The painful truth finally is surfacing

Just before Easter, I had lunch in Washington with a Wheeling College faculty member.  He was secretly in the DC area seeking interviews for a job.  He told me that the college's president, Mr. Beyer, had finally admitted to the employees that the college is in a precarious condition.  The student body has dwindled.  Even with investing lots of borrowed money to hire new recruiters, over the third year the college did not come close to the number of new students it needs to cover costs.  (Not counting the drop-outs.)  Not many high school students are interested in attending the college even when the school is giving away entrance.  Its final drawing card, that it is a Jesuit college, had been erased with the debacle of the unjust firing of Fr. Giulietti.

More news: Joe Bock, director of development, and elder brother of the Bock on the Wheeling Board - nepotism if I ever heard of it - was fired by Mr. Beyer. The great hope did not produce much of anything.  Where is Fr. Julio when you need him?

Finally the Jesuits.  Jesuit sources in DC say that the Order agreed on a few colleges they expect to "go under" over the next three to five years.  Wheeling is the first candidate.  When will they admit this publicly?  When will Mr. Beyer fess up to the employees?   What plans does Bishop Bransfield have for the former Jesuit school?

These facts add further nails to the coffin.

- Larry