WTOV: “New WVU civics center created by lawmakers to launch this fall, sparking debate”
The following article was written by Jaime Ely and published in WTOV on May 3, 2026.
Hancock County, WV — A new academic center created by West Virginia lawmakers is set to launch at West Virginia University this fall, drawing both support and criticism as it prepares to offer dozens of courses focused on civics, culture and political debate.
The Washington Center for Civics, Culture, and Statesmanship was established through House Bill 3297, which was signed into law by Gov. Patrick Morrisey in June 2025.
House Majority Leader Pat McGeehan said he authored the legislation after identifying what he described as a gap in the modern education system.
“If we expect young West Virginians to preserve our, sort of, constitutional republic way of life, they need more than just scattered coursework. They need serious, sustained engagement with the principles, the institutions, and the ideals that shaped this country,” McGeehan said.
Since the bill became law, the center has moved forward with several steps, including the allocation of $1.5 million in state funding and the appointment of its first director, Dr. Patrick Miller.
Miller said the center’s purpose is to push universities toward what he described as truth and reality.
“It’s so important to universities to be oriented towards reality and to the truth. If they have been captured, as I think they have been, especially in the last 10 years by left-wing ideology, then it’s necessary that there be a corrective—that’s why Governor Morrisey and Charleston established the Washington Center,” Miller said.
The center plans to offer courses in three general subject areas: American ideals, Western civilization and modern controversies.
Some WVU students have raised concerns online about the focus and content of certain courses, particularly those centered on modern controversies such as “woke” and “the new right.” Miller said those concerns are misplaced.
“We’re happy to have students of all persuasions in our classroom, and we’re going to teach views from all sides of the spectrum. It only seems like we’re ideologically right-wing in an environment in which left-wing ideology has been the ocean in which everybody’s been swimming,” Miller said.
McGeehan also said he does not view the curriculum as partisan.
“It’s not partisan to teach the students the Constitution. It’s not partisan to teach the Federalist Papers, or the founding principles of the American republic, the history of free institutions or the importance of civil discourse and open debate. In fact, the center is designed precisely to restore those viewpoints of diversity and rigorous inquiry,” McGeehan said.
The center is scheduled to open this fall and offer 23 courses.