BELMONT — A one-year probation has been lifted from Belmont Abbey College by its accrediting agency.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges removed the Catholic liberal arts college from probation in a vote taken at a Dec. 9, 2018, Board of Trustees meeting in New Orleans, La.
The college had been placed on probation in December 2017 because it fell short on a compliance standard regarding financial stability. The probation was not related to any core requirement regarding financial stability, but rather a subset related to a pattern in the college’s finances, Rolando Rivas, communications director for the college, explained at the time.
The problem for the school arose out of its program to educate adult students (aged 23 and older). According to a December 2017 letter from Dr. William Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College, revenue from adult students at the Loughridge Center for Continuing and Professional Studies declined at a slightly faster rate than the revenue gains from the traditional program.
Probation is the most serious public sanction imposed by SACSCOC short of loss of accreditation.
“SACSCOC has found the college in full compliance with its accrediting standards and ended the one-year probation that began this time last year,” Thierfelder announced in a letter to the college community Dec. 11, 2018. “As you know, in a time of challenges for small colleges everywhere, the probation raised a concern regarding our financial stability. After several meetings directly with SACS committees, including an on-site visit in which the committee found that Belmont Abbey College ‘was taking the appropriate steps to act in a financially responsible manner,’ SACS has decided to remove the college from probation.”
“This action is the culmination of a very positive year for Belmont Abbey College,” Thierfelder continued.
Belmont Abbey College has experienced record enrollment of traditional students and corresponding revenue increases, improved retention and graduation rates, and reduced operating costs over the past several years.
“We welcomed our largest incoming traditional student class, saw the largest year ever for fundraising, received recognition from U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, and The Newman Guide, and welcomed several key new staff and faculty, including Interim Provost, Dr. Linda Delene,” he wrote. “The college has also added five new majors and four new minors for the new academic year.”
“To our internal team, I am grateful to all of you for your hard work this past year as we were met with more meetings, more discussion, more analysis and more presentations to address SACS’ needs. We pulled together with stronger confidence in our mission sure that God had the wind at our backs. It’s due to your commitment that SACS has removed us from probation.”
“Belmont Abbey College now will begin the scheduled process for reaffirmation of its accreditation which is due in 2020,” he said, as part of SACSCOC’s regular 10-year review process.
— Catholic News Herald