Division on Higher Education affirms church’s two-year colleges
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A UMNS photo by Vicki Brown Bill Haden expresses support for two-year United Methodist colleges.
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At
a March 11 meeting of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education
and Ministry, Bill Haden, vice chairman of the Division of Higher
Education, expresses support for a resolution supporting two-year
residential United Methodist-related colleges. The resolution, which
passed unanimously, noted that such schools "often educate underserved,
under-prepared, and under resources individuals." A UMNS photo by Vicki
Brown. Photo #06252. Accompanies UMNS story #151. 3/15/06 |
March 15, 2006
By Vicki Brown*
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — A resolution expressing support for two-year
residential United Methodist-related colleges and concern for entities that threaten
their mission has been affirmed unanimously by the denomination’s education
agency.
“We seek to support our member institutions and this affirms their importance
to both the church and higher education in general,” said Bill Haden,
vice chairman of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s
Division of Higher Education. The resolution was affirmed March 11 during the
agency’s spring meeting.
The Rev. James Noseworthy, president of Hiwassee College, asked for the resolution.
“I am grateful for the continued support of the church for United Methodist
two-year colleges,” he said. “We are a rare breed with a distinct
mission related to historic United Methodist interests. It is critical that
the public and the education community know the denomination’s commitment
to these life-changing institutions.”
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The Rev. James Noseworthy |
The Rev. James Noseworthy |
The United Methodist-related college in Madisonville,
Tenn. is involved in a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District
of Georgia to
keep its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The two-year Hiwassee College sued after the association removed its accreditation
because of concerns about the school’s financial resources — though
the school has said it is financially sound. A federal judge ordered the association
to maintain Hiwassee’s accreditation until the legal action is resolved.
The discovery process for the lawsuit, which contends the action removing accreditation
was unreasonable and violated procedure, was scheduled to conclude March 15.
The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools is the accrediting body for institutions of higher
education that award associate,
baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees in Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas and Virginia.
Noseworthy said the two-year church-related colleges have a mission to reach
out to the underserved population and “give them an opportunity to
follow their dreams for an education.” At Hiwassee, many of the students
are the first generation in their family to attend college. He said the aim
of the resolution was to remind the church and the public of the importance
of such institutions.
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Thomas Yow III |
The resolution notes that two-year, residential
United Methodist-related colleges “often
educate underserved, under-prepared, and under-resourced individuals.” It
reaffirms the board’s belief in the continuing critical mission of the
colleges and expresses concern regarding efforts by entities beyond the church
that threaten those colleges. In addition, the resolution declares the board’s
commitment to support these institutions in “their efforts to preserve
their mission and combat external attempts that would threaten their mission
or close these institutions. . . .”
Thomas Yow III, president of the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation,
was president of Young-Harris College, a two-year, United Methodist-related
college in Young Harris, Ga., for many years.
“The two-year colleges feel under pressure,” he said. “The
public confuses the church-related colleges with public community colleges.
Their whole emphasis on personalized, value-centered, quality education gets
lost.”
*Brown is an associate editor and writer in the Office of Interpretation,
United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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