St. Augustine’s College, an HBCU in Raleigh, North Carolina misplaced its SACS accreditation in December of 2023. Lack of accrediation is usually thought of a demise sentence for a functioning school or college.
Arguably essentially the most notorious scenario that involves thoughts is historic HBCU Morris Brown’s lack of accreditation in 2002. It took Morris Brown 20 years to rebuild, finally gaining it from TRACS, a voluntary, non-profit, self-governing group of Christian postsecondary establishments.
Then there may be Saint Paul’s Faculty in Lawrencville, VA. SPC misplaced its SACS accrediation in 2012 and shut down a yr later.
Why is accreditation vital at an HBCU?
At an HBCU, most college students are enrolled with the backing of economic help within the type of loans, grants, and different federally funded or sponsored useful resource allocations. In accordance with the Nationwide Heart for Academic Statistics, pupil monetary help comes from federal, state, and institutional sources. Amongst undergraduates at HBCUs in 2019–20, 82 p.c obtained federal help, 27 p.c obtained state help, and 35 p.c obtained institutional help.
In brief, most HBCU establishments wouldn’t survive with out federal help. Morris Brown grew to become all however defunct earlier than it was revived in 2022. Even so, the establishment will battle long-term issues from pupil funding shortfalls.
St. Augustine’s SACS accreditation was revoked at a board assembly on Dec. 3, 2023, with a 10-day grace interval earlier than all accreditation was revoked.
Why was St. Aug faraway from SACS membership?
In accordance with the disclosure assertion rendered by the SACSCOC, the basis of the problems with St. Augustine’s was because of a scarcity of institutional management of funds. The disclosure doc cited St. Augustine’s for 4.1 (Governing board traits), Core Requirement 13.1 (Monetary assets), Core Requirement 13.2 (Monetary paperwork), Normal 13.3 (Monetary accountability), Normal 13.4 (Management of funds), and Normal 13.6 (Federal and state duties) of the Rules of Accreditation—the requirements of the membership of SACSCOC, in addition to failure to satisfy the provisions of Good Trigger.
Accreditation in SACS has three main necessities. Being accredited in good standing by SACSCOC signifies that the establishment (1) has a mission acceptable to increased schooling, (2) has assets, packages, and companies ample to perform and maintain that mission, and (3) maintains clearly specified academic targets which are per its mission and acceptable to the levels its gives, and that point out whether or not it’s profitable in reaching its said targets.
St. Augustine’s President Christine McPhail was shortly fired by the college. She could be notified on the identical day the college’s accreditation could be formally stripped. Her firing got here by the hands of the St. Augustine’s Board of Trustees.
St. Augustine’s interim president Leslie Rodriguez-McClellon, stated she totally expects the formal enchantment to be accomplished inside the 10-day interval. She said that the lack of accreditation is primarily based on lacking audits which are required by the company. She expects the paperwork to be delivered promptly to SACS so as to strengthen its enchantment place.
The HBCU of 1,000 college students was additionally placed on probation by SACSCOC in 2016 and 2018. It was placed on probation by SACS a yr in the past and sadly, it escalated to the revocation that’s now the middle of the varsity’s woes.
The SACSCOC monetary accounting and reporting necessities are clear
Within the SACSCOC handbook, underneath Part 13 (Monetary and Bodily Assets, SACS requires the establishment to have sound monetary assets and a demonstrated, steady monetary base to assist the mission of the establishment and the scope of its packages and companies. (Monetary assets) [CR] The member establishment gives the next monetary statements:
(a) an institutional audit (or Normal Assessment Report issued in accordance with Statements on Requirements for Accounting and Assessment Providers issued by the AICPA for these establishments audited as a part of a system-wide or statewide audit) for the newest fiscal yr ready by an impartial licensed public accountant and/or an acceptable governmental auditing company using the suitable audit (or Normal Assessment Report) information.
(b) a press release of economic place of unrestricted web property, unique of plant property and plant-related debt, which represents the change in unrestricted web property attributable to operations for the newest yr. for High quality Enhancement (c) an annual finances that’s preceded by sound planning, is topic to sound fiscal procedures, and is authorized by the governing board.
How have St. Aug’s athletics groups fared to date
Each Morris Brown and Saint Paul’s Faculty athletics suffered as the varsity fought shedding accrediation battles, ultimately dropping their respective soccer packages.
St. Augustine’s soccer workforce misplaced all 10 video games it performed this season. The Falcons take part on the NCAA Division II degree within the CIAA. Their closest sport was a 10-7 loss to convention foe Bowie State in September and a 7-0 loss to Fayetteville State College in October. In actual fact, it has not had a profitable season since going 6-4 in 2011.
St. Augustine’s fired its soccer coach in October. Howard Feggins had a brief time period with the varsity, one thing that has been the norm. He was abruptly fired in the course of the season and filed a lawsuit in opposition to the varsity. Feggins complained about unreasonable circumstances and the way he was anticipated to win with none assist from the varsity.
The college presently has an interim head soccer coach, interim director of athletics and an interim chancellor.
In cross nation, girls’s runner Abijah Jepkemboi gained the CIAA Runner of the 12 months, because the workforce positioned third within the convention championship. Volleyball has a .500 season going 13-13. Spring sports activities shall be in query as an alternative of the revocation of accreditation.
Learn the SACS disclosure assertion on Saint Augustine’s lack of accreditation
