Keystone College has formally appealed the loss of its accreditation and will open for the spring semester next month, the school announced Saturday.
A final decision on accreditation is expected in March or April, according to the school. Without accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Keystone would close.
In a notification posted to the Middle States website on Friday, the commission acknowledged the appeal and determined the college properly filed it.
The accreditation cease date of Dec. 31 is no longer in effect, and the accreditation will remain through the appeal process. The commission also reminded the college it can not enroll, market to or recruit new students during the appeal. Meanwhile, Keystone must implement its “teach-out plan,” which includes providing students with information on how to transfer to other schools.
Teach-out institutions include: Cedar Crest, Chestnut Hill and Lackawanna colleges, and East Stroudsburg, Frostburg State, Marywood, Misericordia, Moravian and Wilkes universities. The institutions will automatically admit Keystone students in good standing.
“As I have previously stated, we strongly disagree with and are extremely disappointed by the commission’s adverse action, but we are grateful for the opportunity to pursue our appeal of this decision,” Keystone President John F. Pullo, Sr., said in the statement. “We were all well aware that the process of rebuilding Keystone and changing our trajectory will not be easy. But it remains a process worthy of every pursuit. We feel the adverse action taken by MSCHE significantly undervalues the progress the college has made over the last year to strengthen our financial situation, rectify our weaknesses, and move forward.”
Keystone has retained the services of Saul Ewing LLP, a full-service, national law firm with experience in higher education accreditation areas, to provide legal counsel as it prepares for the appeal hearing.
Keystone has faced financial difficulties for the last decade. Earlier this year, the school signed a merger agreement with the Washington Institute for Education and Research, which has provided financial support to the college this year. Keystone has asked Middle States to approve the ownership change. Pullo, a member of the WVIA Board of Directors, said in the statement that the institute remains committed to the merger and is frequently updated on developments.
The college will start the spring semester on Jan. 13.
“The beauty of American private higher education has always been its diversity,” Tim Pryle, Keystone’s vice president of enrollment, institutional advancement and marketing, said in the release.
“That diversity and affordable access to it are being challenged as all students are expected to assimilate into institutions in the top half of the pyramid. Declining enrollment and retention percentages nationally suggest this assimilation may not be working, especially for the most vulnerable students in the system," Pryle said. "Keystone has a unique and innovative merger opportunity, and we want to make every effort for that to be explained and considered as we rebuild the college and continue our mission of meeting students individually where they are and offering them all the benefits of a college education. Our appeal of the adverse action gives us that opportunity.”
