Hampshire College to Face Decision on Accreditation in Mid-June
“up to the college to “show cause … why the institution should not be placed on probation or why its accreditation should not be withdrawn”
The hits just keep coming for Hampshire College. If they lose their accreditation, that could be the beginning of the end.
Mass Live reports:
Decision on Hampshire College accreditation expected in mid-June
Hampshire College officials met with the New England Commission of Higher Education Thursday and a decision about the school’s accreditation is expected in about two weeks.
The meeting followed an April 18 letter to Hampshire College interim President Ken Rosenthal, in which the commission said it “has reason to believe that Hampshire College may no longer meet the standards on Organization and Governance and Institutional Resources.”
The letter said it was up to the college to “show cause … why the institution should not be placed on probation or why its accreditation should not be withdrawn,” and said the commission had “grave concerns” about the college’s finances.
College officials submitted documents to the commission on May 21. Two trustees and three administrators met with the commission Thursday, a spokesman for the college said.
The accreditation issue emerged during a period of uncertainty at the school following former President Miriam “Mim” Nelson’s announcement earlier this year that she was seeking a strategic partner to help bolster the college’s financial standing. In the months that followed Nelson and a number of trustees resigned, the college cut faculty and staff, and the school announced that its incoming class in fall 2019 would number only 15.
The commission’s letter said the college’s deficit is estimated to hit $9 million by fiscal 2022, and that recent layoffs will “further imperil the College’s ability to offer high-quality academic programs.”
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