PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — At a hearing by Pennsylvania lawmakers Monday, former Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies Erin Elman surprised attendees when she was the only university leadership to show up… About an hour in.
At the hearing, students, staff and alumni discussed the impact of the abrupt closure, which Elman says she and six other deans had “no idea” of until 10 minutes before the public on May 31.
Elman was a dean at the university for 16 years, under three presidents. She said the closure was announced in a two-hour digital meeting with the president and vice president.
"I asked for financial documentation to understand where the crisis was. I asked for the correspondence that was not made public on the Middle State's website, between the University and Middle States, and I asked — I begged for an appeal,” she said.
None of her requests were granted.
"At the state level, we are making sure that we are using our authority to look at what happened and make sure it never happens again,” said Jordan Harris, the third highest person in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. “And we hope that over the next coming weeks, we can share and have more information about where we are."
Others who testified became emotional, talking about the uncertainty of their future, including doubts about being able to pay their bills.
House Democrats have introduced legislation to prevent similar abrupt closures of higher education institutions.
Earlier this month, a pair of competing class-action lawsuits were filed on behalf of staff and faculty against the university for its failure to give sufficient advance notification that they would lose their jobs.