The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges voted to remove Saint Augustine’s University from its membership, again, at its annual meeting this week.
The historically Black university in North Carolina previously lost its accreditation in December 2023 and lost a subsequent appeal, though an arbitration committee restored its accreditation this summer.
In a news release published Tuesday, university leaders emphasized that they planned to appeal the decision and the university would retain its accreditation until the end of the appeals process. They said the accreditor found the university resolved all of its issues except for its financial problems.
Marcus Burgess, president of Saint Augustine’s, said that while SACSOC made its decision based on information submitted by Nov. 18, the university has made “significant progress even since that date.”
“We look forward to providing that evidence during our February appeals hearing, along with other information that will definitively resolve all the remaining areas of concern,” Burgess said in the release. “While this may seem like a disappointing decision, we view this as an encouraging outcome that acknowledges our progress, and we are excited about the opportunity the Appeal affords us.”
Saint Augustine’s continues to face steep financial challenges. Earlier this month, university leaders announced plans to cut half the institution’s workforce—at least 130 employees, including 37 full-time faculty positions. Saint Augustine has also recently gotten blowback from alumni and community members for entering into a $7 million loan agreement with a local venture capital firm that some perceive as too risky. The loan comes with a 24 percent interest rate, and the university’s real estate is on the line if it defaults.
