Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock has a new president.
The Board of Trustees selected Calvin McFadden Sr. as the college’s 16th president, said Richard Mays, the board chairman, on Tuesday.
McFadden’s appointment begins Wednesday. He replaces interim President Regina Favors, who has been filling in while the board conducted a national search for a new president.
Arkansas Baptist College, a private Baptist-affiliated historically black college in Little Rock founded in 1884 as the Minister’s Institute, has faced accreditation and financial problems in recent years.
The Higher Learning Commission reaffirmed the accreditation of the college, citing an improved financial outlook, and removed it from probationary status, in March 2022. The college had been on probation status for its accreditation for about three years.
Colleges must be accredited to participate in federal financial aid programs for their students, according to the commission, and the school’s assets had been in the red by more than $4.6 million as of June 30, 2019.
In accepting the position, McFadden acknowledged the college's past difficulties but said it has "consistently persevered and overcome them."
"Due to the incredible work of those who have come before me, the greatest challenge we face today is to consistently meet our commitment to the needs of our students and community by providing programs relevant to the futures of those we serve," he said in a statement. "As we continue to honor our mission, we will continue to have a positive impact on generations to come.”
According to his Linked In page, McFadden has a bachelor of arts degree from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he majored in sociology; a master of divinity focusing on the sociology of religion from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta; and a doctor of philosophy studying family and child services from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla.
He has worked in a number of administrative positions with religious organizations and higher education institutions during his professional career, including Smith College in Northampton, Mass., and two community colleges in New England, according to his resume. He has taught at, among other schools, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla.
Arkansas Baptist College has about 450 students.