An announcement by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to remove Bennett College from membership this week has not stopped the all-women’s historically Black college (HBCU) from fighting for its survival.
The small, private college in Greensboro has appealed the SACSCOC decision, which follows a two-year probationary period brought on by financial instability and declining enrollment. Bennett president Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins will attend a formal hearing on February 18 to make a case to restore the college’s accreditation.
The college will retain its accreditation throughout the appeal process.
“While we did not get the news we wanted today from SACSCOC officials, I remain optimistic that Bennett will make the necessary strides to demonstrate we deserve to remain accredited,” Dawkins said in a statement Tuesday. “Bennett College is one of only two all-women’s HBCUs in the country and has produced outstanding alumnae who have become national leaders in various fields.”
SACSCOC initially placed Bennett on probation in 2016, and extended it for another year in 2017 for non-compliance around standards for financial resources and financial stability.
Declining enrollment beginning around 2010 factored into the college’s financial challenges. Bennett’s enrollment dropped from 780 students in 2010 to nearly 400 in 2017.
The college sought to address financial concerns by increasing student recruitment efforts, implementing fundraising campaigns and engaging donors, and cutting staff and academic programs.
