The Higher Learning Commission placed Wheeling University in West Virginia on probation after concluding that the institution does not meet two accreditation criteria and that it meets four more, but with concern. Wheeling University is the former Wheeling Jesuit University, a Roman Catholic institution that has made deep cuts amid financial pressure in recent years. It has
Staff Writer
The Higher Learning Commission has placed Wheeling University on probation, saying the school lacks the fiscal resources to sustain itself. (File Photo)
WHEELING The Higher Learning Commission has placed Wheeling University on probation after determining the school “does not have sufficient fiscal resources to support its operation,” and relies too heavily on subsidies it receives from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley sent a letter to WU President Ginny Favede dated March 4, notifying the school of its probation and outlining the reasons behind its decision.
In a response released Monday, Favede said Wheeling University remains “fully accredited by the HLC” while working to address concerns raised by the group’s decision. She added that, though the school is on probation, the commission also has removed the “financial distress” designation imposed on WU in May 2019.
Wheeling University put on probation | News, Sports, Jobs timesleaderonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesleaderonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Bransfield
NEW CUMBERLAND – A circuit judge has consolidated eight cases in two Northern Panhandle counties regarding sexual abuse claims against the Catholic Church.
In a February 23 order, First Circuit Judge Michael Olejasz issued an order consolidating the cases against the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston before First Circuit Judge David Sims.
Four of the cases – all filed in Hancock County – involve allegations a former priest sexually abused men in the 1980s when he worked at St. Paul’s Catholic School in Weirton. One involves allegations a man was sexually assaulted by Father James J. Chetock when he attended Weirton Madonna High School in the late 1970s. Another involves allegations a man was sexually assaulted by Reverend Richard J. Schaefer while he was assigned to St. Philomena Catholic Church in Rowlesburg.
From staff reports
WHEELING Families of Catholic school students, and of some former Catholic school students, in West Virginia will get an extra helping hand thanks to a $1.2 million investment from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
Bishop Mark Brennan announced the investment Monday, which will help families enrolled in the diocese’s 24 Catholic schools around the state. It also will help those who had to leave Catholic school in the last year due to financial strains from the COVID-19 pandemic.
These qualifying families, regardless of religious affiliation, will receive $250 per child in grades PK-12 in the parochial school system to be used for tuition and fees during the 2021-2022 school year. This grant is in addition to any tuition assistance for which families are eligible, including the Diocesan Tuition Assistance Program for Catholic families; and funds granted at the local parish and school level.