In a major move to help reverse the demise of historic Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education has extended the institution an $8 million line of credit to help pay its bills through the rest of the current school year ending June 30.
The line of credit is the sixth for the state-controlled institution over the past four years and is the most compelling part of a major “top to bottom” review of the 14-university system announced recently. The review is to be completed by late spring, said a Board of Governors spokesperson.
The financial boost for Cheyney comes as the institution, one of the oldest historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) in America, is aggressively trying to regain a clean bill of health from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The association, like the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), sets broadly accepted criteria in higher education circles for determining an institution’s viability and value in a number of respects.
Cheyney, which has been cited repeatedly for shortcomings, especially in stability of leadership, is in the second year of a two-year probation from MSCHE, one step short of losing its accreditation. Losing accreditation from a major standards association makes it extremely tough for an institution to receive federal funds for students to help pay their tuition and stay in business without those funds.
Most Cheyney students rely on federal student aid funds.
The state higher education systems move was considered another signal to outsiders that it was serious about taking steps to help Cheyney rebound. The earlier step was its decision two years ago to recruit from retirement Dr. Frank Pogue Jr., known for his ability to help institutions move ahead. Pogue had served the state before as president at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, an institution located in a rural area between Pittsburgh and Erie.
During his 10-year stint at Edinboro, Pogue was credited with campaigning throughout the region to raise Edinboro’s standing in the area, boosting enrollment and raising millions of dollars in new money for the university endowment. Today, Edinboro has a scholarship fund named in Pogue’s honor and a main campus center named after him.
