25 Saint Augustine's seniors receive degrees amid university's ongoing challenges

PRICE IN RALEIGH WILL BE.

DANA LEE, WRAL NEWS.

>> WELL, IT WAS A DAY SOME

THOUGHT MIGHT NEVER COME.

STAY RIGHT HERE. SAINT

AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY

GRADUATED HIS CLASS OF 2025.

THE UNIVERSITY HAS BATTLED

THROUGH SHARP DECLINE IN

ENROLLMENT. A OF LAWSUITS AND A

CONTINUED FIGHT OVER ITS

ACCREDITATION TO GET TO THIS

POINT RIGHT HERE.

>> SATURDAY MORNING, SHE TOLD

ACADEMIC YEAR CAME TOO CLOSE,

NOT ON CAMPUS INSIDE RALEIGH'S

WEEK CHAPEL CHURCH AND SPEAKERS

WASTED NO TIME ASKING FOR

PRAYERS FOR THE EMBATTLED HBCU.

I WOULD ASK YOU TO JUST HANG IN

THERE WITH SANTA GUSTON.

I KNOW THAT GOD IS WITH US.

THERE'S PLENTY TO PRAY ABOUT.

UNIVERSITY IS FACING MULTIPLE

LAWSUITS OVER UNPAID BILLS.

ITS FORMER PRESIDENT, CHRISTINE

MCPHAIL IS ALSO SUING 2 MEMBERS

OF SAINT AUG'S BOARD OF

TRUSTEES ALLEGING

DISCRIMINATION AND WRONGFUL

FIRING ON TOP OF THAT, HE KNOW

IT IS APPEALING ITS LAST

ACCREDIDATION TO THE SOUTHERN

ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND

SCHOOLS YET AGAIN.

>> AFTER A PREVIOUS APPEAL IN

MARCH FAILED. WE'VE DONE

EVERYTHING WE NEEDED TO DO.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE WAITING ON

UPON ARBITRATION, INTERIM

UNIVERSITY, PRESIDENT MARCUS

BERG U.S. SAYS DESPITE THOSE

STRUGGLES, THE FOCUS TODAY

SHOULD BE ON THE CLASS OF 2025.

WE SAW GRADUATING STUDENTS AND

THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT

THING. 25 SENIORS RECEIVED

THEIR DEGREES SATURDAY,

INCLUDING JULIA LIRA, U.S.

OVERWHELMING.

>> A LOT OF DIFFERENT MIXED

EMOTIONS, BUT I'M GRATEFUL TO

BE WHERE THE CEREMONY WAS FAR

SMALLER THAN THE ONE JUST A

YEAR BEFORE WHEN THE 168

STUDENTS PACK SAINT AUGS

STADIUM TO GET THEIR DEGREES.

>> STUDENTS THEN WORRIED IF

THEIR ALMA MATER WOULD SURVIVE

ANOTHER YEAR. STUDENTS NOW HAVE

BEEN ASKING THE SAME QUESTION.

I'VE HAD MY DOUBTS, BUT I AM A

WOMAN BUT FAITH I GO BASED OFF

OF A BIRD IS SAYS THE

UNIVERSITY IS LOOKING AT NEW

WAYS OF MOVING FORWARD. WE WANT

TO PULL UP ON THE NEXT 54 TO

64 TO 34 YEAR-OLD WHO HAD

DREAMS OF FINISHING SCHOOL.

WHY CAN'T WE BE A UNIVERSAL FOR

DEGREE COMPLETION? WHY CAN'T

FOR CAN GET ON? SO THOSE ARE

SOME GOOD THINGS IN OUR MASTER

PLAN IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE

THAT.

>> WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR

EVERYONE, BUT THEN UNCERTAINTY

OVER THE FUTURE DIDN'T

OVERSHADOW TO DREW A GRADUATE

OF THE SCHOOL STUDENT HAS THE

>> AND TO THE BOUT.