A small, private historically Black college in Virginia was on the brink of shuttering its doors and ending more than 145 years of history, but, instead of closure, a merger is likely.
Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Va., could have easily died a slow death, especially after narrowly avoiding being stripped of its accreditation this summer amid mounting debt, but St. Augustine’s University, another HBCU, wants to see to it that the college survives in more than just name only.
“We find ourselves with the opportunity to do what is necessary, to not only preserve the legacy and history of our sister institution, Saint Paul’s College, but restore the viability, credibility and reputation of this HBCU,” read a statement from the university obtained by Diverse.
“We are still working through some of the details and have no further comment at this time,” said a spokesperson for Saint Augustine’s President Dianne Suber.
A shared affiliation with the Episcopal Church and a centuries-old mission to educate the underserved are among the things that unite the two institutions, separated geographically by only a few hundred miles. If plans are finalized by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the U.S. Department of Education, how would such a merger look?
The plan could create “the Saint Paul’s College campus of Saint Augustine’s University in Lawrenceville, Virginia on the site of Saint Paul’s College.” And while the physical campus would remain as is, Saint Paul’s College would become an extension of Saint Augustine’s University, with academic programs accredited as Saint Augustine’s University programs and operations, explained Millard “Pete” Stith, Saint Paul’s new vice president for Institutional Advancement. Those awarded degrees after the consolidation will earn them from Saint Augustine’s.
“Saint Augustine’s University is committed to upholding the history and legacy of Saint Paul’s College and making this transition as seamless as possible,” university officials state, but its goodwill would also come with a hefty financial commitment. “The consolidation would mean that Saint Augustine’s assumes all of Saint Paul’s liabilities, debts, and revenues. We estimate that our debt is at $4 [million] to $5 million dollars,” Stith said.
