WVU faculty votes 'no confidence' in President Gee

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — The West Virginia University Faculty Assembly voted on and passed two resolutions in a meeting on Wednesday, including a resolution of no confidence in president Gordon Gee’s leadership.

The first resolution was a vote of no confidence in the leadership of University President Gordon Gee. The written resolution brought a full list of grievances, including claims that Gee “mismanaged university finances” and “refused to accept financial responsibility.” The resolution pointed out that under Gee’s leadership, WVU has seen increased debt, cuts to possible sources of income and a lack of transparency.

Gee was given five minutes to respond to the resolution before the vote, during which he said if he had done half of the things listed in the resolution, he would vote no confidence in himself. Gee also pointed out record fundraising, clean audits and medical advancements within the university during his speech. He also said that what WVU leaders are doing, referencing the academic transformation, will continue.

WVU Faculty Senate meeting on Sept. 6, 2023 (WBOY image)

Final results of the vote were:

For: 797 votes
Against: 100 votes
Invalid: 8 votes

Gee has been university president for more than 10 years and held the position for four additional years in the 1980s. This is the second vote of no confidence in him held since 2021.

The formal results of the vote will be given to university leadership on Thursday, Sept. 7, according to meeting leaders.

After the vote of no confidence, the University Assembly also voted in favorite of the resolution to freeze the academic transformation process at the university.

Before the vote, which started at noon on Wednesday, people gathered outside the Creative Arts Center with signs expressing their opinions on Gordon Gee and the university’s academic transformation.