DALLAS (ABP) — A regional accrediting agency has issued an official warning to Criswell College, citing issues regarding “institutional effectiveness” in planning and assessment.
The Bible college — established about 40 years ago by First Baptist Church of Dallas and named for its longtime pastor W.A. Criswell — retains its accreditation but will be monitored by the accrediting agency for the next year.
A warning is the least-severe public citation the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools issues. The maximum time during monitoring any school can be on warning is two years. The warning grew out of the accrediting agency’s regular review of the school, scheduled every 10 years.
“The cited standards expect an accredited institution to provide evidence that it (1) has an ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide planning and evaluation process supporting the accomplishment of its mission, (2) identifies and evaluates expected outcomes and uses findings to improve educational programs and administrative and educational support services, (3) has the capability and processes for completing a quality enhancement plan, and (4) identifies college-level general education competencies,” according to a statement issued by the SACS Commission on Colleges.
Criswell College President Jerry Johnson told the Dallas Morning News the school will deal with the agency’s concerns. Johnson resigned as the college’s president two years ago after a public disagreement with church leaders about the school’s future. This summer, the college officially separated from First Baptist Church of Dallas and established an independent board. The new board voted unanimously last month to rehire Johnson as president.
Johnson told the Dallas Morning News he was pleased the accrediting agency cited no issues related to the governance change, and he promised the school would demonstrate progress in planning and assessment.
“The school had not been focused on that during this year of transition,” he said. “We will be focused on that in a greater way.”
Next year, Criswell College will submit a report to SACS in September and be visited by the agency in October. The school likely will learn in early December if the warning has been lifted.
Three years ago, the accrediting agency placed Criswell on probation for not meeting standards in financial stability and financial control, but it was cleared a year later.
Johnson reported Criswell College had 365 students enrolled in its fall semester and is financially sound.
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Ken Camp is managing editor of the Baptist Standard.