Knoxville Faculty takes a step towards accreditation practically 30 years within the making
Dive Transient:
- Knoxville Faculty has submitted an software to the Transnational Affiliation of Christian Faculties and Faculties, or TRACS, to change into accredited for the primary time in practically 30 years, in keeping with an replace from the Tennessee establishment.
- The traditionally Black school misplaced accreditation in 1997 over monetary issues and administration of pupil help after an attraction and has not been eligible for federal monetary help since. It additionally briefly misplaced its state authorization in 2015 over enrollment and monetary points, forcing it to shut on the time.
- TRACS will evaluation the applying for compliance with the physique’s eligibility necessities. If accepted, Knoxville Faculty will then want to finish a self-study and TRACS officers will go to its campus. The school stated the method “can take a while” however didn’t present additional particulars.
Dive Perception:
Knoxville Faculty’s historical past extends again to 1875, when it was based by Presbyterian missionaries to advertise ethical and academic management amongst freed slaves. It was designated as a university two years later, in 1877, with a former Civil Warfare chaplain serving as its first president.
At this time the liberal arts establishment serves as the one HBCU in japanese Tennessee.
Native media paperwork many years of struggles with enrollment and funds at Knoxville Faculty, beginning within the Nineteen Seventies. In 2015, the faculty closed its doorways when it misplaced state authorization. On the time, it had simply 11 college students, in keeping with the Knoxville Information Sentinel. It didn’t begin enrolling college students once more till 2018 after fundraising and revitalization efforts on the school.
Amongst different points was its deteriorating campus infrastructure — an ongoing downside for a few years prior.
“After I got here there, residential services have been unkempt, leaking, leaky roofs, buildings that wanted to be renovated,” Lois Williams, Knoxville Faculty’s president within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, instructed Greater Ed Dive in 2018.
The school has been working to get its funds underneath management and accreditation again. However as of its fiscal 12 months ending June 2023, its liabilities nonetheless outpaced its belongings by about $1.9 million. In fall 2023, the establishment had about 1,000 college students, down 20.4% from 2019, in keeping with self-reported knowledge.
In June, Knoxville Faculty President Leonard Adams introduced he would step down from his submit on the finish of September, shortly after his time period was up.
The school is at the moment trying to find a brand new chief, saying that it’s in search of a high govt who “will information the establishment by means of this essential interval, making certain its sustainability and success.”
Board Chair Michael Bowie credited Adams with “important strides in direction of totally reopening and reaching our long- time period objectives together with Board approval of the TRACS accreditation package deal.”
