A judge has sided with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in its decision not to accredit St. Andrews Presbyterian College.

School officials said Thursday that they would appeal that judgment to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Laurinburg college remains fully accredited while that panel reviews the case

“While I am disappointed by this decision, our trustees and I continue to believe that the action taken by SACS to remove the college’s accreditation was not in accord with the association’s own standards,” St. Andrews President Paul Baldasare said.

The notice of appeal has been filed and the judge has granted a stay of the decision pending receipt of more formal briefs, which are due by the end of October, according to Baldasare.

“While this is a setback for St. Andrews, and for all of us in the college community, the board and the administration are committed to seeing the litigation through to a fair and just conclusion,” Baldasare said. “We will continue, as we have over the past two years, to provide updates when information is received. The appeals process is a lengthy process, with a final decision in the case some time away.”

District Court Judge William Duffey for the Northern District of Georgia granted the motion for summary judgment against St. Andrews as requested by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The accrediting body made the decision to remove St. Andrews Presbyterian College from its membership in June of 2007.

The lawsuit arose because of a significant disagreement between the college and SACS concerning the school’s financial structure, particularly its use of debt to make capital improvements to campus facilities and to fuel enrollment growth.

Baldasare said the association has always found that the college’s academic programs are in compliance with the principles of accreditation.

“Since the time SACS made its decision in June of 2007, the College has tried consistently to resolve this disagreement directly with SACS outside the legal process,” Baldasare said. “We remain committed to meeting with SACS as soon as possible in a good faith effort to settle this case without the time and expense of further litigation."

The academic program of the college is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education. In addition, the College is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

St. Andrews College is a member of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, the Association of Presbyterian Colleges, the Council of Independent Colleges and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs.