31 October 2009
After returning back to Scotland County yesterday after an extended out-of-town trek, this rainy morning pretty much describes how my head is wrapped around the recent news of St. Andrews Presbyterian College (SAPC) and how the loss of its SACS accreditation is going to affect the local community. I am struggling to see a break in that big cloud.
I might represent a very small percentage of Scotland County’s population who attended SAPC and stayed here after graduation; but, for sure, I represent a significant number of local folks who value the college’s presence in the community. Scotland County needs St. Andrews. And we need the college to thrive because it directly supports and contributes to our community economically, socially, and culturally.
While SAPC has taken critical action to keep its accreditation and to carry out contingency plans that will allow its students to benefit from federal funds, the forward thrust continues to be against rock walls of frustration and disappointment.
I believe that SAPC also recognizes that this burden is not isolated to its campus: The college is a vital asset to the county and its folk. According to the NC Department of Commerce, St. Andrews is the 4th largest employer in Scotland County. SAPC’s website states: St. Andrews is one of the top five employers in Scotland County with an annual budget of $16 million. The college attracts more than 15,000 visitors annually to the county for various events such as open houses for potential students, the Scottish Heritage Symposium, equestrian shows and athletic events. SAPC’s economic presence in our community is, perhaps, more significant when one considers that Scotland County’s unemployment rate continues to be the highest in NC (Laurinburg Exchange). That might appear to have no relevance in the discussion of accreditation challenges; but if you live and work here, those issues are pretty significant.
On a more academic note, George Leef of the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy recently published an article about SAPC’s plight. Read Leef’s A False Seal of Approval here.









