South Carolina State University Placed on Accreditation Probation

scsu copyThe Southern Association of Colleges and School’s Commission on Colleges has placed South Carolina State University in Orangeburg on accreditation probation. The university was placed on warning status a year ago due to financial concerns and problems with the university’s governance. After a review this spring, the accrediting agency found that the university was deficient in eight areas: financial resources, financial stability, control of finances, student financial aid, organizational structure, governance, qualified academic and administrative officers, and control of sponsored and external funds.

The university is facing a $13.6 million budget deficit and sought an emergency aid package from the state. But lawmakers only provided $6 million in loans to the university. The university’s financial problems have come about in part due to a more than 30 percent drop in enrollments since 2007.

The university has one year to fix its problems or it will face a second year of probation. If the issues have not been addressed sufficiently at the end of the second year of probation, the commission could strip the university of its accreditation. Students attending educational institutions without accreditation are not eligible for federal financial aid. About 80 percent of the students at South Carolina State University receive federal Pell Grant awards.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Terrence Mitchell was appointed executive director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Faye Belgrave has been named vice president and chief diversity officer at Virginia Commonwealth University and Tammy Bennett is the inaugural vice president for inclusive excellence in philanthropy at the University of Cincinnati Foundation.

Federal Government Calls on States to End Funding Disparities at Black Land-Grant Universities

The federal government sent letters to 16 governors emphasizing the over $12 billion disparity in funding between land-grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their non-HBCU land-grant peers in their states. Unequitable appropriated funding of the 1890 institutions in the states ranges from $172 million to $2.1 billion.

A Trio of Black Scholars in New Faculty Roles at Universities

The City College of New York has appointed Jervette R. Ward as director of the Black Studies Program. Scotti Branton is a new assistant professor of communication at the University of Arkansas, and professor Danille Taylor was appointed director of the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum.

Shaw University to Expand Its Presence to Research Triangle Park

The collaboration will secure Shaw University a dedicated office space within Frontier RTP innovation campus, located in the heart of the city's new vibrant downtown area. The space will include private offices and an administrative area dedicated to Shaw University, as well as classroom space.

Featured Jobs