North Carolina given 1-year probation by accreditor for academic fraud allegations

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has earned itself a year of probation as a result of academic fraud allegations.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges (SACS) announced Thursday that the public university would be sanctioned for not complying with various accreditation standards, according to CBS affiliate WRAL.

"It's a big deal," said Dr. Belle Wheelan, SACS president. "This issue was bigger than anything with which we’ve ever dealt, and it went on for longer than anything else. This is the first one I can recall in the 10 years I’ve been here that we put an institution on probation for academic fraud or academic integrity."

SACS accused North Carolina of violating seven key principles: integrity, program content, control of intercollegiate athletics, academic support services, academic freedom, faculty role in governance, and Title IV program responsibilities.

The probation decision comes after the university released its notice of five allegations brought against it by the NCAA, including providing impermissible academic extra benefits and lack of institutional control over an 18-year period.

The probationary period will be reassessed in Spring 2016 by the SACS board.