St. Augustine’s University placed on probation in another setback for the Raleigh HBCU

St. Augustine’s University is on probation once more with its accreditation agency, which cited financial reasons for sanctioning the small historically Black college in Raleigh.

The Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, during its Dec. 4 meeting, voted to place the university on probation for a year. The Triangle Business Journal first reported the move. The board determined the university failed to comply with accreditation requirements related to financial resources, financial documents, financial responsibility, control of finances, governing board characteristics and federal and state responsibilities.

The university remains fully accredited while on probation.

According to a SACSCOC public statement, an institution is expected to have “sound financial resources and a demonstrated, stable financial base” to support its programs and services, be able to provide financial statements such as an institutional audit and have a sound annual budget, among other things.

The university had been on probation between 2016 and 2018 due to financial problems and questions of institutional effectiveness. It has been especially vulnerable due to its small size and enrollment declines, as previously reported by The News & Observer.

The university had been “on monitoring” for two years, the maximum consecutive monitoring period allowed. Instead of removing the university’s accreditation, the agency provided an extension “for good cause,” according to the group’s news release. This good-cause extension was based on the school showing “significant recent accomplishments in addressing non-compliance” and there being evidence that deficiencies will be remedied within a year.

According to the release, “probation is the most serious public sanction.” The agency said the board would review the institution’s status again in December 2023 and decide which of several steps it would take, including continuing probation, ending it or removing the institution from membership.

Crystal Baird, SACSCOC vice president, said she did not have any comment beyond what was in the public statement. Asked what the move would mean for students and graduates, she said it was too early to say but that students who had their degree graduated from an accredited institution. Asked about the seriousness of St. Augustine’s financial deficiencies, she referred The N&O to the university.

A spokesperson for St. Augustine’s could not be reached Monday evening.

St. Augustine’s President Christine Johnson McPhail posted a statement on the university website saying that “during the last two years, we have taken unprecedented action to protect and advance the fiscal health of Saint Augustine’s University.

“These efforts are reflected in the significant progress in areas such as increased enrollment, increased alumni and employee giving, increased grant activity, increased endowments, reduced student debt, improved upward mobility of graduates, and year-end balanced budgets.”

The university website lists frequently asked questions, among them: “What happens if we do not fix the areas of focus?”

The site says St. Augustine’s “will not lose its accreditation,” as the university expects to demonstrate full compliance during the probation period. Students’ financial aid will also not be affected, the site says.