- Only one student enrolled in WVU's new Washington Center courses as of June 22
- The center offers 18 courses aimed at countering woke ideology starting Fall 2026
- WVU professor questioned if public funds were well spent on the new program
Only one student has enrolled for a new programme designed to push back on "woke" ideology at West Virginia University's (WVU) new Washington Centre. The tepid response comes after Republican lawmakers allocated $3 million (Rs 28.6 crore) to the “Washington Center for Civics, Culture and Statesmanship” in the last two years ahead of its official opening this fall.
“As of June 22, one student was enrolled in three separate Washington Center courses,” said Shauna Johnson, WVU's executive director of strategic communications. “24 courses were originally proposed/listed for the Fall 2026 semester. Eighteen are now available.”
Apart from "Woke", the proposed courses at the new centre include “Nation and Migration” and “The New Right," with new faculty members hired ahead of the launch.
In 2025, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey stated the centre would focus on classics and American civics to counter "woke ideology" in schools and restore higher education's core purpose.
Reacting to the low enrollment, Erik Herron, a professor of political science at WVU, questioned whether the new programme was the best use of public funds.
“I do think that it's important for the Legislature and for the governor to reflect on this. There is a question about whether or not this is the best use of public funds," Herron was quoted as saying by West Virginia Watch.
“I think the Washington Center, ironically, seems to be exactly what it complains that higher education has become. It was created in Charleston, and it was imposed on the university, so it's a big government mandate.”
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, who co-sponsored the legislation for the creation of the new centre, defended the low turnout, stating that the university hasn't yet approved Washington Center courses to be counted toward credits for already existing academic majors at WVU.
“I'm not necessarily surprised that enrollment hasn't begun to tick up, it's not part of what a student is majoring in or minoring in, then the students have to take courses that do fit those approved parameters,” said Hanshaw.
Democratic state lawmaker John William said he wasn't happy with the programme and the allocation of money.
“I'm not happy about it. Now we're in a position where we've allocated so much money towards this program, and only one person is taking advantage of it," said William.
