RALEIGH, N.C. — Two St. Augustine's alumni, Gilbert and Carolyn Knowles, are doing what they can to help keep their alma mater afloat during turbulent times at the historic Black university.
After leadership changes in 2023 to the months-long fight over accreditation, students are now being forced off campus and into virtual classes for the rest of the school year. It's not clear what will happen for the fall semester
What You Need To Know
St. Augustine's alums donate thousands to alma mater
Carolyn and Gilbert Knowles graduated from the HBCU in 1976 and 1977
St. Aug's goes remote beginning April 1
The Knowles live hundreds of miles away in the Washington, D.C. area, and still, they’ve donated a large sum of money to their alma mater.
“As I reflect, I think about my story at St. Aug, I think about what good St. Aug has done for me as well as many others," said Carolyn Knowles.
She and her husband Gilbert graduated from St. Augustine's in the late '70s.
“I would not be where I am today without St. Aug, 157 years, I cant imagine it closing,” she said.
To help their alma mater get through this period of instability, both financially and academically, the Knowles donated $10,000 to the school Thursday, delivering the check personally to Interim President Marcus Burgess.
“If you talk to him, he's very humble, he's very smart and he has our full confidence that we're going to get through this storm, no doubt in our mind," said Gilbert Knowles.
The couple made a similar donation a few years ago.
“We wanted to show how we feel, we're able to do it, God has blessed us financially, blessed us health wise and we want to show we are in it to win it, and if it means giving our time, talent and our dollars, we want to show and lead by example," said Carolyn Knowles.
The Knowles are aware of an online petition demanding the immediate resignation of the school’s board of trustees, but they say that shouldn't be the focus.
“There's a time for everything, and right now, we have to remain focused on bringing in money to keep the doors of the school opened," said Gilbert Knowles.
Signatures for that petition have reached more than 1,700 so far.
St. Augustine's University is going remote beginning in April. A select number of students will remain on campus. It's not yet clear what will happen for the fall semester.