Private college on probation

[hester]

Hello All,

  Have any of you ever worked for a private college that went on probation for numerous failure of standards?

If so, did enrollment drop and if so, by how much?

Thanks in advance

[downer]

It's not good at all. It may depend on what the school is on probation for.

Get out now if you can.

[mamselle]

Enrollment is the least of your worries.

Second the suggestion to leave ASAP.

Unless the whole Marvel Universe sits on the Board (and they'd have to be newly-elected, or they'd never have gotten to probation to begin with) the will to turn that situation around is somewhere between unlikely to impossible to muster.

M.

[Mobius]

OP is at a for-profit, so the chances of a turnaround are slimmer. OP was given advice to leave several months ago. At least it's VAP season on HigherEdJobs.

[Ruralguy]

It depends. Our accreditor used this term with us, and at the time we had no enrollment issues, financial issues or anything like that. They didn't like the way we dealt with adjuncts (not what you think---its actually that we were too generous and too open ended, so they felt we we were dangling some folks around too long without a tenure track contract or a specified dual track faculty system. So, really it was more an accumulation of issues, all settled in a year or two, then any big ominous thing.

[hester]

I am no longer there and merely curious about the prospects of them turning it around.

Some there ( mostly less than 2-3 years employment) are excited about the turnaround. All the new depts that will be created, promotions, raises, etc.

I cannot tell if they are delusional or just following party line while secretly looking.

Most colleges (private) that got off probation immediately cut workforce by upwards of 40% and called alumni telling them degrees would be worthless unless they donated to unrestricted fund.

Barring a very clever turnaround ( selling off real estate , driving efficiencies, etc.) that is really the only play a college can make.

I suppose a for-profit could get an investor cash infusion to shore things up. I don't see any other plays a for profit can make.
Highly unlikely a for-profit on probation will get a 20% plus enrollment increase (y-o-y).

Thanks for any insight.   

[hester]

It depends. Our accreditor used this term with us, and at the time we had no enrollment issues, financial issues or anything like that. They didn't like the way we dealt with adjuncts (not what you think---its actually that we were too generous and too open ended, so they felt we we were dangling some folks around too long without a tenure track contract or a specified dual track faculty system. So, really it was more an accumulation of issues, all settled in a year or two, then any big ominous thing.

You got probation for that? Or was it a show cause?  I never knew accreditors to be that rigid.

Thanks

[Wahoo Redux]

Just curious: it sounds like you are talking about U of Phoenix or another proprietary school, or are you talking about a traditional not-for-profit school?

[ciao_yall]

It depends. Our accreditor used this term with us, and at the time we had no enrollment issues, financial issues or anything like that. They didn't like the way we dealt with adjuncts (not what you think---its actually that we were too generous and too open ended, so they felt we we were dangling some folks around too long without a tenure track contract or a specified dual track faculty system. So, really it was more an accumulation of issues, all settled in a year or two, then any big ominous thing.

That seems outside the scope of accreditors. Those are internal personnel matters. They might have some feedback, but to slap a public label on an institution is pretty extreme.

[Ruralguy]

They are a rather strict accreditor.

[hester]

Just curious: it sounds like you are talking about U of Phoenix or another proprietary school, or are you talking about a traditional not-for-profit school?

A small For profit college.

Thanks

[hester]

Hello All,

  Does anyone here have experience working with accreditors? If so, I would like to hear what they saw when a college appealed a decision. Did it take months or was accreditor responsive and put joint statement out ASAP.

Thanks