Senior faculty members at Lewis College of Business in Detroit emerged from a recent meeting nervously optimistic. With the school on the brink of closure, that was all they could be, explains Deolis Allen, dean and chief academic officer of the school.

Lewis, the only historically Black college in Michigan, is steeped in severe financial troubles and leadership woes. Despite the absence of a president and accreditation, classes are scheduled to begin Jan. 14.

While the school’s future remains in jeopardy, Lewis’ faithful few faculty and students continue. Too much is at stake not to, they argue.

Last year, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), an accrediting agency, concluded that the school was unable to meet two of its criteria for accreditation: leadership and evidence that it can respond to future challenges.

“I thought that the withdrawal of accreditation was too harsh,” says Allen. “Student learning should be the major criteria for whether a school should maintain its accreditation. The HLC said Lewis met the student learning requirement

”School officials challenged the HLC’s findings, arguing that the information was vague and misguided. In a statement, former interim president, Dr. Violet E. Ponders, said Lewis “does not believe the HLC decision to withdraw its accreditation is ‘just or serves the community.’”

Lewis lost the appeal but was granted permission to start the reaccreditation process in 2008.

Losing accreditation is suicide for many collegiate institutions, especially for HBCUs, where the majority of students receive some type of federal financial aid. Without accreditation students are ineligible for federal financial aid. Additionally, some graduate institutions and employers will not recognize a degree from an unaccredited college.

Dr. Walter McMurty Jr., chair of Lewis’ Board of Trustees, argues that even in the absence of accreditation, Lewis still has a lot to offer its students, including a dedicated staff that temporarily went without paychecks and a rigorous curriculum.