Tom Short Bull
Short Bull quashes rumors about OLC
College is still fully accredited
By Brandon Ecoffey
Native Sun News Managing Editor KYLE — Despite many rumors to the contrary Tom Short Bull, President of Oglala Lakota College, says that the college is not losing its accreditation and is not designated for probation. After several employees of the college approached Native Sun News with allegations that the college was in immediate danger of losing its accreditation and was at the very least headed for probation from the Northwest Central Association of College and School’s Higher Learning Commission, Short Bull was asked to address these rumors now circulating on and off of the Pine Ridge Reservation. According to Short Bull the college did have a focused evaluation from the Higher Learning Commission, but those results have not been returned and what they have received is not the final report. “To put anything out there that says we are going to be on probation or losing accreditation right now would just be starting rumors,” said Short Bull. “We did receive a preliminary report back but that is not the final report. We are fully accredited.” Short Bull said that within the next few days he expected the final report back and that OLC would post something on their website regarding the findings and the status of the college’s accreditation. “Right now I would suggest that people look at the Higher Learning Commission’s website and the OLC website for our current status. There it says that we are fully accredited. It would be inappropriate for me to divulge anything else until the final report is back and we should have something up on our website by Monday or Tuesday,” he said. In addition NSN spoke with a member of the National Indian Education Association with insight in to the process said that Oglala Lakota College was not in danger of losing its accreditation despite the rumors. The rumor that President Short Bull was about to be terminated also proved to be false. NSN will report next week on the findings of the Higher Learning Commission. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at staffwriter2@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission by Native Sun News
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