Wheeling University Reorganizes Leadership
Mihalyo, Petrella put on paid leave
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WHEELING -- Wheeling University has reorganized its executive leadership, with President Michael Mihalyo and Senior Vice President Joseph Petrella being placed on paid administrative leave.
In a statement released late Friday, school officials confirmed that Mihalyo and Petrella have been placed on leave. They also announced the university's immediate reorganization during its ongoing reauthorization process with the Higher Learning Commission and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
Effective immediately, Ginny Favede, chairwoman of the university's board of trustees, will work closely with the board and key administration officials to guide the university through its reauthorization. Key officials include Jeffrey Strader, vice president of administration and chief financial officer; David Hacker, vice president of human resources and compliance; and Laurie McCullough, director of institutional data and systems.
"Our board and administration are deeply committed to providing hands-on leadership and guidance during the reauthorization process and throughout the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year," Favede said. "We are working collaboratively with the HLC and HEPC during this process, and we appreciate the HEPC's understanding in agreeing to set a new date of Aug. 16 to reconvene for our reauthorization, following their planned visit on Aug. 12."
The Higher Education Policy Commission postponed a vote on the annual reauthorization for Wheeling University after learning Friday morning that the school's top two administrators were placed on leave, putting the university's status with the state in limbo. Less than 10 minutes before a 10 a.m. special meeting in Charleston, the commissioners learned that Mihalyo and Petrella had been placed on paid leave.
In response, the commissioners decided to postpone a vote on the annual reauthorization for Wheeling University until Aug. 16, with an on-site inspection scheduled the week of Aug. 12.
Corley Dennison, vice chancellor for academic affairs with the HEPC, said a number of events in the 24 hours leading up to the meeting prompted the commission's decision, including only receiving needed documents for the reauthorization process Thursday from Favede and McCullough.
"We had been requesting documents from Wheeling University for some time. We had a meeting yesterday morning with (Favede), who was not aware of the request for those documents. After some discussions … they promised to deliver the documents to us, and they did," Dennison said Friday. "They delivered a substantial number of documents to us yesterday evening. We have not had time to review those documents."
Dennison said the HEPC also was informed by the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits degree-granting institutions in 19 states, that a complaint had been filed against Wheeling University.
"A formal complaint had been filed against the university regarding the governance of the university," Dennison said.
According to a document accompanying the HEPC's Friday agenda, the HEPC staff recommended "provisionally reauthorizing" Wheeling University through May 15, 2020.
Citing the university's recent failure to share "critical information," HEPC staff also stated, "It is recommended that the commission shall revoke authorization to confer degrees prior to May 15, 2020, should this information not be forthcoming or timely."
The HEPC staff recommended a timetable for the university to provide various plans and reports.
Mihalyo was elected as the university's 12th president last August. Petrella also joined the university as senior vice president last August.
The university's board of trustees changed the institution's name to Wheeling University on July 18. Previously, the school had been known as Wheeling Jesuit University.
The Jesuit connection to the school was eliminated when the Society of Jesus, the Roman Catholic religious order that founded the college, severed ties to the school earlier this year. The Jesuit affiliation ended after the financially troubled university dropped several courses of study, including theology, for the coming academic year.