St. Aug's groups push for leadership changes & transparency amid university's ongoing financial crisis
As Saint Augustine’s University fights to keep its doors open, an alumni group told WRAL News they want to see things change on the Board of Trustees.
Members of "Save SAU" drafted a resolution calling for the Board of Trustees to step down. They said their mission is to save Saint Augustine’s University.
“In this coalition, besides wanting to replace the leadership at the university’s Board of Trustees, we've been looking at other ways to improve the university, depending on what happens with our accreditation,” said John Larkins. “We're looking at, 'how do we set up organizations and groups to help the university get out of this substantial financial hole?' But also looking at ways to alter the curriculum and programs at the school to make the students more successful.”
Larkins, an alumnus and a former board member, is now a member of the Save SAU coalition. He said positive change needs to start from the top.
“The current problems are not new; they have just been exacerbated by the fact that the board has not taken the appropriate action to change things,” he said.
Larkins served on the board for about two years, from 2019 to 2020. Larkins told WRAL News he would want more stability if he was still on the board.
“It's been a revolving door of presidents, which creates chaos, [and] instability in the staff. They don't know what direction the university is going in. If you keep changing the leadership or bringing in somebody new, who has different ideas on the way to do things, they just destabilize the university in our opinion,” he said. “Right now, most of the board members who come on are by referrals, which tends to generate a group with the same mindset, as opposed to getting a lot of diverse views and diverse capabilities.”
Another Save SAU member, Benjamin Johnson, agrees. Johnson’s father taught at the university for 35 years. He said he ‘grew up’ on the campus.
“It has given me the wings to be able to fly. It did that for an abundance of people,” Johnson said. “When you were a graduate of Saint Aug, if you applied for a job in North Carolina, they knew… you came with this equipment and had the tools to perform. We want to carry that out; we want to continue that.”
The the school's board of trustees, as of April 17, is not giving in to pressure from alumni groups to resign. Dr. Allen Mask, a former trustee who contributed medical stories to WRAL News for decades, questioned if changing the board would help the issues at the school.
Johnson, however, said it’s time for a change.
“The board has been the common denominator,” Johnson said. “Other than asking nicely, sometimes it may be the possibility of litigation...we will use every means that we can put in place to be able to do that.”
WRAL News talked to the university attorney, Nana Asante-Smith, who provided the following statement over the phone:
“Both the board and the administration, particularly Dr. Burgess, continue to be committed to ensure the well-being of the university. The university is facing challenges in this moment. Both the board and the administration are working diligently to restore the strength and well-being of the university in any way that they can. They remain focused on this mission and look forward to partnering with those in the Saint Augustine’s community and beyond to protect and restore the university. This is a multifaceted and nuanced issue. The board and Dr. Burgess are also committed to uncovering any actions or decisions that have resulted in the current and unfortunate position of the university. All parties are hopeful that with continued focus, transparency and collaboration that the university can be restored and continue to be a fruitful source of education for students, faculty, staff and the broader community."
For more than two weeks, students have attended their classes virtually. In that time, several churches, alumni groups and volunteers offered their support to students and staff.
The school has also publicly accepted multiple sizable donations. One of those donations came from the Durham Alumni Chapter for $70,000. Chapter president Dolli Bradford told WRAL News it was the right thing to do.
“The sustainability of the university is very important,” Bradford said. “And despite what our grievances may be towards our Board of Trustees, at the end of the day, it's the survival of the university; we cannot continue to lose HBCUs and that's important.”
According to Larkins, other alumni are out there and would be willing to put up money, but they need to see improvements at the school.
“Some of the monies would be contingent upon [the school’s] accreditation because...we're looking at foundations out there. People don't want to make bad investments,” he said. “Others will continue to give, I know if they see some light at the end of the tunnel. But right now, people are reluctant to give because they just don't have faith or trust in the board to do the right thing. One of the biggest complaints I've heard is ‘we don't know where our money is going.’”
WRAL News brought those concerns to the university spokesperson. He said the donations go to its Falcon Pride Initiative. The website states that funds go towards preserving the university’s accreditation. He added that the school will update the website with Q&As from the Board of Trustees related to financial concerns.
While donations help, Johnson said they will not solve all of the university’s problems.
“The donations are helpful, but we're talking about a serious contusion injury, and we're putting a band-aid on it. We may have to perform surgery to remove the tumor that has caused this,” he said. “This didn't happen quickly. It's not going to get fixed quickly.”
Larkins, a longtime supporter and active alumnus of the university, said it “bothers” him to see its current state.
“The institution has been victimized; the students and parents have been victimized. They bring their young people there with high potential, make a significant investment in their careers and life…It bothers me, it really bothers me to see the university in the current situation where it's at and may not survive,” he said.
Ultimately, the Save SAU group said they want what’s best for the university.
WRAL News requested an interview with interim president Dr. Marcus Burgess. The university told WRAL News he was unavailable.
