Dive Brief:

• Vermont's Burlington College has been placed on probation by its accreditor, the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
• The college reports that it is in danger of losing its accreditation because of financial concerns, and it has two years to prove to the commission that it is financially sound.
• Burlington College President Christine Plunkett says the problem is debt taken on with a 32-acre property purchase in 2010, WCAX.com reported.

Dive Insight:

The college, with 290 students and no large endowment, plans to increase enrollment to between 500 and 750 with an expansion made possible by the added property, formerly the Burlington Diocese. Increased enrollment would mean more tuition revenue, and Plunkett said the college is confident that it will prove to the commission that its financial situation is improving. An impartial observer would point out that doubling enrollment for a small college in today’s higher ed environment is a tall task.

Meanwhile, three other schools were put on probation late last month by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, reports Inside Higher Ed: Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania; Unification Theological Seminary of Barrytown, NY; and the University of the Potomac in Washington, DC.