St. Augustine’s University accreditation denied once again. What’s next?
An appeals committee of an accreditation agency has upheld the agency’s December decision to strip St. Augustine’s University of its accreditation.
St. Augustine’s announced the decision in a news release Thursday, saying the private, historically Black university “remains steadfast in its mission to serve students and the Raleigh community following the decision,” and that leaders will pursue an additional appeal — known as arbitration — in an attempt to secure accreditation once again.
That sets up an exact repeat of the process the embattled university has pursued since the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) first voted to pull the university’s accreditation in December 2023, citing a host of reasons tied to the university’s finances and governance.
St. Augustine’s leaders appealed that initial decision on two separate occasions last year, with the second attempt a success. Under the successful appeal, St. Augustine’s was allowed to keep its accreditation, but was placed on probation, which required additional monitoring of the university by the accrediting agency.
The accreditor then voted again last December to strip the university of its membership with SACSCOC, which the university appealed — and which has now been denied.
“We have made substantial progress and are confident that our strengthened financial position and governance will ensure a positive outcome,” Board of Trustees Chair Brian Boulware said in the release. “SAU is resilient, and we are resolute in our commitment to academic excellence.”
Last year, St. Augustine’s was the first university in SACSCOC history to undergo the arbitration process.
During the 90-day process, the university will remain accredited, albeit on probation. Accreditation is crucial to several facets of university operations, including students’ ability to receive financial aid from the federal government.
University touts new funding
The university is now pursuing additional funding in its latest attempt to prove its finances are secure, according to Thursday’s news release, with a new deal for a $70 million “bridge loan” expected later this month.
“This funding is a game-changer,” Board of Trustees Vice Chair Hadley Evans said in the release. “We now have the financial leverage to protect SAU’s legacy, enhance academic offerings, and create sustainable revenue streams through strategic campus development.”
Other recent deals the university has pursued in an attempt to shore up its finances have been heavily criticized by alumni and onlookers for the potentially precarious situations they could put the already vulnerable university in.
For instance, the university at one point sought to lease its entire campus to a Florida-based developer. But that deal, as initially proposed, also could have seen the university lose access to all of its land for the full 99-year term of the lease if it defaulted on an additional sublease agreement, according to documents obtained and reported by The News & Observer.
The university decided to scale the deal back, including less than half of its land, after the state Attorney General’s Office expressed “serious concerns” about the proposal. Such a deal will not require approval from the state.
Arbitration will incur additional costs for the university. SACSCOC policy states that, upon requesting arbitration, the university must submit a deposit check for $15,000 to cover “travel, lodging, meals, and venue charges incurred by the arbitrators and SACSCOC in convening and pursuing the arbitration.”
St. Augustine’s President Marcus Burgess said SACSCOC’s decision “does not define us — our resilience does.”
The university plans to remain open and welcome new students this fall.
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 12:23 PM.
