Michael Barnes

Barnes was one of "the KCRCC Three" who voted 3–2 to fire President MacLennan without cause in September 2021. He resigned from the board in January 2022 after questions arose about whether he met residency requirements. His departure left the board split in half and "barely functional," unable to achieve quorum.

The NWCCU accreditation report explicitly names the board majority of Banducci, McKenzie, and Barnes as having "led to the departure of all three Vice Presidents and one Dean, removing much of the experienced senior leadership." Barnes's departure in January 2022 left the board split and barely functional.

Identified as one of "the KCRCC Three" whose combined partisan conduct triggered NWCCU's accreditation investigation. The op-ed notes the trio ignored legal counsel from experienced attorneys and violated accreditation governance standards.

After Barnes resigned (residency), and Wood and Howard resigned to allow state appointments, Banducci and McKenzie filed a lawsuit to block state replacement trustees. The lawsuit failed. Three state-appointed trustees joined, ending the KCRCC majority. Barnes's initial resignation was the event that destabilized the board beyond repair.

Accreditation complaint against the board majority specifically names Barnes, Banducci, and McKenzie. Complaint alleges the majority infringed at least three NWCCU accreditation criteria including student learning and non-discrimination requirements.