Felix Clary
ICT + Tulsa World
TULSA, Okla. – Muskogee area schools are reaching out to Bacone College students, offering help in transferring schools.
After the Muscogee-based college announced its Spring 2024 classes were being suspended, both Northeastern State University and Connors State College offered transfer assistance to Bacone students for the upcoming semester. Both universities have campuses in Muskogee County.
In a Facebook post last week, Connors said it “understands this is a difficult time in (Bacone students’) educational journey, and we are here to help. With courses offered in person and online … CSC’s flexibility can aid you throughout this transition.”
Although the sheriff’s auction that was set for Dec. 14 was called off, Bacone had already laid off a majority of its staff. Only 100 students were enrolled this semester, which was less than half of the students to attend the previous year.
At the end of November, Interim President Dr. Nicky Michael said, “Either we go online completely, or we also work with another college to make sure that we get students through the education system.”
She still is asking for monetary donations to help save the Bacone campus.
In the meantime, Bacone students might seek their education elsewhere.
NSU is removing fee applications and other barriers to help Bacone students make the move.
Carla Sweaingen, NSU provost and vice president of academic affairs, recently stated in an NSU press release that she is thankful NSU can provide a “seamless option for students to stay on track to achieve their educational goals — close to home and with an institution that knows firsthand the sacrifices they and their families have made to get to this point.”
Bacone has been an Indigenous-serving institution since the late 1800s. It is unique in that it accepts applicants without SAT or ACT scores. It also provides a sense of cultural community and connection for Indigenous students.
It has not only a deep history for Indigenous people, but was also the first public university in Oklahoma. After failing to become a tribal college, Bacone became a private institution that still maintained its cultural significance for Indigenous students.
The private college is now in the process of transitioning into a public college with a tribal designation through a consortium of tribes.
The school has a long history of financial struggles that peaked during former President Ferlin Clark’s employment, which lead to a breach of contract lawsuit to be filed against Bacone by a Utah HVAC company called MHEC.
MHEC claimed that Bacone owed them over $1 million dollars in HVAC repairs, which the school could not afford. A threat of auctioning off the school has since hung over its head.
With a rescheduling of the sheriff’s auction potentially on the horizon, Bacone’s ultimate fate remains up in the air.
Bacone Vice President of Academic Affairs Rebecca Truelove said in the NSU media release that school officials plan to take the Spring semester “a time for Bacone to restructure and rebuild.”
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