CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Monday is Marshall Day at the state capitol.

Several dozen Marshall students, faculty and staff will be on hand to talk with lawmakers and promote Marshall’s programs.

“Marshall Day at the Capitol is one of our favorite events of the year,” Matt Hayes, executive director of alumni relations at Marshall said in a news release. “Having the opportunity to interact with our state lawmakers and Capitol staff, many of whom are alumni of Marshall University, is always a great experience.

Marshall President Jerome Gilbert and others will receive proclamations from the House of Delegates and state Senate. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Gilbert, who attended last Wednesday’s State of the State Address by Gov. Jim Justice, told MetroNews his goals for this legislative session include finding “objective stability” for higher education budgets.

“Whether it’s commitment to a funding formula or some commitment to evaluating how intuitions are doing productivity-wise in the future and tying their funding to that–that’s what I’d like to see,” Gilbert said.

Justice’s proposed body for FY 2020 keeps funding levels for higher education at the same approved amounts for the current budget year. The governor’s budget office did indicate to lawmakers last week there may be a change in the funding proposal.

Gilbert and other higher education leaders are also still working as part of the Blue Ribbon panel on the future of higher education. The group has recommended stabilizing funding to the smaller institutions followed by the implementation of a funding formula.

“The stabilization of those budgets is really to sort of equalize things so we can start on a level playing field and then implement a productivity funding formula that will reward institutions on how they perform,” Gilbert said.