By Michael Gryboski, Editor
A university in North Carolina affiliated with The Episcopal Church has again misplaced accreditation, but will endure an arbitration course of to strive to reverse the determination.
Saint Augustine’s University announced final Thursday that its effort to charm a determination by the Southern Association of Faculties and Colleges Payment on Faculties to total its accreditation had failed.
Which capacity that, SAU will pursue a 90-day arbitration course of, in which length the university will remain in operation and college students graduating in Can also will receive levels from an officially well-liked institution.
“Per SACSCOC’s arbitration policy, SAU has the exact to pursue binding arbitration to contest the accreditation determination,” outlined the university. “Arbitration enables SAU to hide its monetary balance and commitment to compliance with accreditation requirements.”
In its announcement, SAU referenced a $70 million bridge loan from an unnamed donor that they request to get by the raze of the month, which will possess to silent unravel their monetary considerations.
“The funds we possess secured provide a gleaming future for the college students coming in now and for generations to reach lend a hand,” mentioned Trustee Sophie Gibson, as quoted in the announcement. “SAU is never any longer trustworthy sustaining itself; we’re constructing a basis for future Falcons to thrive.”
A historically African American university primarily based in 1867, SAU has struggled in most modern years to preserve its accreditation, on account of no doubt intensive monetary considerations at the institution.
SACSCOC trustees voted to steal away SAU from membership in December 2023 as an well-liked institution over considerations about its monetary balance, with an appeals committee upholding the ruling in February 2024.
In response to the continuing components, SAU moved the bulk of its lessons from in-person to online, with intervening time SAU President Marcus Burgess saying in a assertion final year that “it’s additionally our utmost responsibility to compose sure that the protection, effectively-being, and dignity of the SAU neighborhood, especially our faculty students.”
The U.S. Department of Labor announced an investigation into the university final year amid experiences that workers had long past a couple of pay lessons with out paychecks.
Final July, an arbitration committee appointed by SACSCOC unanimously voted to enhance reversing the accreditation elimination, even supposing it maintained that SAU stays on probation.
“The SACSCOC arbitration committee’s determination serves as a pivotal 2nd for SAU’s redemption and renewal,” mentioned SAU Board of Trustees Chair Brian Boulware earlier this year.
“The unanimous reversal by the arbitration committee rightfully corrects the injustice inflicted upon SAU by SACSCOC’s initial ruling and underscores the university’s steadfast commitment to excellence and growth.”
In November, as a part of its efforts to enhance its monetary standing, SAU announced it decrease 67 workers positions, 37 plump-time college positions and 32 adjunct college positions, or round 50% of its workers.
Regardless of the measures, SACSCOC voted at its annual meeting in Austin, Texas, final December to steal away SAU from membership, even supposing the university mentioned it could perchance perchance charm the determination.
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