Accreditor Puts Lane Community College on Warning

A regional accrediting agency has sanctioned Lane Community College over its ongoing governance issues.

Last week, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities sent LCC President Stephanie Bulger a letter notifying her that the college in Eugene, Ore., is now on accreditation warning. The NWCCU’s decision stems from a special review of the college it conducted in March in response to complaints that some trustees exhibited racist and sexist behavior toward Bulger, a Black woman, during multiple 2025 board meetings; a third-party report released last year supported those claims. The board censured the former board chair, and the full board also issued a joint apology.

The accreditor’s subsequent review found that the college failed to uphold requirements that it “demonstrate an effective governance structure” and exemplify “high ethical standards in its management and operations, including in its dealings with the public, NWCCU, and external organizations, including the fair and equitable treatment of students, faculty, administrators, staff, and other stakeholders and constituencies.”

The NWCCU has given LCC until Aug. 5, 2030, to “take appropriate action” and “show evidence” of effective, respectful governance that maintains “clearly defined authority, roles, and responsibilities.”

The NWCCU also told the college that it needs to improve “dealing with its stakeholders” and make sure it “adheres to clearly defined policies that prohibit conflicts of interest on the part of members of the governing board.” 

In a joint statement on the sanctions, Bulger and Jesse Maldonado, chair of the LCC Board of Education, said they “take the findings seriously and accept the responsibility that comes with them,” according to KLCC, Eugene’s NPR affiliate. “We know that how the Board governs affects the campus beyond Board meetings. It shapes how decisions are made, how clearly roles are understood across the college, and how effectively the institution can respond to challenges.”

The NWCCU asked LCC to provide an update on its progress in fall 2027.