Dive Brief:
- The embattled president of St. Augustine’s University, most recently accused of firing her vice president of business and finance in retaliation for pointing out management problems, is resigning, .
- Dianne Boardley Suber announced she will leave the Raleigh, N.C., school at the end of May. She was there 14 years.
- Suber made her announcement one day after the firing of Angela Haynes, who had taken her concerns to the university’s Board of Trustees. The school’s provost, Connie Allen, had accused Suber of putting her on leave last month with little explanation, and two vice presidents left last year.
Dive Insight:
The list of problems for St. Augustine’s goes on and on. The question is: Does Suber’s resignation leave the university in a better place to overcome those issues? The university’s accreditation is under review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools because of the school’s financial condition, The News & Observer reported. Federal agencies are looking into the university’s handling of grants. St. Augustine’s has implemented staff cuts, and an audit last fall showed a $3-million drop in tuition revenue, along with disorganized and delayed business functions. Alumni have expressed frustration with the school’s management. Full-time equivalent enrollment dropped to 1,267 in the fall of 2013 from 1,387 one year earlier.