Milligan University raises the bar

Commitment to excellence

Milligan continues to be recognized for its quality and value, ranking No. 12 among the “Best Regional Universities” in the South and No. 2 among the “Best Value Schools” by U.S. News & World Report.

These rankings make Milligan the only institution in Northeast Tennessee to be named among the top 20 regional universities in the south, and one of only three Tennessee institutions listed among the top 20 in any category for both private or public colleges and universities.

Engineering achieves ‘gold standard’

In achieving accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Milligan’s undergraduate electrical and mechanical engineering majors achieved the “gold standard” for engineering education.

ABET accreditation, or a substantial equivalent, is required for professional engineering licensure in many states, including Tennessee, and many employers only hire from ABET-accredited programs.

“Our engineering faculty worked tirelessly to ensure this milestone since the program launched in the fall of 2016,” said Milligan President Dr. Bill Greer. “In addition to receiving ‘no deficiencies, weaknesses or concerns,’ ABET commended Milligan for strong industry support. For this, I am grateful to the entire engineering team and to our industry partners, including Eastman, Eastman Credit Union, TPI Corporation, Nuclear Fuel Services, Siemens, BrightRidge, CMF International, Arconic and others, who help make the program possible.”

PA program accolades

This year, Milligan’s PA program became one of only 287 programs to achieve full accreditation status. The most recent graduates of the program also received a 100% first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), exceeding the national average.

Two Milligan professors, Dr. Randy Belt and Dr. John Kitsteiner, and Bailey Jessee, a 2021 PA graduate, were awarded the PA/Physician Team of the Year award by the Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA).

Teacher Education achieves national honors

Last summer, Milligan’s Area of Education was one of 35 providers to receive accreditation for its educator preparation programs by The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Additionally, CAEP named Milligan as a recipient of its 2022 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement.

Milligan’s education program now stands as one of 471 total providers meeting rigorous CAEP accreditation standards. In receiving the Frank Murray Leadership Award, Milligan was recognized for its commitment to advance equity and excellence in educator preparation through purposeful use of self-study procedures and evidence-based reporting that assure quality and support continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 learning.

In addition, the Tennessee State Board of Education scored Milligan as one of the highest performing educator preparation programs in the state in its latest annual report card. Milligan’s Initial Teacher Licensure program met or exceeded expectations in each of the various areas assessed by the state, and Milligan attained a 100% pass rate on the edTPA licensing exam, setting them above the national and state averages.

Nursing attains 100% pass rate

This year, Milligan’s nursing program achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), setting the program above the national and state average.

Milligan’s nursing class emerged as only one of four programs across Tennessee to achieve a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN, which is required for licensure. The 2022 national pass rate average of nursing programs on NCLEX-RN is 80% and the state average is 86%.

Seminary offers hybrid Master of Divinity

Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan now offers a hybrid Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree and a newly revised Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program, making both more convenient and accessible.

Through a combination of online courses and four intensive, on-campus classes, Emmanuel’s hybrid M.Div. is designed for students who cannot be on campus full-time. The D.Min. program also has been revised to now offer residential core courses more efficiently, with mentoring, cohort reinforcement and spiritual formation provided online.

Emmanuel also launched a new Ministry Fellows Program which allows seminary students to gain paid ministry experience through partnerships with local churches. The Ministry Fellows Program is part of Emmanuel’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, funded through a million-dollar grant Milligan received from Lilly Endowment Inc. in December 2021.

Several athletes named national champions

Milligan student-athletes continue to achieve the highest standards on and off the field, competing in the NAIA. So far in 2023, Milligan athletes have won three individual national champion titles in track and field and one national champion title in swimming. Last fall, the university’s cross country teams followed up their men’s and women’s 2021 national championship team titles with the men’s and women’s national runner-up titles in 2022.

This academic year, Milligan has won Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) team championship titles in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s swimming, and men’s and women’s indoor track and field.

The Buffaloes captured the Duard Walker All-Sports Trophy last spring, which recognizes Milligan Athletics as the most successful all-around sports program in the conference.