Baptist college hires new interim president

Arkansas Baptist College has hired one of its trustees to be its new interim president, the college announced this week.

Regina Favors replaces Howard Gibson, who also had been serving in an interim position at the Little Rock school.

Gibson did not want to stay on beyond the several months he’d already been serving, said Richard Mays, the college’s board of trustees chairman.

Mays spoke highly of Favors, a graduate of the college and a longtime insurance executive.

A consultant advised the college to replace Gibson with a board member, Mays said.

Favors has been on the board of trustees for more than a year, Mays said, and loaned the college $100,000 of her own money during that time. Mays said the loan has been paid off.

“I know she’s committed to the college,” Mays said.

Patsy Biggs, special assistant to Favors, said Favors was not available for an interview Wednesday.

Questions about Favors’ salary and start date were not answered.

Mays said Favors was a good hire because of her ties to the school, demeanor, leadership skills and commitment to the students.

Favors inherits a college that has struggled for years to pays its bills on time.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Treasury delayed sending the college’s federal funds until it received answers to certain questions. Neither entity explained exactly what the dispute was about.

The college also has been delinquent on its property taxes numerous times.

In 2017, an accounting firm found $475,000 in misspent Title III money and that the college possibly owed more than $500,000 in Title IV money to the U.S. Department of Education.

In 2015, the college’s accrediting agency asked why the college should not have its accreditation stripped because of its financial insecurity, and the college is now under review to see if it makes improvements it promised in order to keep its accreditation.

Enrollment at the school also has dropped from 1,193 students in 2011 to about 500 this fall, Mays said.

The college had 575 students last fall, but Mays said the college hopes to have 600 next fall and 700 the year after that.

Mays said Favors was preparing a game plan on how to address the college’s top priorities, including its troublesome finances, and that she would present them to the board.

In the college’s news release announcing her hire, Favors said the college’s greatest challenge is meeting the community’s needs by means of being true to the school’s founding mission.