HBCU DIGEST: ITC Denied Accreditation Reaffirmation, Placed on Warning
The Interdenominational Theological Center was placed on accreditation warning this week during the annual winter meetings of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC); the lone sanction levied against any historically Black institution during the conference.
ITC was denied reaffirmation for failure to comply with several SACSCOC standards, including financial responsibility, reporting standards, and student outcomes.
The news comes one day after the seminary named Matthew Williams as its 11th president.
Several public institutions were reaffirmed for membership, including land-grant flagship HBCUs like Alcorn State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Prairie View A&M University.
Jarvis Christian College and Voorhees College were both approved for membership at higher classification levels. Jarvis Christian was approved to offer masters' degrees in business administration and criminal justice in 2023, while Voorhees will offer a master's degree in teaching and learning effective next month.
Virginia Union University was denied authorization to offer associate's degrees in liberal arts, math, science, computer science, and business. SACSCOC cited a failure to demonstrate institutional capacity and planning for the offerings.
Wiley College was removed from probation warning.
Reaffirmed Institutions
Alabama State University
Alcorn State University
Elizabeth City State University
Huston-Tillotson University
Jackson State University
Morehouse School of Medicine
North Carolina A&T State University
Prairie View A&M University
Southern University Law Center
Southern University at New Orleans
Winston-Salem State University
Xavier University of Louisiana
Reaffirmed with Monitoring or Follow-Up Report Requested
Albany State University
Fort Valley State University
Savannah State University
Shelton State Community College
South Carolina State University
Tennessee State University
Texas Southern University
Virginia Union University
Accredited at New Degree Level
Jarvis Christian College
Voorhees College
Approved for Substantive Change
Shelton State Community College
Removed From Warning
Wiley College
Denied Reaffirmation, Placed on Warning
Interdenominational Theological Center
It would be interesting to research HBCUs and accreditations status over the years. Specifically, research into each HBCU’s accreditation status over a certain period to see if there are trends or patterns that can be identified.