While Louisiana College Burns: SACS Review Looms

In the midst of the removal of three professors at Louisiana College and the controversy that soon followed, it is easy to forget another issue looming in the distance. In the coming semester, Louisiana College will face the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS) to discuss the school’s standing with the association.

The Town Talk released an article on Friday, February 8, 2013 which reminded central Louisiana residents that accreditation is a serious issue at Louisiana College (LC). There are three causes for alarm in the article.

First, in December LC will have spent the maximum allowable time on warning. The Town Talk writes:

Louisiana College will meet at a major crossroads in December when it completes its second year on warning — the maximum time an institution can be on that status — from its accrediting organization.

The Town Talk reminds its readers that this meeting in the fall semester will be one much different from the previous two meetings between LC and SACS. It will be the moment of truth and there is much cause for concern about the outcome of the meeting.

The second cause for cause for alarm is the potential outcomes of a failure to comply with SACS requests to maintain accreditation. The Town Talk lists possible outcomes as following:

•  Reaffirm accreditation and remove LC from warning.

• Deny accreditation and place the institution on probation.

• Deny accreditation and remove LC from membership with the Commission on Colleges for failure to comply.

While the first possible outcome does provide hope for LC, one should be hesitant to put too much hope in this as a likely possibility based on President Joe Aguillard’s statement. His response to a question for comment to the reporter for the Town Talk is the third cause for alarm in the article.

When called for comment by the newspaper, Dr. Aguillard had the opportunity to outline the progress the college made in the recent months since SACS left in December, but instead made a very troubling comment.  The Town Talk recounts his answer:

LC President Joe Aguillard declined to comment for this story, saying there was nothing new since SACS made its announcement in December.

Louisiana Baptists should begin to ask hard questions of Dr. Aguillard. SACS was on campus nearly two months ago and will be returning in ten months from now. All the while, the best update Dr. Aguillard could provide for central Louisiana readers of the Town Talk is simply, “nothing new.”

Unfortunately, there is probably more truth behind this statement that anyone cares to admit, given the recent events on campus. The administration has decided a war on Calvinism is a better course of action.   The President’s time has been filled with interviews, meetings, writing, and responding to the recent events at the college instead of focusing his full attention to the bigger issues looming. Louisiana Baptists would be better served by calling for cooperation on non essentials like Calvinism, and taking necessary steps to satisfy SACS and retain accreditation.

Drew Wales

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, a husband to Rachel, father to Harper, and a student at the Caskey School of Divinity at Louisiana College pursuing an M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies.

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