Shelby, NC — From the past meetings, along with the details in the minutes, it’s evident that this particular board needs some oversight. For instance, the public would not have known that Dr. Thornburg was fined, and the fine was allowed to become a donation that would be tax deductible. If not for the letter that former BoT Chairman Ellis Monroe submitted to the board, and others, the public would possibly have no idea about this problem. If the James G. Martin Center had not done their exposé, much of the information that brought this scandal to the public, would have gone without mention, simply because, the BoT would not mention it, and the local media will not print anything other than favorable coverage, unless the absolutely have to.
The Board of Trustees, as a whole, doesn’t seem to be aware of what their duties actually entail, as evidenced by the settlement that was given to former President Thornburg. Either they weren’t aware, or simply didn’t care, that they did not have the authority to spend money, that did not belong to the college. There is a manual for NC Community College Trustees. Whether Cleveland Community College has their own manual or not, is not known at this time. Listed below, is the Foreward, from the NC Trustees Manual, 3rd Edition:
[gview file=”http://citizensforgoodgovernment.org/online/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Foreward-3rdEditionTrusteesManual.pdf”]
