St. Aug’s could lose accreditation. How will it affect Wake’s single-gender schools?

St Augustine University’s potential loss of accreditation could impact the two Wake County leadership academies that are partnered with the university.

Students at the Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy and Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy attend classes at St. Augustine’s University for college credit. But families have been raising concerns since the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) voted earlier this month to remove St. Augustine’s accreditation.

The university plans to appeal the accreditation decision. The university’s accreditation will remain in effect throughout the appeals process.

“We are proud of our partnership with the Wake County school system for the past 12 years,” Marcus Burgess, the university’s interim president, said in an interview last week. “We are confident we will continue that relationship for years to come.”

Reassuring leadership academy families

Both single-gender leadership academies opened in Raleigh in 2012 serving middle school and high school students. The schools are also early colleges, meaning students take tuition-free college courses with a partner institution of higher learning.

The school system had planned to partner the leadership academies with William Peace University in Raleigh before negotiations broke off. Wake then reached a deal with St. Augustine’s University, a small historically Black university in downtown Raleigh.

News of the accreditation vote led the principals of the two leadership academies and Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor to send messages to families this month.

“Our sole objective is making sure that your student has access to college-level courses this spring and beyond, and that these courses will offer credits transferable to other colleges and universities,” Taylor wrote in his message.

Taylor said the district is working with the university and the state Department of Public Instruction to gather more information and determine possible courses of action.

“When you applied for and accepted a placement at an Early College, I know you did so with the assurance that your student would have access to college-level courses,” Taylor wrote. “Your school leaders and this school district are 100% dedicated to upholding that commitment.”

That message of support was reaffirmed at the Dec. 19 school board meeting.

“It’s not an easy issue,” said school board member Sam Hershey. “But to the parents, we are working hard on it and this is all about our students. They come first in this issue and we will continue to provide updates as we have them.”

University may seek alternative accreditation

The accreditation news came at the same time that the university fired Christine McPhail as its president. McPhail has since filed a federal discrimination complaint against the school and its board of trustees, claiming she and other Black female leaders faced a hostile work environment, The News & Observer previously reported.

The SACSCOC Board of Trustees cited the university’s failure to comply with principles regarding governing boards’ characteristics as well as regarding financial control, resources and documents as key reasons for its vote to remove the university from membership, the N&O previously reported.

“Academics have never been in question when it comes to accreditation,” said Burgess, the university’s interim president. “The academic engine remains the same top notch engine it’s been the whole time.”

Accreditation is important for colleges and universities. The federal government requires it in order for students to receive government financial aid.

Burgess said the university is looking at other options for getting accreditation if it loses its appeal and potential lawsuit against SACSCOC.

“We are not resting on our laurels to have SACSCOC. determine our fate,” Burgess said. “We are currently seeking alternative accreditation through other accrediting bodies to assure our students both on campus and at the early colleges will not be affected.”