CSU’s accreditation is valid until 2013. However, lost accreditation typically results in the ineligibility of federal funding, such as federal financial aid dollars, and students often are not able to transfer credits to an accredited college or university.
Searcy says the recent media attention has been alarming to students concerned about the implications of lost accreditation. Searcy, a faculty member in the Department of Social Work, said his department’s phone rang incessantly following a local TV news report, adding that Watson told faculty that he was going to put in place a committee to address the Commission’s concerns and that he has experience related to accrediting agency site visits, which is scheduled for next spring.
However, Beverly is still concerned and wants to know who will be held accountable for putting Chicago State in its current predicament. “We need to make sure we don’t put the same people in charge of the repair effort who ‘blew up the building.’ ”
In the meantime, the Higher Learning Commission was scheduled to meet with university officials on Oct. 1, the same day Watson is to begin.
“It’s an interesting time at the university,” says Searcy. “We are trying to protect the institutional integrity; that’s what this is about.”
