The Assemblies of God school is $42 million in debt, lacks permanent leadership.
Heeding warnings from an accrediting team about its shaky finances, Vanguard University of Southern California has faced major transitions in the last two weeks to prepare to meet with the accreditor February 19. Under the direction of acting president Carol Taylor - who stepped in last week after the school's interim president and board chairman quit - Vanguard will aim to show the accreditor that it's implemented a plan to pull itself out of $42 million in debt.
Last September, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visited the school, owned by the Southern California district of the Assemblies of God, and concluded that it was in "profound crisis." The accrediting team said Vanguard had tolerated incompetent financial reporting for years, which had masked its deep debt.
According to The Orange County Register, which has covered this story extensively, the WASC report charged, "the past two presidents and key (board members) engaged in practices which the WASC team find to be major breaches of institutional integrity and serious violations of Commission standards, thus calling into question the fundamental accredability [sic] of the university." The report, which has not released publicly, goes on to say that school officials "intentionally masked" the financial problems.
At WASC president Ralph A. Wolff's request, board chair Ray Rachels and interim president Wayne Kraiss stepped down last week "in order to facilitate the new leadership necessary to move Vanguard forward," according to a Vanguard statement. The Rev. Rachels is the superintendent of the Assemblies of God Southern California district and has been board chair for 21 years. The board says it plans to change its bylaws so that the district superintendent doesn't become chairman by default. Dr. Russell Spittler (whom CT interviewed in 2006) is now acting board chair.
Acting president Taylor expects WASC to give its final recommendation four to six weeks after meeting with school officials February 19.
Vanguard, a CCCU member university and graduate school, is located in Costa Mesa, Orange County, and is home to over 2,150 students.
Posted by Katelyn Beaty on February 2, 2009 4:37PM
Comments
It would be nice if the school would have been contacted regarding their issues of accreditation and finances. Basing this blog on someone else’s bias opinion is neither professional nor respectable. Please make an effort to check sources next time before posting a potential harmful evaluation of a school that has not been contacted by you regarding their accreditation.
Posted by: EDisME at February 3, 2009
It's hard to overstate the blessings and benefits that flow into the wider evangelical community from Christian colleges and Universities like Vanguard. These institutions steep thousands of young people in thoughtful consideration of the great questions of life within the contexts of a Christ-centered world view. Many strengthen or come to faith at Christian colleges. CT readers should pray for these schools...and pray about helping them.
Posted by: Guy at February 3, 2009
I am a current student at Vanguard University and frankly, we were not told the extent of the situation or how great the debt actually was....we read it out of the OC Register rather than hearing it FROM OUR OWN ADMINISTRATORS. We love this campus and we love the friends that we've made. Our school is a close-knit community but we students seem to be left in the dark when it comes to these certain kind of issues. Vanguard University has known FOR YEARS about the financial crisis and has made poor financial decisions time and time again in the past. It has finally caught up with the administration. I am deeply saddened by the fact that the school that i so greatly love is going through such a hard time and i, along with others, are slowly losing faith in our adminstration. We only pray that God will continue to bless us and the school and provide a solution.
to EDisME......i'm pretty sure that this forum is not intended to be harmful to the school in any way.....the school if fully aware of the financial crisis and this hasn't brought up any new information....it is merely to strike up converstaion and gather opinions of different individuals.
Posted by: VUstudent at February 3, 2009
I'm afraid I don't really get your point, EDisME. You speak of "bias[ed] opinion," but this article merely states facts issued by the accreditation agency to which the school has chosen to submit and post by the school itself on its web site. Where is the bias and where is the opinion?
Posted by: Rex Hutto at February 3, 2009
VUstudent was there a community meeting to inform you of the current financial situation? Yes there was! The financial issues stem from years of bad decisions. It has nothing to do with the present administrators. If anything, they are the ones who are taking the hard steps to help rebuild and renew Vanguard. They should be commended for their dedication, openness and hard work. Every opportunity has been taken to notify students, faculty/staff, parents, alumni and others regarding the current situation, plans of action and steps that have already been taken. Why don't we all take a step back and instead of speculate, point fingers, play the blame game and complaining why don't we all pray for direction, strength, clarity and sustainability. If there are still concerns or comments contact VU directly and do not post comments online, go directly to the source.
Posted by: EDisMe at February 4, 2009
I am a proud to be an alum of Vanguard and to only cite the OC Register article is a profound disservice. I have been speaking with staff, faculty and members of the community over the course of the last couple of months and while there have been profound challenges in the last couple of years, the school is in a good place to move forward. Rather than report simply on the doom and gloom, it would have been a better opportunity to report how the Lord is moving on the campus and how prayers of many are being answered in the changes and restructuring that has and is occuuring.
I have nothing but love for those who have stepped down from leadership at the University, but I believe Vanguard's best days are in front of it and that these changes are exactly what needed to happen so the University could move forward and be the vanguard of exceptional education it has been for nearly 100 years.
Posted by: Joy Qualls at February 4, 2009
If you want a more accurate picture of what is going on, go to the Vanguard website at www.vanguard.edu.
Posted by: Ziggy86 at February 5, 2009
I graduated from Vanguard and I think highly of the caliber of education they provided. I am finishing my MA degree from a top school. I owe it to Vanguard for supporting me and pushing me to strive for excellence.
Now is the time for Christians to pray for divine interventions and for wisdom. The leadership has a mountain in front of them. We alumni's need to support Vanguard.
With out Vanguard I would not have been placed in my professional position in the behavioral health field. Vanguard has a pentecostal background and I think the pentecostal community needs to support the few pentecostal institutions. Beside Vanguard there is no accredited pentecostal university in Southern California. We need to protect the treasure we have in our back yard.
Vanguard is rich in it's pentecostal history and resources. Imagine if a pentecostal scholar had to leave California to travel out of state to locate resources that were once in our backyard. Lets move forward and put our hands on the plow.
Edward (VU Alumni)
Posted by: Edward at February 18, 2009
WOW, thank God I didn't get my Masters at VU.
I remember my Pentecostal Pastors telling me it was God's will for me to get my Masters Degree at Vanguard. Thank God I didn't listen to them, and followed the spirit of God elsewhere, which is financially sound Theological Seminary!!!!
Posted by: Vic Vazz at February 26, 2009
Finance isn't the only place where the AG isn't sound. It is curious to me that an organization like this can pay homage to its roots while boasting, "I am glad we don't believe like we used to."
They haven't figured out yet that they are preaching "another gospel."
Posted by: Paul at August 11, 2009
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