It surprise me that these academic institutions are on warning/probation. " - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina - University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia " I always thought top schools with reputation will never receive negative, especially from the accrediting commission board.
If I'm not mistaken, these are the messages related on hold (warning) status: UNC: Accreditation Information — Department of Anesthesiology - UNC School of Medicine UV: Messages from the University of Virginia
Non-Compliance Issues: "Why was the University of Virginia placed on Warning? The University of Virginia was placed on Warning because the SACSCOC Board of Trustees determined that the institution had failed to demonstrate compliance with Core Requirement 2.2 (Governing board) and Comprehensive Standard 3.7.5 (Faculty role in governance) of the Principles of Accreditation. These standards expect an institution to provide evidence that it (1) has a governing board that is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from it and (2) publishes policies on the responsibility and authority of faculty in academic and governance matters. (To read the full statements for the standards cited above, access the Principles of Accreditation at" "What is the accreditation status of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill? The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is accredited by SACSCOC and is in good standing with no sanction. At its December 2012 meeting, the Committee on Compliance and Reports, a subcommittee of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees, reviewed the institution’s case that came to the Commission’s attention through formal notification from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), various news articles, and other outside sources. The receipt of unsolicited information regarding academic infractions associated with independent study raised questions concerning the University’s ongoing compliance with the Principles of Accreditation—standards created by SACSCOC accredited institutions and used as a basis for membership."
In simpler terms: - UVa is having accreditation issues because of a strange attempt by the governing board to oust the school president (which failed). - UNC is having accreditation issues because of concerns regarding potential academic fraud by athletes. You thought wrong. Here's another example: the veterinary school at the University of California at Davis lost full professional accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1998, due to concerns about its "antiquated buildings". At the time, it was the #1 ranked veterinary school in the US, and probably the most respected in the world. Davis did not get full AMVA accreditation back until 2005, after new buildings had been constructed.
Incidentally, Penn State is another well-known and highly-ranked university that has been having accreditation issues. Their regional accreditation was placed on "warning" status in August 2012; the warning was not removed until November 2012. If you don't know why, there are more details here.
