I am writing this letter in the hope of increasing local awareness of Hiwassee College’s effort to reestablish its credentialing.  As you know, Hiwassee is in the process of working to reestablish its credentialing, having just lost a legal appeal contesting the decision of the regional accrediting agency.  The reason the accrediting body withdrew its approval had nothing to do with educational quality, which I know to be high.  

I have watched generations of students pass through its doors and go on to success in other educational venues and careers.  I believe the decision to withdraw accreditation based on financial concerns was cavalier, and insensitive to the role that Hiwassee College plays in our community and in the lives of its students.  

My wife, Dr. Barbara Levin, and I moved to Madisonville 28 years ago to fulfill our dreams of practicing rural family medicine.  We have reared four children in this town, all public school graduates.  My second child, Becky, has Down’s syndrome.  The three years she spent as a student on campus at Hiwassee were formative for her, and helped her achieve the remarkable degree of independence she enjoys today.  

For my other children, Hiwassee was a place for taking courses that supplemented their high school curriculum and for participating in community theater. The campus was a venue for many activities, from ballet at age four to high school graduation. It is hard for me to imagine what our years here would have been like without Hiwassee.  The college enriches this area, and alters its cultural atmosphere.

But for all that Hiwassee has meant to me and my family, it is little compared to what it has meant to Monroe and surrounding counties.  As a father, I have watched many of my children’s friends get their start in adult life at the college. As a family doctor, I have watched many of my patients get their first taste of college learning and life at your institution.  The area has prospered and progressed in the time I have been here, but it is not always easy.  

We have high dropout and teen pregnancy rates. The vast majority of our children who go on to college are first generation college students.  They have academic potential, but also many obstacles in the way of a successful college career. 

For many, venturing far from home is perilous.  I am always happy when one of my patients chooses to start at Hiwassee College.  I know that they will receive the kind of nurture and support that they need, and that will maximize their chances to graduate.  After two years at Hiwassee, many are ready to take on the challenge of larger and more distant institutions.

Hiwassee has also been unfailingly responsive to community and regional needs.  In the face of a nursing shortage, they have started and run a highly successful nursing program.  In the face of a crying need for dental care in rural East Tennessee, they are now undertaking a dental hygiene program.  They serve as the site for our recently organized area arts council events.  When the town’s public swimming pool developed a leak, Hiwassee made their pool available to townspeople.  When we needed a site for a heath fair, who stepped up and volunteered their space?

  I could go on….

Finally, Hiwassee College fulfills an important role as an educational institute for more than just our county.  Its mission is more than just academic education.  It has a commitment to teaching and inculcating values in a positive and open manner.  Coming from a different religious tradition, I have been appreciative of Hiwassee’s openness and fairness in dealing with students from many traditions, while still emphasizing positive Christian values.  

For many students and parents today, it is important to have the sense that college is starting out in a safe environment, with a commitment to caring for students, and a concern about both academic and moral development.  Hiwassee continues to give its students a great start in life, calling on them to examine what kind of citizens they will be, what contribution they will make to the world.

I feel privileged to have been present for nearly a fifth of Hiwassee College’s distinguished 160- year history.  An institution that has been present for this length of time, with such a positive impact on a small East Tennessee town, its surrounding counties, and the wider world should receive its due respect.  I have trust that Hiwassee will deal appropriately with its financial concerns, and succeed in reestablishing its credentials.  I expect that it will continue to play a strong positive role in the life of our community.  

Hiwassee has my full support and I want to challenge others in this community to let the college know that they can count on their support as well.  I hope that other readers who have been touched by its presence will also let you know how Hiwassee has affected them.