NEWARK -- Essex County College's accrediting agency issued its most severe rebuke yet to the institution on Monday, citing the college's ongoing troubles and placing it on probation.

The escalated action moves the college one step closer toward having its accreditation revoked, which would mean students are no longer eligible for federal financial aid and in most cases would be unable to afford attending the school and ending a revenue stream that could shut the college's doors.

Losing accreditation is very rare but for Essex County College, which serves more than 10,000 students and employs 500 people, the consequences could be heavy-felt in the community.

"We remain resolved and resolute to address each and every compliance matter outlined by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education," President Anthony Munroe told NJ Advance Media. He was adamant that teaching and learning were not the issue and the quality of the academics remained unchanged.

"The academic integrity of the school has not been called into question through this," he said. Students "are getting a good, quality education."

Last November, Middle States, the agency that accredits area colleges, placed the college on warning, giving it two years -- to November 2018 -- to correct problems. The probation status does not change the timeline; the college still has another year to cure its woes and remain accredited.

In a letter sent to the college Monday, the Middle States Commission said the institution remained out of compliance with two standards: institutional resources and leadership and governance.

Munroe said the college was implementing internal controls to ensure its finances met standards. The issue of governance, however, "is going to be a big challenge for us because it's going to be beyond our internal control," Munroe said.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. appoints a majority of the Board of Trustees; two are appointed by the governor.

A vocal group of clergy in recent months have lobbed allegations of political interference at the college, claiming DiVincenzo and his appointments exert undue influence at the school.

"When will we put students over politics, people over politics?" asked Rev. Ronald Slaughter, pastor of Saint James AME Church in Newark. "Middle States is watching this stuff, probation is nothing to play with."

Infighting between Munroe, who started in May, and some members of the Board of Trustees have played out in the media, with each side accusing the other of wrongdoing. Munroe has also accused some trustees of undermining his presidency.

DiVincenzo has replaced a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees and contributed an additional $1.5 million to the college's operating budget, upping the county's total contribution to $13.95 million this year.

"The president has got to make sure his financial house is in order. I want to be helpful, I want to be supportive to him," he said. "We're doing our job and now he has to do his job."

Regarding governance issues, Middle States said the college, in part, had to show it was developing and implementing some type of document that "provides for collegial governance" and it had to develop a selection process for governing body members.

"We will continue to partner with those who are committed to advancing the mission of the institution," Munroe said.

George Gollin, a University of Illinois professor and former board member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, called the move for probation a "pretty dire step."

As for the thousands of students walking the halls of Essex County College each day, Gollin said the years-long back-and-forth between Middle States and the school is "scary as all get out for them."



But Gollin said the students' credits earned should still transfer to four-year schools.



"There's some protection for the students," he said, noting that even in the unlikely instance that the school loses accreditation and is forced to shutter, the college would likely make arrangements with another nearby college to transfer its students.

DiVincenzo said the community shouldn't be concerned. "We're going to work together to make sure that institution stays stable," he said.

The college must submit a monitoring report on next March. A team of peer evaluators from Middle States will visit the college afterwards and report back to the Commission. If problems are not fixed, the Commission can issue the harshest action, a "show cause," before fully revoking accreditation come November.

Trustees will meet on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Smith Hall on the Newark campus.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comment from Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo.]

Jessica Mazzola contributed to this report.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.