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Gee meets with students for Q&A

What is West Virginia University’s response to COVID-19? What is the university doing to address mental health issues? What about increasing student safety in light of two shootings involving WVU students in consecutive days?

Those were some of the concerns raised by students at Behind the Bowtie, a student conversation with WVU President E. Gordon Gee on Tuesday night.

Addressing the recent shootings, one which left 21-year-old Eric J. Smith, a WVU student, dead and the other which wounded a student, Gee said the worst part of his job is when he has to call parents when an accident happens or a death occurs and those situations are something he takes personally.

He said safety is a priority and while the university can’t make sure people do the thing all the time, doing the right thing can be incentivized. He said the university learns from every tragedy and whenever it comes to student safety, it’s never a budget issue, but just something that needs to be done.

WVU’s response to for COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus, is one of preparation, not panic, Gee said, before Clay Marsh, vice president and executive dean of health sciences, went more in depth and offered preventative tips.

President Gordon speaks to students @ Behind The Bow Tie at the Mountainlair.

Marsh suggested washing your hands frequently for the full recommended

20 seconds, getting in between fingers and up to the wrist. Most people touch their face between

28-50 times an hour, something we should strive to do less of, avoid going out if you’re sick and avoid handshakes for now. He suggested elbow bumps or fist bumps instead.

While there have been no cases of COVID-19 in West Virginia, state leaders are meeting in Charleston on Wednesday for a roundtable discussion, Marsh said.

Gee also addressed how a student is supposed to stay home from class if they are sick with strict attendance policies. He said policies need to change to reflect current problems and solutions were being discussed, including expanding online options.

Mental health was also a topic of discussion at the forum. Gee said mental health among college students is a national crisis with 40% of students having mental health challenges.

David Laub, a senior biology and English literature student, said people he spoke to generally feel like the Carruth Center is overwhelmed, a fact Gee agreed with.

“But the truth is it is overwhelmed,” he said. “We recognize that.”

The Carruth Center has received funding to hire five new people, including a dedicated crisis counselor. Gee said it will require time to catch up with demand, but the university will, because in the long-term it will be beneficial to the university.