Students & Faculty Balk at TTU Move to North Carolina
The 70 year old institution will soon become part of the city’s history.
The surprise move means the historic Baptist school will become part of Piedmont International University in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
DR.STEVE ECHOLS, PRES. TENNESSEE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY "Frankly…we know the students are understandably literally shell-shocked..they really are. Its just going to take them a few days to figure it out. "
Leaders of the historic bible school knew a merger with another university 300 miles away would be hard to swallow for some.
TTU board members voted and then joined president Steven Echols for a news conference to discuss the move.
DR.STEVE ECHOLS, PRES.,TENNESSEE TEMPLE " We think that the students have…in this outcome , will have a great opportunity …that was our first and foremost concern."
Dr. Echols said the announced plan to move from Highland Park to Woodland Park Baptist church was too expensive.
But the decision to move TTU still hit students hard.
RICKY BAILEY, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT "The student body right now is pretty upset….they feel deceived and hurt by what’s going on."
And not everyone will go to Piedmont.
DR. STEVE ECHOLS " I think at this point virtually about one half of the resident faculty at TTU ..have been offered contracts …some them prefer to stay locally rather than move to Winston-Salem."
SHERIFF JIM HAMMOND, BOARD MEMBER, TTU GRADUATE "I’m sad, but I’m also excited….its not a final closing ..it’s a merger …it means the school will live on."
KAY ARTHUR, FOUNDER, PRECEPT MINISTRIES, TTU GRADUATE "We’re leaving …but we’re leaving a legacy. We’re leaving a memory."
PASTOR TERNAE JORDAN, MT. CANAAN BAPTIST CHURCH "It’s going to be monumental for the students, and the faculty …Piedmont is going to be a great marriage for us."
At present, there are 265 on campus students and another 500 enrolled on-line.
Tennessee Temple students are being offered incentives to transfer to Piedmont.
But a student leader says he thinks few will actually move to North Carolina.
The university will begin shutting down at the end of the current semester.
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