St. Andrews Presbyterian College and Scotland County

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.

 

a post on sapc: “One Accreditor’s Opinion”

David Moltz posted an article about St. Andrews Presbyterian College (SPAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) yesterday. The article is posted at insidehighered.com and is entitled “One Accreditor’s Opinion.” Read it here. 

I read the post this morning. It speaks about United Stated District Court Judge William S. Duffey, Jr.’s ruling to uphold SACS’ revocation of SPAC’s accreditation in repsonse to the college’s claim that SACS did not provide adequate notice of its compliance requirements and failed to provide notice to the college as to what it must do to bring itself in compliance. The college argued that the accreditation process did not offer “any benchmarks to determine compliance, referring to SACS’s standards as a “moving target” determined by the “subjective opinions of varying peer evaluators.”  Duffey’s opinion is that ”great deference” supports SACS’ authority in the accreditation process. His ruling states that SACS’  ”weight of authority” allows for maintaining “flexible standards;” he adds that SACS’s accreditation requirements are not “impermissibly unspecific.”  Moltz writes that Duffey “emphasizes a hand-off approach when the court considers accreditation cases.”

 

sapc…

I just learned that District Court Judge William Duffey granted the motion for summary judgment against St. Andrews. The Laurinburg Exchange  headline reads: St. Andrews accreditation denied

SAPC has appealed  that judgment to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the judge has granted a stay:  “The notice of appeal has been filed and the judge has granted a stay of the decision pending receipt of more formal briefs, which are due by the end of October…”

This accreditation thing with SACS is more than disheartening for those of us (alums, friends, faculty, community members) who have held that the academic and community strengths of the college far out-weigh its financial weaknesses. I am disappointed in Duffey’s ruling; but what frustrates me more is that the accreditation process (in the end) completely fails in balancing and supporting the initiatives taken to demonstrate the college’s financial commitment and its pledge to outstanding higher education standards. In this instance, the accreditation process has clearly failed SAPC’s current and future students.

 

any new developments for SAPC out there?

Becky S.’s comment  nudged me back on track in the SAPC-SACS situation. Here’s a few notes for the file that I collected this morning…

Back in January, SAPC President Paul Baldasare wrote:    

We remain confident that the federal court will rule in our favor. At no time has SACS had any issue with the quality of a St. Andrews education. Our Board of Trustees, faculty and staff fully support the College and are committed to our strategic plan for the future.  Our local community also has reaffirmed its unwavering support for the College as evidenced by its consistent and generous financial support now and throughout the College’s history.

This morning, I visited SAPC’s website and read that the school has been awarded accredition by the American Academy of Liberal Education (AALE). This is a good thing–it shows the ongoing academic excellence of St. Andrews despite the SACS burden.

“Accreditation by the American Academy for Liberal Education signifies institutional integrity and a strong commitment to undergraduate education.  Membership attests to the fact that the institution meets or exceeds the Academy’s independently established Education Standards.” (AALEPresident, Dr. Jeffery Wallin)

I believe the AALE accreditation will give the court further pause in its consideration of SAC’s revocation of St. Andrews’ accreditation status. And while SACS decision to “de-accredit” the college because of financial problems, the AALE achievement displays the school’s continued focus on a superior academics program.

As far as the financial situation goes, the community continues to rally. The 2008 Laurinburg Area Campaign surpassed its goal of $500K by almost $11k. The community clearly supports SAPC financially and has committed itself toward the college’s success.

Another recent,  brilliant achievement for SAPC is the establishment of  a Center for Adult and Professional Studies. Not only is this going to benefit the local community by offering flexibility for working adults, it’s going to boost overall enrollment. There are 4 B.A. degree programs and 4 certificate programs.  The average cost per credit is only $225–another plus.

I Googled around this morning and found a couple of interesting articles concerning SACS, particularly with Hiawassee College.

These articles are almost a year old, but still interesting:

Law: What criteria should our national accrediting organizations use

Are accrediting organizations in tune with their times?

 

More recent:

Whither Accreditation?

 

 

 

        

 

2008 Alan Bunn Memorial Chapbook

Congratulations to Cate Johnson, winner of the St. Andrews Presbyterian College 2008 Alan Bunn Memorial Chapbook competition.

 

a parent questions st. andrews presbyterian college, wants more dialogue

Just got a comment from a parent of an SAPC student who has some questions about the accreditation issue and who would like to discuss what’s going on. I’m “re-posting” the comment here and I hope that those who have participated on this blog concerning SAPC will jump in.

The comment:

I don’t know if anyone is still interested in the accreditation issues of SAPC, but I hope so!

I am the parent of a SAPC baseball recruit. We returned from a visit yesterday (July 26, 2008). Prior to our visit I googled SAPC and discovered the accreditation problems and probation. Unfortunately I didn’t do more research and now that my son is enthralled with the head coach and his assistants I may now be faced with telling him that SAPC is not a viable option for his college career.

I read all 26 pages of the dialogue on this blog and am now totally confused as to whether or not we should encourage our son to attend this school. After walking around the campus for two hours one would never guess that the students would be arriving on campus in less than three weeks! The grounds were unkempt…dirt, debris, missing vegetation, etc. The dorms were a shambles from the outside…window left open, blinds askew, peeling paint, etc. From the inside the dorms left much to be desired. A previous poster on this blog mentioned the Wal-Mart smoke detector…which I ALSO NOTICED! Let me just state that I am not a snob…I don’t need all new and nice…I just need buildings in repair and well kept. We toured the Liberal Arts building and in spite of its age it was clean…ceiling tiles were stained and falling down as in the athletic building.

Does anyone have any new information on the state of affairs of St. Andrews? If your son/daughter was offered top scholarship would you encourage him/her to attend?

Please feel free to email me at bschnizler@comcast.net. I’d love to hear any new news.

*I’m working on a critical healthcare advocacy project all week and will unlikely be able to join the SAPC discussion right away. Hopefully next week will open up a bit.

In the meantime: Becky, if it were me, I’d send the boy on to SAPC this fall for at least a semester, especially if he’s got a baseball ride. You’ll have a better sense of things and a clearer picture of the situation at the college once your son gets acquainted with the faculty, staff, and other students. Good luck!

wml

 

 

while you were out…hiawassee loses

Just a short post in between cities and pianos…

Something big happened while I’ve been out of town and relatively unplugged from just about everything. This morning, I read that Hiawassee College has lost its federal court case against the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that SACS did not deny due process to Hiawassee in regards to the school’s financial resources. I assume this means that the students at the two-year college are ineligible for federal grants and loans.

This is disturbing, especially since my own alma mater, St. Andrews Presbyterian College (SAPC), is preparing for a similar battle.

Those of us who are following the SAPC case see a similar course of action. Last summer, we were discussing and debating SACS’ decision to defrock SAPC because of finances. Then, after SAPC filed suit against SACS and was granted a temporary order allowing accreditation to continue until a final ruling in federal court, we relaxed a little. The story took a pregnant pause until now.

This morning, I have scoured the net for updates, discussion, etc in a quick attempt to gather more information.  First, was SAPC’s own accreditation information update page; then, SACS’ statements and announcements.  From there, I found a few interesting articles and posts…

On April 14, 2008, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the June 1, 2007, judgment of the District Court of the Northern District of Georgia directing that the temporary restraining order be lifted regarding the reinstatement of Hiwassee College as an accredited institution by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Effective April 14, 2008, Hiwassee College, located in Madisonville, Tennessee, has been removed as an accredited institution with the Commission on Colleges.  (The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools)

FEDERAL COURT AFFIRMS SACS’ COMMISSION ON COLLEGES AS A PRIVATE INDEPENDENT ENTITY

 What criteria should our national accrediting organizations use on the Higher Ed Law Prof Blog.

The final federal court ruling of Hiawassee College v SACS 

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Accreditor’s Action Against Hiwassee College

Hiwassee may go out with a squeak instead of a roar, Jim Castagnera, The Greentree Gazette

Federal Court Upholds Accreditor’s Action, Charles Huckabee

Saturday at Hiawassee College, Tony Burgess Blog 

Hiwassee loses accreditation appeal,Tommy Millsaps, The Advocate and Democrat

St. Andrews and Hiawasse have both applied for accreditation through The American Academy For Liberal Education ( The American Academy for Liberal Education is a national organization dedicated to strengthening and promoting liberal education through accreditation and research.)

I hope to continue this story when I return home in June from a judging tour. Meanwhile, please feel free to post related links, comments, etc.

 

“serious consequences”

Louisburg College joins St. Andrews Presbyterian College in the pool of “serious consequences”

Two private colleges in North Carolina are feeling the heat of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Louisburg College joins St. Andrews Presbyterian College  in the pool of “serious consequences” following SACS’ warning over financial stability.

On December 10, 2007, SACS issued a warning to Louisburg College (LC) regarding their accreditation status. SACS’ disclosure statement sites LC’s noncompliance with Comprehensive Standard 3.10.1 (Financial Stability). SACS will review LC’s status again in June of this year and take further action regarding the college’s accreditation, including:

(1) remove Warning without an additional monitoring report; (2) continue accreditation for good cause, place the institution on Probation, authorize a Special Committee, and submit a Fourth Monitoring Report; or (3) remove the institution’s accreditation.

The scenario is very similar to the recent history of St. Andrews Presbyterian College (SAPC) in Laurinburg, NC. Currently, St. Andrews’ accreditation status rests in federal court after the college filed suit against SACS in late summer (2007). The suit aims for a reversal of SACS’ decision to strip SAPC of its accreditation. On September 5, Federal District Court Judge Carlton Tilley granted the college’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction that allows SAPC to retain its accreditation throughout the legal process, thus allowing students to be eligible for federal student aid. On October 25, 2007 President Paul Baldasare issued a statement on SAPC website following an appeal filed by SACS’ regarding Judge Tilley’s decision:

“SACS gave notice that it intends to appeal Judge Tilley’s Order to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which sits in Richmond, VA.   We believe that this procedural move by SACS has a very low likelihood of being successful.   To overturn the Order, the Fourth Circuit Court would have to find that Judge Tilley “abused his discretion” in granting our motion, which is an extraordinarily difficult standard to meet.  The net effect of this Appeal is that it will delay our case by as much as an additional year before we can proceed with the underlying merits of the lawsuit.  During this 2-3 year time period while we wait for the Appeal and the lawsuit itself to be decided, St. Andrews will remain fully accredited as ordered by the court.”

Louisburg College, in the struggle to retain its accreditation, has made budget cuts and eliminated 20 jobs, including 8 faculty positions. These actions are likely to make a heavy impact on LC’s 785 students. The college, just recently celebrating its 220-year anniversary, is one of the only remaining junior colleges in North Carolina.

Sunday’s News & Observer features a story about Louisburg College and a mention of St. Andrews as well. News & Observer staff writer Jane Stancill explains that small colleges bear a heavy burden when compared to large universities.

“In U.S. higher education, where 76 universities have nest eggs of at least $1 billion, Louisburg’s struggle for survival may seem an anomaly. But across the nation, many small colleges are barely scraping by. To attract students, they spruce up facilities, add sports programs and give heavy tuition discounts, only to end up with budgets that show bigger expenses than revenues. They borrow money just to make budget, and the debt builds.

Louisburg is the second school in North Carolina to face serious consequences in the past year because of federal financial trouble. Last summer, St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg filed a lawsuit to try to stop the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools from revoking the college’s accreditation. Losing accreditation is the death knell for a college, because its students become ineligible for financial aid.”

For more, read these articles:

Area colleges hit with accreditation warnings (Triangle Business Journal) 

Finances Threaten Louisburg College (WRAL)

Panel Upholds Stripping St. Andrews of Accreditation (WRAL)

School strives to survive (N&O)

Louisburg cuts 20 jobs to retain its standing (N&O)

Barber-Scotia works to clear hurdles (Charlotte Observer)

Accreditation has no clothes (George Leef, Pope Center)

What does accreditation really mean? (Robert Blumenthal, Pope Center)

Lift the veil off the finances of colleges and universities (Robert Blumenthal, Pope Center)

Center for College Affordability and Productivity Blog

 

sacs strikes again

This time it’s Louisburg College.

Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS) has issued a warning to Louisburg College regarding their finances. See this on WRAL…

Does this story sound familiar?

 

Blumenthal writes on St. Andrews Presbyterian College

Dr. Robert Blumenthal has written an article regarding the SAPC v SACS case that is quite supportive of the college. ( Fayetteville Observer on Nov. 25 ). Dr. Blumenthal has also written an article featured on the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy and comments on the  ACTA weblog . 

I’ve posted the article with the permission of Dr. Blumenthal. By posting this article (below), I hope supporters of SAPC will be encouraged and continue the vigil…

“This is a very important case which will have major consequences not only for St. Andrews, but for the broader accreditation process as well. Thank you for welcoming me to your blog. I look forward to keeping up with your readers’ comments, and I will certainly forward to you anything which is relevant or likely to be of interest.” –Robert Blumenthal

Dispute shows accreditation flaws

By Robert A. Blumenthal

Most people think that college accreditation is a procedure that ensures good educational quality. A current dispute between a small college in North Carolina and the regional accrediting association tells a different story.

On June 21, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools voted to remove the accreditation of St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg. The college quickly appealed, but was informed by SACS on Aug. 23 that the appeal had been denied. Had St. Andrews done something educationally reprehensible?

No. In a statement issued July 12, SACS provided the following explanation:

“The Commission voted to remove the College from membership for failure to comply with Core Requirement 2.11.1 (Financial Resources), Comprehensive Standard 3.10.1 (Financial Stability) and Comprehensive Standard 3.10.4 (Control of Finances) of the Principles of Accreditation. These standards expect an institution to provide evidence that it has (1) a sound financial base and financial stability to support the mission of the institution and the scope of its programs, (2) a financial history that demonstrates financial stability, and (3) control over all its financial resources.”

The problem isn’t about how St. Andrews educates students, but about its finances. In its report, SACS has not specified what is amiss. The college’s president says that recently incurred debts have funded campus improvements that have led to enrollment increases and an increase in net revenues.

St. Andrews is fighting for its very existence, since the loss of accreditation means that its students would no longer be eligible for federal financial aid and that course credits they earn wouldn’t transfer to other institutions. Like most small schools, St. Andrews would have a very hard time surviving without accreditation. It seems questionable for an accrediting association to administer what could well be a fatal blow to a college just because its financial situation is less than ideal.

The school has fought back with a lawsuit in federal court. So far, the judge has ruled in its favor, granting an injunction preventing SACS from de-accrediting St. Andrews until the case has been adjudicated. I believe that the outcome of this case has serious implications not only for St. Andrews but for all institutions which fall under the umbrella of SACS. In this regard, I will focus on one particular portion of the complaint filed by St. Andrews which is relevant to all schools applying for re-accreditation.

In Count III of St. Andrews’ complaint, the school alleges that “SACS acted arbitrarily and unreasonably in stripping St. Andrews College of its associational membership and that the decision was not supported by substantial evidence.” It goes on to argue that “removal of membership was unreasonable because Section 2:11 (of SACS accrediting standards) fails to define financial stability.” Furthermore, its standards “require an institution to demonstrate ‘financial stability’ but provide no quantifiable standard to make such a determination.”

Vague standards

St. Andrews makes a very important point here. SACS requires that institutions demonstrate financial stability, yet nowhere in its standards can one find any definition or clarification of the term. St. Andrews’ allegations of unreasonableness and arbitrariness stem from the fact that it is being held to a standard so vague that it leaves an institution wondering what criteria are used to evaluate its financial health. How can it know whether it has been judged fairly unless it knows the standards which will be applied?

When published standards are lacking, how can an institution be sure that it is being judged by the same standards as other institutions? This question is very much on St. Andrews’ mind when, elsewhere in Count III of the complaint, it alleges that “the Commission held St. Andrews to different and stricter standards than it held other member institutions found not in compliance with the Principles of Accreditation.” As long as the standards by which an institution will be judged remain vague, claims of arbitrariness and unreasonableness will follow.

This case highlights a fundamental flaw in the accreditation process that needs to be corrected. Two things must happen. The first is for SACS to give at least the broad outlines of a definition of financial stability, including quantifiable standards that are involved in making a determination of compliance. This should not be difficult since there is a wealth of literature dealing with the financial analysis of colleges and universities and with various ways to measure financial health. Mathematical precision is not the aim here, nor is it even possible. Certainly, there will have to be some level of qualitative analysis and judgment with regard to financial stability. But these judgments should at least have some basis in explicit, quantifiable standards.

The second reform is perhaps the more important one. In order to understand SACS’ meaning of the term “financial stability” and the standard to which an institution will be held, that institution needs to be able to see how other institutions have fared when evaluated by that standard. In other words, an important way to impart meaning to the standard is to examine the precedents that have been set. What better way for an institution to understand what SACS (or any accreditor) means by “financial stability” than to examine the finances of other institutions that have been evaluated?

The fundamental obstacle standing in the way of implementing this second reform is the fact that the financial statements of colleges and universities are not available for examination. Audited financial statements are prepared and are submitted to the Department of Education as a condition for eligibility for federal financial student aid funds, but there is no requirement that these documents be made public.

I have argued elsewhere — http://www.popecenter.org/ clarion_call/article.html?id=1879 — for greater transparency on the part of colleges and universities. The fundamental flaw in the accreditation process which the St. Andrews case makes apparent adds another powerful reason for this transparency. The Department of Education should make audited financial statements of the institutions to which it furnishes federal student aid available to the public. This transparency is essential for the accreditation process to function in a manner that does not invite allegations of arbitrariness and unreasonableness.

Robert A. Blumenthal is professor of mathematics at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.