YOUNGSTOWN — The tenure of Jimmie Bruce as president of Eastern Gateway Community College has come to an end.

Bruce, who came to the school in 2015, was terminated from his position during Wednesday’s meeting of the board of trustees at the Youngstown campus.

Board members cited dereliction of duty and inappropriate management as the reason for their unanimous decision, which came after a two-hour executive session.

The future of Bruce and Jim Miller, EGCC’s vice president and chief of staff, had been in limbo since they were placed on administrative leave last week.

Board members decided to continue action against Miller, who reportedly had questionable expense charges on EGCC’s procurement card.

Staff and faculty at the school, which has campuses in Steubenville and Youngstown, learned the two had been placed on administrative leave in a document distributed Jan. 7. The document, which was sent on behalf of board chairman James M. Gasior, also revealed that Mike Geoghegan, the school’s chief financial officer, had assumed additional responsibilities to ensure continuity in the efficient operation of the college.

On Thursday, Gasior released a statement: “Today’s actions are regrettable, but necessary, to restore confidence in the leadership of Eastern Gateway Community College and to continue the growth we have seen, on campus and online. While we work to resolve the contractual aspects of the termination, we will begin the search for a new president. In the meantime, we are proud of our students, staff and faculty who have pressed ahead during this time of transition. We are eager to witness their successes during this new, record-setting enrollment semester.”

The college has come under increased scrutiny during the past year, with some state lawmakers fearful EGCC’s rapid spike in out-of-state online enrollments is inflating its share of the state funding pool, pulling money away from other colleges to educate students who don’t live in Ohio.

In August, Bruce survived a no-confidence vote by faculty. Although details behind the vote were never revealed, faculty sources who didn’t wish to be identified said they’d compiled “a list of concerns and grievance-worthy items” to present to the board, along with the vote results.

The resolution approved by the trustees Thursday states simply: “Whereas, Dr. Jimmie Bruce has lost the confidence of the board due to dereliction of duty and inappropriate management practices. Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the board authorizes the chair to take the necessary steps to terminate the contract of Dr. Jimmie Bruce, in accordance with the terms of his employment agreement with Eastern Gateway Community College.”

Geoghegan will serve as the interim president of Eastern Gateway.

Gina Augustine, interim co-leader of the Ohio Education Association’s EGCC affiliate, declined comment last week, saying then that, “We’re just here doing our jobs, keeping the college running and focusing on our students.”

Linda Harris, a Steubenville Herald Star reporter, contributed to this report.

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