You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
Bay State College, an embattled for-profit institution in Massachusetts, is facing eviction over what its landlord claims is $720,000 in unpaid rent, WBUR reported.
Bay State officials have disputed the amount owed, claiming the landlord, OMV Park Square, didn’t follow through on its promise to lower the rent in exchange for the college vacating part of the occupied premises. The matter will head to court in April if a settlement is not reached.
The looming eviction comes amid other troubles at Bay State College, which was stripped of accreditation by the New England Commission of Higher Education in January, a move that will become official at the end of the current academic year. Bay State College appeared before a panel last week to appeal the decision.
“I expect a decision later this week or early next week; the panel has ten days to notify us of its decision and then we have seven days to notify the college and then one more day to make the decision public,” NECHE president Larry Schall told Inside Higher Ed by email.
Issues at the college have also caught the attention of Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ayanna Pressley, who raised concerns about Bay State in a letter to NECHE in January.
Bay State College is owned by Ambow Education, which has been scrutinized by former employees and students who allege leadership failures and widespread mismanagement.
Ambow Education also owns NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego, which is under pressure from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The accreditor noted last year that the college, which has seen dwindling enrollment and significant leadership turnover, “may not have resources sufficient to ensure long term viability if current trends continue.”
