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Financially struggling university in West Virginia closes down, leaving students scrambling | CNN

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Financially struggling university in West Virginia closes down, leaving students scrambling | CNN




CNN
 — 

A small West Virginia university will close down after financial struggles, leaving many students frantically searching for another option as the start of the new academic year approaches.

On Monday, the board of trustees at Alderson Broaddus University, a private Baptist university in Philippi, West Virginia, voted to close the school, according to a statement from the school’s marketing and communications director, Cary Walters.

“As you can imagine, we are currently focused on providing accurate information to our students, faculty and staff regarding next steps and what they can expect in the coming days and weeks,” Walters said.

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The board’s decision comes after the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, the governing body overseeing universities in the state, voted to revoke Alderson Broaddus University’s power to confer degrees in an emergency meeting Monday to address the “rapidly deteriorating financial condition” at the school.

“The Commission took this action after receiving and confirming information that Alderson Broaddus University’s financial condition renders the institution unable to create a stable, effective, and safe learning environment for its students,” the Higher Education Policy Commission said in a statement.

Alderson Broaddus had been beset with financial difficulties for years, tax filings show. In 2022, the university had more than $39 million in liabilities. In 2020, the university reported a net income of -$904,424.

The commission’s decision would have gone into effect starting December 31, but it would have prohibited Alderson Broaddus from enrolling new students in the fall 2023 semester.

Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education, said the commission’s “foremost priority is to help (Alderson Broaddus’) students continue their education as seamlessly as possible.”

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“We have been working with other colleges and universities in the state, and we are grateful to have institutions that are eager to help these students transfer and complete their degrees,” Tucker said in the commission’s statement. “The Commission takes its role in authorizing private institutions to operate within West Virginia very seriously. This is a role that the Legislature entrusted us with to safeguard students, and that is exactly what we are doing.”

Several universities in the state have announced their willingness to help Alderson Broaddus students transfer their credits to a new school.

“We will provide these students with fast and free priority application and thorough transcript evaluations. Students accepted to (West Virginia Wesleyan College) will be given guaranteed housing placement, robust financial aid opportunities, and holistic student support,” West Virginia Wesleyan College said in a statement.

Fairmont State University said they created a scholarship to help students from Alderson Broaddus.

“Fairmont State has created the Battler Transfer Scholarship, a scholarship for transfer students from Alderson Broaddus to support their transition and degree completion,” the school said. “Any incoming first-time freshman who can provide a copy of their admit letter from AB will be provisionally admitted to Fairmont State.”

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The university said it will also prioritize any applications from Alderson Broaddus students and work with them to “maximize the transfer of courses and keep them on track with their personal degree plans.”

The sudden closure has led some student-athletes who were recruited to Alderson Broaddus scrambling to find the next opportunity. Many have taken to social media to reach recruiters.

Justin Kearney, a rising junior on Alderson Broaddus’ sprint football team told CNN he found out about the school’s closure through his teammates on Snapchat.

“Honestly, it hurts, but stuff happens. I love Alderson Broaddus forever and always all the friends, good memories and sports trips, it will always have a place in my heart,” Kearney said. “It’s been tough. One minute I’m working doing my normal day, next minute I’m posting on Twitter that I’m looking for a new place to call home. It’s still so surreal.”

Jalin Quintanilla, a freshman on the football team, told CNN the team was supposed to start preparing for fall camp this Friday when the coach confirmed the news of the shutdown after weeks of rumors. He said “it hasn’t been easy” this week.

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“But I think everything happens for a reason and at the end of the day, I’ll end up where I’m meant to be,” Quintanilla said.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice also voiced his disappointment about the school’s closure.

“I hate to hear about Alderson Broaddus, as it holds a special place in the town of Philippi. My thoughts go out to the students, faculty, and alumni of the institution during this challenging time,” Justice said in a Monday tweet.

Alderson-Broaddus College was first founded in 1932, when two older Baptist liberal arts colleges merged, according to the university’s website. The school gained university status in 2013, becoming Alderson Broaddus University.

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Level 3 Predatory Offender moves back to Virginia

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Level 3 Predatory Offender moves back to Virginia


According to the Virginia Police Department, Dustin Joshua Cousins is moving to the 100th block of 5th Street South in Virginia. Cousins, 39, is registered as a Level 3 Predatory Offender.

Cousins is described as a white male, who is 5′ 6″ tall and 214 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He has a history of sexual contact with known teenage females. According to the police report, ‘Cousins used his established relationship to of trust to attain and exploit access.’

Cousins has served his sentence and is transitioning into the community.

Per Minnesota Statute 244.052, the Virginia Police Department is releasing this information to notify the public. The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct or another offense that requires registration with law enforcement pursuant to Minnesota Statues 243.166 or 243.167.

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With the passage of the Community Notification Act law enforcement may now share information about many of these individuals with the public. Abuse of this information to threaten, harass or intimidate a registered individual is unacceptable and such acts could be charged as a crime. Such abuses could potentially end the ability of law enforcement to provide these notifications.



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Foster parent inquiries down 40% in Virginia, but you can help

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Foster parent inquiries down 40% in Virginia, but you can help


LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – May is National Foster Care Month. As interest in fostering declines across the commonwealth, United Methodist Family Services of Virginia is spreading knowledge about the process of becoming a foster parent.

UMFS is a nonprofit that provides community-based services for kinship families, foster care, adoption and independent living for kids aging out of foster care.

“We like to keep children close to their birth families, so they don’t have to move far, or they don’t have to be separated from siblings. So, we get a call, we get an email or an online referral from a local Department of Social Services (DSS) that says we need a placement and here are the needs. So, then it’s our job to then match and identify families for those children to best suit their needs,” said Regional Director of UMFS South & West Region, Holly Coates.

Currently, there are nearly 5,400 children in Virginia’s foster care system and nearly 600 children in foster care in Southwest Virginia. The state is ranked one of the worst for the number of youths aging out of the system at 18 years old.

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“We need more homes so that we can serve more children. There are more children coming into care at different times and we don’t like to say no that we don’t have an option for a child because that leaves children sleeping in hospitals or DSS’s or in group homes where they don’t need to be. They need to be in homes with families that care about them, nurture them and allow them to be kids,” said Coates.

A need Deb Lowe wanted to fulfill and learn more about. Since 2018, she has fostered 8 children with UMFS in Lynchburg.

“I was a little leery because I am a single parent with no other biological kids. But I like to find out the things that they like and that’s where I start. Of course, there are challenges when you’re getting to know somebody new that you haven’t lived with before. To have that change very suddenly for both the parent and the child takes some adjustments. To have good support is very crucial,” said Foster Parent, Deb Lowe.

Lowe’s foster son Lukas, who she has since adopted, said when he first started living with her, he was not happy. But over time things have changed for the better.

“I’ve gotten good grades and my attitude towards my mom is really, really good. It made me feel really special and made me feel like God really wanted me here. He made a miracle for me and changed my life,” said Lukas.

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UMFS data reveals foster care inquiries by prospective parents continues to trend downward. In fact, the nonprofit is seeing a 40% decline in interested caregivers since 2020. The decrease follows national trends. More than half of U.S. states experienced reductions in licensed foster homes in 2023.

“I think some of the barriers include myths about the children in general. I also think that there are a lot of misunderstandings about what it takes to become a foster parent. That’s there’s no support, or that you have to be wealthy, or you have to own your own home, or you have to be married and none of those things are accurate. It’s just a matter of being able to develop a relationship with the child,” said Coates.

Becoming a foster parent through UMFS takes roughly 3-6 months, and most of the training takes place online. Coates said the average stay in foster care is 6 to 18 months.

For more information about becoming a foster parent or to register for a virtual information session visit https://www.umfs.org/get-involved/become-a-foster-parent-virginia/

Coates said UMFS and the state is also moving towards a focus on kinship care. Working to support birth families, next of kin and friends to care for the child or be a support, rather than the child going into foster care.

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Virginia Education Association discusses pay discrepancy for teachers

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Virginia Education Association discusses pay discrepancy for teachers


ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia Education Association wants to clear up statements Gov. Glenn Youngkin made to 10 News about teacher pay moving forward.

This week, the governor signed the next biennium budget for the state. One highlight of the budget was a record amount of investment into education, including teacher pay.

“At the heart of the investment is bringing teacher salaries from well below the national average, to at the national average this year and expected to be in excess of the national average over the next two years,” Youngkin said in an interview with 10 News on Tuesday.

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Following 10 News’ story, the Virginia Education Association (VEA) reached out saying the governor’s statement is inaccurate.

“The governor is referencing the Virginia Department of Education’s ‘Annual Salary Survey Report’ which takes into account averages from guidance counselors and other technical positions,” Chad Stewart with VEA said.

The VEA even sent a letter to the governor’s office reading in part:

VDOE’s “Annual Salary Survey Report” includes all salary expenditures (including supplemental pay) for classroom teachers, homebound teachers, guidance counselors, librarians, and instructional technology positions. NEA includes only classroom teachers, substitutes, and homebound teachers (the same method for each state) and DOES NOT include supplemental pay

VEA letter to Gov. Youngkin

“It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. We’re kind of taking this orange from our own Virginia Department of Education number and inserting it into the National Education Association report,” Stewart said.

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Virginia’s estimated average teacher pay in the most recent NEA Rankings and Estimates Report released two weeks ago is $65,058 this year, $6,641 below the estimated national average which is $71,699.

Stewart also said the state will need to offer a 14% increase in the next budget cycle to reach the promised legislative goal of meeting the national teacher pay average by the 2027-28 school year.

Copyright 2024 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.



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