BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — The new leader of Bluefield State University may have work to do, but he’s determined to hit the ground running.
Interim President Dr. Ronald A. Johnson, named to the position by the Bluefield State Board of Governors earlier this week, answered questions from faculty and staff for about an hour Thursday afternoon. Johnson’s impressive resume includes a national honor from his previous stop at Clark Atlanta University, when the American Enterprise Institute named him one of the Top 10 College Presidents of the 21st Century.
Johnson inherits the reins of a university looking to rectify its image and balance its budget. Former Bluefield State President Dr. Darrin Martin was terminated in August after the board learned concerning reports about the university’s fiscal stability, internal operations, and administrative oversight. BOG Vice Chairwoman Cathy Deeb had filled in as interim president since Martin’s firing.
Johnson preached open dialogue as a chief priority under his leadership.
“When you are engaged in change, you have to actually have a number of pieces of the puzzle, that are critical,” Johnson said. “You can talk about transparency, you can talk about accountability, but those two don’t matter if you don’t have communication.”
Numerous faculty members inquired about how Johnson would bring Bluefield State back to where it needs to be. One faculty member noted that the institution’s image has suffered in light of the Martin firing. That same faculty member added that many young students don’t even know where Bluefield State University is and what it can offer.
Johnson said the process will involve diagnosing the problems first, before developing a strategy. As part of that, he pointed to a well-oiled machine; where faculty, staff, and university leadership support one another.
“The most important asset of the university are the faculty,” Johnson said. “Then those people, immediately supporting the faculty, are critical assets for the institution. I ask people to understand their role but also understand the role of all the other people that have to make this show happen.”
During the meeting in which Martin was fired, Board of Governors Chairman Charlie Cole outlined some revelations that drew concern:
– The board learned Bluefield State was “significantly behind paying its obligations” in a figure at least $1.5 million.
– The board was unable to “retain reliable evidence” about unpaid bills, outstanding debts, actual balances, or finances of the institution.
– The board received “mixed and conflicting numbers” from Martin.
– The board learned Bluefield State was the “only school in the state” that didn’t submit its annual state appropriation request on time, which was $7 million last year.
– The board didn’t get notified about “potentially serious violations of NCAA rules,” which led to an emergency meeting the previous week.
– When the board went to talk with Martin after an executive session during the emergency meeting, “the president had left and was not available to speak to the board.”
Deeb, no longer the acting president but back to her role as vice chairwoman, reported that a financial audit will be received soon.
Johnson fielded questions that ran the gamut through Bluefield State’s shortfalls. He pledged to move the university back to its original promise, to uplift students. To do that, he said, everyone must pitch in and fill their roles well.
“If we have an honest relationship, where we can actually talk great to one another, then we can actually move this institution forward,” Johnson said. “The minute that we start with deception and confusion, and all this or that, then we have a problem.”
Johnson is not the only newcomer to university leadership. The Board of Governors met following the hour-long forum, welcoming in three new members Phil Hancock, Robert Linkous, and Jeffrey Forlines. Hancock and Linkous replaced Shannon Remines and former State Senator Bill Cole, respectively, whose terms expired. Forlines was tabbed to fill a vacant seat on the board.
As he introduced the new board members and Johnson, Cole pushed back on some of the outside narratives. He said that there have been people “taking a lot of interest” in Bluefield State in recent months and made comments on the direction of the institution. Cole took issue with some of their words.
“Many of them that I’ve never seen at a Bluefield State function, I’ve never seen at a board meeting, in the eight years that I’ve served,” Cole said. “I, along with other board members, have been accused of being racist, doing this for personal gain, being non-transparent, and nothing could be further from the truth.”
Cole emphasized unity going forward for everyone associated with Bluefield State.
“I would encourage everybody to take a renewed interest in the school and be a volunteer if you’re not part of the staff or the faculty,” Cole said. “If you’re alumni, you can still do things that make the school a better place.”