The Herald

Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: News

By Arthur Monroe, Jr.
Editor-in-Chief

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, after the commencement of the fall semester, placed Texas Southern University on probation for the first time, because of its failure to meet standard compliance.
This decision means TSU, the largest historically black college and university in Texas could lose its accreditation if it does not resolve its financial issues within a year. Without accreditation, the school's academic degrees would lose credibility and its students would not be eligible for federal financial aid.
The loss of accreditation would be devastating because nearly two-thirds of TSU's 9,500 students receive need-based federal Pell Grants.
"Late this past summer, we received a request for information from SACS on issues concerning our financial condition as well as issues concerning governance," said Dr. Gregory Maddox, Interim Dean of the Graduate School and Accreditation Liaison to SACS. "We prepared a report that sought to prove that we had remained in compliance with all the SACS requirements in terms of accreditation."
He said that organization considered their report and in December reported that they found the university not adequately proven compliance with several issues.
"The most important issue is SACS Core Requirement 2.11.1 In SACS terms Core requirements are the most important requirements that the university must meet in order to maintain accreditation," said Maddox.
He says that in order to prove that the university has a sound financial base and demonstrated fiscal stability, SACS is looking to see a pattern of compliance, not just a single occurrence.
"This is a process that is going to take time. Fortunately for us those two years include this year. We have confidence that we will pull through process," said Maddox.
Though TSU remains one of the largest historically black schools in the nation, this year enrollment dropped to its lowest point in five years, as a result of months of intense criticism from state lawmakers, Gov. Rick Perry's threat of conservatorship for the university, and negative publicity involving former university officials.
Student Government Association president Jasmine Pope is telling students not to worry about the effects of this probe by SACS.
"I know it's hard to focus with all that's going around the university, but don't let that bother you because, if you are handling your business, doing what you need to do, and keeping the faith, you're going to be what God wants you to be regardless of what's going on," said Pope.
University officials released a statement to students in response to the decision which said, "Texas Southern University remains a fully accredited institution while on probation. The issues raised are not specifically related to the University's academic programming. The action taken by SACS-which is rooted in past troubles-does not negatively impact the education of our students or their ability to secure federal aid."
It also said that the university is striving to make significant process in the governance and fiscal areas as outlined by SACS. According to the statement the University has already begun to meet the requests of SACS by appointing a full Board of Regents, appointing a Chief Financial Officer experienced in financial turnarounds, submitting and operating within a balanced budget, submitting the university's Annual Financial Report, and enhancing its financial policies and procedures.
TSU is not the only Texas school that the organization put on probation in December. Texas Tech was also put on probation for failing to show how it measures its student's success in the classroom. Paul Quinn College and Criswell College are two Texas schools that are on probation as well. Paul Quinn is a private historically black college.
Another HBCU on probation by SACS is Florida A&M, another of the nations largest black colleges.
Not far from the minds of the administrators of all HBCUs, is SACS decision to revoke the accreditation from Morris Brown College in 2002.

Arthur Monroe, Jr. is a graduate student at Texas Southern University and serves as the 2007-2008 Editor-in-Chief of the TSU Herald. arthur.monroe@gmail.com

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