Accreditor removes Erskine from sanction, reaffirms accreditation through 2032

Erskine College’s accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), has removed Erskine from sanction and reaffirmed the institution’s accreditation for another 10-year period through 2032 with no monitoring required. SACSCOC announced Friday the reversal of its December 2024 decision to place Erskine on Probation for Good Cause.

“This is a watershed moment for Erskine College,” says Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson. “Over the last two years, we have made tremendous financial progress, and the institution is in a stronger position than it has been for decades. We are grateful that SACSCOC recognized this and reversed its decision. This reversal provides external validation for the changes we have made and the financial performance we have attained in recent years. We are ready to move forward with renewed energy and strength.”

The reversal took place following an internal review by SACSCOC, a process the accreditor uses to examine all decisions by its Board of Trustees which result in the imposition of sanctions. As a result of this additional review, SACSCOC observed the strength of Erskine’s 2024 Monitoring Report and recommended that the Board reconsider its decision. The Executive Council of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees received this recommendation, reversed the sanction decision, and sent its notification letter to Erskine on Friday, Jan. 17.

The SACSCOC letter states, in part: “The Executive Council, acting on behalf of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees, reviewed the institution’s Second Monitoring Report, removed the institution from Warning, and reaffirmed accreditation.”

Dr. Seth J. Nelson, Dean of Erskine Theological Seminary and Erskine College’s liaison with SACSCOC, is thankful for the accreditor’s choice to reverse its earlier decision.

“The Lord has answered the prayers that so many friends of Erskine have been praying for more than a year,” Nelson says. “We also give thanks for our administration’s diligent efforts to cultivate a collegial relationship with the accreditor over the last three years, which enabled us to improve our educational and institutional quality.”

Since 2022, when SACSCOC initially placed Erskine College on Warning, the institution’s administration and board, faculty and staff, and alumni and friends have worked together to strengthen Erskine’s financial position. The institution’s 2023-24 fiscal year audit showed the best overall financial performance in 22 years. Giving, including private gifts and grants, exceeded $5 million, the highest amount in 15 years. Endowment appropriations were the lowest in 12 years, total assets grew by six percent, and operational revenue increased by more than 16 percent over the previous year.

Erskine College Board of Trustees Chair Alan Runyan, who began serving as chair in 2024, is pleased with Erskine’s progress and is eager to promote the institution’s continued growth.

“Erskine has turned an important corner that will allow it to focus completely on its core mission: providing academic excellence that integrates knowledge and faith in young men and women so that they may influence society for God’s glory,” Runyan says.

Dr. Adamson sees the providential hand of God in all of this. “This is a remarkable answer to prayer. A reversal of this nature by an institutional accreditor is extremely rare and is a demonstration of God’s kindness,” he says. “Let us remember this moment for years to come and continue to praise God for showing favor to Erskine.”

As Erskine College celebrates its 185th academic year, the president is eager to build on generations of educational excellence. “We have been given a mission to equip students for lives of service and leadership,” he says. “By God’s grace, we will continue that mission for the next 185 years.”