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The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has Wells College's recent action as an "unapproved institutional closure."

Nicole Biever, the commission's chief of staff, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV the closure is considered unapproved "because the institution closed without an approved teach-out plan and failed to provide the commission with information about the closure after repeated requests." 

Middle States has been critical of Wells College since the school announced on April 29 that it would close after 156 years. The college closed on June 30 — the end of the academic year — and its accreditation ceased. According to the commission, the college had been accredited since 1921.Ìý

In May, shortly after Wells' announcement, Middle States said the school did not properly plan its closure. The commission approved several of the college's teach-out agreements with other institutions, while also noting that legacy agreements — like the one between Wells and Manhattanville University — are prohibited.Ìý

Wells College did not comply with requests for other information, including details about where institutional and student records will be stored. The college said student records will be transferred to Manhattanville University.Ìý

Other institutions that closed have received positive reviews from Middle States. Cazenovia College, a private school in Madison County, closed in 2023. It is considered an "approved institutional closure," but Cazenovia also announced in December 2022 that it would close after its spring 2023 semester. Wells provided a two-month notice before its closure.Ìý

While Wells is officially closed, it is working with the state attorney general's office to dispose of its assets. That process is expected to be completed over the next several months.Ìý