CITIZEN STAFF REPORT
LOGAN, W.Va. — The president of Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College (SWCTC) was placed on administrative leave Monday. The action followed a vote by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, marking a sharp shift in leadership at the troubled institution.
During an emergency virtual meeting April 7, the Council voted to strip Dr. Pam Alderman of her authority and instructed her to vacate her offices. The resolution, read aloud by Vice Chancellor Chris Treadway, cited repeated violations of Board of Governors’ directives.
The Council also announced the appointment of Dr. Corley Dennison, vice chancellor emeritus of the state’s Higher Education Policy Commission, as interim president. Dennison will earn a salary of $195,000.
Tensions between Alderman and the college’s governing board escalated over several months, culminating in the Council’s decision March 19 to intervene. The Council’s resolution April 7 alleged that Alderman continued to act in defiance of board directives, including engaging in unauthorized communications with the Higher Learning Commission and participating in media interviews.
“Since the Board’s March 19, 2025, meeting, the president has taken actions in apparent violation of restrictions placed upon her by the board,” Treadway said, reading from the resolution, which also limited the hiring and firing authority of the Southern Board of Governors. This procedural step allowed for Alderman’s removal.
Alderman’s contract will expire June 30 and will not be renewed, officials said.
The leadership shake-up follows a series of allegations raised during the March 19 meeting. Those include purported violations of the state’s Ethics Act, attempts to purchase a luxury vehicle using public funds, and unauthorized acceptance of payments. Alderman also allegedly withheld information that the Board requested and fired three employees who filed grievances against her.
In another matter brought up by board members, Alderman allegedly appointed her former husband, Bill Alderman, to a leadership role at the college.
SWCTC operates main campuses in Logan and Williamson, serving students across the southern region of the state.