Johnson C. Smith University Celebrates Homecoming & Tackles Accreditation Issue

Written by Lexx Thornton

This is Homecoming Week for Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Many alumni are expected to return to campus to reminisce about their college days. Leaders hope the graduates will say they will continue to support their alma mater. President Dr. Valerie Kinloch has been in charge since August 2023. She is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University and is looking forward to this year’s homecoming. 

“It’s an exciting time to be a Golden Bull.” Dr. Kinloch said. 

Kinloch is looking forward to Saturday’s football game against Bluefield State University. She is proud of what the team is doing on and off the field. “Our football team has one of the highest GPAs in the CIAA,” Kinloch said. “We’re not pushing for just a 3.0 but beyond. They are doing great work.” 

As many return for homecoming, the president is educating all about the university’s accreditation problem. This past summer, Kinloch received news from the school’s accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission of Colleges (SACSCOC), that the school was placed on financial probation. 

“Anytime you hear information or news of this magnitude,” Dr. Kinloch said. “Everything stops.” Since then, Kinloch has assembled a team and implemented strategies to get off probation. The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has until June to address the agency’s concern. While the university is working on the concerns, Kinloch wants to let the community know the meaning of Johnson C. Smith University’s probation. 

“It does not mean we are not accredited,” she said. “Because we are fully accredited. It does not mean that any of our academic programs is not sufficient. We have high-caliber, high-quality academic programs and faculty. It means nothing about our academic programs. It doesn’t even mean we are not financially sound.” What it does mean is this. 

“Part of our SACSCOC probationary status is that we don’t have enough unrestricted dollars,” the president said. “What happens if a catastrophe hits us. What happens if a pandemic – hopefully not – comes back? How do we maintain our operations, and how do we prove to our accrediting agency that we are fine today? I need to be fine in 5, 10, and 15 years. I need to have unrestricted dollars, then I am able to say I need to give to facilities. I need to give scholarships. I never knew that until I took this job.” 

Now Kinloch is on a mission to let people know about the Johnson C. Smith University Fund. It is where donors can give to the college’s unrestricted fund so the school can quickly fund any unexpected challenges.  

The president’s goal is to raise $10 million by the end of the year. Kinloch is optimistic that the goal will be reached. 

“And if we are not where we need to be,” Kinloch said. “We continue to push, and we are going to continue to push. Failure is not an option.”