Ruffled by Raffles

Laureate Education, a multinational private education corporation, announced plans this spring to sell the college to Raffles Education, a Singapore-based company which has a portfolio of 26 institutions, mostly art and design schools in Asia. The pending sale, however, is moving more slowly than initially predicted.

Students tell SFR they are nervous over the uncertainty surrounding the transition. Will my degree be legitimate? Will I be taken seriously by future employers? Am I wasting my time and money?

Others are hopeful. Some are unaware. Most are suspicious.

Interim President Maria Puzziferro wrote a statement released on Dec. 1 reassuring students that Laureate and Raffles "remain committed to this process" and that the school's accreditation through 2026 will not be impacted by the delayed change in control. The Higher Learning Commission, a regional accrediting agency, won't make a decision about the proposal until at least February, she wrote.

Students say they're not getting the message. Some told SFR they did not see the emailed notice from Puzziferro until a faculty member posted it on a private Facebook group.

Puzziferro tells SFR that "technical difficulties" kept some information from reaching students as intended. Her office sent two emails to students and faculty shortly after the Thanksgiving break and only later learned many of the intended recipients had not received them.

She says she is looking forward to Raffles and what it will bring to SFUAD. "Raffles really is a leader in global art and design education," says Puzziferro. "Raffles opens up a lot of possibilities for students to study abroad; the potential is just unlimited."

Questions about whether students at the school would continue to qualify for financial aid are part of the change in control process, she explains, and if Raffles can't enable students to earn federal financial aid, the sale won't be approved.

Asked about an earlier SFR report that focused on Raffles' problems in other countries, including in Vietnam, where the school faced sanctions over offering degrees despite only having authorization to issue vocational diplomas, she says she's not concerned.

"You have to be careful, especially in understanding Raffles' history with other schools, in countries where we don't understand their regulatory environment," she says.

Puzziferro says SFUAD's accreditation will remain in good standing regardless of whether the sale goes through and she is working with SFUAD's spokeswoman, Rachael Lighty, to organize a forum in early January to communicate with students.

That would be welcome to senior creative writing major Alison Gamache.

"I have not received one email about what the hell is going on," Gamache tells SFR. "I learn information about a school I pay so much for from local newspapers and friends."

But not everyone is pessimistic about the proposed change. Nicholas Thomas, president of Student Voice, a campus advocacy group, says Raffles is a better fit to run SFUAD than Laureate, the Baltimore-based company that doesn't typically operate arts schools. Thomas tells SFR he's frustrated with the rumors SFUAD will lose its accreditation under new ownership.

He notes that the Higher Learning Commission, the accrediting agency, wouldn't approve the sale if it would threaten students' degrees. "We aren't going to lose our accreditation," Thomas says. "Not gonna happen."

Junior contemporary music program major Joseph Gordon says he's been annoyed with Laureate's lack of investment in his personal educational priorities. He hopes Raffles will spend big bucks on new music equipment.

Gordon wants a career in music technology—mixing, editing and recording—but it's not a major offered at SFUAD.

"I hope that Raffles, a very rich corporation, will put a lot of money into the infrastructure of our school," says Gordon. "We can't even have some classes because all of our technology is breaking."

Another music major, sophomore flutist Sammi Gilbert, is hopeful for the future but wary of the administration's miscommunication. Early on, she says, representatives from Raffles seemed to be responsive to what students want.

"I'm optimistic about the future of the school," resident advisor and student life advocate Emily Curley tells SFR. Curley is a junior technical theater major in the performing arts department with a specialization in sound design. Although Curley is pleased with her program, she wants a course specific to sound design and hopes Raffles can provide that for the technical theater department now and in the future.

"I don't feel like the changes will occur while I'm here. … I'm really close to graduating and don't expect changes within a year," Curley says. She prefers the Higher Learning Commission, Raffles and Laureate take their time ensuring a positive future for the school.

Santa Fe city officials in September met with representatives from SFUAD and Raffles, as well as the Higher Learning Commission. Mayor Javier Gonzales did not attend.

In a letter to the accrediting agency's executive vice president for governmental affairs, however, Gonzales wrote, "Especially at this critical time, as we launch plans to redevelop the St. Michael's Avenue [sic] corridor at the geographic heart of this community and with SFUAD as its western anchor, losing this partnership would be a significant step backward, for the young people we serve and the community as a whole."

SFR reported in October that Raffles failed to follow education regulations in at least three countries, leaving students with degrees that are unrecognized in their own countries. Laureate has its own legal issues, including a recently settled lawsuit claiming that the company stretched out the degree process, forcing students to pay more money.

Kim Jones is a junior at SFUAD who is interning in the SFR newsroom.

Santa Fe Reporter