College trustee resigns

Western Wyoming Community College has a vacancy on its board of trustees after a member announced her resignation Tuesday over concerns about a proposed board removal policy.

Carla Hester-Croff, who was elected to her first team in Nov. 2020, resigned Tuesday morning prior to an informal discussion about the board of trustees' policies. The board accepted the resignation Wednesday.

In a written statement, Hester-Croff thanked residents for the support she received in being elected to the board, but said transparency of the college's actions were not supported by the college.

"There are values and beliefs that I hold dear such as transparency, open communication and healthy debate of issues presented," Hester-Croff wrote. "These values and beliefs have been discouraged and often silence is encouraged."

Hester-Croff also raised issues with instances where she views the college's administration as "calling the shots" when the board should govern the college.

"We are elected officials; yet we are guided by local policies. Policies can be put in place to limit our ability to govern and even remove us from our positions," she wrote.

Amongst the policies under discussion Tuesday was an updated board policy allowing for the removal of trustees. Currently, the policy states a trustee can be removed majority vote "for non-attendance and/or non-performance of duties, or when it is in the best interest of the Board to do so."

The policy is in a draft form and would need formal adoption by the board before it would take effect.

The draft cites instances where board members could be removed from the board by majority vote, which include if a board member moves out of the community college district, if a board member is absent from five meetings without notifying the board's President and if they're convicted of a felony or two misdemeanor charges.

The policy also contains a clause where other causes outside of those listed could be considered just cause for removal.

The policy creates a formal complaint system and process to use in giving a trustee due process when they are being considered for removal. A complaint against a trustee could be filed with the college President or board President by another trustee, an employee or a resident of the college district.

The trustee would be given notice of the complaint in writing and would have five working days to notify the college or board President of their request to be heard. If given, the person filing the complaint would be notified of a hearing to discuss the complaint in front of a committee consisting of three to five trustees. After the hearing, the committee would draft a recommendation based on the testimony and information provided at the hearing to the full board. The board would then deliberate on the report and vote on the trustee's removal, with a two-thirds vote being required to approve a removal.

During the policy discussion Tuesday, Sandy Veltri, an independent consultant from Colorado hired to help the college prepare for its 2022 Higher Learning Commission visit, said the removal policy and updates to other board-specific policies are needed to align with HLC criteria. The commission is responsible for the college's accreditation. According to several trustees, the college would cease to function without that accreditation. Colleges are routinely visited by HLC representatives to ensure colleges are operating to standards set by it and the U.S. Department of Education.

Veltri told the board she drafted the removal policy from existing Wyoming statutes and policies enacted by other college boards. Notes she wrote in the draft document state college boards have started including rules about criminal charges due to trustees being charged and found guilty of criminal charges, which could impact the college board's reputation. A note Veltri wrote about the attendance clause states she added it because other college boards have had issues with trustees being absent for significant periods of time without giving notice to the board, saying the board's President should be made aware of issues preventing a trustee from serving their duties.

George Eckman, a trustee from Green River, said the board hadn't updated its policies since 2014. Prior to that, the college's trustees were operating with policies drafted and approved in the 1990s. Eckman also acknowledged the issue of the board being given policy recommendations from the college's administration as the board oversees the President of the college. However, he admits the trustees wouldn't be aware of the need to update their policies without notification from people like Veltri or the college's President, Kim Dale.

Other community colleges in Wyoming have policies focused on the removal of trustees, though none researched by the Green River Star were as detailed as Western's proposal.

Central Wyoming College's board policies state a member can be removed for cause or due to a change of address outside the subdistrict they were elected or appointed in. Eastern Wyoming College's policies copy Western's current language in removing trustees, including the language "when it is in the best interest of the College Board to do so."

Hester-Croff later said she resigned prior to discussion or approval of the policy because she didn't believe she would be able to convince other trustees to amend the language.

Regina Clark, the board President, said she was surprised by Hester-Croff's sudden resignation. Both Clark and Dale disagree with the allegation of the college not being transparent. Dale said the college's administration has worked to be as transparent as they can, citing the public inclusion and release of documents after college leaders announced they would have to layoff employees earlier this year.

"Dr. Dale has been very instrumental in being very transparent with the college," Clark said.

Clark said a multitude of changes are coming from the U.S. Department of Education and the college needs to update its policies to remain complaint with those changes She said the college has been working on its upcoming HLC visit since Dale was hired in 2019, with Veltri being on board since Dale's appointment.

"We don't have anything to hide, we're a hub for the community," Clark said.