It is a pleasure to serve on the Board of Directors of West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities (WVICU), the umbrella organization for the eight non-profit private colleges and universities in our state. Attached is the WVICU Annual Report, "Igniting the Flames of Success: One student at a time," which includes a feature on Bethanian Shannon Marks (page 18). Since WVICU was created in 1951, it has provided over $37 million in scholarship grants to students enrolled in West Virginia's independent institutions.
Many of these students, as noted in the report, are first-generation students who have benefited from the Circle of Vision and Legacy Endowment Scholarship funds.
Last year, WVICU also began observing the activities of the Legislature to be certain that our private colleges and their students have support comparable to those given other students. Our goal is to ensure that our representatives in the Legislature recognize the value of a private college experience and our distinctive role in higher education in West Virginia.
I hope you enjoy the WVICU Annual Report and appreciate the good work of this organization in supporting many of our Bethany students.
http://www.bethanywv.edu/president/WVICUReport2013.pdf
