Saint Augustine’s Students Move to Remote Learning

Students and staff at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina, are teaching and learning online this month as the university transitions to cost-saving online learning.

Dr. Marcus H. BurgessSome students, including athletes, international students, and students working in  internships, will remain on campus until the commencement ceremony in May, reports WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham. Most will end the school year in remote learning.

The measure follows increased challenges faced by the cash-strapped university, which recently lost its appeal to retain its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC).

In February, the university announced its plans to seek an injunction for its lost accreditation status.

“We disagree with the decision made by SACSCOC and plan to appeal to a higher authority with evidence supporting the institution’s progress in resolving non-compliance,” said Dr. Marcus H. Burgess, interim president of Saint Augustine’s.

Saint Augustine’s argued in its appeal that significant steps were made to correct areas of non-compliance with SACS-COC standards and that the university had the capacity to remedy areas of non-compliance within 12 months.

The university issued a statement, then, that read, in part, “the university will continue to strengthen its financial processes and fiscal resources. SAU looks forward to making the case for full compliance with all of the SACSCOC standards.”