Written By Dr. Cherie Meador

Saint Agustine University (SAU), located in Raleigh, NC, is a historically Black college and University (HBCU) at risk of losing its accreditation. A recent decision by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has terminated the University’s accreditation. While no institution or alumni ever want this to be the fate of their beloved university, the documented financial mishaps and governing of the university did not occur suddenly. This has been a matter that has been documented for a few years.

On the SAU website, the following update is provided:

• SAU was granted an Appeal Hearing on February 20, 2024 in Atlanta, GA. 

• SAU argued in its appeal that significant steps had been taken to correct areas of non-compliance with SACS-COC standards and that the University had the capacity to remedy areas of non-compliance within the next 12 months. 

• SACSCOC decided to uphold its decision to remove SAU from membership and denied an extension of Probation for Good Cause until December 2025. 

• Attorneys representing Saint Augustine’s University are planning to file an injunction requesting that courts weigh in on this case. During that injunction, SAU’s SACSCOC accreditation remains in place.

In 2023, President Dr. Christine McPhail said the University was going to “focus on student success, and everybody has a role to play, and we are going to work on long-term sustainability of the university (2023, EducationNC). Yet, in December of 2023, the Saint Augustine University Board of Trustees relieved McPhail of her role as university president. McPhail was appointed president of the University in 2021 after her husband Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail fell ill and passed. McPhail had extensive higher education experience, including serving as president at previous institutions, yet she was terminated from Saint Augustine University. The termination came two months after McPhail filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Board of Trustees. Dr. McPhail is the University’s fifth president since 2015. The institution has a history of accreditation woes.

Below is a timeline of recent actions with the latest being the termination of accreditation for the institution by the SACSCOC.

 Recent SACSCOC Accreditation Actions

February 2024-SACSCOC terminates Saint Augustine University’s accreditation.

February 2024-Univeristy appeals decision to SACSCOC.

December 2023-SACSCOC revokes accreditation of the HBCU for financial cause.

December 2022-SACSCOC placed the historically Black college and university (HBCU) on probation for an additional one year, after its board of trustees determined the school failed to comply with accreditation requirements regarding finances, governing board characteristics, and federal and state responsibilities.

The SACS Board continued accreditation for Good Cause and placed the University on Probation for twelve (12) months for failure to comply with:

Core Requirement 4.1 (Governing board characteristics), Core Requirement 13.1 (Financial resources), Core Requirement 13.2 (Financial documents), Standard 13.3 (Financial responsibility), Standard 13.4 (Control of finances), and Standard 13.6 (Federal and state responsibilities) of the Principles of Accreditation.

2020-2022--Placed on Probation for Good Cause (See SACSCOC timeline below); University exceeded the two years for probation and a one-year extension was given.

 SAU’s Recent SACSCOC History

2024-SACSCOC terminates Saint Augustine University’s

2023-Reaffirmation Committee Established

2023-Monitoring Report

2023-Monitoring Report with Special Committee

2022-Off-Site Review

2022-Monitoring Report with Special Committee

2022-Monitoring Report

2022-Virtual Committee Follow-Up

2021-Monitoring Report with Special Committee

2020-Institutional Special Response

2018-Monitoring Report with Special Committee (University removed from probationary status)

2018- Monitoring Report

2017-Monitoring Report with Special Committee

2015-Monitoring Report with Special Committee

Questions to consider

1.   Why did the college fail to conduct annual audits?

2.   What are the financial resource issues or concerns as noted by SACSCOC?

a. We know there have been lawsuits filed for failure to pay bills, as reported by ABC 11 News Raleigh.

b. A new audit finds that $10 million is missing from the University’s financials.

3.     What does this mean for current students?

Current students should consider their future and a receiving institution, one that may accept their current credits toward an appropriate degree. The University should help to facilitate this for students, specifically for graduating seniors.

4.     Should the Board of Trustees (BOT) be accountable for some of the findings listed by SACSCOC, and ultimately accountable for the University’s downfall?

HBCUs have long been extraordinary contributors to our country and produce leaders regularly. Federal funding has not been equitable for HBCUs and many struggle to compete with non HBCU institutions in terms of financial and physical resources. It has been apparent, that Saint Augustine University has been battling governing, financial, leadership, and operational issues. When accreditation is revoked or terminated, a university will no longer have the ability to receive or disburse federal aid. The ramifications of losing accreditation are huge for both students and the institution as a whole. Without revenue from tuition its largest revenue resource, the institution will not be able to maintain its buildings, employees, or recruit students.