Just when we thought troubled Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science had gotten rid of its president and put its ducks in a row, comes news that the accrediting body, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), has placed the university on probation. In a report delivered last week, the commission informed the university that it was on probation and offered 11 recommendations in four areas which the school needs to meet to attain key accrediting standards.

For outsiders, like me, the probation status came as a surprise. But for insiders, it was no such thing, as they sensed it was imminent from the reaction of WASC officials when they visited the school in April. They say the looming low regard from the WASC played a major role in the ouster of former Drew President and CEO Susan Kelly in May.

But the newly appointed interim President Dr. Keith C. Norris, is sanguine about the probationary status. Norris said all the WASC recommendations for improvement are “addressable and achievable and what we all want to get done. They have not asked us to do anything that we would not want to do anyway.”

For example, Norris said that within the past few weeks, positions for a faculty member and a student have been added to the Board of Trustees, which is something the Drew community and the WASC examiners wanted to see. “They wanted to make sure there is good communication at the university and that opportunities abound for dialogue to flow. That is an important step and we are committed to making that happen,” Norris said.

In the wake of Kelly’s departure, considerable discussion ensued among Drew folk about missing and/or misspent money. “We are making sure we create a balanced budget going forward,” Norris said. “We have an internal audit in place to make sure that everything is in order around the budget deficit. In looking through the problem, we believe it was just overspending related to not having the revenue we used to have. A better assessment is being made now,” the interim president assured.

As to the lightning rod: Elizabeth Garcia — Kelly’s right-hand woman and the Drew official everybody seems to hate —  Norris said: “Yes, she’s still here and functioning in her same role.” Norris said Garcia took the brunt of the Drew community’s abuse because she was the messenger of Kelly. “We have to see how she is perceived if she has a different message to deliver. In all fairness, we need to make sure she has the opportunity to perform with a different message,” Norris said.

Ronald Edelstein, Drew’s dean of academic affairs, impressed upon me the assurance that the new masters in nursing program announced two weeks ago — and all its other academic programs — have been accredited and will move forward and are unaffected by the probationary status. “Being on probation means we’re under more scrutiny than usual and that we will have to get our act together and make sure we don’t lose accreditation,” Norris explained. “The most important thing is that while we’re on probation, we do not lose accreditation.”

Drew officials will meet with WASC examiners within 90 days to review the university’s action plan and the accrediting body has scheduled a return visit in the spring of 2011 to evaluate the university’s progress.

LEEWAY — Well, it’s Rev. Eric Lee season again. Lee, head of the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, is on the hot seat this time because of his vigorous opposition to Proposition 8, California’s anti-gay marriage initiative. The SCLC national body is seeking to remove Lee from his local post claiming he took a position on the proposition that had not been sanctioned by the national executive committee.

Lee told me that he discussed the issue with the head of the national SCLC and asked him what the national body’s stand on the issue would be. “He told me the organization would take a neutral position on Prop. 8,” Lee said. “I told him that in California, gay marriage is a serious civil rights issue and in our state we have to be consistent in fighting for residents’ civil rights.”

Lee said his local board approved the “No on Prop. 8” stance and that’s all SCLC/LA needed to join the statewide fray. Lee said the local body has its own ID number and he has violated no policy and is, therefore, beyond removal by the national board. “They can take away the charter, but they can’t remove me,” Lee said. In other words, “Bring it!” (And if, perchance, Lee is removed, I think the Rev. Lewis Logan would make an excellent replacement!)

DATE BOOK — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has shown no concern about the fate of ordinary people during the state’s unprecedented financial freefall. In fact, he boasted to a reporter the other day that he feels “perfectly fine” about the affects of the crisis and that he would go home “sit down in the Jacuzzi and lay back with a stogie” while millions of children face losing their health insurance, elderly and disabled patients losing their in-home care and women and children losing their welfare safety net.

Well, Community Coalition is organizing a protest rally at the Santa Monica Airport to greet the insensitive governor when he disembarks from his private jet, which flies him nearly every night to and from his Sacramento office and his Brentwood home. The protest will be held at noon Monday.

Kaiser Permanente’s Watts Counseling and Learning Center will join the Watts Healthy Farmers Market to celebrate its second anniversary Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ted Watkins Memorial Park at 103rd Street and Central Avenue. In addition to providing affordable locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, Saturday’s farmers market will feature a chef demonstration of healthy cooking, free copies of the book “Eating Well in Season,” live music, a petting zoo and other attractions for children.

The Los Angeles Community Liaison Committee of the National Association for Equal Justice in America (NAEJA) will discuss the “Spanish only” summer session at John Ritter Elementary School when it holds its general membership meeting Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at McCarty Memorial Christian Church, 4101 W. Adams Blvd. Royce Esters, president and CEO of NAEJA, will be the guest speaker.

THIS AND THAT — The House of Representatives voted 399-1 on a bill last week to put a plaque in the new Capitol Visitors Center that would acknowledge the role of slave laborers in constructing Washington D.C.’s federal buildings. The one member of the House who voted against the plaque was Rep. Steve King of Iowa. King is the same Republican who called Sen. Joe McCarthy “a hero for America,” said terrorists would “dance in the streets” when Obama was elected and called the abuses at Abu Ghraib “hazing.” Isn’t Iowa the state that made the opening kick that put Obama in the White House? They must really be proud of King.

Sen. Curren Price has endorsed Steve Bradford for the 51st Assembly District seat that Price just vacated. In looking over his list of endorsements, I see that Steve is being supported by a lot of people who hate each other. What does that mean, for heaven sakes?

AND FINALLY — I feel sort of sorry about Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s staff being left out on a limb over the city’s begging for donations to help defray the cost of Michael Jackson’s memorial. See what happens when you heap slavish devotion upon a boss? You get screwed by that boss! Everybody in the media received copies of that news release in which Villaraigosa, himself, is quoted asking the public to donate money. Then he came back into town and declared the whole idea “ridiculous” and blamed the beg-fest on his stupid staff! Matt Szabo and Rachel Kruer, I know you feel ill-used and betrayed by your boss and I’m sure it’s not the first time. Come and tell Aunt Betty all about it. I’m here for you.