Grand Canyon University seeking nonprofit status

PHOENIX — Grand Canyon University has launched a renewed bid for nonprofit status under a proposed agreement for shared services with the company that has been running it, officials for the Arizona school said Friday.

Brian Muller, the university’s president and CEO, said the move contemplates “the best long-term interests of students, faculty and staff, the community and investors.”

The university made an unsuccessful try during the 2015-16 year to obtain nonprofit status from the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits the private Christian school. Grand Canyon said the accrediting body at the time did not have the guidelines necessary to evaluate the kind of arrangement the school was proposing, with the nonprofit university overseeing academics and the for-profit company that has run it for years providing it with services such as accounting and human resources.

Grand Canyon has submitted a new application for nonprofit status now that the commission has adopted guidelines that contemplate shared service arrangements, the university said in a statement. It said the commission could vote on the application as early as its February board meeting.

The university proposes to re-establish itself as a nonprofit school once it buys certain academic-related assets from Grand Canyon Education, Inc., the company that has been operating it.

After the sale, the university itself would control academics, along with departments such as athletics, public safety, facilities and student services. The education company would then operate as a third-party, forprofit provider of many services to the school including recruitment, marketing and information technology.