The U.S. Education Department is warning of possible sanctions against the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges, one of the nation’s regional accreditors, for failing to fully investigate complaints about curricular changes at Northern Kentucky University.
In a June 7 letter to the association, the department cited four federal standards the accreditor had violated, including not fully evaluating changes in Northern Kentucky’s general-education requirements, not determining whether the university had enough qualified faculty members, and not responding adequately to initial complaints about the curricular changes, which were approved about a year ago.
The Southern Association has until July 18 to respond to the findings and to report to the department on how it will correct the problems. If the association does not comply fully with the department’s standards, it could lose its status as a federally recognized accreditor, though that outcome is unlikely.
Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Southern Association’s Commission on Colleges, said her organization was reviewing the department’s findings as well as the association’s actions to see what went wrong. She promised a thorough response to the Education Department’s findings.
“If I have anything to do with it,” she said, it will be the last time the accreditor gets such a citation.
According to the department’s letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Chronicle, the association renewed Northern Kentucky’s accreditation in December 2009 and had been informed that the university was revising its general-education requirements.
The association should have thoroughly reviewed the new curriculum, which failed its standards by eliminating requirements for at least one course in the humanities or fine arts, the letter says.
Two Northern Kentucky faculty members who objected to the university’s revision of the general-education requirements, which are called “Foundation of Knowledge,” filed a complaint with the Southern Association. The professors also complained about how the university had gained approval of the changes on the campus.
One of the two faculty members was Robert C. Trundle, a professor and coordinator of the university’s philosophy program. Mr. Trundle and a colleague began contacting the association in March 2010.
At the time of the complaint, many faculty members at Northern Kentucky were concerned that the curricular changes were not only inadequate, but were also being rushed through by administrators who falsely warned that the university would lose accreditation without the changes, Mr. Trundle said.
But college administrators ignored the complaints, Mr. Trundle said, and even challenged him to alert the accreditor. When the association didn’t take any action after eight months, Mr. Trundle and his colleague raised their concerns with the Education Department.
Northern Kentucky officials did not respond to a request for comment.
