The board of The King’s College, located in the Wall Street area of Manhattan, had promised a “significant announcement” this week about new developments. Many people thought that a partnership with another university was in the making. Tonight was anticlimactic.
The board says that The King’s College is going into a holding pattern without classes, hoping for better times. If there ever was a possibility of a surprise of good news, it didn’t happen. The board was full of regrets.
Instead, the announcement is “the College will not be offering classes for the fall of 2023 semester.” Some faculty at a meeting today said that the mood was very glum. Others had skipped the announcement because they had already found jobs ranging from teaching at other colleges or any job that would pay the rent. Others were participating in the weddings of their former student or were on trips abroad.
The leaders of the college vaguely referred to diligent explorations of many options. In conclusion, the board announced that it will have to reduce or eliminate faculty and staff positions. “It is with regret we share that our faculty and staff positions will be reduced or eliminated.” Faculty were informed that many contracts that were up for renewal on August 1st would not be renewed.
King’s hasn’t decided to permanently close and is appealing the decision to strip its accreditation made by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The board and senior administrators hope that they will be able to find “strategic alliance opportunities.”
You give a three-part story. Maybe, a fourth part is that there were no articles summing up the individual critiques on the problems before they cascaded into disaster. Our media disaster warning system did not work.
Parts were perhaps inevitable due to external complexities, but part of it surely was also bad personal, unprincipled and political decisions.
The story now shifts to the liviingL the seminaries, church-planting training programs, and Bible institutes that continue to survive and often flourish. How well will the Keller enterprise transition? So far, its transitional efforts seem successful. One former evangelical seminary, NY Theological Seminary, collapsed into the arms of Union Theological Seminary. How are the Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, etc. higher education organizations faring?
However, certainly the story of failures make for good podcasts. People are fascinated by autopsies.
Am curious if one of the not-so-great operators had a habit of wearing bow ties.
The story of the board’s choices of leaders, saviors, and political operators is still untold.
Who in particular?
Yes, post-Stan.
You mean the leaders Post-Stan Oaks?
There have been significant leadership problems, too.
I see.
So it is a funding problem. That’s tough. Was hoping that TKC would become an iconic beacon in time.
You had already figured it out. Look forward to what you will do in the future!
Thanks for your encouragement and giving me advice offline about what to do. The advice was great!
Accreditors see themselves as giving a guarantee that the college or university will stay open long enough to fulfill its educational commitments. If the college or university is not likely to be financially viable, the accreditors will pull the accreditation. Middle States ordered TKC to secure educational pathways for its students at other colleges and universities and ordered it closed due to finances.
I thought the accreditation was based on academic issues and not funding?
Yes, I remember Ken Christiansen’s financial acumen and clear decision-making.
My late mentor of 20 years, Kenneth Christiansen, would be heartbroken. He helped transition the college when Cru stepped in many years ago. I’m honestly glad he and Dr. Cook are not around to see what’s happened.
I wonder if the supporters and many faculty want to have reasons for confidence in the decision-making. The average New York Christian asks what will King’s do for them?
Tony, thanks for your report.
What is the main issue?
Inadequate facilities or fallen standards?