Does Cheyney University Have A Future?
By Bob Small
Nicole Rayfield sued Cheyney University in September 2019 a lawsuit alleging she was fired as retaliation for being a whistleblower. She said the Pennsylvania state system university misused federal funding and awarded full scholarships to undeserving students among other things.
The case has been settled and the terms are undisclosed. Ms. Rayfield is not the only one to have won a case against Cheyney.
Cheyney, in Delaware County, was founded in 1837 by Abolitionist Quakers. It is the nation’s oldest historically Black university.
Robert Bogle, president of The Philadelphia Tribune, which carried the article linked in the first paragraph is a Cheyney graduate and chairs the university’s Council of Trustees.
The Middle States Accreditation Commission put Cheyney on probation on 2015 for numerous failures, including failure to balance it’s budget.
Though it’s accreditation was renewed in 2019, it was put on accreditation probation in November.
Enrollment, however, has increased from 470 in 2018 to 700.
Cheyney University administrators are again battling to regain accreditation.
Governor Josh Shapiro is backing them. He says that that the Middle States Commission made “a hasty decision” and showed “disregard of established procedure.”
The state has agreed to forgive taxpayer loans to Cheyney.
Democratic Vincent Hughes, who chairs the State Senate Appropriations Committee, says “There’s always something hovering around to try to get this university.”
Save the Oldest HBCU is being formed by alumni.
Among the more well-known alumni, are Ed Bradley of 60 minutes, Octavius Catto, NFL Player and college/NFL Coach (Eagles) William “Billy” Joe , and civil rights icon Bayard Rustin.
Cheyney gave up its football program in 2017, and the men’s and women’s basketball teams now play an independent schedule. The men’s team went 9-18 in 2023-4 and the women went 9-15.
The Pennsylvania state system of higher education recently merged a number of their schools, due to financial problems and Cabrini University is scheduled to close at the end of this school year, so these are hard times for many Pennsylvania colleges and universities.
Does Cheyney University Have A Future?