Ralston College expands Savannah footprint through lease of former Parker's headquarters

Ralston College is expanding its presence in Savannah.

From the front balcony of the historic Philbrick-Eastman House, violinist and Ralston student Ari Johnson serenaded fellow pupils as well as faculty, administration and community members gathered for the ribbon cutting of the liberal arts college's new administrative offices off Chippewa Square.

Also on hand were Stephen Blackwood, founding president of Ralston College, and Greg Parker founder and CEO of Parker’s Kitchen, who is leasing the former home of Parker's Companies corporate offices to the college, which is a private institution offering a graduate-level degree program in the humanities through a classical approach to education.

'Onward and upward': Ralston plans for future growth

Blackwood ended his official remarks in front of the side entrance to the Philbrick-Eastman House along McDonough Street, with a thank you and "onward and upward," which seems to be where Ralston is headed.

In comments made ahead of the ceremonial ribbon cutting, Blackwood said, "“This iconic property is one of six that the college now leases in Savannah, and we could not be more proud to have the support of its owner and magnificent steward, Greg Parker, one of the most accomplished entrepreneurs here in the South.”

Parker has credited Lori Judge, CEO of Judge Realty, for brokering the partnership with the college. He said he moved his company's corporate offices because "we just got too big for offices downtown, so we ended up buying the Gulfstream building out of the airport so that we can get everybody under one roof."

Parker was glad to be able to lease the spaces to a single tenant, expressing that Ralston will be a great "community partner."

Blackwood noted that "it's about a 10- to 12-minute walk in total from one end to the other of our developing campus." According to the college's public relations statement, the deal increases its total Savannah footprint to 50,000 square feet.

Blackwood said the Philbrick-Eastman House's 37 offices will serve as Ralston's primary administrative headquarters. Ralston's main academic facility is at 26 E. Gaston St, the historic Mills B. Lane House. The Master of Arts in Humanities program detailed on Ralston's website entails four terms, the first of which takes place in Greece while the final three happen in Savannah.

The program description states that it focuses on Western civilization, "from the Greek world of Homer, to Ancient Rome and Medieval Europe, into the Renaissance and up to our modern era." Each academic year's structure appears to be guided by a particular theme. Nature will serve as the theme for the school's upcoming 2024-25 academic year.

Accreditation concern?: Ralston College previously faced accreditation deadline

Still working toward accreditation

Last summer, Ralston faced a deadline to secure a national accreditor in order to retain its ability to confer degrees. Ralston College's FAQ page states that the school is currently seeking accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). As of Nov. 16, 2023, NECHE authorized Ralston to publish the following statement:

“The New England Commission of Higher Education has determined that Ralston College is eligible to proceed with an application for candidacy for accreditation within two years. A determination of eligibility is not candidacy or accreditation, nor does it indicate a likelihood of eventual accreditation. Questions about eligibility and the accreditation process should be directed to the President of the Commission.”

Historically, colleges and universities sought accreditation from regional accrediting bodies or national accrediting bodies. NECHE's President of the Commission Lawrence Schall provided insights via email that this changed in 2020 after a review of federal regulations by the United States Department of Education under Betsy DeVos. The change allowed for regional accreditors to become national.

Schall said the change also "allowed schools to choose their own accrediting agency regardless of geography." He cited schools from across the country, though predominantly from New York, seeking out NECHE for accreditation. He acknowledged that Ralston was going through NECHE's process though not yet accredited.

Blackwood said the college's next step is to become a "candidate for accreditation" with NECHE though he emphasized that the school is already authorized to operate and award degrees by the State of Georgia's Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission.

Students from Ralston's "second-ever cohort" attended Wednesday's ribbon cutting. They will be admitted to their MA Humanities degrees this May. Blackwood briefly discussed plans for future growth mentioning the intention to launch an undergraduate program that will ultimately scale up to 300 students on top of about 100 graduate-level students by the end of the college's first decade.

The college is currently accepting applications for the 2024-25 academic year. Those interested in applying must request an application form through the school's website.

Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah's Ralston College expands with former Parker's office space