Ohio OKs Antioch College degrees

Associated Press

CINCINNATI

The state has given a stamp of approval to an Ohio liberal-arts college that was purchased by an alumni group in 2009 after it closed because of financial problems, state and school officials said Friday.

The chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents on Thursday approved the request by Antioch College in Yellow Springs in southwest Ohio to offer bachelor’s degrees in arts and science when it reopens this fall. The school — known for its social activism and alumni such as “Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling — closed in 2008. It plans to reopen as an independent four-year college, with classes starting Oct. 4.

The Ohio Board of Regents sent a review team to Antioch to meet with campus leaders, faculty and others before Chancellor Jim Petro approved the school’s request, board spokeswoman Holly Hollingsworth said.

“This approval was a major milestone for us,” school spokesman Gariot Louima said. “Without it, we couldn’t move forward with our application for accreditation.”

Antioch College plans to submit its formal application in a few weeks for accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the Chicago-based North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Louima said. The school has been in contact with the commission, but commission spokesman John Hausaman said he couldn’t comment on specifics until after the formal application is submitted.