Students at mega church told degrees useless

Saw this in The Ministry Report, published by Strang Communications:


Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Um, About that Four-Year Degree …

Students at Atlanta megachurch Bishop Eddie Long’s satellite university campus have been informed that their bachelor’s degrees are useless after officials discovered the school was unaccredited. The New Birth Missionary Baptist Church campus, which offered a satellite program of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, N.C., closed down in June when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reviewed the school and would not approve it. The move affected 39 students currently enrolled and at least 25 who had already received degrees. It was announced this week that NCCU will have to repay students any federal loan money issued since the New Birth campus began in 2004. Long is working with University of North Carolina system President Erskine Bowles, who blames NCCU’s prior leadership—which established the program—for failing to seeking SACS accreditation until earlier this summer. [newsobserver.com, 9/11/08; ajc.com, 8/11/08]

 

Update from WRAL-TV news CBS affiliate. They have been following this story. It was reported on last night's news program that the degrees received at the satellite campus are valid degrees. I guess because it is a predominately minority school (NCCU) and sacs doesn't want to rock the boat. This sets the stage for other universities to do the same thing. How can you let one school get by with this and tell others they can't? However, I would of felt really bad if those students who went through the programs not get credit.

"An accrediting agency said Tuesday that degrees awarded to 25 North Carolina Central University students who attended an unapproved satellite campus near Atlanta are valid."

"Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, sent a letter to N.C. Central Chancellor Charlie Nelms, saying students who went to class at the satellite campus received a "comparable education" to those in Durham, so they earned their degrees." source wral-tv news Sep 23, 2008

http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/3594020/

 

"How can you let one school get by with this and tell others they can't?"

Because it isn't a matter of equity from school-to-school. Rather, it is one of equity regarding the graduates in question.

You deal with the school by punishing it, not the graduates, and this will help prevent other instances at other schools. I suspect SACS will have something in store for the school in question. Additionally, it will likely reiterate its processes in this area to its member schools, and make it a point of interest when examining them.

 

Which, by the way, is my alma mater. I just found this out. Interesting.