Historic Jacksonville college has accreditation reinstated

The Associated Press June 23, 2005 Edward Waters College, a historically black college that lost its accreditation last year in a plagiarism scandal, had it restored Thursday by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.The accreditation was revoked after officials at the school copied parts of a key accreditation document from two other colleges, leaving in the name of one of the other schools. The association said in the revocation that Edward Waters administrators showed a lack of integrity and competence.The association, meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach, said it was reinstating Edward Waters because "the college has openly acknowledged the errors it made." It said the temporary revocation had "resulted in significant detriment to the college."Bishop McKinley Young, president of the college's Board of Directors, applauded the decision."This is a great day for the students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters of EWC. Our students are the minds and futures for which we have been fighting," Young said in a statement.