Morris Brown May Seek Accreditation With Another Agency
Officials plan to cut jobs, start fund-raising campaign to save school

ATLANTA

Morris Brown College will seek accreditation from another agency if it loses an appeal of its loss of standing with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, says president Dr. Charles Taylor.

Taylor said being accredited with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools would make Morris Brown eligible to receive the federal financial aid the college relies on.

The SACS revoked Morris Brown's accreditation last month because of financial problems, its lack of compliance with federal regulations for student financial aid and a failure to maintain audits and other documents (see Black Issues, Jan. 2).

Even with a new accrediting agency, under federal law the private, historically Black college must wait two years to be eligible for financial aid, according to officials with the U.S. Department of Education.

And officials of Transnational said Morris Brown would have to be in good financial standing.

"Institutions must be solvent and have financial capabilities to continue to operate," says Dr. Russell Fitzgerald, the executive director of the accrediting agency.

Taylor has said the school would focus first on appealing SACS' decision. The school technically retains its accreditation while it awaits an appeal hearing, expected to be held in March. If the Atlanta-based college loses, the U.S. Department of Education has said it would immediately cut off the financial aid that most Morris Brown students rely on.

Meanwhile, college officials plan to cut jobs and start a $50 million fund-raising campaign to save the school.

"I want to pledge to everyone that we are doing everything we possibly can to get us out of this hole," Taylor says.

Soon after taking office in September, Taylor estimated the school's debt at $23 million. He said last month it was closer to $27 million.