MORGANTOWN — More than 500 employees of the West Virginia University Research Corp. will transition to direct university employment, effective Oct. 31.

A Workers’ Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notice included on Wednesday’s Monongalia County Commission meeting agenda explains that all 507 WVURC employees will be permanently laid off and offered employment with the university.

The WVURC was created as a nonprofit corporation in 1985 to support research at WVU.

The university has explained the move is purely “structural” and will not result in the elimination of any positions.

In an Aug. 21 letter, WVURC Executive Director Clay Marsh explains, “WVU will be offering state positions that are identical to each employee’s current WVURC position in both job duties and pay

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