LAWRENCEVILLE, Va. — Saint Augustine's University is exploring the acquisition of Saint Paul's College.

The North Carolina school said on its website that the schools' boards of trustees agreed on Tuesday to a joint management of Saint Paul's' operations beginning Jan. 1.

A campus of Saint Augustine will be established at Saint Paul's campus in Lawrenceville.

Saint Paul's is appealing a June denial of its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Saint Augustine's President Boardley Suber said there are still a number of unknowns. But the proposed acquisition is an opportunity to create a model for other institutions facing challenging circumstances.