Luna Community College to remain on probation
Board of trustees says Las Vegas, NM, school has made ‘notable progress’
SANTA FE — Luna Community College remains on probation after demonstrating to the Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees “notable progress toward addressing accreditation issues,” according to a Thursday news release from the school.
The beleaguered Las Vegas, New Mexico, school was placed on probation last year by the Chicagobased HLC that oversees accreditation for colleges and universities in 19 states. Probationary status was an upgrade from the “show-cause” order LCC was issued in November 2017 amid allegations of administrative misconduct and lack of financial controls.
“We are pleased that the Higher Learning Commission has recognized the progress we have made toward attaining accreditation free of sanctions,” LLC President Rolando Rael said in a statement. “We will continue to work to attain the formal validation that accreditation provides. We must remain proactive about improving the college in every facet of our operation.”
Prior to being issued the show-cause order by the accreditation commission, LCC was placed on financial oversight by the state Higher Education Department in 2016, requiring monthly meetings
with the HED’s fiscal director, senior financial specialist and institutional auditor.
The community college currently meets 19 of 21 criteria for accreditation and plans to fortify areas of deficiency and make improvements in other areas, according to the news release.
The HLC’s trustees met earlier this month to consider Luna’s case and informed the school of its decision on Thursday.
LCC, founded in 1969 as Luna Area Vocational
Technical School, has an enrollment of about 1,300 students and offers degrees and certificates in 17 fields of study, including business, marketing, liberal arts and sciences, and health professions.
“The bottom line for us is the heart of our mission — creating opportunities for our students. That has been and continues to be our priority as an institution,” said Rael, who was selected as LLC president by the college’s board of trustees in March, ending a contentious selection process. Rael, who had headed
Luna’s allied health science department, was selected in a 3-2 vote after two of the board’s seven trustees resigned days earlier.
One of them, David Gutierrez, said in his resignation letter that some board members had put personal gain and community perception ahead of addressing the school’s accreditation issues. Prior to Rael’s selection, Luna had operated for two years under interim presidents after its former president, Leroy Sanchez, left amid controversy that included audits reflecting rampant nepotism and a lack of financial controls.