Accreditors Inform King’s of Investigation Findings

Photo by Colby McCaskill

The findings presented in this article come from an announcement made to students, staff and faculty of The Kings College on April 28, 2023. The financial situation at King’s is constantly changing and MSCHE’s findings have not been publicly proven to be true as of yet. The following story is a developing report on a much larger situation.

The King’s College’s academic accreditors conducted another meeting notifying the institution of their investigation findings last Friday, April 28.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) clarified that the conclusions presented are not final, nor do they constitute any definitive verdict on King’s accreditation status going forward. The findings presented, according to MSCHE procedures, “represent only the first step in a multi-level decision-making process.”

Early indications from those who attended the meeting suggest King’s is satisfying some of the accreditor’s requirements but struggling with other requirements such as the financial wherewithal standards. Sources at King’s indicate the school could have an impending budget shortfall of between $10 million and $20 million if it continued into the 2023-2024 school year. 

King’s officials have indicated the new board at King’s is still pursuing mega-donors to rescue the college or a possible acquisition of the college by another larger, wealthier university. It’s not clear how quickly such a rescue would affect King’s status with accreditors. 

As per a MSCHE decision on March 27 King’s failed to meet Standard for Accreditation VI, Requirement of Affiliation 2 and Affiliation Requirement 11. This follow-up visit was intended to investigate King’s on a more intimate level and determine whether or not King’s is still in violation.

Affiliation 2 deals with King’s activeness as an institution that simply requires that the school is functioning and has “students enrolled in its degree-seeking programs.” Many sources indicate that it is unlikely that King’s failed to meet this criterion.

Affiliation 11 and Standard VI, on the other hand, relate to the financial viability of the institution, which, as of now, has not been guaranteed for the upcoming school year.

Even though King’s accreditation is under scrutiny, and its financial situation is complicated, Dr. Anne Wahl, the college’s MSCHE liaison, assured students Thursday that the summer courses King’s will offer will remain accredited regardless of MSCHE’s decision in late June.

MSCHE Representative Dr. Valerie Lehr delivered the organization's findings to King’s students, staff and faculty at 9:20 a.m. Friday, after conducting an investigation all day, Thursday, April 27. The investigation included a student-only meeting during the lunch hour Thursday, a staff-only meeting thereafter and conducting interviews with people who have internal knowledge of the situation.

According to several people who attended meetings on Thursday and Friday, King’s adequately demonstrated that its faculty continue to function as normal and students’ reported an unusually high loyalty and engagement with the school, its faculty and its curriculum. 

Affiliation 11 stipulates, among other things, that King’s must have “documented financial resources, funding base and plans for financial development.” In addition to keeping records, King’s must also be able to “support its educational purposes and programs and to ensure financial stability.” 

Standard VI relates to “planning, resources and institutional improvement.” The standard requires that the institution, among other things, demonstrates “a financial planning and budgeting process that is aligned with the institution’s mission and goals, evidence-based and clearly linked to the institution’s and units’ strategic plans/objectives.”

In the student meeting Thursday, the MSCHE representatives explained that the college’s financial hurdles are the “big issue” with withholding accreditation.

King’s has declined to comment on the recent developments in order to abide by MSCHE’s policy that the “institution should not publicize the team’s findings.” 

Katelyn Tamm, Marketing and Communications Director at King’s, did however confirm in response to an email from the Empire State Tribune that King’s extended future is still ambiguous, even if this semester’s accreditation is not.

“Regardless of whether TKC remains open in the fall or not, all student achievement records related to this semester (and any previous semesters) including degrees granted, will be fully recognized as official.”

Colby McCaskill is a freshman at The King’s College majoring in Journalism, Culture and Society. He is also the City Editor for the Empire State Tribune. He hates to lose at chess and enjoys long runs in the rain.