate to accommodate the surging student population.

===Campus expansion===
[[File:WVU Evansdale Campus.jpg|thumb|right|A view of the Evansdale campus and many new facilities constructed around 1970, including the iconic WVU Coliseum]]
Preparation for the baby boomer generation and plans for curriculum expansion led to the purchase of land for the Evansdale and Medical campuses. The growth of downtown Morgantown limited the space available on the original campus; therefore, the new site was nearly two miles north on what had been farmland.<ref name="WVU HIST" /> Beginning in the late 1950s the university experienced the most rapid period of growth in its history. In 1957, WVU opened a Medical Center on the new campus and founded the first school of dentistry in West Virginia. The basketball program reached a new level of success when the university admitted future 14‑time NBA All-Star and Hall of Fame player Jerry West, who led the team to the national championship game in 1959.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/west_bio.html|title=NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition
|publisher=ESPN|access-date=August 20, 2010}}</ref> As enrollment approached 14,000 in the 1960s, the university continued expansion plans by building the Evansdale Residential Complex to house approximately 1,800 students, the Mountainlair student union, and several engineering and creative arts facilities on the Evansdale campus. In 1970 the WVU Coliseum, a basketball facility with a capacity of 14,000, opened near the new campus.<ref name="WVU BB" /> As the facilities expanded, the university researched ways to move its growing student population across the split campuses and to solve its worsening traffic congestion. The resulting Personal Rapid Transit system opened in 1973 as the world's first automated rapid transit system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.progressiveengineer.com/PEWebBackissues2002/PEWeb%2024%20Mar%2002-2/PRT.htm|title=Still in a Class of Its Own|publisher=Progressive Engineer|access-date=August 20, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719092559/http://www.progressiveengineer.com/PEWebBackissues2002/PEWeb%2024%20Mar%2002-2/PRT.htm|archive-date=July 19, 2011}}</ref>

===Post-expansion and 21st century===
[[File:Woodburn hall wvu.jpg|thumb|Woodburn Hall is one of the oldest buildings at West Virginia University and has long been a symbol of the university.]]
The student population continued to grow in the late 1970s, reaching 22,000. With no room for growth on the downtown campus, the football stadium was closed, and the new Mountaineer Field was opened near the Medical campus on September 6, 1980. Mountaineer Field would later be named Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium.<ref name="WVU Timeline" /> After an $8&nbsp;million donation to the university, Ruby Memorial Hospital opened on the Medical campus in 1988, providing the state's first level-one trauma center. Early the next year, the undefeated Mountaineer football team, led by Major Harris, made it to the national championship game before losing to Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

During the 1990s the university developed several recreational activities for students, including FallFest and WVU "Up All Night". While the programs were created to provide safe entertainment for students and to combat WVU's inclusion as one of the nation's top party schools,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brandonsun.com/world/breaking-news/list-of-top-party-schools-by-princeton-review-99770794.html?thx+y|title=List of Party Schools By Princeton Review|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=August 13, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> they also garnered national attention as solutions for reducing alcohol consumption and partying on college campuses across the country.<ref name="WVU UAN">{{cite web |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/education-training/students-student-life/14364607-1.html|title=WVU officials say program worth the cost|publisher=Charleston Daily Mail|access-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/fall98/alcohol.html Party Response] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928222613/http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/fall98/alcohol.html |date=September 28, 2011 }}</ref> In 2001, a $34 million, {{convert|177000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} recreation facility opened on the Evansdale campus, providing students with exercise facilities, recreational activities, and personal training programs.<ref name="REC">{{cite news|url=http://www.facilityplanners.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/3949|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710215649/http://www.facilityplanners.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/3949|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 10, 2011|title=Amazing New Rec Center|newspaper=Charleston Gazette|access-date=August 13, 2010}}</ref>

WVU reached a new level of athletic success to start the new millennium. The football team featured a 3‑0 BCS&nbsp;bowl record, ten consecutive bowl game appearances, a #1&nbsp;ranking in the ''USA Today'' Coaches' Poll, three consecutive 11‑win seasons amassing a 33–5 record, 41 consecutive weeks in the top&nbsp;25, and 6 conference championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?sport=football&show=65|title=A Championship Program|publisher=MSN Sports Net|access-date=August 20, 2010|archive-date=February 16, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216175407/http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?sport=football&show=65|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings/_/year/2007/week/14|title=2007 NCAA Football Rankings – Week 14 (November 25)|publisher=ESPN/AP
|access-date=August 20, 2010}}</ref> The men's basketball team won the 2007 NIT Championship and the 2010 Big East championship, while appearing four times in the sweet sixteen, twice in the elite-eight, and once in the final-four of the NCAA tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?sport=mbball&show=25|title=2007 NIT Champions|publisher=NIT|access-date=August 20, 2010|archive-date=March 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303135621/http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?sport=mbball&show=25|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nit.org/sports/m-nit/recaps/032907aaa.html|title=Tradition of Champions|publisher=MSN Sports Net|access-date=August 20, 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322115106/http://www.nit.org/sports/m-nit/recaps/032907aaa.html|archive-date=March 22, 2009 }}</ref> The athletic successes brought the university a new level of national exposure, and enrollment has since increased to nearly 30,000 students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2009/8/26/7986|title=WVU set record fall enrollment|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 20, 2010}}</ref>

On April 24, 2008, the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' reported the university had improperly granted an MBA to Heather Bresch, the daughter of the state's governor Joe Manchin and an employee of Mylan, a pharmaceutical company whose then-chairman Milan Puskar was one of the university's largest donors.<ref>Ian Urbina, [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/us/22heather.html?_r=1 "University Investigates Whether Governor's Daughter Earned Degree"], ''New York Times'', January 22, 2008</ref> In the aftermath, the university determined Bresch's degree had been awarded without the prerequisite requirements having been met. They subsequently rescinded it, leading to the resignation of the president Michael Garrison, provost Gerald Lang, and business school dean Steve Sears. Garrison had been profiled as a trend toward non-traditional university presidents by the ''Chronicle of Higher Education''<ref>{{cite news|last=Fain|first=Paul|title=The Lobbyist as President|url=http://chronicle.com/article/The-Lobbyist-as-President/10502|access-date=September 20, 2012|newspaper=Chronicle of Higher Education|date=February 15, 2008}}</ref> and ''Inside Higher&nbsp;Ed'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Redden|first=Elizabeth|title=The Nontraditional President |url=http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/03/14/nontraditional|access-date=September 20, 2012|newspaper=Inside Higher Ed|date=March 14, 2008}}</ref> but the Faculty Senate approved a vote of no confidence in the search that selected him.<ref>[http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=28841 ''Daily Athenaeum'' (May 23, 2007): "Faculty Senate votes 'no confidence'", by Tricia Fulks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111223755/http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=28841 |date=November 11, 2007 }}</ref> C.&nbsp;Peter McGrath was named interim president in August 2008.<ref name="WVU Admin">{{cite web|url=http://president.wvu.edu/|title=WVU Admin|access-date=October 17, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215121108/http://president.wvu.edu/|archive-date=December 15, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> James P. Clements became WVU's 23rd president on June 30, 2009. He had previously served as provost at [[Organization:Towson University|Towson University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wvgazette.com/ap/ApTopStories/200906300058|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324091644/http://wvgazette.com/ap/ApTopStories/200906300058|url-status=dead|title=WVU's 23rd president officially takes reins|archive-date=March 24, 2012}}</ref> On September 16, 2009, Michele G. Wheatly was named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2009/09/16/wheatly-named-provost-at-wvu|title=Wheatly named Provost at WVU|work=WVUToday|access-date=October 17, 2014}}</ref> In November 2013, James P. Clements was selected to be Clemson University's 15th president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2013/11/11/james-p-clements-named-president-of-clemson-university|title=James P. Clements named president of Clemson University|work=WVUToday|access-date=November 27, 2014}}</ref> E. Gordon Gee served as interim president and continues to serve as the president; this was Dr. Gee's second time in this role, having first served as president of WVU in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2013/12/10/welcome-back-gee-wvu-community-greets-returning-president-with-open-arms|title=Welcome back, Gee: WVU community greets returning president with open arms|work=WVUToday|access-date=November 27, 2014}}</ref>

On August 11, 2023, facing financial difficulties, a proposal to cut 7% of the university's faculty and eliminate 32 major programs offered at its Morgantown campus was announced. These cuts will affect some humanities disciplines, including the entire Department of  World Language, Literature and Linguistics, as well as some non-humanities programs, such as in pharmacy and engineering.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/tenure/2023/08/11/wvu-proposes-cutting-7-flagship-campus-faculty-all-languages |title=West Virginia U Plans to Cut 7% of Faculty, All Languages |date=August 11, 2023 |last=Quinn |first=Ryan |access-date=August 12, 2023 |website=Inside Higher Ed}}</ref> Within the first week of fall classes, on August 21, 2023, hundreds of students staged a walkout and held rallies on Morgantown's Downtown and Evansdale campuses to show opposition to the proposal. Participants wore red in honor of the striking coal miners who fought in the Battle of Blair Mountain. The event was organized by the West Virginia United Students' Union,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-21 |title=West Virginia University students push back on program and faculty cuts after $45M budget shortfall |url=https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-university-student-walkout-education-cuts-c17cd1c7118b6b3740fb4b8d40f14f56 |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> which began organizing in response to potential reductions and discontinuations while the program reviews were still in process.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Post |first=Erin Cleavenger, The Dominion |date=2023-08-21 |title=Students' demands made clear during walk-out |url=https://www.dominionpost.com/2023/08/21/students-demands-made-clear-during-walk-out/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=Dominion Post |language=en-US}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, the WVU Faculty Assembly approved a vote of "no confidence" in President Gordon Gee.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nietzel |first=Michael T. |date=2023-09-07 |title=West Virginia University Faculty Vote No Confidence In President Gee |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2023/09/06/west-virginia-university-faculty-vote-no-confidence-in-president-gee/?sh=2adfc320e223 |access-date=2023-08-30 |website={{wipe|Forbes}} |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Academics==

===Rankings===
{{Infobox US university ranking
<!-- U.S. rankings -->| ARWU_NU = 117–137
| ARWU_W = 401–500
| USNWR_NU = 205
| USNWR_W = 568
| THE_WSJ = 401–500
| Wamo_NU = 169
| Forbes = 340
| QS_W = 801–1000
}}
WVU is [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|classified]] among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".<ref>{{cite web |title=Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup |url=https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=238032 |publisher=Center for Postsecondary Education |website=carnegieclassifications.iu.edu |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="AboutWVU">{{Cite web|title=About WVU|url=http://about.wvu.edu/wvu-facts|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=July 21, 2020}}</ref> According to the [[Organization:National Science Foundation|National Science Foundation]], WVU spent $185.1 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 121st in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Table 20. Higher education R&D expenditures, ranked by FY 2018 R&D expenditures: FYs 2009–18 |url=https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/herd/2018/html/herd18-dt-tab020.html |website=ncsesdata.nsf.gov |publisher=[[Organization:National Science Foundation|National Science Foundation]] |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref> WVU is affiliated with the Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, dedicated to the study of Alzheimer's and other diseases that affect the brain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brni.org/ |title=Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute – Home |author=Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute|date=June 7, 2015}}</ref> WVU is also a leader in biometric technology research and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's lead academic partner in biometrics research.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703376504575491704156387646?mod=WSJ_article_RecentColumns_PathtoProfession|title=Wall Street Journal Employer Rankings By Major |newspaper=Wall Street Journal|access-date=September 17, 2010 |date=September 14, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703369704575462023026245534?mod=WSJ_article_RecentColumns_PathtoProfession|title=Wall Street Journal Employer Rankings: The Next Twenty|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|access-date=September 17, 2010 |date=September 13, 2010}}</ref>

===Admissions===
Freshman West Virginia resident applicants must have a 2.0 GPA and either an SAT super score of 990 of 1600 or an ACT super score of 19 of 36. For non-residents the requirements are a GPA of 2.5 and either a super score SAT 1060 or a super score ACT of 21. College and program admission requirements for first-time freshmen vary by program.<ref>{{cite web |title=Admission Requirements |url=https://admissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply/first-time-freshmen/admission-requirements#anchor-coeahs |website=admissionswvu.edu |publisher=West Virginia University |access-date=5 September 2019}}</ref> The general freshman acceptance rate at WVU is 71.9% of applications received with an average entering student GPA of 3.42, an SAT super score of 1115 of 1600, and an ACT super score of 24 of 36.<ref>{{cite web |title=WVU Requirements for Admission |url=https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/WVU-admission-requirements |website=prepscholar.com |publisher=PrepScholar |access-date=5 September 2019}}</ref>

In the fall of 2020, the university relaxed its test score requirements for students applying for admission in response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to WVU assistant vice president of Enrollment Management George Zimmerman, if students are unable to take the SAT or ACT, they will still be admitted to WVU as long as they have shown academic ability in other areas of their application. The policy is said to be in effect until spring 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-26|title=West Virginia University extends policy on admission tests|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/West-Virginia-University-extends-policy-on-16128700.php|access-date=2021-04-28|website=San Francisco Chronicle|language=en-US|archive-date=April 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428103050/https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/West-Virginia-University-extends-policy-on-16128700.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Colleges and schools===
[[File:woodburn-circle-aerial.jpg|thumb|right|Woodburn Circle on the downtown campus – Martin Hall (top), Woodburn Hall (right), Chitwood Hall (bottom)]]

West Virginia University is organized into 15&nbsp;degree-granting colleges or schools and also offers an Honors College.
*Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Design
*Eberly College of Arts & Sciences
*John Chambers College of Business & Economics
*College of Creative Arts
*Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering & Mineral Resources
*College of Education & Human Services
*Reed College of Media
*[[Organization:West Virginia University College of Law|College of Law]]
*School of Dentistry
*School of Medicine
*School of Nursing
*School of Pharmacy
*School of Public Health
*College of Physical Activity & Sport Sciences
*University College
*Honors College

===Divisional campuses===
[[File:StalnakerHallWVU2008.jpg|thumb|right|Stalnaker Hall is the oldest residence hall on campus.<ref name="Stalnaker">{{cite web |url=http://stalnaker.housing.wvu.edu/ |title=Stalnaker Hall |publisher=West Virginia University |access-date=February 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219002957/http://stalnaker.housing.wvu.edu/ |archive-date=February 19, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>]]
WVU has two divisional campuses:
*[[Organization:Potomac State College of West Virginia University|Potomac State College of West Virginia University]] in Keyser
*[[Organization:West Virginia University Institute of Technology|West Virginia University Institute of Technology]] in Beckley

[[Organization:West Virginia University at Parkersburg|West Virginia University at Parkersburg]], a primarily 2-year school, was a regional campus of WVU but has been independent since 2009.<ref name="WVUP Relationship">{{cite web|title=FAQs about WVU Relationship|url=http://www.wvup.edu/about/about-wvu-parkersburg/faqs-about-wvu-relationship/|publisher=[[Organization:West Virginia University at Parkersburg|West Virginia University at Parkersburg]]|access-date=April 2, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410194808/http://www.wvup.edu/about/about-wvu-parkersburg/faqs-about-wvu-relationship/|archive-date=April 10, 2015}}</ref>

===Areas of study===
[[File:WVU SRR14.jpg|thumb|The 2014 WVU Robotics Team won the NASA Centennial Challenge (NASA/Joel Kowsky)]]
Forensics and Investigative Science is a nationally recognized{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} program at WVU, originally created through a partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The program is accredited by the [[Organization:American Academy of Forensic Sciences|American Academy of Forensic Sciences]] and is the official library holdings repository for the [[Organization:International Association for Identification|International Association for Identification]]. The program includes three main areas of emphasis, the examiner track, which specializes in crime scene investigation and comparison sciences, the biology track, which specializes in body fluids and DNA analysis, and the chemistry track, which specializes in the chemical identification of seized drugs, fire debris, trace evidence and explosives. Facilities include four "crime-scene" houses, a vehicle processing garage, a ballistics laboratory, and numerous traditional laboratories and classrooms in Ming Hsieh Hall and Oglebay Hall. A separate Criminology & Investigative Sciences major was later added to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Business and Economics also provides a certificate in forensic accounting and fraud examination.

WVU robotics teams have won several international competitions such as the NASA Robotic Mining Competition and the NASA/NIA RASC-AL Exploration Robot-OPS Challenge. In 2016, a WVU team<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www2.statler.wvu.edu/~irl/page34.html|title=NASA_Challenge|website=www2.statler.wvu.edu|access-date=September 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702000921/http://www2.statler.wvu.edu/~irl/page34.html|archive-date=July 2, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> led by Dr. Yu Gu won the final NASA Sample Return Robot Centennial Challenge with a $750,000 prize.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/feature/2016_sample_return_robot_challenge_award.html|title=NASA Awards $750K in Sample Return Robot Challenge|last=Hall|first=Loura|date=September 8, 2016|access-date=September 29, 2016}}</ref>

[[Biometrics]] is an engineering-centric field of study offered at WVU, the first institution in the world to establish a Bachelor of Science degree in Biometric Systems. In 2003 the university also founded the initial chapter of the Student Society for the Advancement of Biometrics (SSAB).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csee.wvu.edu/ssab/|title=SSAB WVU Chapter|access-date=October 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208214520/http://www.csee.wvu.edu/ssab/|archive-date=December 8, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The program, in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (LCSEE), provides a firm understanding of the underlying [[Electrical engineering|electrical engineering]] and [[Computer engineering|computer engineering]] disciplines that support biometric applications. On February 6, 2008, WVU became the national academic leader for the FBI's biometric research.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/west-virginia-university-named-national-leader-for-fbi-biometrics-research|title=FBI Press|work=FBI|access-date=October 17, 2014}}</ref> WVU is also the founding site for the Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR), focusing on biometrics and [[Digital identity|identification technology]]. CITeR maintains and develops collaborative relationships with other academic institutions to meet research needs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citer.wvu.edu/|title=CITeR|access-date=October 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017042137/http://www.citer.wvu.edu/|archive-date=October 17, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[File:rubyHSC.jpg|thumb|Health Sciences Campus]]
The Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center is on West Virginia University's Evansdale Campus and houses the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. These schools grant doctoral and professional degrees in 16 different fields, as well as a variety of other Master's and Bachelor's degrees.<ref name="Majors">{{cite web |url=http://www.wvu.edu/majors/index.html|title=Majors Listed by College & School|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=November 24, 2008}}</ref> For 2012 ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked WVU's Medical School ninth in the United States for rural medicine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/med/rural|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218115200/http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/med/rural|url-status=dead|title=usnews.com: Medical Specialty Rankings: Rural medicine|archive-date=December 18, 2008}}</ref>

Also on the Health Sciences Campus is WVU's local teaching hospital, Ruby Memorial Hospital, which is one of only two designated Trauma&nbsp;I hospitals in the state.

==Campus==
[[File:Stewart Hall.JPG|thumb|right|Stewart Hall is home to university administration and is one of the multiple campus buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.]]

The Morgantown campus comprises three sub-campuses. The original main campus, typically called the Downtown Campus, is in the Monongahela River valley on the fringes of downtown Morgantown. This part of the campus includes eight academic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Downtown Campus comprises several architectural styles predominantly featuring red brick including Victorian Second Empire, Federal, Neoclassical, and Collegiate Gothic among others. The Evansdale Campus, a mile and a half north-northwest, on a rise above the flood plain of the Monongahela River, was developed in the 1950s and 1960s to accommodate a growing student population since space for expansion was limited at the Downtown Campus. The Health Sciences Campus, in the same outlying area (but on the other side of a ridge), includes the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, the Erma Byrd Biomedical Research Facility, Ruby Memorial Hospital, Chestnut Ridge Hospital, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, WVU Healthcare Physicians Office Center, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, WVU Eye Institute, and the WVU Children's Hospital.

The Health Sciences Campus is near Mountaineer Field, over a ridge from the Evansdale Campus.

===Transportation===
[[File:Morgantown PRT - Beechurst Station.jpg|thumb|The PRT shuttles students to and from WVU's Health Sciences, Evansdale, and Downtown Campuses.]]
Due to the distance between WVU's three campuses, the university built the innovative Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system to link the campuses (Downtown, Evansdale, and Health Sciences) and reduce student traffic on local highways. [[Company:Boeing|Boeing]] began construction on the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system in 1972. The unique aspect that makes the system "personal" is that a rider specifies their destination when entering the system and, depending on the system load, the PRT can dispatch a car that will travel directly to that station.

The PRT began operation in 1973, with U.S. President Richard Nixon's daughter, Tricia, aboard one of five prototype cars for a demonstration ride.<ref name="prt">{{cite web|url=http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/news/page/4104/|title=WVU News and Information Services (July 13, 2004 press release): "WVU PRT Station to Bear Name of People-Mover's Creator"|work=WVUToday|access-date=October 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111224014/http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/news/page/4104/|archive-date=November 11, 2007|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The PRT handles 16,000 riders per day ({{as of|2005|lc=y}}) and uses approximately 70&nbsp;cars.

The system has {{convert|8.7|mi}} of guideway track and five stations: Walnut, Beechurst, Engineering, Towers, and Medical/Health Sciences. The vehicles are rubber-tired, but the cars have constant contact with a separate electrified rail. [[Physics:Steam|Steam]] heating keeps the elevated guideway free of snow and ice. Although most students use the PRT, this technology has not been replicated at other sites for various reasons, including the high cost of maintaining the heated track system in winter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/history.htm|title=Some Lessons from the History of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT)|publisher=University of Washington|access-date=August 25, 2010}}</ref>

The PRT cars are painted in school colors (blue with gold trim) and feature the university name and logo on the front. Inside, the seats are light beige [[Chemistry:Fiberglass|fiberglass]] and the carpeting is blue. Each car has eight seats with an overall capacity of 20 people, including standing room.

The National Society of Professional Engineers named the WVU PRT one of the top 10 engineering achievements of 1972,<ref name="prt" /> and in 1997 ''The New Electric Railway Journal'' picked the WVU PRT as the best people mover in North America (for 1996).<ref name="best people mover">"Rating the Rails" (annual performance-ratings feature by transit mode), ''The New Electric Railway Journal'', Spring 1997, p. 30.</ref>

In 2006 the U.S.&nbsp;Department of Transportation and U.S.&nbsp;Environmental Protection Agency dubbed WVU one of the best workplaces for commuters.<ref>[http://www.nis.wvu.edu/2006/workplace_award.htm "WVU Named One of 'Best Workplaces' for Commuters by EPA, DOT] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630142417/http://www.nis.wvu.edu/2006/workplace_award.htm |date=June 30, 2007 }}</ref>

Each autumn, during Mountaineer Week celebrations, a special PRT car is placed in front of the Mountainlair student union where groups of students participate in the "PRT Cram" with the objective of squeezing in as many people as possible. A record of 97 was set in 2000.<ref name="wolfe2005">{{cite news|first=Billy|last=Wolfe|title=PRT Cram|date=November 1, 2005|url=http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=19842|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111223745/http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=19842|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 11, 2007|work=The Daily Athenaeum|access-date=November 6, 2007}}</ref>

The PRT has become a cultural mainstay of the WVU campus. However, it is not without problems. One student was seriously injured in 2020 when a boulder collapsed onto the track, smashing a cart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedaonline.com/news/university/student-injured-in-prt-boulder-collision-speaks-out/article_79a105fa-5111-11ea-a60c-47e6a5f75987.html|title = Student injured in PRT-boulder collision speaks out| date=February 16, 2020 }}</ref> Two more students had to be transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedaonline.com/news/three-transported-to-hospital-after-boulder-strikes-car-prt/article_e85a1528-4c51-11ea-8a48-43c736a00755.html|title = Three transported to hospital after boulder strikes car, PRT| date=February 10, 2020 }}</ref>

===Libraries===
[[File:Downtown library.jpg|thumb|right|Wise Library on the downtown campus is West Virginia University's main library.]]
The West Virginia University Libraries encompasses seven libraries and the WVU Press, including the Downtown Campus Library, Evansdale Library, Health Sciences Library (Morgantown), Law Library, Health Sciences Library (Charleston), the Mary F. Shipper Library at Potomac State College in Keyser, the Beckley Library at the WVU Institute of Technology, and the West Virginia and Regional History Center (the world's largest collection of West Virginia-related research material), is in the Wise Library on the Downtown Campus.<ref>{{cite web|title=About the WVU Libraries|url=https://library.wvu.edu/about/|website=West Virginia University Libraries|access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref> Collections include the Appalachian Collection, Digital Collections, Government Documents, Map Collection, Myers Collection, Patent and Trademarks, Rare Books Collections, and Theses and Dissertations. West Virginia University libraries contain nearly 1.5&nbsp;million printed volumes, 2.3&nbsp;million microforms, more than 10,000 electronic journals, and computers with high-speed Internet access.

The Evansdale Library supports the academic programs and research centered on the Evansdale Campus. The library holds materials in the disciplines of agriculture, art, computer science, education, engineering, forestry, landscape architecture, mineral resources, music, physical education, and theater.<ref>{{cite web|title=Evansdale Library|url=https://lib.wvu.edu/evansdale/|website=West Virginia University Libraries|access-date=January 13, 2016}}</ref> In addition to the collections, Evansdale Library is home to da Vinci's Cafe,<ref>{{cite web|title=West Virginia University Dining Services|url=http://diningservices.wvu.edu/locations/coffee-shops/da-vinci-s|website=Da Vinci's|publisher=West Virginia University Dining Services|access-date=January 13, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127133937/http://diningservices.wvu.edu/locations/coffee-shops/da-vinci-s|archive-date=January 27, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> an Information Technology Services Big Prints! poster printing lab,<ref>{{cite web |title=Big Prints! |url=http://it.wvu.edu/services/labs/printing/bigprints |website=West Virginia University Information Technology Services |access-date=January 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127123210/http://it.wvu.edu/services/labs/printing/bigprints |archive-date=January 27, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and the Academic Innovation Teaching and Learning Commons Sandbox.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sandbox|url=http://tlcommons.wvu.edu/Sandbox/|website=West Virginia University Teaching and Learning Commons |access-date=January 13, 2016}}</ref>

The university co-publishes the ''Labor Studies Journal'' with the United Association for Labor Education.

===Core Arboretum===
The '''Core Arboretum''' is a 91-acre (37 ha) arboretum owned by West Virginia University and on Monongahela Boulevard in Morgantown, West Virginia. It is open to the public daily without charge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arboretum.wvu.edu/|title=Home &#124; Core Arboretum &#124; West Virginia University|website=arboretum.wvu.edu}}</ref>

The Arboretum's history began in 1948 when the university acquired its site. Professor Earl Lemley Core (1902-1984), chairman of the Biology Department, then convinced President Irvin Stewart to set the property aside for the study of biology and botany. In 1975 the Arboretum was named in Core's honor.

The Arboretum is now managed by the WVU Department of Biology and consists of mostly old-growth forests on steep hillside and Monongahela River floodplain. It includes densely wooded areas with 3.5 miles (5.6&nbsp;km) of walking trails, as well as 3 acres (12,000 m<sup>2</sup>) of lawn planted with specimen trees.

The Arboretum has a variety of natural habitats in which several hundred species of native WV trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants may be found. Some of the large trees are likely over 200 years old.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

===Campus safety===
The university created WVU Alert, a text-based alert system for quickly disseminating emergency situations to faculty, staff, and students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://emergency.wvu.edu
|title=WVU Emergency Information|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref> WVU also uses LiveSafe, a smart phone application that enables users to anonymously report crimes or safety concerns, or to use the walk safe feature which allows the user to invite a friend to monitor their location while they walk.<ref name="thedaonline.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedaonline.com/opinion/a-letter-from-upd-chief-roberts/article_119c6d00-65a6-11e6-a414-8ba9c6d6f12e.html|title=A letter from UPD Chief Roberts|website=The Daily Athenaeum - thedaonline|date=August 18, 2016 }}</ref> Additionally, there are 37, easily accessible, blue-lit towers housing emergency phones across the WVU campuses that automatically dial 911 in the event of an emergency.<ref name="WVU Police">{{cite web|url=http://police.wvu.edu/home/clery_report|title=WVU Police|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 12, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622010014/http://police.wvu.edu/home/clery_report|archive-date=June 22, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The West Virginia University Police Department (UPD) is the largest campus police department in the state and the only campus law enforcement agency in the state accredited by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2013/02/12/wvu-police-department-awarded-international-association-of-campus-law-enforcement-administrators-accreditation|title=WVU Police department awarded International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators Accreditation|work=WVUToday|access-date=October 17, 2014}}</ref> The UPD has a sworn officer operations division, a central communication unit, a student cadet unit, investigations, K-9 teams and other support services. Officers have the same authority and powers as city and county police officers.<ref name="thedaonline.com"/>

==Campus life==
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |title=College Scorecard: West Virginia University|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?238032-West-Virginia-University |publisher=United States Department of Education |access-date=May 8, 2022}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Social:Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|82|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| Other{{efn|Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:brown}}
|-
| Hispanic
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| Foreign national
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
| Black
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| Asian
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Social:Economic diversity|Economic diversity]]
|-
| Low-income{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|26|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| Affluent{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|74|%|2||background:black}}
|}

===Events===
FallFest welcomes students to the university by providing an evening of entertainment and musical performances traditionally held during the first week of the fall semester and traditionally at the Mountainlair Student Union.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2008/08/14/7034|title=Daughtry to headline WVU FallFest 2008|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date= August 12, 2010}}</ref> The event began in 1995 as a safe alternative to partying and has become one of the largest University-sponsored events, typically drawing crowds of 15,000 or more.<ref name="WVU A&E Concerts">{{cite web|url=http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=42748|title=WVU hosts annual back to school bash at the Mountainlair|publisher=WBOY|access-date=August 12, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225013221/http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=42748|archive-date=February 25, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The celebration has been highlighted by a series of evening concerts by renowned artists. A dance party, film festival, comedy show, and several indoor musical performances are also featured.

Mountaineer Week is a celebration of WVU tradition and Appalachian heritage that began in 1947.<ref name="WVU Mountaineer Week">{{cite web
|url=http://mountaineerweek.wvu.edu|title=WVU Mountaineer Week|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date= August 12, 2010}}</ref> Festivities have expanded to include competitions among WVU students, designed to honor school and state pride. A beard-growing competition introduced in 1949 has continued throughout the event's history. Participants must shave before the panel of judges that also chooses the winner at the end of the competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=70123|title=WVU's Beard Growing Contest|publisher=WBOY|access-date=August 12, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724224834/http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=70123|archive-date=July 24, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The Mr. and Ms.&nbsp;Mountaineer competition has been included in Mountaineer Week since 1962,
honoring one male and one female student who show "outstanding school spirit, academic excellence, and extracurricular involvement". The annual PRT Cram features the unique PRT system, where students compete to fit the maximum number of riders on a special-model PRT car with the windows removed. The record was set in 2000 when 97 students fit inside one PRT car.<ref name="WVU Mountaineer Week" />

The Lighting of Woodburn Hall is an annual university ceremony held in early December to light historic Woodburn Hall for the holiday season. The event began in 1987 and is open to the public. Christmas carols are typically sung and donations are taken at the event to support community organizations. Patients from WVU's Children's hospital are often selected to light the Hall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wboytv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=47818|title=WVU Lights Historic Woodburn Hall|publisher=WBOY|access-date=August 12, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902004931/http://wboytv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=47818|archive-date=September 2, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Fall Family Weekend is an opportunity for students' family members to experience WVU campus life by attending classes, athletic events, college presentations, and student events such as WVU "Up All Night". Tours of the campus facilities are offered by individual colleges and organizations,
including tours of the PRT.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://parentsclub.wvu.edu/r/download/40479|title=Mountaineer Parents Club Fall 2009|publisher=WVU Mountaineer Parents Club|access-date=August 12, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610112258/http://parentsclub.wvu.edu/r/download/40479|archive-date=June 10, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Homecoming weekend activities include the Alumni Band-led homecoming parade through downtown Morgantown, the crowning of the royalty, and a football game with a performance by the WVU Alumni band. Student organizations participate in the parade by designing floats. Receptions are held by colleges, student groups, and the alumni center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://homecoming.wvu.edu/|title=WVU homecoming|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date= August 12, 2010}}</ref>

Greek Week is held during the spring semester, providing a venue for competition between Greek organizations. Highlights include airband events, where organizations compete in cheerleading and dance routines, and sports competitions on the Mountainlair recreational field. The competitions strive to highlight WVU's student spirit and present a positive image of the fraternities and sororities.<ref name="WVU Fraternities">{{cite web|url=http://www.wvufraternityrecruitment.org|title=WVU Fraternity Recruitment|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203200758/http://www.wvufraternityrecruitment.org/|archive-date=February 3, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Recreation===
[[File:MountainlairWVU2008.jpg|thumb|The Mountainlair Student Union on WVU's downtown campus.]]
The Mountainlair Student Union, commonly called "the Lair" by students, is the three-floor student union building at WVU. The building dates to 1968 and replaced an earlier structure built in 1948.<ref name="WVUAlumniMagazine">{{cite journal|last=Zeller|first=Karen|date=Summer 1998|title=Mountainlair Turns 50|journal=West Virginia University Alumni Magazine.|publisher=West Virginia University|volume=21|issue=2|url=http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/sum98/mountain.html|access-date=November 12, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828011657/http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/sum98/mountain.html|archive-date=August 28, 2008}}</ref> The student union offers many recreational opportunities to students including a movie theater, bowling alley, pool hall, ballrooms, video game arcade, a cafeteria-style restaurant, and a collection of fast food restaurants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mountainlair.wvu.edu|title=The Lair|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref>

The Student Recreation Center is a {{convert|177000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} recreation facility that opened before the 2001 academic year with an initial construction cost of $34&nbsp;million.<ref name="REC"/> The facility offers a six-lane swimming pool, 20‑seat spa, {{convert|17000|sqft|m2}} of cardio and free-weight equipment, an elevated running track, basketball courts,
volleyball and badminton courts, glass squash and racquetball courts, and a {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}} climbing wall.<ref name="WVU Rec Center">{{cite web|url=http://studentreccenter.wvu.edu/about_the_rec_center|title=WVU Recreation Center|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 12, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818165808/http://studentreccenter.wvu.edu/about_the_rec_center|archive-date=August 18, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The center also offers a variety of wellness programs, personal training, child care services, exercise classes, and intramural activities.

The Mountaineer Adventure Program (MAP) offers several activities including Adventure WV, Challenge Course, and International Trips. Adventure WV is focused on providing guidance to freshmen and sophomores through various outdoor orientation expeditions. The Challenge Course program uses a recreational facility designed to teach teamwork and problem-solving skills through physical interaction. International Trips offers worldwide recreational opportunities to places like Fiji and Peru, as well as study abroad credit courses.<ref name="WVU MAP">{{cite web|url=http://mountaineeradventureprogram.wvu.edu/|title=WVU Mountaineer Adventure Program|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 12, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626045656/http://mountaineeradventureprogram.wvu.edu/|archive-date=June 26, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Several of the MAP programs provide University-accepted credit hours.

The Outdoor Recreation Center, a division of the Student Recreation Center, helps students find recreational activities locally and in other parts of West Virginia. The center sponsors some trips, including whitewater rafting on the Cheat River and hiking in the Monongahela National Forest.<ref name="WVU Rec Center" /> Students can take advantage of West Virginia's natural wilderness by renting outdoor recreational equipment for hiking, camping, climbing, fishing, biking, skiing, and whitewater rafting, all of which is available with minimal travel time. WVU's main campus is next to the Monongahela River along which runs the Caperton Trail, also known as the "Rail Trail", a {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=on}} paved path for walking, running, or biking.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.montrails.org/maps.shtml|title=Mon River Trails Conservatory|publisher=Monongalia County|access-date=August 12, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819110159/http://www.montrails.org/maps.shtml|archive-date=August 19, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Other connecting trails total {{convert|43|mi|km}} in additional length, extending from the Pennsylvania border to Prickett's Fort State Park. Many student groups take day trips to the nearby Coopers Rock State Forest, which is less than {{convert|15|mi|km}} from WVU's campus.<ref name="Coopers Rock">{{cite web|url=http://www.coopersrockstateforest.com/|title=Coopers Rock State Forest|publisher=WV State Parks|access-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref>

===Student organizations===
West Virginia University offers more than 400 student-run organizations and clubs. Many of the organizations are associated with academia, religion, culture, military service, politics, recreation, or sports.<ref name="WVU Office of Student Activities">{{cite web|url=http://studentactivities.wvu.edu|title=WVU Office of Student Activities|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=November 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128151531/http://studentactivities.wvu.edu/|archive-date=November 28, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> New student groups may be formed by submitting a constitution and petition to become recognized as a student organization.

====Student Government Association====
The Student Government Association (SGA) serves as representatives for the student body and as a liaison to the university administration and officials. The President of the Student Body also serves as a full voting member of the university's Board of Governors.

====Fraternities and sororities====
[[File:greek-games.jpg|thumb|right|Greek Games on Mountainlair Plaza during WVU's annual Greek Week]]
WVU Greek fraternities are Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Gamma Rho, Kappa Alpha Order, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Nu, Phi Sigma Phi, Sigma Phi Delta, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Theta Chi. Greek sororities are Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, and Sigma Kappa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wvuengage.wvu.edu/organizations|title=- WVUENGAGE|website=wvuengage.wvu.edu}}</ref>

'''Fraternity controversies'''

In 2014, 18-year-old Kappa Sigma pledge Nolan Burch died during a hazing incident at the fraternity house. Police say his blood-alcohol level was 0.493% at the time of his death.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_6557238|title=West Virginia Fraternity Pledge Who Died Had a 0.49 Blood Alcohol Level|date=January 27, 2015}}</ref> A lawsuit was settled over the student's death in 2018 for $250,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2018/12/06/511201.htm |title=Suit Over Student Death at West Virginia University Frat House Settles for $250K |work=Insurancejournal.com |date=December 6, 2018 |access-date=August 15, 2022}}</ref>

In 2019, City Drive Studios produced the documentary "Breathe, Nolan, Breathe", which details what led up to Nolan's death. The film begins with security footage inside the Kappa Sigma house, showing a fraternity brother performing CPR on Nolan's limp body hours after he was dragged inside. The brother kept repeating the words, "breathe, Nolan, breathe." Video also shows fraternity brothers taking videos of Burch laying on a wooden plank, walking around him, and even kicking him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/breathe-nolan-breathe-documentary-brings-awareness-to-dangers-of-hazing/article_db93eaf4-32c8-5135-9dbe-852deea82c53.html|title = "Breathe, Nolan, Breathe" documentary brings awareness to dangers of hazing| date=November 13, 2019 }}</ref> The film is being used by the university to kick off a bystander awareness campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/documentary-shows-last-moments-of-nolan-burchs-life|title = Nolan Burch's family marks the anniversary of death with the documentary "Breathe, Nolan, Breathe"|date = November 9, 2019}}</ref> According to City Drive Studios, " The purpose of this film is to stop this from ever happening again and to save lives."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citydrivestudios.com/breathe-nolan-breathe-documentary/|title = "Breathe, Nolan, Breathe Documentary"|date = November 14, 2019}}</ref>

In 2018 several WVU fraternities chose to disassociate themselves after the school sent out stricter rules and regulations for Greek life. For example, Sigma Chi was restricted to one social event per semester. David Coram of Sigma Chi says this was one of the main reasons the fraternity decided to disassociate. WVU also decided to raise the required GPA for rushing students from 2.5 to 2.75. For Farris, the biggest concern with the breakaway is student safety, reports the WV Gazette-Mail. He explained how the university would not be able to help in situations such as an injury or sexual assault if they were not recognized by the school.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/university/wvu-fraternities-reform|title = WVU Fraternities Break Away After Greek Life Reform|date = January 30, 2019}}</ref>

2018 brought another fraternity incident as, according to WVU, senior finance major David Rusko, 22, fell down steps and was knocked unconscious at the fraternity house where he was visiting after a football game. An investigation found two hours elapsed between the fall and when medical help was sought. West Virginia University announced that three students were no longer enrolled at the university and 15 others agreed to other disciplinary action as a result.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whsv.com/content/news/West-Virginia-students-disciplined-after-frat-house-fall-504702922.html |title=West Virginia students disciplined after frat house fall |work=WHSV |date=January 22, 2019 |access-date=August 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/university/wvu-fraternities-reform/|title=WVU Fraternities Break Away After Greek Life Reform|date=January 30, 2019|website=Campus Safety Magazine}}</ref>

===Student media===
'''''The Daily Athenaeum''''', nicknamed ''the DA'', is the 9th-largest newspaper in West Virginia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.da.wvu.edu/new/print_edition/rate_card/rate_card_07_08.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515112542/http://www.da.wvu.edu/new/print_edition/rate_card/rate_card_07_08.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 15, 2008|title=Daily Athenaeum 2007–2008 Rate Card|publisher=West Virginia University DA|access-date=August 11, 2010}}</ref> Offered free on campus, it generates income through advertisements and student fees. The paper began in 1887 as a weekly literary magazine, with writing, editing and production taken over by the newly formed School of Journalism in the 1920s. In 1970, the paper split from the School of Journalism and became an independent campus entity governed by the Student Publications Board. ''The DA'' was voted as the ''Princeton Review'''s 10th-best college newspaper in the United States in 2005, 15th in 2006, and 8th in 2007.<ref name="Princeton Review">{{cite web|url=http://www.princetonreview.com|title=Princeton Review Homepage|publisher=Princeton|access-date=August 11, 2010}}</ref>

WWVU-FM, called '''''U92''''' or The Moose, plays new music, talk shows, and newscasts. On the air since 1982, U92 can be heard in the Morgantown area at 91.7&nbsp;FM and also streams live on the internet. In 2007 the station was one of four college radio stations nominated for College Music Journal's Station of the Year Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=49047299|title=College Music Journal Press Release|publisher=College Music Journal|access-date=September 30, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011182911/http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=49047299|archive-date=October 11, 2007|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2015 CMJ awarded the station with three awards including Station of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cmj.com/2015-cmj-college-radio-award-winners|title=Here Are the 2015 College Radio Award Winners|access-date=December 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208233414/https://www.cmj.com/2015-cmj-college-radio-award-winners/|archive-date=December 8, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

''The Mountaineer Jeffersonian'' was a news, economic, and political journal founded by WVU students. The publication was founded in 2008 and ceased publication in 2011.

===Student health===
The Student Center of Health, also known under the label "WELLWVU", provides services related to student health, disease prevention, and awareness. The Carruth Center for Psychological and Psychiatric Services offers therapy to any WVU student.<ref name="WELL WVU">{{cite web|url=http://www.well.wvu.edu|title=WellWVU, Student Center for Health|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 13, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804055701/http://www.well.wvu.edu/|archive-date=August 4, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The Robert C. Byrd Health Science Center and the associated West Virginia University Hospitals, on the Health Science Campus, serve as West Virginia's largest healthcare institution.<ref name="WVUH">{{cite web|url=http://health.wvu.edu/general/Healthcare/WVUH.aspx|title=West Virginia University Hospitals|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 13, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090710113051/http://health.wvu.edu/general/Healthcare/WVUH.aspx|archive-date=July 10, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The hospitals provide a comprehensive set of healthcare needs for local and regional patients. WVU students have full access to healthcare resources, which are accessible from the PRT towers station.

====WVU Student Health Services====
Starting with the Fall 2014 semester WVU implemented a mandatory student health insurance policy, with an opt-out. All domestic students at West Virginia University and WVU Tech, enrolled in 6 or more credit hours and international students enrolled in 1 or more credit hours will be required to carry health insurance coverage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://studentinsurance.wvu.edu/rates-dates-and-deadlines |title=Rates, Dates & Deadlines for 2014–2015|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=November 27, 2014}}</ref>

With the opening of the new Student Health and Wellness building on the Evansdale Campus, WVU Medical Corporation now operates the medical services of Student Health. This is a WVU Urgent Care Clinic office and is the primary care provider to students who use WVU's Aetna Health Insurance policy. The Clinic is open 7 days a week.<ref name="Student Health">{{cite web
|url=http://wvuhealthcare.com/hospitals-and-facilities/student-health|title=Student Health|publisher=WVUH|access-date=November 27, 2014}}</ref>

===Mental Health Record===
As of the end of the Spring 2020 semester, two students died by suicide after not being able to seek counseling at the Carruth Center for Mental Health. There have also been numerous accounts of a culture of [[Medicine:Alcoholism|alcoholism]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.niche.com/colleges/west-virginia-university/|title = Explore West Virginia University}}</ref> and mental illness. The school has offered limited support via email regarding the deaths of these students.

===Arts and entertainment===
WVU Arts & Entertainment (A&E) sponsors entertainment events for students throughout the academic year. The department organizes the annual FallFest event, which features popular musicians, comedians, and other performers. WVU A&E annually hosts several concerts at the WVU Coliseum and Creative Arts Center, with past performances by Akon, The All-American Rejects, The Fray, Kelly Clarkson, Ludacris, Maroon&nbsp;5, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, and 50&nbsp;Cent among others.<ref name="WVU A&E Concerts" />

The West Virginia Public Theater (WVPT) is one of two professional musical theaters in West Virginia. The group is near WVU's campus and performs several Broadway numbers yearly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvpublictheatre.com/education.html|title=West Virginia Public Theater|publisher=West Virginia Public Theater|access-date=August 13, 2010|archive-date=May 11, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511220402/http://www.wvpublictheatre.com/education.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The {{convert|5300|sqft|m2|adj=on}} Art Museum of West Virginia University features touring exhibitions and displays a collection including over 2,500 works of art from the Appalachian region, Asia, and Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://artmuseum.wvu.edu/|title=Home – Art Museum – West Virginia University |access-date=October 17, 2014}}</ref>

The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum, on the Evansdale campus, features tools, equipment, artifacts, photos, and other items related to West Virginia's coal and petroleum industries.

==Athletics==
[[File:West Virginia Mountaineers logo.svg|thumb|right|200px|The "Flying WV" is the most widely used logo in West Virginia University athletics.]]
[[File:Wvu-football-field-seal.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Plaque marking where Mountaineer Field was between 1924 and 1979]]
The school's sports teams are called the Mountaineers and compete in the NCAA's Division&nbsp;I. The school has teams in 17 college sports and has won several national championships, including 19 NCAA Rifle Championships {{as of|2018|lc=y}}. Formerly a full member of the Big East Conference in all sports, on October 28, 2011, the school accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference and became a member on July 1, 2012.

Notable athletes from West Virginia University include Ashley Lawrence, Jerry West, Jim Braxton, Marc Bulger, Avon Cobourne, Mike Compton, Noel Devine, Cecil Doggette, D'or Fischer, Mike Gansey, Marc "Major" O. Harris, Chris Henry, Joe Herber, Jeff Hostetler, Chuck Howley, Sam Huff, Darryl Talley, "Hot Rod" Hundley, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Joe Stydahar, Dan Mozes, Kevin Pittsnogle, Jerry Porter, Todd Sauerbrun, Steve Slaton, Ray Gaddis, Rod Thorn, Oliver Luck, Mike Vanderjagt, Pat White, Quincy Wilson, Amos Zereoué, Greg Jones, Joe Alexander, Owen Schmitt, Georgann Wells, Geno Smith, Ginny Thrasher, Pat McAfee, Tavon Austin, Miles McBride, and Jedd Gyorko.

===Football===
WVU has had two undefeated regular seasons; they went 11–0 in 1988 and 1993. However, West Virginia lost both bowl games, 34‑21 to Notre Dame in the National Championship, and 41–7 to Florida. The 2005 season and the 2006 season produced the first consecutive 11-win seasons in school history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/10788/no-5-offense-expected-to-carry-load-for-wvu|title=College Football Schedules, Scores, News, Predictions, and Rankings|work=AthlonSports.com}}</ref> In the 2007 season, the Mountaineers started the season as the #3-ranked team, the highest preseason ranking in school history. That team eventually was ranked #1 in the Coaches Poll and finished the season with a third consecutive 11-win season after their Fiesta Bowl victory.

===Basketball===
West Virginia men's basketball has competed in three basketball championship final matches: the 1959 NCAA final, the 1942 NIT final (at that time, the NIT was considered more prestigious than the NCAA), and the 2007 NIT Championship. They lost to [[Organization:University of California, Berkeley|California]] in the 1959 NCAA finals, while the Mountaineers won the 1942 NIT Championship over [[Organization:Western Kentucky University|Western Kentucky]], and the 2007 NIT contest over [[Organization:Clemson University|Clemson]]. In 1949 future Mountaineers head coach, Fred Schaus, became the first player in NCAA history to record 1,000 points.

Recently, West Virginia reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division&nbsp;I Basketball Tournament, led by West Virginia coach and former WVU player Bob Huggins. The Mountaineers won the 2010 Big East men's basketball tournament and received a #2 seed in the East Region of the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

In 2015, West Virginia reached the Sweet Sixteen of the 2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. They were eliminated from the tournament after losing to Kentucky. In 2018, West Virginia again reached the Sweet Sixteen of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. They were eliminated from the tournament after losing in the fourth round to #1 seed and eventual champion Villanova.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Virginia vs. Villanova|url=http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=401025879|website=ESPN|access-date=23 May 2018}}</ref>

===Soccer===
Since joining the Big 12 Conference ahead of the 2012 season, West Virginia women's soccer has posted a 27–1–3 record in regular-season league games. In 2016, the Mountaineers claimed their fifth consecutive outright regular-season league championship, becoming the first team in Big 12 history to accomplish that feat. West Virginia also won back-to-back Big 12 tournament championships in 2013 and 2014, as well as two additional Big 12 tournament championships in 2016 and 2018. The Mountaineers are coached by Nikki Izzo-Brown, the program's only head coach.

West Virginia men's soccer competes in the Sun Belt Conference.

===Rifle===
With a total of 26 individual NCAA National Champions and 19 team NCAA National Championship titles, West Virginia University's rifle team is the most successful rifle program in the history of the NCAA. Their most recent National Championship as a team was won in 2017. The Mountaineers compete in the Great America Rifle Conference where they have won 11 regular-season conference championships. The team's home matches take place at the WVU Rifle Range which opened in 2010. Virginia Thrasher, who won a gold medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle at the 2016 Summer Olympics, was on the Mountaineers rifle team from 2015 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wvusports.com/sports/rifle/roster/ginny-thrasher/8316|title = Ginny Thrasher - Rifle}}</ref>

===Marching band===
The West Virginia University Mountaineer Marching Band is nicknamed "The Pride of West Virginia." The 380-member band performs at every home football game and makes several local and national appearances throughout the year.

===Fanbase===
[[File:MountaineerManiacsVillanova.JPG|thumb|right|The WVU student section perform the first down cheer at a home football game.]]
In a state that lacks professional sports franchises, West Virginians passionately support West Virginia University and its athletics teams.<ref name="NY Post">{{cite news
|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/the_only_show_in_town_QX0PCMvZK8fPpjeidBxB9H|title= For WVU fans, it's all about Mountaineers|publisher=NY Post|access-date=August 2, 2010| first=Mike| last=Vaccaro| date=April 3, 2010}}</ref> Men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins, a former Mountaineer basketball player who was born in Morgantown, stated that the "strong bond between the university and the people of West Virginia" is a relationship that is difficult for non-natives to understand.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/the_only_show_in_town_QX0PCMvZK8fPpjeidBxB9H|title=For WVU fans, it's all about Mountaineers|newspaper=New York Post
|access-date=October 3, 2010| first=Vaccaro| last=Mike| date=April 3, 2010}}</ref>

Some WVU fans, primarily in the student sections, better known as the "Mountaineer Maniacs" have developed a reputation for unruly behavior, being compared to "soccer hooligans"
by ''GQ'' magazine.<ref name="GQ">{{cite news|url=http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-15-2005/0003196512&EDATE|title=GQ Names the Top Ten Worst College Sports Fans|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503132420/http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F03-15-2005%2F0003196512&EDATE|archive-date=May 3, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="NBC Sports">{{cite news|url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35205635/ns/sports-college_basketball|title=Rowdy West Virginia student section under fire|access-date=March 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310103410/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35205635/ns/sports-college_basketball|archive-date=March 10, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> At some events, there have been cases of objects thrown onto the field or at opposing teams.<ref name="Miami coach">{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19980402&id=oxUSAAAAIBAJ&pg=4757,287633|title=Gainesville Sun - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref><ref name="Backporch">{{Cite web|url=http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2010/02/04/wvu-fans-like-to-throw-things-on-court/|title=Yahoo|website=backporch.fanhouse.com}}</ref> There were also issues with small-scale fires, most notably of couches, being set after games; over 1,100 intentionally ignited street fires were reported from 1997 to 2003.<ref name="GQ" />

Members of the Morgantown-area community volunteered as Goodwill City Ambassadors for the first time in the fall of 2012 to welcome visiting fans to the football games. The Goodwill City initiative is a collaborative effort of the City of Morgantown, WVU, Morgantown's ''Dominion Post'', and community residents.

==Pageantry==
[[File:Wvu-mountaineer.jpg|thumb|The Mountaineer (1971), West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.]]

The Mountaineer was adopted in 1890 as the official school mascot and unofficially began appearing at sporting events in 1936.<ref name="WVU Traditions">{{cite web|url=http://welcometo.wvu.edu/living_here/wvu_traditions|title=Living Here: WVU Traditions|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 6, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720121918/http://welcometo.wvu.edu/living_here/wvu_traditions|archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref> A new Mountaineer is selected each year during the final two men's home basketball games, with the formal title "The Mountaineer of West Virginia University". The new Mountaineer receives a scholarship, a tailor-made buckskin suit with a coonskin hat, and a period rifle and powder horn for discharging when appropriate and safe. The mascot travels with most sports teams throughout the academic year. While not required, male mascots traditionally grow a beard.

The "Flying WV" is the most widely used logo in West Virginia athletics. It debuted in 1980 as a part of a football uniform redesign by Coach Don Nehlen, and was adopted as the official logo for the university in 1983.<ref name="FlyingWV">{{cite news|url=http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=4362|title=A Mark to Remember: Flying WV|last=Forinash|first=Danny|date=August 4, 2005|publisher=WTRF-TV|access-date=November 21, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214050520/http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=4362|archive-date=February 14, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
While the "Flying WV" represents all university entities, unique logos are occasionally used for individual departments. Some examples include the script West Virginia logo for the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the interlocking WV logo used in baseball.<ref name="WVU Branding">{{cite web|url=http://creativeservices.wvu.edu/r/download/10258|title=Branding and Communications at WVU|publisher=West Virginia University|access-date=August 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720121928/http://creativeservices.wvu.edu/r/download/10258|archive-date=July 20, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Fight songs of West Virginia University include "Hail, West Virginia" and "Fight Mountaineers". The West Virginia University Alma Mater was composed in 1937, and is sung before every home football game. The crowd sings along as the WVU Marching Band stands playing it on the field, as part of the pregame show.

"Old gold and blue", the official University colors, were selected by the upperclassmen of 1890 from the West Virginia state seal.<ref name="WVU Traditions" /> While the official school colors are old gold and blue, brighter gold is used in official university logos and merchandise. This change in color scheme is often cited for the lack of a universal standard for colors during the 19th&nbsp;century when the university's colors were selected. Additionally, the brighter gold is argued to create a more intimidating environment for sporting events. The university accepts "gold and blue" for the color scheme, but states clearly that the colors are not "blue and gold", to distinguish West Virginia from its rival, the University of Pittsburgh.

===Sporting traditions===
[[File:WVU Band State.jpg|thumb|The formation of the state outline by The Pride of West Virginia]]

The unofficial song of the university, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, became an official West Virginia state song on March 8, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140307_23786.shtml |title=Eyewitness News |access-date=2014-03-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308010234/http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/140307_23786.shtml |archive-date=2014-03-08 }}</ref>
In 1980 John Denver performed his hit song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" at the dedication of Mountaineer Field, and it has since become a tradition for fans to remain in the stands following every Mountaineer victory and sing the song with the players. Although the tradition originated during football games, it is now recognized throughout the university, with the song performed at various athletic events and ceremonies. ''Sports Illustrated'' named the singing of "Country Roads" as one of the must-see college traditions.<ref>{{cite magazine
|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/sioncampus/10/27/east/index.html|title=SI: 102 More Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date= August 11, 2010}}</ref>

The Pride of West Virginia is the official marching band of the university. The band's football pre-game show includes traditions such as the Drumline's "Tunnel" and "Boogie" cadences, the 220‑beat per minute run-on cadence to start the performance, marching the "WV" logo down the field to the university fight song, "Fight Mountaineers", expanding circles during ''Simple Gifts'', and the formation of the state's outline during "Hail, West Virginia".

The Firing of the Rifle is a tradition carried out by the Mountaineer Mascot to open several athletic events. The Mountaineer points the gun into the air with one arm and fires a blank shot from a custom rifle, a signal to the crowd to begin cheering at home football and basketball games. The Mountaineer also fires the rifle every time the team scores during football games.

The Carpet Roll is a WVU Men's Basketball tradition. In 1955 Fred Schaus and Alex Mumford devised the idea of rolling out an elaborate gold and blue carpet for Mountaineer basketball players to use when taking the court for pre-game warm-ups. In addition, Mountaineer players warmed up with a special gold and blue basketball. The university continued this tradition until the late 1960s when it died out, but former Mountaineer player Gale Catlett reintroduced the carpet when he returned to West Virginia University in 1978 as head coach of the men's basketball team.

==Notable alumni==

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.wvusports.com West Virginia Athletics website]
* {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=West Virginia University|short=x}}
* {{Cite NSRW|wstitle=West Virginia University|short=x}}
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=West Virginia University|short=x}}

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[[Category:Land-grant universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Public universities and colleges in West Virginia]]

{{Sourceattribution|West Virginia University}}