County government and school officials have until Sept. 1 to devise a plan to remove political influence from the day-to-day operations of Westmoreland County Community College or face sanctions that ultimately could lead to the removal of its accreditation.
The Middles States Commission on Higher Education, the regional agency that accredits colleges in Pennsylvania, on Thursday made public its concerns about operations of the community college amid accusations that county commissioners for the last three years have meddled in the school's hiring practices.
Middles States commission members met June 26 to consider a report written by WCCC President Steven Ender that detailed incidents in which he claimed county commissioners pressured him and school trustees to hire friends and other political acquaintances at the school.
Middle States spokeswoman Margaret Robbins declined to comment further on the one-paragraph ruling posted on the commission's Web site, but the status of the community college's accreditation will be discussed at a meeting on Nov. 20.
At that time the commission could vote to issue a warning to the college, place it on probation or take no action at all.
"They can't just remove the accreditation," Robbins said.
She said a decision to remove the accreditation wouldn't come until later in the process.
The loss of accreditation for the community college would mean the school could no longer award degrees and the more than 6,400 students would be ineligible to receive financial aid.
Ender said yesterday's ruling carries significant ramifications.
"The implications are that there is something serious going on," Ender said.
According to Ender's letter dated May 10, he alleged commissioners routinely sent candidates to the school for jobs and when rebuffed attempted to strip the president of all final hiring authority.
He described a series of secret meetings with school trustees and county government officials in which commissioners attempted to influence hiring at the college.
"(A) trustee was trying to find a compromise agreement between the college and two of the three county commissioners. In the trustee's words, 'The commissioners feel that they are entitled to place people into college jobs because the county supports the college financially and appoints the college's trustees,' " Ender said in his letter.
Westmoreland County funds the college with more than $4 million annually as part of the school's $32 million budget.
Earlier this year, county commissioners unanimously voted to have the college's 15-member board of trustees have final say on all hiring at the school. The board ratifies the hiring of salaried workers. That effort was placed on hold to allow the Middle States Commission to weigh in on the issue.
At the time the commissioners said the move was to give the public greater insight into the inner workings of the college.
Ender proposed stripping the board of its current authority and instead give trustees a say regarding only the hiring of top administrators. The current hiring system already gives the board too much input and puts the college out of compliance with Middle States regulations, Ender said.
Board of Trustees Chairman Gene Ciafre said he did not believe the school was out of compliance with Middle States regulations.
"We're operating the way we have for the last 30 years, and we've not changed a thing. If we're not in compliance, we've been out of compliance for the last 30 years," Ciafre said.
Tom Balya, chairman of the board of commissioners, yesterday dismissed the Middle States ruling as being one-sided and based solely on Ender's unsubstantiated accusations.
"It's a totally self-serving statement written by an egomaniac," Balya said. "I think this guy is out of control and a typical arrogant educator."
Still, Balya said he welcomed an opportunity to meet with Middle States representatives, something the agency requested as part of its ruling.
Commissioner Kim Ward initially voted with Balya and Commissioner Tom Ceraso to increase the board's hiring power but has since reversed course. She said yesterday she believed the college's board of trustees has been politically influenced.
"We should absolutely follow what Middle States directs us to do. We would be derelict of our duties if we as county commissioners undermine in any way the mission of the community college," Ward said.
Ceraso could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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