"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." So said the ancient philosopher Confucius. I do know that every mile traveled on the 345-mile journey (one way!) was worth every rotation of the tires that carried us to Greensboro, N.C.

At the end of the journey was a hearing before the accrediting commission of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). It was 9:30 a.m., on Tuesday, Nov. 3 - one hour later than expected - when Dr. Beth Scruggs, Hiwassee's academic dean, and I entered the hearing room for a second time before the commission. Forty-five minutes later, the hearing was over and a decision was rendered.

Hiwassee College was granted candidacy accreditation status as a Category II institution. The action provided recognized status retroactive to the beginning of the fall 2009 semester. Category II status means the college is authorized to grant associate and baccalaureate degrees.

All new members of TRACS are first awarded status as a candidate. During candidacy, Hiwassee enjoys full rights and benefits as we are monitored to assure continued strength and compliance with accreditation standards. A college must achieve full membership within five years.

TRACS is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). TRACS meets or exceeds the same standards required of all other recognized accrediting bodies.
National and regional accreditation recognizes institutions who meet rigorous and demanding standards of excellence in education.

TRACS review teams visited campus in February as well as in September. The team reports commended Hiwassee College for providing student services that enhance the educational, social, spiritual, moral and physical development of the student.

One esteemed Hiwassee alum described Tuesday's event as a rebirth.  He wrote that the "New Hiwassee" now has the opportunity to positively impact the lives of even more persons than might have been imagined a few years ago.

Several have stood back to see what would happen, withholding support for Hiwassee during the difficult transition. We now see what happened. Now it is time for all of us to join together to nurture and support this burst of new life and energy that can propel Hiwassee College to new levels of greatness and service.