The Higher Learning Commission, an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of seven regional accreditors in the United States, has placed Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio, “On Notice.” The Commission took this action because it determined that the institution was at risk of being out of compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation. While On Notice, the institution remains accredited, and it has the opportunity to remedy the issues that led to the sanction. The period of Notice is not more than two years.
Among the concerns of the commission are:
* Important support staff positions at the university remain unfilled.
* The university continues to demonstrate that retention of students continues to be challenging.
* The Institution has yet to demonstrate success in meeting fundraising goals.
* The Institution has a history of not completing audits on a timely schedule due to challenges with accounting personnel.
*The Institution is an enrollment-dependent institution with fluctuating enrollments and uneven fundraising, and long-term financial sustainability has not yet been demonstrated.
