Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college in Appalachia, closed 2019 after 170 years.
Hiwassee College offered university-parallel and career/vocational programs leading to Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Science degrees. The college organized its academics around 7 Centers of Excellence, including Biology, Business, Christian Leadership, Dental Hygiene, Equine Science, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, and Forestry Technology. The college emphasized hands-on, real-world learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom, with small class sizes and personal faculty-student relationships.
The 60-acre campus was situated on a 400-acre tract one mile north of Madisonville, comprising 18 buildings including dormitories (Lawrence Hall, Allison Hall, Tom Black Hall, Rymer Hall), academic facilities (Lundy Science Hall, Barker Learning Center), and recreational spaces (Rudy Youell Physical Education Facility, Gymnasium). The college featured an Equestrian Center and Community Dental Clinic. Athletic teams, the Tigers, competed in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports as an NCCAA Division I member in the Mideast Region, offering both men's and women's programs.
Hiwassee College traces its roots to Tullagalla Academy (founded 1826) and was officially organized in 1849 by five Methodists. The college opened to women in 1894 and formally affiliated with the United Methodist Church in 1908, coming under complete Methodist Church-South control in 1937. The college maintained its Methodist heritage and values of faith, personal responsibility, scholarship, and servant-leadership throughout its 170-year history.
Hiwassee College was initially accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools but lost accreditation in 2008. The college attained candidacy status with TRACS (Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools) in 2009 and achieved full accreditation in October 2013, reaffirmed in 2018. Despite these efforts, the college closed on May 10, 2019, due to financial difficulties. The campus and buildings were sold to the Bruderhof community in late 2020 for approximately $6 million.