Historically Black college, Knoxville College, suffered a loss of state accreditation that caused the campus to evacuate and close. This 2018 semester, they are getting ready to re-enroll students.
The Philadelphia Tribune reports that the school is on the up and looking to make a comeback.
The college played an important part in the Knoxville, Tennessee’s civil rights fight. However, the college has declined from losing its national accreditation since 1997.
In 2015, the college completely lost its state accreditation and enrollment was reportedly at 11 students. They got into millions of dollars in debt and the campuses building were in such a terrible state that they were called public hazards.
However, things are changing for the college as paperwork filled to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission that has allowed them to teach and re-enroll students.
Repairs have been made to one building on campus that will house administration. And perfect timing, because the country is experiencing a boom in college and university enrollment in historically Black colleges and universities.
In an email, the President of Knoxville College Keith Lindsey said, “we are doing everything possible to be able to open in 2018.” He continued, “We had tremendous success to this point and we are continuing to ride this momentum. It’s challenging because it does encompass many moving parts, however, we are being proactive in our approach to have the infrastructure in place once we receive our approval from (the state) to recruit and admit students.”
In May of 2015, the college applied for accreditation but was denied, however, the college was given “conditional authorization” to function as a secondary institution for 2018. They are still waiting to hear back from the Commission but are hopeful it will go through.
President Keith is determined to get the school back to where it once was. He plans to, “not just bring them up to code, but to ensure that the facilities incorporate the newest ideas and most-up-to-date features.”
High hopes for 2018 and that the historic Knoxville College can be restored to its former glory.
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(Source: Philadelphia Tribune )
(Photo Credit: ThinkStock Image)
