By Ashley Centofonti
On April 26, various groups from Mineral County came together on the WVU Potomac State College campus to celebrate a ribbon cutting for the new Civil War Trails sign. Groups included in the ceremony were: Mineral County Tourism, Mineral County Chamber of Commerce, WVU Potomac State College, Mineral County Historical Foundation, Mineral County Historical Society, Mineral County Development Authority, Mineral County Commission, and the Allegany County Civil War Roundtable.
To support students who have expressed concern and anxiety this semester about the ongoing challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the WVU Office of the Provost is extending the deadline for students to withdraw from coursework including the Potomac State College and WVU-Tech campuses. This option provides students more flexibility in managing their own success in their coursework and academic progression.
To provide students with more time to evaluate their academic performance prior to final exams, the new deadline to drop a class or withdraw from the University is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 3, 2021. This change is in effect for all campuses. Some programs may be exempt from this change, which will be communicated by academic leaders in those programs.
The College announced earlier this month that it would be holding an in-person Commencement Ceremony Saturday, May 8, at 11 a.m. which is still the plan. However, the location has changed to the Keyser High School Alumni Stadium, One Tornado Way, in order to meet the physical distancing requirements as mandated by state regulations for graduation ceremonies. The new venue will also allow the College to increase the number of guest tickets to four per graduate. Masks will be required. The event will be held rain or shine.
Included in the Class of 2021 will be the first graduates from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. The College will also welcome back our May, August and December 2020 graduates who registered to participate with the May 2021 graduates.
West Virginia University in Morgantown and Beckley will pause administration of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine based on a joint recommendation released today (April 13) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. Out of more than 6.8 million doses administered in the U.S., six reported cases of a rare and severe blood clot in individuals who have received the J&J vaccine are being monitored.
(Note: To date Potomac State College has utilized only the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines on campus with second vaccinations to be administered in upcoming weeks.)
“The finding of abnormal blood clotting is extremely rare in citizens receiving the J&J vaccine, and in response to FDA and CDC guidance, and acting out of a great amount of caution, we will pause vaccinations with the J&J product for now, "Dr. Clay Marsh, vice president and executive dean of WVU Health Sciences and West Virginia’s Coronavirus Czar, said. "The fact that CDC and FDA are acting out of caution for 6 clotting episodes in 6.8 million doses given should reassure West Virginia residents that we are watching any and all associated findings in those vaccinated to make sure safety is our priority.”
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is convening a meeting on Wednesday to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. Until that process is complete, WVU will pause in the use of the J&J vaccine on all campuses out of an abundance of caution. WVU will work with those who have appointments to receive the J&J doses, including a clinic scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, to reschedule for Pfizer and Moderna doses based on availability.
WVU administered 846 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine during a clinic held on Thursday, April 8 at the Student Recreation Center on the Morgantown Campus. All other clinics held at WVU have administered doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine.
The type of blood clot observed is called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and is seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia). All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered. Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given. People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.
“We know that the key to saving lives and improving outcomes from COVID-19 in West Virginia is continuing to choose to be vaccinated,” Marsh said. “We have sufficient Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to continue our goal of vaccinating all West Virginia residents, and the key to our success or failure to save lives and protect West Virginia citizens is the number of people choosing to get vaccinated.”
WVU strongly recommends all students and employees be vaccinated for COVID-19. If you have questions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, the University suggests speaking with your primary care physician or a representative from WVU Medicine Student Health.
Reprinted with permission from The Cumberland Times-News.
SCRANTON, Pa. — WVU Potomac State College volleyball is firing on all cylinders at the just right time. The Catamounts overcame a defeat in the first set to win the next three and defeat Raritan Valley to win the NJCAA Division II East District championship, sending Potomac State to the national tournament for the first time since the school made back-to-back appearances in 2016 and 2017.
University Potomac State College’s anatomy and physiology courses and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum will get the opportunity to engage with 3D anatomy technology.
Potomac State College was recently awarded a grant to purchase 100 subscriptions to Complete Anatomy (3D 4Medical) through the West Virginia (W.Va.) Rural Health Initiative: W.Va. Public Undergraduate Programs Grant Opportunity sponsored by the W.Va. Higher Education Policy Commission.
The WVU Energy Express program will provide a great opportunity for college students interested in helping to bridge the reading gap this summer for youths. As an AmeriCorps member, you can earn money toward college while helping to enhance literacy skills for students in Mineral County.
Energy Express is an award-winning, a six-week reading and nutrition program. This summer the program will help children entering 1st through 3rd grades overcome the ‘summer slide’ that occurs when youths fall behind academically, while also providing nutritious meals for the students.
West Virginia University strongly encourages hosting virtual events, programs, activities and gatherings when possible to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Jim and Marsha Blair
Alumni and friends of West Virginia University made over 5,000 gifts totaling $11.9 million Wednesday (March 3) during the University’s fourth Day of Giving, setting new records for the 24-hour online fundraising event held across the University system. The final numbers surpassed $11.3 million raised and over 4,000 gifts in 2019, the last time the event was held.