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STEUBENVILLE -- Frustrations are boiling over in the wake of Eastern Gateway Community College's decision Wednesday to "pause" registration beyond the spring semester, with students and staff voicing concerns about their future and demanding answers.
Jim Corrin, president of Eastern Gateway's Education Association, said the reaction within the school community is "very disappointed, frustrated, angry."
"Staff and faculty have given their lives to this college and the students," he said. "This didn't have to happen and should not have happened. The members want those responsible for this to be held accountable."
In a statement confirming the decision, the Ohio Department of Higher Education said the pause "will provide an opportunity for Eastern Gateway to evaluate options to resolve ongoing financial difficulties partly due to delayed federal funding."
Those delays stemmed from DOE's concern that Eastern Gateway was using federal Pell Grant funds meant to help income-eligible students earn college degrees to subsidize its popular Free College Benefits program.
The government had ordered Eastern Gateway to stop offering the program and submit a teach-out agreement, prompting the college to file suit in federal court in September 2022 to block implementation of the order. That complaint was voluntarily dismissed in 2023 so the two sides could negotiate a settlement on their own, but Eastern Gateway remained on DOE's "heightened cash monitoring" list, delaying student aid reimbursements, and in November the college was forced to request a $12 million advance from the state controlling board. At the time they'd said the federal education department was still rejecting their requests for reimbursement "due to deficiencies in the applications for those reimbursements."
In January, investigators looking for financial irregularities searched Eastern Gateway Community College's Steubenville offices, just days after felony theft indictments alleging misuse of college credit cards against two former administrators -- Jimmie Bruce and James Miller -- were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled. Bruce had served as president and Miller as a vice president and chief of staff.
In the ODHE statement, Board of Trustees Chair Jim Gasior said they "have a plan to ensure students finish this semester as normal. And while we pause registration for the summer and beyond, Youngstown State University primarily and community colleges from throughout the region have offered to welcome our students, provide continuity and allow students to continue their programs of study as seamlessly as possible for their next semester."
A spokesman for the college declined further comment, but ODHE described the board's decision to pause registrations as prudent "due to the uncertainty of funding beyond this semester" and said Youngstown State University had already recently begun working with them and Eastern Gateway "on backup plans to ensure academically eligible students are able to enroll at YSU or collaborating community colleges to complete their degrees."
"We are pleased to ensure that affected students have the opportunity to register for classes at Youngstown State University," YSU President Bill Johnson said. "Additionally, we look forward to working with the Ohio Department of Higher Education and our regional community college partners to help those students who wish to continue on their academic pathway at one of Ohio's two-year schools."
Students also can enroll in classes at Stark State College, Belmont College, Washington State College of Ohio, Cuyahoga Community College, and Hocking College, they said, adding YSU will coordinate with the Ohio Department of Higher Education to "advise Eastern Gateway students on the best pathway to continue their education when that pathway involves collaborating with community colleges."
Corrin, though, said there are still too many unanswered questions.
"We would like to get clarification on what 'pause' means," he said. "What does that do for our current students. Are they on 'pause' as well? At the end of the semester are we all laid off, including administrators? When will they begin making cuts? And will administration receive cuts to include associate VPs on up to senior level VPs? (There's) a lot of unanswered questions."
Corrin said from what he's seen, "students are very upset and angry - concerned about graduation, concerned if their degree even means anything or (if it was) a waste of time and money?"
One student voiced frustration that "we all found out today, with no warning or e-mail sent out to prepare us."
Corrin said students, like staff, "are looking for answers."
"We still have not received any notice from the college and we don't know what to tell our students," he added.