College leaders should consider how to reposition their institutions into local and national leadership roles amid the coronavirus crisis, writes Gordon Gee, president of West Virginia University. Changes made now in recruitment and course delivery may continue to work well going forward, and processes considered nonessential during the crisis may result in schools being more agile and effective in the long term, he writes in this opinion piece.

West Virginia University is piloting a completion grant program sponsored by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and Urban Serving Universities. Students in good academic standing who lack financial aid as they near degree completion are eligible to automatically receive up to $1500 through the program, according to Provost Maryanne Reed.

Students at West Virginia University are now able to text a crisis line to talk to a licensed counselor. "It can augment or support ongoing counseling, but if students need ongoing counseling, they should come to the counseling center," says T. Anne Hawkins of the university's Carruth Center.

West Virginia University will use a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand the knowledge base of its engineering students. The goal is to equip them to address a wider array of complex problems with management, economic, public policy and communication skills.