Historically, the black college in Atlanta received its full accreditation after losing it 20 years ago, according to a press release from the school.
“Many thought this feat was impossible, but thanks to our strong faith in God, our hardworking and wonderful teachers and ministers, the support of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, our dedicated alumni and our resilient spirit, we were able to achieve full accreditation.” said college president Kevin James in a statement.
“It really was The Hard Reset. It’s just the beginning!” James said.
The college was awarded accreditation by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), a Virginia-based accreditation agency.
CNN asked TRACS for comment, but received no response.
Re-accreditation means that the school is again eligible to apply for federal funding for education, which can go to financial aid for students and Pell grants or campus housing, as long as the college remains in compliance with federal terms and standards.
The return of Maurice Brown is also a beacon of hope for the smaller HBCUs, which are struggling with finances and enrollment, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The school was a thread
Maurice Brown’s 20-year journey began in 2002, when the school’s accreditation was revoked due to debt and mismanagement. Then, in the once thriving college, the number of students enrolled dropped from about 2,000 to less than 50. Over the years, enrollment varied between 30 and 50 students.
The college was never officially closed, but it was close.
Faced with growing debt and crumbling infrastructure, the school board offered the administration an option: to close their doors forever. Theoretically, the site could be turned into a museum or a place for private development, but his days as a functioning college seem to be over.
James, the college’s president, disagrees. He believed he still had a chance to regain his accreditation and develop as an operational campus.
James was appointed interim president in early 2019 and officially became president in May 2020. He immediately focused on what he called the college’s “hard reset.”
In April 2021, Maurice Brown officially received an application for accreditation from TRACS. This meant that an institution was basically in line with TRACS standards and criteria and was evaluated by a partner team on site, which found that the institution provided good training and student services.
Fast forward a year later, the school celebrated its reaccreditation.
Maurice Brown was part of the Atlanta University Historic Center (AUC), which includes Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morehouse Medical School and Clark University in Atlanta. Although the school is no longer a member, the AUC website states that Maurice Brown is “largely significant for the Consortium’s rich heritage.”
It was founded in 1881 by former enslaved religious leaders at Big Bethel AME Church, according to the school.
The college was the first college in Georgia owned and run by African Americans whose notable alumni included Alberta Williams King, the mother of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and James Alan McPherson, the first black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize in Literature.
CNN’s Skyler Mitchell contributed to this report.
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