The King’s College of NYC won't hold classes this fall after losing accreditation
The King's College of New York City, a Christian liberal arts college, has announced that it will not be holding classes for the fall semester after losing accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
A spokesperson for The King's College emailed The Christian Post a statement from the school's board of trustees stating that the decision was made following "months of prayerfully exploring numerous avenues to enable The King's College to continue its mission."
The trustees stressed that while no classes will be held this fall and multiple "faculty and staff positions will be reduced or eliminated," this was "not a decision to close The King's College permanently."
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"The Board of Trustees and senior administration will continue to navigate the College's next steps and continue to contend for King's future over the coming months," the statement continued. "The Board is committed to continuing our efforts to pursue strategic alliance opportunities."
"We are also moving forward in the appeal process regarding our accreditation status with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and are deeply grateful for the steadfast prayer and support of the King's community."
Founded by evangelist Percy Crawford in 1938 and originally based in Belmar, New Jersey, The King's College relocated to New York City in 1999 after a temporary closure.
In 2010, best-selling conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza became president of the college but resigned two years later amid allegations of marital infidelity.
In March, The King's College announced "a $2.6 million dollar funding shortfall that is jeopardizing the future of the College."
In May, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education withdrew the college's accreditation because it no longer met the "Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement" standard. The King's College filed an appeal in June.
"[T]he institution has failed to demonstrate the capacity to make required improvements; the institution has failed to demonstrate that it can sustain itself in the short or long term (Accreditation Actions Policy and Procedures); and the institution is in imminent danger of closing," the commission reported.
The institution attributed the financial woes to "a perfect storm of financial pressures this year, between a slow, post-Covid-19 recovery, an economic decline, and rising interest rates which have complicated the sale of our DeVos building."
"The King's College Executive Committee is working diligently to address these funding issues through a multi-pronged approach," the March statement reads.
"The College streamlined its operating budget at the beginning of the semester, drastically reducing discretionary spending while maintaining the same classroom environment for our students."
The King's College has received much support from large donors over the years.
In 2018, The King's College purchased its first Manhattan real estate for student housing through the foundational support from Richard and Helen DeVos, the former being a co-founder of Amway Corp. The DeVoses, who died in 2017 and 2018, devoted much to supporting institutions of higher education, including The King's College, Grand Valley State University and Calvin University in Michigan.
The college also stated that officials are reaching out to the "over 15,000 members of the King's community to help reduce this funding gap" and "donors of all sizes to assist us in meeting our financial obligations."
The institution said it received financing that provided enough funds to fulfill its financial obligations through the end of the spring semester.
The King's College is not the only Christian school in New York City facing financial problems.
Alliance University, a Christian school affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance formerly known as Nyack College, announced in late June that it will close down following the loss of accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Alliance University will wind down campus offerings by September and won't offer classes for the fall semester.
