Overview
- Reporting Thursday showed just one student had enrolled in the Washington Center for Civics, Culture and Statesmanship ahead of its planned fall semester start.
- Lawmakers created the center through House Bill 3297 in 2025 and the state provided roughly $3 million to set it up and pay operating costs.
- Governor Patrick Morrisey appointed Dr. Patrick Lee Miller as director in October 2025 and the director’s reported salary exceeds $300,000 and is funded in part by the appropriation.
- Republican defenders say low initial enrollment reflects that the university has not yet approved the center’s courses to count for academic credit, while critics say the program was imposed on WVU and misuses public funds.
- The launch comes as WVU faces a reported $45 million budget shortfall that led to cuts to majors and staff, which critics say heightens scrutiny of the center and could affect future funding and campus governance.