ATLANTA — The executive committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC) approved bylaw changes March 12 giving trustee boards of Shorter College and Brewton-Parker College authority to remove one of their own with cause.
In early January, Shorter officials announced they had shifted the school’s control to a self-perpetuating foundation board and cited the inability of trustees to take such action as the reason. President Ed Schrader said the board’s lack of power to remove a trustee could affect their accreditation being reviewed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
However, the board of trustees’ executive committee rescinded the action Jan. 23 after meeting with GBC leaders and jointly forming an ad hoc committee to seek solutions.
Ron Dempsey, Shorter’s vice president of institutional advancement, said the latest GBC action is “the first hurdle” to resolving the issues being addressed by representatives of the school and the convention.
“We still have an issue over the selection of trustees,” said Dempsey, noting that discussions on that subject are continuing.
GBC Executive Director Robert White, in a news release, expressed his desire to continue the convention’s relationship with the college. “Georgia Baptists have given $22.8 million through the Cooperative Program to Shorter College since 1959,” said White. “We wish to continue our relationship — and invest in the lives of our Baptist students.”
Share with others: