Bob Jones University master's program under scrutiny due to complaints about favoritism

Accreditors have asked Bob Jones University to submit a monitoring report after they received complaints about new state superintendent Ellen Weaver's six-month master's degree.

Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, said accreditors will be looking at policies that permit the fast track of a degree, program length, completeness of the degree and whether the competencies or student learning outcomes were met.

This is the latest action after the agency said that it was "following its processes" in October to see whether the university followed all standards to award Weaver's degree, according to Linda Thomas-Grover, the South Carolina representative for the agency.

Weaver, who will receive her degree this month, completed her courses in six months after learning that state law required every state superintendent to have a master's degree.

The Greenville native, who received her undergraduate degree from Bob Jones University, enrolled for a master's in Educational Leadership. That program advertises a two-year schedule on its webpage.

Randy Page, spokesperson for Bob Jones University, told the Greenville News that one could apply for a fast-tracked course in consultation with the faculty program coordinator. The information, he said in October, was added by the deans council to clarify the university's position. It was published in the addendum link for the graduate catalog.

Page, a popular Republican worker in Greenville County politics, and professors in leadership positions donated to Weaver's campaign. Though not unlawful, the close proximity of connections that sprung Weaver into victory over her competitor Lisa Ellis, who she beat by 12 percentage points, showcases the university's preeminence in a culture of conservative Christian networking that has dominated every statewide race.

Weaver wins election Weaver to become the State Superintendent after beating Ellis in a closely watched race

Weaver's defenders, all fellow Republicans, have asserted that the 2018 General Assembly's move to require a master's degree for SC superintendent was disingenuous. The General Assembly said the requirement's intent was to assure the public that the superintendent would have the skills to administer a department.

Overview of superintendent race SC superintendent race: business donors, teachers' movement and the fate of public schools

The university has up to six months to present a monitoring report to the accrediting agency.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SC superintendent degree prompts Bob Jones University program scrutiny