As former UNC-CH chancellor James Moeser prepares to take the helm as interim chancellor at the UNC School of the Arts next month, he will have one key issue on his plate from day one.
UNCSA, the only publicly funded conservatory in the U.S., will be one of 19 schools in the Southeast — three of which are in North Carolina — facing accreditation woes when the school year begins next month.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges issued a warning to UNCSA in late June, effective for the next 12 months.
Belle Wheelan, president of SACS, said a warning levied on an institution means the school’s noncompliance is significant, but that it is the first time it has come to the attention of the agency.
She said SACS has 12 core requirements for accreditation, including ensuring that there are an adequate number of full-time faculty members – which is one of the requirements UNCSA did not satisfy.
She said the large number of adjunct faculty at UNCSA – most of whom are part-time – concentrate primarily on teaching.
“Because faculty do things in addition to teaching, we want to make sure there are enough (full-time) faculty that they’re there to advise students, to be involved in the governance process of the institution (and) to review curriculum,” Wheelan said.
After the first 12 months have elapsed, SACS has four options in dealing with the UNCSA situation, she said.
The agency can remove the warning without another additional report, continue the school’s warning status, place the school on probation or remove the school from the membership list of accredited schools.