Southern Accreditor Imposes Probation on 5 Colleges

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has placed four institutions on probation and continued the probation of a fifth, citing a mix of financial troubles and governance issues.

At its December meeting, the accrediting agency took the following actions:

• Placed Christian Brothers University on probation, citing shortcomings related to financial responsibility and board governance.
• Placed Guilford College on probation, citing failure to comply with the accreditor’s financial responsibility standards.
• Placed Interdenominational Theological Center on probation, citing failure to comply with standards related to board governance, financial responsibility and documentation, control of finances, and federal and state responsibilities.

• Placed Saint Leo University on probation, citing failure to comply with the accreditor’s financial responsibility standards.
• Placed Virginia Union University on probation, citing shortcomings related to board governance, financial responsibility and documentation, control of finances, and federal and state responsibilities.
• Continued the probation of Hodges University, citing shortcomings related to financial responsibility and financial documentation.

The Southern accreditor also acted in December to strip accreditation from Saint Augustine’s University, as Inside Higher Ed reported previously.