In its continuing efforts to celebrate and honor the success of its students, Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) will hold its first-ever December commencement. The ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Dec. 13 at Wake Chapel Church, 3805 Tarheel Club Road, Raleigh.

The commencement speaker will be Retha Bogier, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bogier Clinical & IT Solutions, Inc. with expertise in staffing, clinical and statistical programming, and consulting using SAS and PL/SQL. Ms. Bogier earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Saint Augustine’s College (now University) in 1988.

She is a member of the 2003-2004 Who’s Who in Executive Professionals and attended the 2003, 2007, and 2010 Minority Business Executive Program class at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Prior to starting Bogier Clinical & IT Solutions, Inc., Ms. Bogier gained (CRO) industry experience from PPD, PharmaNet, and ClinTrials Research.  During her tenure at these companies, she gained Clinical and Statistical Programming experience in numerous Phase II, IIIb, and IV clinical trials.

Music for the commencement ceremony will be provided by Luther Barnes, Pastor of Restoration Worship Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. In 1976, Pastor Barnes graduated from Saint Augustine’s College (now University) in Raleigh, North Carolina with a BA Degree in Music Education. He then taught Music in the Nash and Edgecombe School Systems and also taught private lessons in voice and piano.

In 1984, Pastor Barnes left teaching to devote full time to his music ministry. He traveled extensively and played keyboards for a number of years with his father and Sister Janice Brown after they recorded the ever-popular song “Rough Side of the Mountain.” Over the years Pastor Barnes has evolved into one of gospel music’s premier male vocal artists while recording over 25 albums and CDs with The Red Budd Gospel Choir and the Sunset Jubilaires.

SAU traditionally holds commencement in May, but the additional ceremony is being added to ensure all of its students have an opportunity to celebrate the completion of their degrees.

“The December commencement was added with students in mind,” said Interim President Dr. Marcus H. Burgess. “The fight for SAU’s accreditation with SACSCOC has overshadowed the outstanding achievements of our students. We want to reclaim our story and focus attention on our academic excellence, not on the University’s past financial challenges.”

The university will undergo a review of its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) at its Annual Meeting Dec. 7-10 in Austin, Texas. If SAU receives an unfavorable ruling from SACSCOC, the university would appeal and its accreditation would be temporarily restored while the appeal process plays out, explained SAU Provost Dr. Janelle Jennings-Alexander.

“A hearing on the appeal would most likely take place in February 2025,” Dr. Jennings-Alexander stated. “The result of that hearing could be restoration of SAU’s accreditation without interruption. We are confident we have a good chance of ultimately prevailing but we do not want students who are able to graduate now to go through a period of uncertainty unnecessarily.”

Dr. Burgess emphasized that SAU has made significant process in the past year toward gaining financial stability and positioning the university for future success. This progress includes:

• Completing four financial audits for fiscal years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, ensuring transparency and accountability in our financial practices.
• Securing a critical agreement with Gothic Ventures, ensuring operational continuity for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year.
• Implementing a comprehensive cost optimization strategy alongside a robust financial sustainability plan to better position the university for the future.
• Strengthening and improving oversight of essential financial policies, procedures, and internal controls, laying the groundwork for responsible governance.
• A partnership with 50 Plus 1 Sports that retires SAU’s debt with a $70 million cash infusion and, for decades to come, provides ongoing revenue streams.