Saint Augustine’s University has delayed the start of its fall semester and on-campus move-in dates. According to the North Carolina HBCU, students were scheduled to start classes on Aug. 19, but on Wednesday, the institution announced news of remote learning weeks before the end of the spring semester.
“We have been working hard this summer to help prepare the campus for your return,” Interim President Dr. Marcus H. Burgess said in a statement, according to ABC11 WTVD. “Unfortunately, because there is still some work yet to be done, including repairs to buildings damaged by Tropical Storm Debby last week, we need to delay the date of student move-in and the start of classes. New and returning students are asked to delay their move-in to August 27th to August 28th. Classes will begin for all students on September 3, 2024.”
The university will make maintenance upgrades to dorms and classrooms and restore power and water to the building affected by the storm. Saint Augustine’s will also be “finalizing major funding that will allow us to pay overdue student refunds and staff salaries from last semester.”
“While I know this delay is frustrating, I want you to know that this is a new day,” Burgess said in a letter, per WTVD.
The news comes as the university reinstated its accreditation on July 22 after losing its status in the spring. Saint Augustine’s has dealt with numerous financial difficulties and was said to have owed $7.9 million to the IRS from 2020, according to a tax lien obtained by ABC11 in March.
As Blavity reported, the university has moved its classes online in the past. The first two weeks of the spring semester were held remotely due to the condition of the residence halls and classrooms. Students were notified of the update via email.
Saint Augustine’s has also been facing legal issues. Former university president Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail filed a discrimination complaint after being fired in Dec. 2023, while former football coach Howard Feggins sued Saint Augustine’s for allegedly firing him unlawfully in Oct. 2023. Additionally, the Save SAU Coalition filed a lawsuit in June against the board of trustees over allegations of corruption, according to ABC11.
Saturday, it was also announced that the school entered into a credit agreement with Gothic Ventures, a Durham, N.C.-based capital provider, in order to “successfully commence the fall 2024 academic semester,” ABC11 reports.
