In documents provided in confidence to this reporter, NEASC, the accreditation committee that reviews and grants, probations or denies accreditation to New England colleges has ordered AUC administrators to show cause as to why they should not be denied accreditation at a spring hearing.
The report cites several issues as the foundation for this challenge, one point that was repeatedly discussed in the report was that the college failed to disclose that it was put on probation by the spring 2009 review in college bulletins and on their website.
AUC clearly needs a new vision, lots of money and a new administration. It is clear that NEASC believes it will get none of the above. Regretfully, the college has found itself at odds with two core constituencies for nearly two decades: It's Alumni and the Atlantic Union Conference Constituency.
These are the essential source of college philanthropic gifts, an ever increasing essential source of money for operations to cover deficits as the student body has faded since the disastrous confrontation with Dr. Virginia Jean Rittenhouse over allegations of bigotry and discrimination lead by minority campus clubs during the Gerrity years in the mid 80's. While never proven by the weight of the evidence, this serious issue broke the campus and constituencies into adversarial factions that has yet to be resolved.
This was preceded by the Atlantic Union Conference Constituencies feeling they had been seriously burned by the AUC Flames, the first SDA college to have an interscholastic Basketball team, as stories of atrocious behaviour and unacceptable standards of conduct pervaded the SDA communities. Conserative constituents virtually abandoned the college and sent students to more acceptable campuses in other unions.
Following the Gerrity years, President Londis was brought in to guide the recovery, but proved elusive and he finally resigned in frustration. This lead to the Lashley administration and a series of serious financial and maladministration crises that left the institution largely insolvent, facing the loss of accreditation and in a state of financial exigency that required a major turn-around with the infusion of millions from the Atlantic Union Conference under a former SAU administrator. Unable to bring the essential resources and constituencies together, this president also resigned in frustration.
A new president and former AUC professor turned hospirtal adminstrator, Norman Wendth, has been at the helm but has had great difficulty rebuilding the college to meet a modern abridged mission and clearly still suffers from staffing difficulties and serious financial deficits. He was largely chosen because of his accreditation experience while at AUC two decades ago, but faces the aftermath of a protracted recession that has made philanthropic gifts scare or non-existent.
The current student body consists of about 350 students and has significant gaps in it's academic staff. At the time of the NESC report, the school did not appear to have an academic dean and several staffing deficiencies were also addressed in the report. They are also having difficulty with federal loans and grants and were required to post a bond to secure these sources of financial aid for students.
Given the rift between the constituencies and the academic administration, it is unlikely they will find easy solutions to the long standing feud, essential steps toward financial health. Some constituents feel it is long past time for an AUC epitaph!!! Others cling to the hulk of the sinking ship and believe history will bring it through. But history in New England has not been kind to its SDA institutions as it has slowly lost every one of its historic hospitals and it would seem AUC is next. There is little doubt that it will have an epitaph unless it can plug some serious holes in its accreditation battle.
Gailon Arthur Joy
AU Reporter
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Topic: Atlantic Union College faces a show cause hearing to preserve accreditation (Read 8955 times)
