August 11, 2008

SACS Official Casts Doubt on Degrees Awarded by Unaccredited Satellite Campus

The association that accredits North Carolina Central University does not recognize the bachelor’s degrees the institution awarded to 25 students who attended a now-defunct satellite program in Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The university and Bishop Eddie L. Long, pastor of the church that rented out classrooms for the satellite campus, closed the program in June after the accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, refused to sanction it. Any degrees earned through the program “would not be a degree from an accredited operation,” Tom E. Benberg, vice president and chief of staff of the SACS’s Commission on Colleges, told the Atlanta newspaper.

The News & Observer, in Raleigh, N.C., first reported the program’s closure on Sunday. Its article cited North Carolina Central officials who believed that because the parent institution, in Durham, was accredited, any degrees earned through the satellite program were still valid.

But Mr. Benberg told the Journal-Constitution it was unlikely that SACS would recognize the degrees. “I am not aware that we have ever done that,” he said. —Charles Huckabee

Comments

1. Somebody better talk to a lawyer, quick. Accrediting agencies accredit or decline accreditation to institutions, not degrees. Therefore, the position stated is bizarre at best. It is conceivable that the university itself might be able to cancel the degrees, but it is not clear from the facts that it could. It is a question of both contract and agency law.

   — Lawman    Aug 12, 06:09 AM    #

2. SACS fancies itself as the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-controlling despot that thrives on crushing any institution that doesn’t bow to its harsh and often contradictory edicts. Its member institutions who are not currently in its cross-hairs live in mortal fear that they are only one misstep away from being in the same predicament as their colleagues. KILL THE GIANT!

   That being said – North Carolina Central in bed with “Bishop” Eddie Jones. That’s just creepy.

   — Choirguy    Aug 12, 07:49 AM    #

3. Accrediting agencies do generally accredit institutions as a whole, as 1 points out. However, they generally also have language in their standards or policies that require review of satellite programs which specifically state that such programs are not covered by institutional accreditation without a focused review of some type. Hence, there is nothing bizarre at all about SACS’s comment. (I will not, however, claim any familiarity with SACS’s specific policies in this regard, since I’m not in their area. NEASC, for example, is quite specific in this regard.)

   — Jeremy Goodman    Aug 12, 09:12 AM    #

4. Having recently undergone a reaffirmation of our institution by SACS, I know that they are very specific and unwavering in the administration of their policies. Although, I don’t know the specifics of the NCCU case; however, I do know that when there are multiple campuses of an institution involved the analogy, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link applies.”

   — Dr. D    Aug 12, 09:29 AM    #

5. This seems strange. If SACS rules that the degrees are not valid why did the organization not do the same thing when it came to Barber-Socita College. Instead the organization removed the College from membership. If this article accurately quotes SACS then I believe small schools like Barber-Scotia need to file lawsuits against SACS.

   — Dr. R.    Aug 12, 09:53 AM    #

6. I think as we read the accrediting bodies response it did not imply the granted degrees were not valid. It stated that the institution was not accredited.

   — CSG    Aug 12, 10:19 AM    #

7. There are certain steps that an accredited institution must take to ensure that satellite campuses are included within its grant of accreditation. If those steps aren’t followed, the satellite is not accredited, and the degrees earned there were not earned at an accredited institution.

   For many accrediting agencies, opening a satellite campus without the proper approvals is grounds for a show-cause order or other adverse action regarding the institution’s failure to comply with the accreditation standards. It’s possible that NCCU’s troubles in this regard are not yet over.

   — An Accreditor    Aug 12, 10:20 AM    #

8. Thank God for SACS and Mr. Benberg. Every accrediting body needs to act as SACS did, cutting the legs out from under these bogus degree programs. The integrity of HE is, and has been at serious risk. Inaction in the past to bring this frequently fraudulant activity to an end has brought Congress to HE’s doorstep and has threatened the very survival of the accrediting system as we have known it. Firm and decisive action is required to hit these “degree-mill” programs hard. To those who would defend or coddle these type programs, just check out the “standard” learning/teaching support that was provided at this so called “Georgia Branch”. You will find it laughable. Start with the library resources. If you still want to look further, proceed at your own risk. I applaud SACS for their stance.

   — Bill    Aug 12, 10:35 AM    #

9. Perhaps SACS will likewise not recognize the degree that Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) admits was improperly awarded to Rodney Monroe but refuses to withdraw. SACS certainly needs to investigate how and why the degree was awarded (and who at the University, if anyone, was held accountable) as well as the heavy-handed and possibly unethical investigation conducted by the University (included a threat to withhold tenure if a professor did not cooperate). The inappropriately conducted investigation itself resulted in public protests and resignations by 3 high-ranking officials. Governor Tim Kaine, possible Obama running mate, is about to decide on four appointments to the VCU Board of Visitors, which oversaw the investigation and has been complacent in how the University is run, and one hopes he will take the opportunity to show SACS that the Commonwealth is serious about taking action to restore VCU’s credibility (on this and the controversial research agreement with Philip Morris reported in the NYT in which secrecy was maintained and all publication and IP rights were signed over to the company).

   — Concerned Commonwealth Citizen    Aug 12, 11:14 AM    #

10. SACS, NCCU and Eddie Long… an interesting combinatyion, inspite of Long’s NCCU alumni status and $$million dollar contribution. It just goes to prove money talks.

    The real culprit here is SACS though… the unwavering monolith. I watched them at another NC campus examine individual faculty credentials and rule a member not eligible to teach.
    SACS certifies insitutions and programs, so all Long and NCCU has to do is have the faculty hold equal credentials to the central campus.

    What we REALLY NEED though, is to END THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF accreditation. Stop the SACS Power, stop the monolith!!!

    — ProfessorComm    Aug 12, 11:36 AM    #

11. There is a second, more important question here that has not been asked to my knowledge: did the Georgia program have approval to operate and issue degrees from the State of Georgia? If it did not, then certainly the validity of degrees issued there is under a shadow. Authority to issue degrees comes from states, not from accreditors.

    Alan Contreras
    State of Oregon

    — Alan Contreras    Aug 12, 11:57 AM    #

12. A big step in fixing the accreditation system would be to remove the power accreditors now have to cut off Federal financial aid programs. Before accreditors had that power they had to convince institutions why they should spend large chunks of money on accreditation. A first step in this direction would be for institutions to replace archaic policies that state “must be accredited by a regional accrediting body” with “must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Dept. of Education” because they all must meet the same standards. That would begin to make SACS and others aware that they are not the only game in town.

    — RB    Aug 12, 12:42 PM    #

13. Sorry, #11 — I beat you to it.

    http://chronicle.com/news/article/4971/ state-university-in-north-carolina-had-unauthorized- satellite-campus-in-georgia#c022618

    — CU Alum    Aug 13, 02:29 PM    #

14. I echo the points made in #3, and thank poster #13 for directing us to the answer to the question of approval. Satellite campuses are and should, individually, be subject to the most of the same standards and regulations as the main university campus. I understand they are “trying to meet the need”, but they sometimes have a lopsided focus on making money before they begin to concern themselves with providing legitimate, quality educational opportunities. Then they complain when the authorities come down on them and enforce the proper rules.

    There appears to be a mixed understanding of what it mean to authorize the granting of degrees or to accredit an institution. There are two types of accreditation: by institution and by program. The regional accreditation bodies (like SACS) cover the institutions, and various professional accrediting bodies cover specific programs (or depts/schools) within an institution, while the state government confirms whether an institution has the authority to grant specific degrees. There is also national accreditation, which is not quite the same as regional accreditation (different standards). Also, gov’t recognition of the accreditation body is very, very important, as #12 indicates. What’s the deal w/ #10??? Regional accreditation is the most effective and relevant means of quality control in any given state; what exactly is your proposed alternative? To let schools do anything they want and the rest of us should assume all is legit? I understand if you believe that SACS needs to get straightened out here, but ultimately it will be their game (and rightfully so), otherwise NCCU can always seek national accreditation (wink)!

    — Messenger    Aug 18, 09:51 AM    #

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