Keystone College accreditation at risk

Embattled Keystone College is facing a potential loss of accreditation by the end of this year, according to a notice posted last week by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

The private college in Pennsylvania has faced mounting business challenges recently.

The accreditor alleges that the college failed to comply with its standard in multiple areas, including on governance and finances. MSCHE plans to strip Keystone’s accreditation by Dec. 31, though college officials indicated they intend to appeal the commission’s decision.

“We all knew that the process of rebuilding Keystone and changing our trajectory would not be easy. At the same time, I feel the adverse action taken by MSCHE significantly undervalues the progress the college has made over the past several months to strengthen our financial situation, rectify our weaknesses and move forward,” Keystone College president John Pullo wrote in a letter shared with Inside Higher Ed.

Pullo pledged to “pursue every possible opportunity as we prepare our appeal.”

The potential loss of accreditation comes roughly seven months after MSCHE warned that Keystone College was “in danger of imminent closure” due to its precarious finances. Since then Keystone has trimmed its head count and announced plans to merge with a fledgling think tank.