Numerous references to the triumph over past struggles of Arkansas Baptist College were made Tuesday during the grand opening of the historically black college's community union.
More than 100 people gathered Tuesday in a blocked-off street in Little Rock in front of the new First Security Community Union to witness the official ribbon-cutting on the long-awaited center.
The three-story brick building -- which unofficially opened to students last fall -- features two college-owned food stations and a barista bar, a bookstore, numerous conference rooms, computer work stations and student lounging areas.
The third floor of the building is home to the Scott Ford Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development. The naming was in honor of Ford, the former chief executive officer of Alltel Corp., who donated $2.5 million to the school in 2011. Ford did not speak at the event.
"God has truly blessed us here at Arkansas Baptist College," said Fitz Hill, president of the college.
Plans for the building at Martin Luther King Drive and 15th Street in Little Rock began about nine years ago. Construction was put on hold when the college began experiencing financial difficulties.
U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., told the crowd that the past two years have been a "hard boat to row" for Fitz Hill, and French Hill commended him for his "outstanding strength" and leadership through the storm.
"When this community succeeds -- when Arkansas Baptist College succeeds -- our whole community succeeds," the congressman said.
The 910-student college began having what Fitz Hill referred to as a "cash-flow" problem about two years ago, when the U.S. Department of Education placed the institution on Heightened Cash Monitoring Status. The federal agency typically doles out federal student funds on an "advance pay" or "direct reimbursement" basis to colleges.
If a college is placed on "Heightened Cash Monitoring 2," the department releases funds to the school once the school makes disbursements to student or parent borrowers. The status also requires the school to submit printed reports.
Arkansas Baptist College has also faced numerous lawsuits from creditors and was placed on notice by its accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission, for its financial problems. It also faced doubts that the college's leaders could fulfill the institution's mission.
The Higher Learning Commission is expected to decide at its June meeting whether the college now meets the standards necessary to be taken off of notice status or if further corrective actions are necessary.
In December, the college received a $30 million federal loan guaranteed through the U.S. Department of Education. The cash infusion allowed the college to pay back nine of its lenders and creditors.
"The storm rolled in, but being a man of God, you made it," Gloria Love, president of Little Rock Chapter of Links Inc. -- which presented the college with a $15,000 check at the event Tuesday -- said to Fitz Hill. "This is our school. This is our community."
State Desk on 03/11/2015