Long-Struggling Dowling College Is Told It Will Lose Accreditation

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education this week notified Dowling College that it would lose accreditation on August 31, Long Island Business News reported.

In a public-disclosure document, the commission said that it would withdraw the long-struggling private college’s accreditation after peer-evaluation reports, visits to the New York campus, and materials submitted by the college “failed to document that the institution has achieved and can sustain ongoing compliance.” The commission also said, in a statement of accreditation status, that Dowling must provide a teach-out plan for its students.

The college has suffered a decline in enrollment in recent years and is roughly $54 million in debt.

Dowling had previously announced it was closing, but then put those plans on hold. The college has been attempting to strike a deal with Global University Systems, a company that provides capital to higher-education institutions and strengthens their international recruitment.

Frank Corso Jr., president of Dowling’s Alumni Association, said in a written statement that his group believes the accreditor did not review all relevant information, and the association has consulted a lawyer about appealing the decision.

“We continue to believe there is a path forward for Dowling College as an accredited institution of higher learning,” Mr. Corso said. The college said in a statement on its website that it had received the commission’s decision and would respond after a “comprehensive review.”