Amid accreditation battle, classes begin today at Paul Quinn College

Students returned to classes this morning at Paul Quinn College in Dallas as the school continues to struggle with its accreditation.

A couple dozen students and staff members drove through the front gates around 8 a.m. About 150 students were expected to return.

The historically black college has been fighting to stay accredited. It lost its accreditation in June because of lingering financial and academic problems. The college appealed and lost. Then it filed a lawsuit in federal court – and while that case is pending, Paul Quinn remains accredited. Advertisement

But the uncertainty appears to have taken a toll on enrollment. It’s down from 440 students last year. College leaders say they’re optimistic they’ll bounce back and more students will enroll. The college doesn’t report official numbers to the state for a few weeks, and numbers could change by then.

At 4:30 p.m. today, the college and Texas Legislative Black Caucus are expected to announce a $500,000 donation from the Meadows Foundation. It’s the largest cash gift to the college in more than a decade.