mighty hornet
The HMIC!!
Morris Brown won't close, president says
By ANDREA JONES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Morris Brown President Charles Taylor said the doors of the college will be open this fall, but he's not sure what programs the newly unaccredited school will offer or how many students will return.
"It is too early to have many definitive answers," Taylor said in an interview Tuesday. "We are still trying to see what our options are."
Taylor said he and other school officials "weren't anticipating" the loss of the school's fight to retain accreditation. The decision, announced Monday by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, immediately cut off most of the historically black college's funding.
"I'm not sure what I would say to students who are planning to attend this fall," Taylor said. "I'm not sure right now what we could offer them."
The school has already seen its enrollment decrease from 2,547 in the fall to an estimated 1,130.
But Taylor insisted that the school will survive.
"Morris Brown will continue to improve, we will continue to raise funds and we will continue to meet the needs of our students," he said. "In time, we will also regain the college's accreditation."
Addressing problems
Since the mid-1990s, two schools -- Texas College in Tyler, Texas, and a chiropractic college -- have succeeded in reapplying and earning back their accreditation, according to the Southern Association.
While the accrediting body does not have a waiting period before re-application, Taylor said the school will try to work with the agency to address all of its problems before submitting a new bid for accreditation. The Southern Association initially revoked Morris Brown's accreditation in December, citing the private school's ongoing problems with financial aid, record keeping and ineffectiveness within the school's board and administration.
"We could re-apply this afternoon," Taylor said. "But the question is: Would it do any good?"
He said school officials will be taking a hard look at how to operate without accreditation.
A few schools, including Knoxville College in Tennessee, have continued to operate after losing accreditation. Knoxville College saw most of its students leave, and it was was forced to slash the majority of its programs and close buildings to balance its budget.
As Taylor and school administrators meet on campus to determine the best course of action, members of the AME church's Council of Bishops will meet this week to discuss what to do to keep Morris Brown College open, the council's president said. The school is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
"I'm personally very disappointed in the fact that we did not win the appeal, but this is not a death sentence," said Bishop Adam J. Richardson, the top official in the AME church.
The council is planning a "higher education summit" during the summer to address the AME church's relationship with all of its colleges.
As for specific action the church should take regarding Morris Brown, Richardson said he is waiting to hear from Taylor and the Morris Brown board. Morris Brown must continue to pay down debt, Richardson said. "That's not going anywhere until we fix it." Taylor has put the school's total debt at $27 million, and says $10 million of that is operating debt. He said the school has raised $5.5 million so far.
Richardson said the school needs a plan to reapply for SACS accreditation, seek accreditation from another agency or find a way to operate without accreditation after paying off its debt.
Audit due
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Morris Brown will also have to hire an outside firm to do an audit within the next 45 days to review all of the federal financial aid the school has received this year. If there is money that cannot be accounted for or is left over at the school, it must be returned to the department.
Although many Morris Brown students have left, Richardson predicted that some will remain. The college has a historic mission of serving all students -- including many who were not academically or financially prepared to attend other colleges.
"There will still be some students who will rely on the Morris Brown experience," he said. "Some will stay and we have to serve those students."
The AME church was at first silent on the financial problems that threatened Morris Brown's ability to stay open. Then in February, Richardson directed churches worldwide to collect money for the school. He said he doesn't know exactly how much has been raised but he estimated that it was around $250,000.
The news that Morris Brown lost its appeal came as a shock to student Sean Brite, 20, a rising junior from Boston.
Brite said administrators and faculty members were so optimistic during the spring semester that he expected the school to win back its accreditation at the appeal. He said one administrator commented that God would not have given her the job at Morris Brown if the school was about to lose accreditation.
Still, Brite took time in January to apply to Georgia State University and Morehouse College, just in case. But the mood on campus was so upbeat he never thought he'd have to transfer. After Tuesday's news, Brite said he will leave Morris Brown.
Brite, a music industry major, said everyone he knows is ready to leave the school.
"I haven't heard from anybody that they will stay no matter what," he said.
By ANDREA JONES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Morris Brown President Charles Taylor said the doors of the college will be open this fall, but he's not sure what programs the newly unaccredited school will offer or how many students will return.
"It is too early to have many definitive answers," Taylor said in an interview Tuesday. "We are still trying to see what our options are."
Taylor said he and other school officials "weren't anticipating" the loss of the school's fight to retain accreditation. The decision, announced Monday by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, immediately cut off most of the historically black college's funding.
"I'm not sure what I would say to students who are planning to attend this fall," Taylor said. "I'm not sure right now what we could offer them."
The school has already seen its enrollment decrease from 2,547 in the fall to an estimated 1,130.
But Taylor insisted that the school will survive.
"Morris Brown will continue to improve, we will continue to raise funds and we will continue to meet the needs of our students," he said. "In time, we will also regain the college's accreditation."
Addressing problems
Since the mid-1990s, two schools -- Texas College in Tyler, Texas, and a chiropractic college -- have succeeded in reapplying and earning back their accreditation, according to the Southern Association.
While the accrediting body does not have a waiting period before re-application, Taylor said the school will try to work with the agency to address all of its problems before submitting a new bid for accreditation. The Southern Association initially revoked Morris Brown's accreditation in December, citing the private school's ongoing problems with financial aid, record keeping and ineffectiveness within the school's board and administration.
"We could re-apply this afternoon," Taylor said. "But the question is: Would it do any good?"
He said school officials will be taking a hard look at how to operate without accreditation.
A few schools, including Knoxville College in Tennessee, have continued to operate after losing accreditation. Knoxville College saw most of its students leave, and it was was forced to slash the majority of its programs and close buildings to balance its budget.
As Taylor and school administrators meet on campus to determine the best course of action, members of the AME church's Council of Bishops will meet this week to discuss what to do to keep Morris Brown College open, the council's president said. The school is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
"I'm personally very disappointed in the fact that we did not win the appeal, but this is not a death sentence," said Bishop Adam J. Richardson, the top official in the AME church.
The council is planning a "higher education summit" during the summer to address the AME church's relationship with all of its colleges.
As for specific action the church should take regarding Morris Brown, Richardson said he is waiting to hear from Taylor and the Morris Brown board. Morris Brown must continue to pay down debt, Richardson said. "That's not going anywhere until we fix it." Taylor has put the school's total debt at $27 million, and says $10 million of that is operating debt. He said the school has raised $5.5 million so far.
Richardson said the school needs a plan to reapply for SACS accreditation, seek accreditation from another agency or find a way to operate without accreditation after paying off its debt.
Audit due
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Morris Brown will also have to hire an outside firm to do an audit within the next 45 days to review all of the federal financial aid the school has received this year. If there is money that cannot be accounted for or is left over at the school, it must be returned to the department.
Although many Morris Brown students have left, Richardson predicted that some will remain. The college has a historic mission of serving all students -- including many who were not academically or financially prepared to attend other colleges.
"There will still be some students who will rely on the Morris Brown experience," he said. "Some will stay and we have to serve those students."
The AME church was at first silent on the financial problems that threatened Morris Brown's ability to stay open. Then in February, Richardson directed churches worldwide to collect money for the school. He said he doesn't know exactly how much has been raised but he estimated that it was around $250,000.
The news that Morris Brown lost its appeal came as a shock to student Sean Brite, 20, a rising junior from Boston.
Brite said administrators and faculty members were so optimistic during the spring semester that he expected the school to win back its accreditation at the appeal. He said one administrator commented that God would not have given her the job at Morris Brown if the school was about to lose accreditation.
Still, Brite took time in January to apply to Georgia State University and Morehouse College, just in case. But the mood on campus was so upbeat he never thought he'd have to transfer. After Tuesday's news, Brite said he will leave Morris Brown.
Brite, a music industry major, said everyone he knows is ready to leave the school.
"I haven't heard from anybody that they will stay no matter what," he said.