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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (April 25, 2014) — Milligan College President Dr. Bill Greer announced a new academic structure that reorganizes the college’s nine academic areas into five schools, with the business school becoming the first to be named, thanks to a generous gift from local banker William B. Greene Jr.
The plan, which was developed over the past year with faculty input and unanimously endorsed by the college faculty and Board of Trustees, includes the Schools of Bible and Ministry, Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Allied Health, Social Sciences and Education, and Business and Technology. The college’s 100-plus academic majors, minors, concentrations, professional, adult degree completion and graduate programs all fit in one of these schools.
“As we approach the college’s 150th anniversary in 2016, it is fitting that we look ahead to the next era and position Milligan for continued strength and future growth,” said Greer. “In today’s rapidly changing world, with ever-evolving student needs and with increasingly challenging social, political and economic pressures, Milligan must be ready to change and adapt while ensuring that the college continues to pursue its noble mission. This academic restructuring positions us to continue to do that well.”
The new structure provides a number of advantages, explained Greer, including significant administrative efficiencies. Faculty can be more focused on their respective academic disciplines, while the college still maintains broad-based, shared academic governance.
The flexibility and ability to be more nimble and better able to quickly respond to a changing marketplace is also key. Milligan currently is considering new academic programs in engineering, physician assistant, digital media, and has recently added majors in counseling, economics, music business and social work.
Emmanuel Christian Seminary, which college leaders hope to integrate into Milligan by fall 2015, will be an important part of Milligan’s new School of Bible and Ministry.
“We have been very deliberate in our efforts to honor the Emmanuel heritage and support its mission,” said Greer. “We’re excited about the future possibilities and the great advantages this integration and positioning will offer to students and alumni of both institutions, and ultimately better serve the Kingdom.”
The new model honors the vision of past president Dean Walker, who established an academic structure in 1959 that reflected the college’s commitment to the Christian liberal arts and championed Milligan’s academic philosophy that “all knowledge is one.”
“This structure actually enhances the position of the liberal arts, while also strengthening our professional programs by grouping them more logically with those liberal arts disciplines that support them most,” said Greer.
William B. Greene, Jr. School of Business and Technology
Greer’s second significant announcement was the naming of the William B. Greene, Jr. School of Business and Technology, made possible by the generosity of Dr. William B. Greene Jr., a Milligan trustee and chair of BancTenn Corporation. The School will contain the Area of Business, the Area of Computer Science, and potentially the Area of Engineering.
“Bill Greene has been a longtime Milligan supporter and friend of the college. This brings two of his passions together — Milligan College and preparing future leaders for business and industry,” Greer said.
Greene became president and CEO of Carter County Bank in Elizabethton, Tenn., at the age of 24, making him the youngest CEO of a financial institution in the United States. In 1974, he co-founded Bank of Tennessee in Kingsport, Tenn., and is currently chairman of BancTenn Corporation, which holds ownership of Bank of Tennessee, Carter County Bank and Mountain Community Bank. He is a member of the Tennessee Banking Hall of Fame.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from Wake Forest University, where he served as chairman of the Board of Trustees and where the psychology and foreign language building bears his name. He has done post-graduate study at Wake Forest, Northwestern, Harvard and Rutgers universities.
Numerous organizations have benefited from Greene’s leadership and generosity over the years, including Milligan, the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Elizabethton Kiwanis Club, Boy Scouts of America, Carter County Cancer Society, Elizabethton Boys and Girls Club, Tri-Cities Business Alliance, East Tennessee State University and the World Presidents’ Organization.
“Providing opportunities to support future business leaders with a quality education has always been very important to me,” Greene said. “Milligan College provides an opportunity for its students to learn and thrive in today’s dynamic and competitive business world with the highest moral and ethical standards. With the knowledge they gain during their time at Milligan, these students will enter the workforce and have the ability to make a positive impact on our regional and national economy.
“The gift of a quality education not only benefits the person receiving it, but also blesses the company they work for and the local economy on a continual basis,” Greene said. “I believe in the mission of Milligan’s School of Business and Technology and am proud to be in a position to support their mission and be part of their success now and in the future.”
Implementation of the new academic structure at Milligan will take place over the coming academic year, with full implementation effective by fall 2015.
To learn more about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu.
Download Milligan’s new academic organization chart.