Hiwassee College

Hiwassee College is a private junior college located in Madisonville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1849, it is the oldest private two-year higher education institution in the state of Tennessee. The majority of its graduates go on to attend, and complete, a four-year degree at another institution.

History

Hiwassee College's early history is linked with the founding in 1826 of Tullagalla Academy, a school for boys, located in the Fork Creek Community some five miles (8 km) from the site of the present campus. By 1845, the enrollment of the academy exceeded its capacity, so the school moved to the Bat Creek Campground, a site across the road from the present location of the Hiwassee campus that Methodist settlers had used for camp meetings. [http://hiwassee.edu/history.html Hiwassee College - History ] ]

In 1849, Methodist leaders organized a college, replacing and expanding the academy's program. The new institution was named Hiwassee, taken from the Cherokee word "ayuwasi," which means "meadow in which the land sinks." The name reflects the college's location in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The college's first president was Dr. Robert E. Doak, a 25 year old Presbyterian scholar. The choice of a Presbyterian to head the new college communicated that the institution would emphasize Christian education over denominationalism.

Hiwassee College was chartered by the State of Tennessee in 1850. For many years it offered training beginning with elementary school and continuing through the bachelor's degree level. At some periods in its history, the college granted master's degrees. Currently, Hiwassee College offers programs of study leading to associate's degrees.

Current campus and programs

Its campus has grown from the original seven acres donated by Reverend Daniel B. Carter to start the College to a campus comprising 18 buildings situated on 60 acres of a 40 acre tract of land located one mile (1.6 km) north of the town of Madisonville. The College offers a variety of university-parallel and career/vocational programs leading to the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Applied Science degree.

Accreditation

The college has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, but SACS revoked its accreditation in 2004 for failure to meet SACS standards. Hiwassee sued to retain accreditation and continued to operate as an accredited institution during a series of legal appeals, [http://monroe.xtn.net/index.php?table=news_archive&template=news.view.subscriber&newsid=145451 Hiwassee Continues Appealing SACS] , "The Monroe County Advocate", 10-22-2007] but its accreditation was finally terminated in April 2008 following a final decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. [ [http://www.sacscoc.org/documents/FinalwebannouncementonHiwassee.pdf Updated Notification to the Public Regarding the Revised Accreditation Status of Hiwassee College] , Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, April 16, 2008] The college declared its intention to seek accreditation from another accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. [Tommy Millsaps, "Hiwassee loses accreditation appeal," "The Monroe County Advocate", 04-17-2008]

United Methodist Church affiliation and governance

Although closely tied to the Methodist Church since its founding, it was not until 1908 that the Trustees of Hiwassee College and the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South entered into an agreement for joint operation of the institution. Hiwassee College came under the complete control and ownership of the Methodist Church-South in 1937, shortly before its reunion with its northern counterpart in 1939 Prior to 1980, the three United Methodist-related colleges in the Holston Conference (a geographic region that includes East Tennessee and small parts of southwest Virginia and north Georgia) were governed by a unified Board of Trustees. In 1980, the Board of Trustees established a separate Board of Governors for each institution, and by 1990, each of the three colleges operated under a separate, independent Board of Trustees.

Notable alumni

*Alexander Stephens Clay, former U.S. Senator
*Isaac Cline, founder of the US Weather Bureau
*David McKendree Key, former U.S. Senator and Postmaster General
*Ali Abu al-Ragheb, former Prime Minister of Jordan
*Albert H. Roberts, former Governor of Tennessee

References

External links

[http://www.hiwassee.edu/ Official website]