I am the parent of two WVU students, have practiced law in West Virginia for more than 20 years, am an adjunct instructor at Marshall and my former managing partner has been intimately involved in Marshall and West Virginia higher education policy for many years. I have never heard of any policy mandating that WVU or any state institution accept a resident applicant based on a particular GPA.

That said, WVU's first mission is to educate West Virginians and thereby improve the quality of life in this State. There is no doubt that WVU admits some students who could not gain admission to more competitive schools. On the other hand, I question whether admissions standards at schools like Louisville, Clemson and N.C. State are, in practice, materially different.

WVU is like a lot of schools these days; it's trying to figure out how to significantly grow enrollment. If you've not been in Morgantown since the Hokies last played there in 2005, you might be surprised at how things have changed. There is a glut of modern housing where ten years ago students depended on run-down houses. There are some new academic buildings and some other great new facilities for students.

WVU folks understand that they will not grow enrollment with West Virginians - the population is decreasing and economic times are tough here. WVU will continue to market itself to folks in the northeast who don't want to or can't attend schools like Rutgers or Penn State. And it will probably increase the number of foreign students. That will tend to drive academic statistics upwards.

More important is what WVU is doing for students once they enroll. Our two boys are good examples. My oldest stepson was not a great student in high school. Upon admission to WVU, he was placed in a program called the Mountaineer Success Academy, which is focused on supporting students who are at risk of failing or otherwise dropping out. That program was helpful in a variety of ways, both in terms of counseling and placing him in classes that allowed him to improve in (for example) math courses where he had experienced poor instruction in high school. Like a lot of kids, he went to college not knowing what he wanted to study. With the help of counseling and by taking the time to read about all 100+ majors that a big state school like WVU offers, he found his niche in landscape architecture and is doing just great as he enters his junior year.

My younger stepson is a more naturally gifted student. He was admitted to Tech and several other schools, but financial aid considerations made going to WVU a no-brainer. This son has been admitted to WVU's Honors Program. We moved him into a special Honors Dorm this past Friday, where he is surrounded by other really good students and has counseling and other programs offered directly out of his dorm.

WVU is not UVa or Georgia Tech. I admit that I chose Tech in 1985 in part because of my own doubts about the academic quality of WVU. But I think WVU is a better school these days than many might think, and I think it has a lot of positive momentum right now. But changing minimum GPAs for entry really isn't necessary or even relevant to the discussion, in my humble opinion.