The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has shut down the Dutchess County campus of Olivet University, citing financial mismanagement and “a well-established pattern of non-compliance with laws, rules, and regulations.”
According to a Christianity Today report, the state cited more than 50 lawsuits filed against Olivet over the past decade and 20 tax liens. Olivet University is based in California and operated a campus in the town of Dover since 2012.
“As of July 1, 2022, Olivet”™s permission to operate is expired and the institution is no longer authorized to operate credit-bearing courses or programs in New York State,” said NYSED Deputy Commissioner William P. Murphy in a letter to the school”™s leadership. “Olivet should implement the institution”™s teach-out plan for the students in New York programs and make arrangements for the maintenance of student records, including academic transcripts.”
In April, Newsweek reported that the school was under a Department of Homeland Security investigation for money laundering, human trafficking and visa fraud, although no charges have been filed; the majority of the school’s students are Asians with student visas. Olivet said in a statement to Christianity Times that it was “completely debt-free” and the accusations concerning financial management were “deeply and inherently flawed.”
“Comparing to other Christian schools, Olivet University is in good financial shape. And as its audited financial statements show, OU operates from a firm financial foundation,” the school stated. “We felt the denial itself was likely directly influenced by misinformation from Newsweek’s reporters, and was unfair.”
Photo courtesy of Olivet University
