Luna CC Faces Loss of Accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission has ordered New Mexico's Luna Community College to show why it should not have its accreditation revoked, citing a series of governance problems. In a show cause order and a letter to the college's interim president this month, the regional accrediting agency said the two-year institution had violated several core criteria related to the integrity and independence of its governing board, administration and other structures. State audits and investigations have uncovered allegations of nepotism, conflicts of interest and other financial wrongdoing. The college's Board of Trustees has scheduled a special meeting for today.

In other actions from its November meeting, the Higher Learning Commission also placed Minnesota's Leech Lake Tribal College and Missouri's William Jewell University on probation, in both cases citing financial, administrative and other issues.

HLC also removed two institutions from probation: Cankdeska Cikana Community College, in North Dakota, and College of DuPage, in Illinois.