After two decades of work, Morris Brown College (MBC) is once again fully accredited.
Dr. Kevin James, president of Morris Brown College.
The 141-year-old institution, founded by leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, lost its accreditation in December 2002 due to financial and debt mismanagement.
“It means so much for me, the blood and sweat and tears of my ancestors. MBC is unique in Georgia, in that it was founded by Black people,” said James, who made it his mission to achieve re-accreditation for the school when he stepped into the role three years ago. “The sacrifice that so many gave for this institution, and for it to have lost its accreditation 20 years ago, we just overcame something that anyone else would have given up and closed their doors.”
Being unaccredited meant that no MBC student was able to access Title IV federal student aid, and the institution did not receive any of the financial aid packages distributed by the federal government during COVID. In 2019, student enrollment at MBC dropped to 24, down from a one-time peak of 2,700. But as word began to spread that MBC was likely to receive accreditation in the last 24 hours, student applications have been soaring, said James.
“We saved the institution during a global pandemic,” said James. “History will say we pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps.”
MBC is now accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. While the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the usual accreditor for institutions in the south, where 80 of the more than 100 HBCUs are located, James said TRACS was a better fit for his small, Christian school.
