United Negro College Fund President and CEO Michael Lomax
A recent internal review by #UNCFPRI noted that while 80 #HBCUs represent roughly 10% of the membership of SACSCOC, during the 2017-2018 timeframe #HBCUs were handed down more than 30% of all SASCOC sanctions. https://t.co/isMzwuPfml
— Dr. Michael Lomax (@DrMichaelLomax) March 5, 2019
I believe that harsh sanctions handed down to #HBCUs have reached a crisis that requires transparent, urgent and visible public review. #UNCF is asking Congress to assure that all institutions receive fair, unbiased and equitable treatment. https://t.co/EvcShzgJt7
— Dr. Michael Lomax (@DrMichaelLomax) March 5, 2019
Today, he received a sharp response from the president of the accreditor responsible for more than 70 percent of the nation’s HBCUs.
In a letter sent to Dr. Lomax and forwarded to members of the U.S. Congress, media, other HBCU advocacy groups and member school presidents of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), organization president Belle Wheelan responded the claims with disappointment and data on HBCUs’ overall standing in the organization.
The social media dialog drew a response from Kentucky State University President and former UNCF Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute Executive Director M. Christopher Brown II.
FYI – Accreditation is not done to colleges. It is done by colleges. It is a public, transparent review of previously agreed standards by collegiate peers. It is no different than food safety standards in a restaurant. https://t.co/j4QMlyyA6D
— M. C. Brown II (@DrMCB2) March 6, 2019
When I was Executive Director and Chief Research Scientist of @UNCF @FDPRI, we produced an annual Statistical Report of the private HBCU membership data related to enrollment, academic outcomes, finances, and infrastructure. https://t.co/4wcRvJDxup
— M. C. Brown II (@DrMCB2) March 6, 2019
Glad to see the UNCF President standing up for its member schools and mentioning the attack they had on Bennett College was unfair and unjust.
I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming things when it came to SACS…
OMG! I agree with Dr. Lomax 100 percent on this issue.This agency will say ” No” in a heartbeat when it comes to HBCUs .Even when it’s evident that progress is being made,the agency rarely works with the college/ university to help them get the school on track. The smallest problem with SACS and your school is doomed for life.
I cannot blame Michael Sorrell for using TRACS for getting Paul Quinn back on track and has been doing quite well since .Supposedly ,Paine College will be/ is going that same route. Hopefully ,if that is the case ,TRACS will help them. If Dr.Pritchett was still MBC president,he planned on using SACS.
I almost panicked when he said that. Didn’t he learn anything from from HBCUs affected by SACS? You have a better chance of winning the Powerball or Mega millions lottery than a school HBCU president winning reaccreditation from SACS. That’s a crying shame.
While I’m not a fan of an institution holding the life of an HBCU in their hands. SACS has standards. If you don’t like or agree with them. You can go somewhere else. Bennett, St. Paul and these other failing HBCUs should have gotten their place in order. These HBCUs did not fail overnight. Bad leadership drove them there. We as black folks need to stop playing the victim all the time. If you don’t want your school to fail, GIVE BACK.
Are you all just gonna blindly disregard those facts Dr. Wheelan laid down?
The 7th paragraph of her letter did it for me… smack down on UNCF.
Check the percentage and rate of Bennett Alum who give. WE work for Bennett.
Check the stats on HBCU Alumni donations to see where Bennett College stands. You will see Bennett stands at number 3 of ALL HBCU’S where Alums donate the most. The problem is Bennett does NOT like other schools received a significant generous donation from an organization or philanthropist as other schools have in which triggers others to do the same. What do you think happened when Spelman College received 20 million dollars from Bill Cosby and his wife??? That triggered others to do the same which has assisted them in being financially stable today. And it does not matter if the school (Spelman) returned it, it still had a positive impact on their fundraising.
Since the inception of HBCU’s they have faced this issue of meeting minimum standard operating procedures [SOP]. This inability has been exacerbated during the age of innovation and the internet! The race to compete has moved ar warped speed!
Based on some of my research we can address the following three points of improving board governance, presidential selection process, and hiring high quality faculty. This can be wrapped up in a vision of excellence versus hiring the people who need a job/nepotism.
Clearly some are biased and intentionally disregarding the facts laid out by the SACS association President. Institutions dont fail over night. Inadequate and poor leadership, declining enrollment, ineffective boards, no system for continuous improvement are some of the reasons institutions fail. People can continue blaming others, but the institutions and their leadership is the cause of their failure, NOT SACS.
It’s time to take a hard look of introspection and be honest.