For all the friction that has torn at the revolving door of Essex County College's leaders in the last few years, 2018 will be the true test of whether the new overseers can extricate the institution from its precarious accreditation status.
The college is a lifeline for its 9,000 part-time and full-time students, most of whom are black and Latino. Half of the student body receives some form of financial aid, officials estimate.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the college has been an anchor in Newark, providing an educational launching ground for people of all backgrounds -- those with children, full-time jobs or seeking a second chance. Last year's oldest graduate was 69 years old.
"This county college holds a lot of future for Hispanic and blacks," student body president John Nwankwo said recently. "An immigrant like me whose been in America for just two years gets a shot at education. It's a blessing for us."
Stakes are high for students and the nearly 481 full-time employees and the 519 adjunct professors who work there, per 2016 fall data. The college's accrediting agency placed it on probation last year for failing governance and finance standards.
Essex County College has until November to show it has improved in both areas, or it can lose its accreditation.
"It's an all or nothing," President Anthony Munroe told NJ Advance Media after the college was placed on probation in November. "We remain resolved and resolute to address each and every compliance matter outlined."
The college must submit a monitoring report to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education by March to show it is meeting standards. In June, Middle States will vote on whether to remove the college from probation or escalate its status to "show cause," giving the institution one last chance to plead its case before stripping it of accreditation in November 2018.
Losing accreditation means students would not be eligible for federal financial aid, limiting opportunities for low-income students and eliminating a revenue stream for the school. The college would most likely shutter.
But ECC leaders have already celebrated progress under Munroe and are hopeful it won't reach that point. Most recently, the college's 2017 audit found no weaknesses, and was completed ahead of schedule in December.
Last year, the college was late to submit its 2016 audit to the U.S. Department of Education. That meant the institution was at risk of losing its Title IV funding -- about $20 million that includes Pell grants for students. More than 7,300 students received Pell grants in the 2015-16 school year, college officials said.
Consequences for the late audit submission were almost as dire as losing accreditation.
The college was cited by the USDOE and given a "provisional certification" to participate in federal financial aid programs. That triggers additional monitoring from the USDOE, including monthly, retroactive approvals for financial aid instead of lump sum payments. Essex County College remains on provisional certification through 2019, but said it already submitted its 2017 audit to the USDOE.
Munroe, who was hired in May, said the 2016 audit was submitted in June but was due in March. He said it was "clearly a financial management issue" but declined to elaborate.
The college's Vice President of Finance and Administration Joyce Wilson Harley, who earns $205,000 a year, has been on paid leave since September pending an investigation by the law firm Porzio Bromberg & Newman, of Morristown. The reasons for her leave were not disclosed.
In Munroe's recommendation to the Board of Trustees to place Harley on leave, which was obtained by NJ Advance Media, Munroe alleged Harley was in charge of supervising the late audit and did not communicate ongoing issues with its timely completion. Harley has denied any and all wrongdoing.
"This administration inherited these challenges when we assumed leadership of Essex County College last summer," Munroe said in a statement on the clean 2017 audit. "Since that time we have been working together as a team to face these challenges head on and restore the college to its place of prominence."
Over the last two months, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo appointed three new Board of Trustee members and transfered another $1.5 million to the college's operating budget. The county makes up about 20 percent of the college's $60 million budget. The state provides about 19 percent of the revenue, officials said.
After hearing about the college's probation, student Bryan Atahualpa said he was scared it could affect his ability to get the credits he needed to transfer to a four-year institution.
But, he said, the problems were largely at the feet of college leaders and they needed to work together. "If they got along they would figure out how to solve it," he said.
Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.