Accreditors place Magdalen College on probation for shaky finances
Nov. 28—The New England Commission of Higher Education said this month that Magdalen College's accreditation will be placed on probation for up to four years over concerns the tiny Catholic school cannot raise enough money to educate and support its students.
The commission, which accredits the region's colleges and universities, announced the result of a Sept. 24 vote in a statement released on Nov. 10.
In the statement, the commission said Magdalen was not meeting its standards for "institutional resources." The college's academics are not in question, and it will remain accredited through the probation.
"(T)he institution did not demonstrate that its resources are sufficient to sustain the quality of its educational program and to support institutional improvement now and in the foreseeable future," the statement read.
During its probation, the college will still be accredited. Accreditation is needed to receive federal funding, including federal student aid. Magdalen was first accredited in 2018.
This spring, the commission considered placing Magdalen College on probation not just because of its finances, but because the commission believed Magdalen was not meeting accreditation standards for leadership and organization and for planning and evaluation.
The college appointed a new president, Ryan Messmore, over the summer. Messmore has served as the president of other small Christian schools and also has been a fellow of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
In a statement, Messmore said the college's leadership would be launching new initiatives to enroll more students and raise more money.
"As a result, we are confident that Magdalen will overcome these challenges and move forward on even stronger footing," Messmore said.
"The College looks forward to working with NECHE to achieve these goals, and we remain fully committed to—and deeply passionate about—the mission of offering students a transformative Catholic liberal arts education."
