St. Augustine University learned on Tuesday that its recognition appeal was denied.
Southern Association of College and Schools Commission [SACSCOC] The appeal committee upheld the board’s decision to cancel the recognition for the rale-based school, which is struggling with financial management issues.
The appeal committee listed several reasons to maintain the board’s decision. In particular, the committee listed the reasons mentioned in “Principles of recognition: foundation for quality enhancement”. Reasons include:
- Governing board characteristics
- financial resources
- Financial documents
- financial responsibility
- Finance control
- Federal and state responsibilities
“Further, the appeal committee found that the institution failed to meet the provisions of good reasons,” the committee posted in a two-page document.
According to SACSCOC, St. Augustine University has a notice of intention to mediated the decision till 8 March.
“We disagree with the decision made by [the] There is a plan to appeal to a higher authority with evidence supporting the progress of the institution in solving SACSCOC and non-transportation, ”the interim chairman of the university. Marcus Burges said. “We will move quickly to file a lawsuit [the] Sacscococ demands an prohibition, which if provided, will allow the University of St. Augustine to be recognized with the Sacscoc on probation for a good reason until the end of litigation. ,
The lawyers representing the university’s plan plan to file a prohibition, requests that the courts weigh the case. The university claims that during prohibition, it will remain recognized.
On Tuesday, the leadership of the University of St. Augustine said that the board’s decision was “arbitrary,” “inappropriate” and not “consistent” with the recognition criteria.
“Despite the testimony and evidence supporting a case for significant improvement, the ability to remove the shortcomings, [the] SACSCOC decided to maintain its decision to remove SAU from membership and denied the probation for a good reason by December 2025, ”by the University of St. Augustine’s leadership in a statement.
Emeritus Peter Emwala, president of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, explained, “It is only very rare that an recognized actually takes action to prevent an institution from recognition,” Avel said. “Financial issues or board dislocation are the most common issues [SACSCOC] Consider for a school. ,
Ewell said that losing recognition means that the University of St. Augustine cannot accept federal funds and the student cannot use the title IV fund for financial assistance.
“For a private institution, it is very resulting,” Evello said. “Large loss is actually for the reputation of the institution.
“If they lose it, it is very difficult to recover in terms of attracting students [and] To attract a new faculty. ,
Last week, Burges admitted that the school is in “very serious” position, but said it would not be closed as it fights to maintain its recognition.
In December 2023, the Burges became the interim president after the board evacuated President Christine Johnson-Macfel.
Wral News learned that the University of St. Augustine has failed to pay its employees several times in the last few months. This includes parole on 9 February.
On 19 February, Burges said that employees have now been paid. However, he said that the meeting with parole would still be a challenge as the university is facing a cashflow problem.
Burges says that the university has hired a financial counseling team and is meeting with IRS and others who have money.
Students and Almons of St. Augustine’s University met on February 18 for a vigilance in the school chapel.
In February, the families of the students told Wral News that their children had not received the tuition refund check, a family said that their child did not find a single in the fall semester.