Timeline: Mountain State's Accreditation Problems

While Beckley, W. Va.-based Mountain State University’s recent problems with general accreditation have generated headlines, the university has been having problems with specialized, or program specific, accreditation for years.

2004: West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (West Virginia Board) begins monitoring Mountain State University (MSU) nursing program for failure to meet standards.
2007: The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC) conducts a comprehensive evaluation of Mountain State.
2007: Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) finds problems with Mountain State’s new online diagnostic medical sonography degree, including concerns about agreements for clinical rotation.
2008: HLC issues warning about deficiencies in long-term planning, communication with faculty, and a lack of program evaluations.
2009: MSU president Charles Polk receives $1.8 million in total compensation, making him the highest paid university president in the country.
June 29, 2010: Nursing program accreditation withdrawn by National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) for low student pass rates and leadership problems.
Oct. 2010: NLNAC accreditation withdrawal becomes effective.
Nov. 2010: Nursing program placed on provisional accreditation by West Virginia Board for lack of leadership and failing to keep student records.
Nov. 12, 2010: MSU appeals NLNAC decision.
March 30, 2011: Mountain State loses appeal to NLNAC, nursing program accreditation withdrawn.
April 7, 2011: First of, what would become, more than 40 single party lawsuits are filed against MSU for loss of nursing program accreditation.
June 2011: CAAHEP review committee visits MSU and expresses concerns with the way the school is placing students at clinical sites. The committee finds there are either no agreements in place, or there are not enough agreements in place for the number of students needing clinical rotations.
June 23, 2011: HLC Board of Trustees votes to issue a Show Cause Order to MSU.
July 2011: MSU placed under Show Cause Order by HLC.
Nov. 2011: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education denies MSU application for alternative national accreditation for nursing program.
Dec. 2011: West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Nursing Examiners reviews nursing program accreditation after four nursing faculty members quit.
Jan. 19, 2012: Charles Polk, president of MSU since 1990, is fired by board of trustees over problems with nursing program accreditation.
Feb.13-15, 2012: HLC show cause visit to MSU.
Feb. 16, 2012: West Virginia Board revokes nursing program accreditation.
March 15, 2012: Richard Sours named MSU interim president.
March 27, 2012: MSU sonography program placed on probation.
April 13, 2012: Final report from Show Cause Visit delivered to MSU.
May 7, 2012: Show Cause hearing with HLC Board Committee.
May 15, 2012: Transcript of the Show Cause hearing sent to HLC Board and MSU.
May 27, 2012: MSU’s response to Show Cause Report sent to HLC.
June 28, 2012: HLC Board votes to withdraw Mountain State accreditation.
June 29, 2012: MSU files progress report with CAAHEP regarding sonography program.
July 9, 2012: MSU receives notification of HLC decision.
July 11, 2012: Moody’s downgrades MSU general obligation bonds to B1, or non-investment grade.
July 16, 2012: Class action suits begin to be filed against MSU.
July 17, 2012: MSU announces it will not be accepting any new students and encourages students with more than one semester before graduation to transfer to another school.
July 23, 2012: MSU submits intent to appeal and files teach-out plan with HLC. The appeal calls the decision to revoke the school’s accreditation “arbitrary, capricious and not based on substantial evidence.”
July 24, 2012: MSU lays off 146 people. Including 132 at the Beckley, W. Va campus, nine employees in Martinsburg, W. Va, two employees in North Carolina, two in Florida and one in Pennsylvania. Among the employees laid off was MSU basketball coach and athletic director Bob Bolen who, with a 308-42 record since 2002, was considered one of the best non-Division I coaches in the country.
July 25, 2012: MSU announces that it will begin liquidating assets. Among the first things to to be put on the market are the university president’s house and a shopping mall which the school purchased in 2010 with a $7 million loan, that was repaid with a $10.2 million loan taken out in 2011.
July 31, 2012: Deadline to notify students of options under teach-out plan.
Aug. 6, 2012: Deadline to file formal appeal with HLC.
Aug. 27, 2012: Effective date of HLC accreditation removal (without appeal).
Sept. 17-Oct. 29: Appeal hearing with HLC panel.
Sept. 21, 2012: CAAHEP board of directors review MSU progress report on sonography program.
Oct. 1-Nov. 12: Notification of HLC appeal decision.