By Bob Allen
A decision this summer to revoke a Georgia Baptist college’s accreditation has been reversed, officials at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Ga., announced Sept. 30 in a press release.
The release said administrators learned the day before that the appeals committee of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges has ordered a remand of a June 19 decision by the SACSCOC board to remove Brewton-Parker College as a member institution.
Back then the full board found the school — after two years on probation — in non-compliance with standards related to financial resources, stability and control, as well as those for federal grants, loans and work-study programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act.
During the appeal, however, Brewton-Parker College reportedly presented new evidence demonstrating improvement in its financial position that persuaded the committee to let the school keep its accreditation and remain on probation. A SACSCOC official did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The case now goes to a committee on compliance and reports, which in turn will make recommendation to the Executive Council. The council then will make a recommendation to the board of trustees.
Ergun Caner, in his first year as president of Brewton-Parker, termed the decision “a validation of SACSCOC’s own processes.”
“We are thankful the appeals committee recognized what we knew all along — that Brewton-Parker College is a financially stable and viable institution of higher learning,” Caner said.
Caner said previously that while he was confident the appeal to SACSCOC would succeed, attorneys were prepared to defend the school’s accreditation in court. In July members of the community joined on campus for a “Stand with Brewton-Parker College Day” to support the effort to remain accredited.
Caner said the college would continue to work with the accrediting agency in order to get off of probation.
Accreditation is a process of peer review used to validate colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning. While it is not mandatory, accreditation is used by employers to evaluate a job candidate’s qualifications and gives students a better chance of being able to transfer credits to another school. It also qualifies students to apply for financial aid from federal programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
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SACS commission releases statement on Brewton-Parker accreditation woes