Аккредитация колледжа Святого Михаила под угрозой из-за резкого падения числа студентов

St. Michael’s College accreditation at risk amid steep enrollment drop COLCHESTER, Vt. (WCAX) - A lack of students on the St. Michael’s College campus could have serious implications for the future of the school. The New England Commission of Higher Education is raising concerns about the college’s financial health and declining enrollment. The college said it is already taking steps to address the concerns and is seeing promising results with its accreditation on the line. Since its opening in 1904, St. Michael’s College has been a fixture in the Vermont college landscape. Over the past few years, the school has faced major enrollment declines. The New England Commission of Higher Education reported that the college’s full-time undergraduate enrollment dropped from 1,539 in the fall of 2019 to 1,021 in the fall of 2025. The rapid decline of more than 500 students, as well as financial strains, led the commission to issue the college a notation earlier this summer. A joint statement from St. Michael’s and the commission said the college is in danger of not meeting the commission’s standards, which could lead to a future loss of accreditation. As outlined on their website, those standards include independent governing boards, credit-hour minimums, financial stability and post-graduation success. Commission President Lawrence Schall said the notation shows the commission still believes St. Michael’s meets its standards, but it is at risk of falling short. Schall said the commission will continue to meet with the school board in hopes of fixing these issues. St. Michael’s College President Richard Plumb issued a statement to WCAX News saying: “The challenges identified by the commission are the same challenges the college has been actively addressing through this transformation effort. St. Michael’s remains fully accredited and we look forward to sharing the progress we have made as part of our response to the commission this fall.” Plumb also stated that the college has spent 2 1/2 years implementing a transformation strategy, pointing to three steady incoming classes and strong fundraising levels. Schall and the commission said this is a long process that would require many more steps before the institution would lose accreditation, but the warning makes it clear the college has work to do. Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.