Graduation rekindles hope at Morris Brown
By ANDREA JONES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/15/05
Giggling in the gym stands at graduation practice earlier this week, twins Tabitha and Tamara Jones ticked off a list of things to do before today's ceremony at Morris Brown College: Finish their paperwork, hit the hairdresser and, most importantly, clean their bathroom before their mom and other out-of-towners arrive in Atlanta.
The identical twins, who share everything from an apartment and car to a college major of cinematography, will share the stage today as two of 51 graduates at the Atlanta school.
The 23-year-old seniors from St. Louis weathered Morris Brown's loss of accreditation in 2002 and, like many of their classmates, transferred to another college. But Georgia State University's big classes and campus weren't a match, the twins say. They came back to a much smaller Morris Brown after one semester to finish their degrees.
"We just felt . . ." Tamara began.
". . . More comfortable here," finished Tabitha.
At Morris Brown last week, air conditioning units were humming and campus lawn mowers were buzzing in preparation for graduation day.
Groundskeepers swept sidewalks and hustled to ready the school's aging gym for the crush of parents and family members.
President Samuel Jolley, who took over at the school 14 months ago, called the flurry of graduation activity a symbol of the school's rebirth.
"First, there was a glimmer of hope," said Jolley. "Now, it's turned into a flicker. And the flicker is getting stronger."
Morris Brown's financial and institutional crisis prompted the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to revoke its accreditation in 2002. Students are no longer eligible for federal and state aid, and enrollment plummeted from 2,700 to fewer than 150 students. Many former students have had trouble transferring to other colleges because of problems with their financial aid records.
The accreditation loss knocked the college out of the Atlanta University Center and the United Negro College Fund. Graduating students likely will have a harder time getting into graduate programs and are not eligible to become teachers. Class credits from a nonaccredited school do not transfer to most colleges.
But while many students fled, a few stayed behind.
Graduating senior Levar Willis, who played basketball at Morris Brown before the school lost its accreditation, said he remembered well the phone call he got telling him that all athletic programs were going to be canceled.
"My heart just sank," Willis said.
Still, Willis said, he never considered leaving Morris Brown and finishing his degree at another college.
"It was a struggle for survival," Willis said. "You just had to embrace the situation."
Willis, who is senior class president, plans to move to Massachusetts after graduation to work at a basketball camp. "Morris Brown has made me a man," he said. "I love this school."
Jolley said the school has slashed most of its staff and programs in the time since he arrived. The school stopped its meal service this year and will suspend on-campus housing in the fall. While Jolley said Morris Brown has received more than 1,000 applications, the college will keep its fall semester enrollment at just 125.
The college's board of trustees, headed by Citizens Trust Bank CEO James Young, adopted a new strategic plan for the college in February.
Jolley said the school's focus is on just three academic programs, including an adult degree program at night.
About half of this spring's 51 graduates are adults who returned to campus to finish their degrees. The college is offering only a handful of majors taught by 12 faculty members.
Frankye Pope, a 63-year-old grandmother, is salutatorian of the senior class. She chatted excitedly with classmates before the ceremony this week.
"The first time I put on my robe, I just about died," Pope said. "I never thought I could make it through."
While college officials are hopeful about the future, Morris Brown is far from out of the woods. The school will reapply for accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2006 but is still facing mountains of debt. Without state or federal aid, the college has had to rely on donors to provide scholarships for students.
And the school is still a target of a class-action lawsuit filed by several former students over disputes related to the financial aid debacle under former president Dolores Cross and financial aid director Parvesh Singh.
Those students have asked the judge to freeze Morris Brown's assets, but the judge has not yet ruled.
Still, Jolley said his hopes are high. The college recently established a line of credit for $2.5 million, and administrators are pursuing partnerships with several institutions, including Georgia State University.
Jolley, who grew up playing on the lush green lawns of the college, said the institution is too important to close.
"We're going to regain our accreditation," he said. "We're going to be well."
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/met.../15mbrown.html
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