Hiwassee College sues to prevent loss of accreditation

<p>Hiwassee College is suing to save its accreditation and its future.</p><p>The two-year liberal arts college in Madisonville says its students may not qualify for federal financial aid if Hiwassee is dropped by the Decatur, Ga.-based Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Inc.</p><p>"Thus, a loss of accreditation may sound the death knell for a small private institution like Hiwassee College that has over 80 percent of its students receiving financial aid," the school says.</p><p>The school is seeking a preliminary and permanent federal court injunction against the SACS, which removed Hiwassee from its membership on Dec. 13, 2004, and denied its appeal last month.</p><p>Hiwassee, established in 1849, is a United Methodist Church-affiliated school with 364 students, a 473-acre campus and 18 buildings.</p><p>"They say we don't have the resources to continue into the future and we know that we do," Hiwassee President James Noseworthy said, though adding, "We have always been a college on the edge."</p><p>Hiwassee claims the SACS violated its own policies for determining accreditation status and committed due process violations. It also contends Hiwassee has more than adequate financial resources. The SACS has not filed its response yet and no hearing date had been set.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x28665e0)</p>