West Virginia higher education officials are continuing to ask questions about the financial condition of Alderson Broaddus University, the private school that has been deeply-rooted in Philippi more than 100 years.
The Higher Education Policy Commission is considering provisional reauthorization for the coming year, but has cited “continued financial solvency concerns ” in asking Alderson Broaddus to provide information about its status.
“This provisional reauthorization is contingent on the ability of Alderson Broaddus University to provide, without interruption, essential services such as instruction, financial aid processing and other critical student services,” according to an agenda from today’s HEPC special meeting.
“The Chancellor will request detailed information regarding the University’s financial condition and its plan to safeguard its students’ interests.”
Annual reauthorization of almost all of West Virginia’s private colleges was on a June 16 agenda, but Alderson Broaddus was set aside for the possibility of provisional authorization.
The HEPC delayed the Alderson Broaddus matter until today’s special meeting, and then agreed to put off a decision again until July 12.
“We, as a commission, are still gathering the relevant information so we’re going to move this to a meeting on July the twelfth, and they have until the seventh to answer some questions,” said Drew Payne, chairman of the Higher Education Policy Commission.
“We’ve been working with these people really for about the past two months pretty diligently, and they just owe us additional information.”
The HEPC is asking for information about finances, enrollment, student record security, financial exigency and teach-out plans and “any other information deemed necessary by the Chancellor to ensure the Commission receives a comprehensive picture of the institution’s operating condition and ability to meet the State’s standards for reauthorization.”
Teach-out plans, which are among the items being sought, are written plans to provide for the equitable treatment of students if a college ceases to exist or operate. These plans may include transfer options or formal agreements between schools.
“The Commission is seeking more precise enrollment numbers for fall and revised budgets that reflect that enrollment, as well as retention rates for freshman, current staffing levels and any information AB can provide that ensures they will have the resources necessary for their students for the entire academic year (fall and spring),” said Matt Turner, the HEPC’s executive vice chancellor for administration.
Alderson Broaddus’s interim president, Andrea Bucklew, said the university is working to comply with the request. Bucklew said the university’s administration met today with the Higher Education Policy Commission to clarify the questions in preparation for the July 12 meeting.
“We maintain a close working relationship with HEPC and are confident we will satisfy their requests,” Bucklew said in a statement to MetroNews.
“Alderson Broaddus is actively recruiting for the fall semester, and most recently, on Friday, June 23, we welcomed 83 new students and their families to our campus to begin their enrollment and housing processes.”
Alderson Broaddus is a private Baptist college that has roots in Phillip, Barbour County, starting in 1909. Two other Baptist institutions combined in 1932 to form Alderson Broaddus College, and the institution was named a university in 2013.
About 750 students have enrolled there in recent years.
Alderson Broaddus named its interim president, Bucklew, starting July 1 because of the retirement of the current president, James “Tim” Barry.
In February, the university named Judith Dwyer as an adviser to identify and pursue “alternative futures in the form of expanded partnerships, affiliate federations, or mergers.”
A month ago, the university added three new degree programs: a bachelor of arts in recreation & fitness studies, a bachelor of science in health science and an associate of science in engineering.
In response to questions posed earlier this month from MetroNews, Alderson Broaddus responded broadly to describe challenges faced by many higher learning institutions.
“In the general higher education landscape, enrollment numbers have been in decline at most colleges and universities. With a smaller pool of traditional college-aged students, the effects of the pandemic, and an emphasis on technical education, enrollments at four-year institutions have dropped. All colleges and universities, especially private institutions, have been impacted over the last several years.”