1980. During Barker's tenure, Dr. James H. Amburgey served as the academic dean at the college. Upon Barker's retirement, Amburgey became the college president and served until 1984. Following Amburgey was Dr. Stephen Fritz. In 2003, Dr. James A. Noseworthy became the college's 21st president. Hiwassee College was accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, but in 2008 their accreditation was withdrawn. Noseworthy sought to save the school, despite its troubles. During this time, it went from 400 students to only 100. On November 3, 2009 it attained candidacy status for accreditation as a Category II institution by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). Noseworthy reitred in April 2010. In 2011, Dr. Robin Tricoli was named the 22nd President of Hiwassee College. Under her tenure, the college attained full accreditation through TRACS in October 2013 and reaffirmed in 2018. Affiliation with the Methodist Church Although closely tied to the Methodist Church since its founding, it was not until 1908 that the Trustees of Hiwassee College and the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South entered into an agreement for joint operation of the institution. Hiwassee College came under the complete control and ownership of the Methodist Church-South in 1937, shortly before its reunion with its northern counterpart in 1939. Prior to 1980, the three United Methodist-related colleges in the Holston Conference (a geographic region that includes East Tennessee and small parts of southwest Virginia and north Georgia) were governed by a unified Board of Trustees. In 1980, the Board of Trustees established a separate Board of Governors for each institution, and by 1990, each of the three colleges operated under a separate, independent Board of Trustees. Closure and aftermath The college closed on May 10, 2019 due to financial issues. Students and alumni protested the announcement of the closure and many parents of enrolled students raised concerns about the lack of communication from the board of trustees. Neighboring colleges, including Maryville College, Pellissippi State Community College, and South College offered students transfer assistance. The Hiwassee College Alumni Association Inc. (HCAA) submitted a non-cash offer for the college and its debt in July 2019 with hopes of reopening the college. The campus was put up for sale on January 2, 2020 for $8.6 million dollars. The offering Memorandum states, "The Trustees of Hiwassee College now intend to divest the real property owned by the college,