Johnson University to close its Kissimmee doors

A local Christian university announced it will be closing in 2024, after a decade-long run, citing “challenges in enrollment” at the Kissimmee campus.

Johnson University Florida, on Bill Beck Boulevard adjacent to Osceola Heritage Park recently released a statement on its website making the announcement.

It will close effective June 30, 2024.

The university acquired Florida Christian College in 2013 after the college had lost its accreditation and faced significant financial hardships. Johnson University Florida is part of the Johnson University system with its main campus outside Knoxville, Tenn.

“All of us at Johnson have enjoyed serving the Central Florida community. Many of our students have come from Central Florida, and this is home for our faculty and staff. The engagement with the churches in this area, with the people of the Kissimmee and St. Cloud communities, and with our immediate neighbors here around the campus have been highlights,” said Jennifer Johnson, university communications officer. “As a university, we seek to educate students for Christian ministries and other strategic vocations, and we have appreciated the opportunity to do that in such a diverse and vibrant community.”

Johnson University’s trustees and leadership team members said they believed they could create a Florida campus that reached a more diverse student body for ministry and service.

Many existing supporters of Florida Christian College rallied Johnson’s efforts, officials said, and established a list of accomplishments. It included graduating more than 300 students to date. It also significantly improved facilities, including the new cafeteria and café, the soccer field, and the renovation of the Chapman Center gymnasium and auditorium.

“However, we continued to face challenges in enrollment at the Florida campus. Each academic year saw declining or disappointing results, which led to increasing operating deficits,” according to the statement.

In February of 2021, Johnson’s Board of Trustees endorsed a “turnaround plan,” the website stated. It included four benchmarks. They were: increasing student enrollment, improving student retention; decreasing the budget deficit on the Florida campus; and increasing gift income to the campus.

It then rolled out a number of strategies, such as hiring a campus minister to keep students engaged and enrolled until graduation. It also added new sports curriculums including softball, baseball, and women’s soccer.

“Despite strong efforts from the Johnson University Florida faculty and staff, we have been unsuccessful in increasing enrollment significantly and the campus has not made sufficient progress toward its benchmarks,” Johnson said.

The university is working with students, faculty and to help them with future endeavors, officials said.

Students can transfer to the Tennessee campus to complete their degree after this year. The university is offering a “last-dollar” tuition program which will cover the cost of their tuition after grants and scholarships are applied. For those who complete this academic year at the Florida campus and wish to finish their degree online, the university is offering a 50 percent tuition discount.

The university also developed transfer options with Florida College, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Southeastern University in Lakeland, Trinity College of Florida, and Warner University.

“During Johnson’s 10year history operating a campus in Osceola County, we have had some ‘cream of the crop’ students enrolled here,” Johnson said. “Our graduates now live across the world, and they are impacting their churches and communities in a positive way because of the education and inspiration they received at Johnson. We are proud of our students and express our appreciation to them, to our tremendous faculty and staff members, and to the community for all of the support. We look forward to welcoming our fall class to Johnson next month as we continue to provide a quality education for their final year before we close in June 2024.”

University officials said they would be meeting with each faculty member about the campus closing. Some will be asked to stay on as staff or faculty at the Tennessee campus; others will not. Staff being let go will receive severance pay based on years of service. Faculty will be paid per their current contracts through the end of the academic year.