The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has lifted the probation it imposed on Guilford College in 2023, affirming that the College’s accreditation is no longer in danger.
“This is the good news the entire Guilford College community has worked tirelessly this year to achieve,” said President Jean Parvin Bordewich. “We also are grateful for partners in the greater Greensboro area who will be crucial to Guilford’s continuing success.”
At a meeting in Nashville, Tenn., the SACSCOC Board of Trustees removed Guilford from probation after the College presented a strong case for compliance including a balanced and audited FY25 budget and a balanced budget through five months of FY26.
In December 2023, SACSCOC sanctioned the College for non-compliance for weak financial processes and in December 2024 for inadequate financial resources as well. The College had one year to come into compliance or lose accreditation.
“I am grateful to everyone who helped put our financial house in order,” said Bordewich. “That includes faculty and staff who sacrificed in many ways and alumni, parents and friends who contributed financially and by volunteering. This was a community project and it is a shared achievement.”
Over the past year, the College made significant improvements in financial management and operations, according to Bordewich. “We took difficult yet necessary steps to cut expenses, increase revenue, improve internal controls and enforce policies. Now we are on sound financial footing and well positioned to fulfill our mission.”
Bordewich added, “This has never been about the student experience in or out of the classroom, which has remained exceptional. This has been about finances, and SACSCOC has now affirmed that we have the financial resources to support Guilford’s unique approach to a liberal arts education.”
Since January, when the Board of Trustees brought in new leadership, the College has tightened its budget and staffing to fit the current size of the student body, reduced expenses by $12 million over two fiscal years, and raised an unprecedented $12.6 million in unrestricted cash so far in calendar year 2025.