Shelby, NC — A little less than a year ago, Cleveland Community College President Dr. Steve Thornburg, was rescued from a sinking ship in the Caribbean Sea while on vacation in St. Thomas. Now, he finds himself at the helm of the Cleveland Community College and this ship appears to be taking on water, ready to sink.
On April 3, 2017, Shannon Watkins, a reporter with the James G. Martin Center For Academic Renewal, wrote a story about some problems discovered at Cleveland Community College. The first part of the article dealt with some problems with the Dual Enrollment Program, and later, the article told of other problems that were discovered, along with the enrollment issue. There were mentions of some misuse of grant money, problems with some alleged false reporting on grades and other results of early college programs.
Also, it was alleged that several people within the administration, including trustees, refused to address these problems, and even would not acknowledge there were problems. People lost their jobs or resigned. Accusations were made regarding the whistleblowers. One trustee accused a former employee of criminal acts, yet, he had no evidence to back up his accusations.
