[Episcopal News Service] Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Aug. 15 announced in a news release that students will begin online classes on Sept. 2 after the university received a preliminary injunction allowing it to open as an accredited institution. The university had filed the injunction request the day before.
A historically Black university with Episcopal roots, Saint Augustine’s in July said it would seek an injunction against the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the accrediting body that had sought to end its membership.
SACSCOC first ruled in December 2023 that Saint Augustine’s had failed to meet six of the agency’s requirements and standards, including those related to the university’s governing board, its financial resources and financial documents. The SACSCOC Appeals Committee later upheld that decision.
The news release said that the preliminary injunction “prevents any disruption to SAU’s accreditation status while the university continues its legal challenge to the recent accrediting body’s decision.” It noted that not only can students enroll but they also can receive financial aid “and continue their studies with complete confidence that their degrees will be accredited while the case is underway.”
SAU said the injunction also provides it the time to “pursue alternative accreditation avenues if necessary.”
The university dates to 1867, when it was established by Episcopalians in the Diocese of North Carolina. Though still rooted in the Episcopal tradition, it now operates as an independent institution.
The news release also noted the appointment of new leaders to the university’s Board of Trustees. Beginning Aug. 15, Sophie L. Gibson of Atlanta, Georgia, is the new chair, and V. Lynette Mitchell of Williamstown, New Jersey – a 1989 graduate of SAU – is vice chair.
The latest efforts, however, don’t address SAU’s issues of financial sustainability, which were at the heart of SACSCOC’s decision to rescind its accreditation. The news release noted that alumni had contributed more than $100,000 to help with the current legal battle, though in July, Episcopal News Service reported the university said it needed to raise $2.35 million to maintain its open and accredited status.
The university’s website also has a timeline of the actions that led to the Aug. 15 injunction.