Howard U. Boosters Haven’t Given Up on Morris Brown

Morris Brown College has lost its accreditation, but the student who spearheaded a Howard University campaign to save the school maintains that, "Now more than ever, support is needed to lobby for funds. This is not a setback, it is a set up for a comeback."

Olu Burrell, a senior English major at Howard, led a team that set up a “Save Morris Brown” Web site and sent postcards and letters of support in the hundreds to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the accrediting body.

But SACS decided April 7 to maintain its decision of Dec. 9 to rescind Morris Brown’s accreditation, citing the college for poor record keeping and misspending federal financial aid, among the institution's violations.

The financial impact will be severe. Morris Brown immediately loses access to millions of dollars in federal financial assistance, which approximately 90 percent of its students receive.

The loss of accreditation also suspends the school's affiliation with the United Negro College Fund, a major financial source. According to UNCF regulations, a school automatically loses its membership if it is unaccredited.

Enrollment could be affected even more than it has already.

Some 50 percent of Morris Brown’s 2,500 students did not return for classes this spring. Many transferred to neighboring schools in the Atlanta University Center.

"Our efforts here at Howard University have not failed," said Howard University President H. Patrick Swygert. "We were and still are committed to preserving the legacy of our sister school Morris Brown. The Howard community came together to help keep the gates of this historic institution open. Unfortunately we were unable to do so, but the battle continues."

The 122-year-old institution is not planning on closing its doors. There are plans to resume classes in August. The spring semester was accelerated to accommodate graduating seniors earning a degree from an accredited institution.

Students attended each class for 110 minutes three times a week, Monday through Saturday, in order to fulfill the 2,250 hours of class time required to meet university guidelines.

Morris Brown’s president, Charles E. Taylor, said he remains committed to restoring the college's accreditation.

He said in a statement, "This decision will have a tremendous impact on Morris Brown, but the college has weathered very difficult times before.

"With the help of a lot of people, we have made great progress. We will continue to improve, we will continue to raise funds, we will continue to meet the needs of our students and all standards for accreditation as we engage in the process for re-accreditation."

Dr. Alexander Hamilton, Howard University School of Law student, said his alma mater's survival does not hinge on a SACS decision.

"We don't want Howard community to feel that the efforts were for naught," Hamilton said. "The accreditation loss was not due to academic, but financial inadequacies. We will recover."

According to the accrediting commission, its policies allow for no further appeal. An institution can reapply for membership at any time, but an application should be submitted only if and when an institution has corrected the deficiencies that caused its loss of accreditation.

Kerry-Ann Hamilton is a student at Howard University who writes for The Hilltop.