BRISTOL, Tenn. King University was born of conflict and conflict again reared its head in recent months. Now officials, faculty, students and alumni of the private, Presbyterian school are reaching out to find common ground and move forward.

The school was established after the Civil War when Presbyterians who supported the Confederacy found themselves without a church college in the region. Local minister and landowner James King donated land and the school opened in 1867.

Present-day King boasts 14 years of record enrollment, multiple satellite campuses in other parts of Tennessee and Virginia and the most athletic and cultural arts offerings in the schools history.

But with the growth came dissension. Some professors were sent packing, students took to the school sidewalks and alumni to social media to call for the firing of President Greg Jordan the overseer of those accomplishments and the school for nearly two decades. After months of controversy, Jordan resigned Feb. 14.

All seemed dissatisfied with the direction of the college away from liberal arts and more toward business and away from Bristol into big cities in Tennessee. Many complained that the school operated like a dictatorship and students and faculty had no involvement in and little knowledge about changes.

One week after Jordans resignation, and with the arrival of longtime Board of Trustees member Richard Ray as interim president, the mood on the Bristol, Tenn., campus last week was optimistic, according to students and two academic deans.

If I can say one thing about all this controversy, I think it has made King as strong as it has been in many years, said Student Government Association President Andre Latimore.

What went right?

The Jordan administration lasted 18 years and according to Board of Trustees member Marcia Porter, he left King in better shape than when he arrived.

King University is the institution it is today, with expanding campuses, additional programs and multiple learning platforms due to his vision, leadership and business acumen, Porter said in a statement announcing Jordans departure.

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King University looking to put conflicts behind, move forward