In a dramatic turn of events, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College President Pam Alderman has been placed on paid administrative leave and ordered to vacate her office. The decision came during an emergency meeting held by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education on Monday, as reported by WOWK-TV.
Vice Chancellor Chris Treadway read the council’s resolution aloud, citing that Alderman had violated restrictions set by the college’s Board of Governors last month. These restrictions stemmed from a series of alleged ethical violations.
“The president has taken actions in apparent violation of restrictions… including unauthorized communications with [the Higher Learning Committee] and unauthorized media interviews,” said Treadway.
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Allegations Mount Against Alderman
The situation escalated following last month’s accusations that Alderman had:
- Attempted to purchase a luxury vehicle using taxpayer funds
- Fired employees who had filed grievances against her
- Hired her ex-husband into a high-paying position at the college
According to reporting from the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Alderman denied many of these claims and pushed back against the council.
“You said you have lost confidence in me, but I have lost confidence in the commission,” she said at a prior meeting.
“I was given no information at all. You don’t want to listen to the truth, and we are here with the truth.”Advertisement
Council Seizes Oversight from College Board
In a significant move, the council also voted to strip the college’s Board of Governors of its authority to oversee presidential appointments for the next two years.
Council Chair Christina Cameron acknowledged the seriousness of the decision:
“This is not something that we as a council have taken lightly. It was a hard decision to make.”
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Interim President Named
To ensure continued leadership at the institution, the council appointed Corley Dennison, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, as interim president through June 30—the date when Alderman’s current contract officially ends.
As the college moves forward, the council’s actions signal a strong stance on leadership accountability and ethics in public education. The situation remains fluid, with more developments expected in the coming weeks.
