RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Amid Saint Augustine’s University’s financial crisis and accreditation uncertainty, Dr. Marcus Burgess, the interim president held a news conference on Monday to discuss the university’s financial plans moving forward.
Those financial woes have left staff and students waiting on overdue paychecks, leading to class cancellations and uncollected trash on campus.
Dr. Burgess said financial problems aren’t just a St. Aug’s issue but according to him, are “regrettably part of our DNA.”
“We are determined to navigate this proud institution,” he said, “through this instinctual crisis, full of faith that the dark past has taught us.”
These issues will not be fixed tomorrow, but Dr. Burgess introduced the steps the university has taken and is taking to address them. The first one was the university met payroll on Friday.
He said this helped reassure faculty and staff that SAU recognized the sacrifices they have made.
University leaders also held a candlelight vigil on Sunday to show students and staff that there is a strong community around them.
Burgess outlined some proactive steps the HBCU is already taking:
He said another step is the university has prepared its appeal with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC, for the removal of its accreditation.
Other steps included working with a financial consultant team and creating a forensic audit.
“These steps…do resurrect our financial viability,” Dr. Burgess said. “These steps are a thoughtful process to move our beloved Saint Augustine’s University forward.”
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