The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges today announced that Tuskegee University has been cleared of its accreditation warning status. The university was placed on warning in 2015, with the accrediting body listing financial concerns as the root cause for a corrective action plan.
But Tuskegee officials applauded outgoing Tuskegee President Brian Johnson and the administration for reducing debt and increasing revenues, while also addressing gaps in teaching and learning outcomes.
“Tuskegee University has made tremendous financial strides and enhanced its governance and oversight during the past two years,” said John Page, chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees. “Working together, President Johnson, trustees, administrators, faculty and staff reduced the university’s cumulative debt by $20 million, increased its cumulative operating surplus by more than $17 million and increased enrollment by 3.5 percent. I expect even greater advances in these areas, including research and innovation, under Dr. Charlotte Morris’ upcoming tenure as interim president.”
Dr. Morris, whose interim tenure will begin on July 1, said she embraced the challenge of growing the institution without a cloud of controversy surrounding its accreditation status.
“I look forward in my capacity as interim president to continuing progress toward achieving the goals of the university’s five-year strategic plan, which our trustees adopted in 2015,” Morris said. “Our team of administrators, faculty and staff remain committed to continuing our strategic focus on creating a student-centered culture, integrating modern academic approaches, managing resources effectively, increasing enrollment, and expanding private philanthropy.”
