Belmont University is preparing an accreditation improvement plan for its young medical school while confronting complaints that faculty members fear retaliation for challenging administrators’ decisions.
Two anonymous letters addressed to President L. Gregory Jones and Provost David Gregory raise concerns about academic standards, personnel decisions and spending at the Thomas F. Frist College of Medicine. The correspondence comes as the Nashville school faces two years of probation imposed in July by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, delaying its progress toward full accreditation.
Belmont says some concerns overlap with problems it is already working to resolve, including research output, operational support and clearer responsibilities for accreditation work. But the university disputes many of the letters’ allegations and has expressed confidence in Dean Anderson Spickard and his leadership team.
The medical school began classes in August 2024. Its accreditation difficulties now place added importance on how administrators and faculty work together to correct deficiencies while educating its first cohorts of students.
Admissions and academic decisions
One accreditation finding concerns the authority and operating procedures of the admissions committee. Belmont acknowledged that the school received an unsatisfactory rating on that requirement and said it is revising procedures to ensure admissions decisions follow established rules.
The university characterized the finding as a process problem, not a judgment about any applicant’s qualifications.
The faculty letters also challenge the April 2026 dismissal of a tenured neuroscience professor, describing it as retaliation for reporting policy violations. The former professor said the college allowed a student with a 69.91 course score to advance despite a minimum passing score of 70.
Belmont said its handling of the grade reflected compassion toward a student who had already been told they passed. The university declined to discuss the professor’s dismissal, citing its policy on individual personnel matters, and said employment decisions follow established university procedures.
The letter writers argue that dismissing a professor who raised concerns undermines academic freedom and discourages other faculty members from speaking openly.
Dispute over workplace climate
The authors describe an environment in which criticism of administrative decisions can carry professional consequences. They say their decision to remain anonymous reflects fear of reprisals and accuse leadership of concentrating on identifying people who share concerns rather than resolving the problems behind probation.
Belmont acknowledged receiving both letters during the summer. In a Sept. 11 statement, it said anonymity prevented administrators from verifying the writers’ identities, university affiliations or number, or discussing the allegations directly with them.
The university said some assertions were false or misrepresented leadership decisions and the accreditation record. It said an action plan would assign responsibility for each cited accreditation requirement and draw on faculty and staff expertise.
Student lawsuit remains disputed
The letters also question the retention and promotion of anatomy professor Ryan Splittgerber, who is named in a lawsuit brought by former student Ilyana Ilieva.
Ilieva’s lawsuit alleges that the school failed to provide promised accommodations for health-related difficulties with coursework and testing. It also accuses Splittgerber of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching after he offered to help her maintain her academic standing.
Belmont and the medical school deny the lawsuit’s allegations. University attorneys are defending Splittgerber, a decision a university spokesperson described as reflecting confidence in him.
Ilieva was dismissed in February 2025. She is the only student to have left the program since instruction began.
Belmont says medical school faculty and staff undergo annual Title IX and sexual misconduct training. Students also receive information about behavioral expectations, reporting procedures and support resources.
Staffing and compensation concerns
The letters raise additional questions about faculty pay, outside employment and staffing needs. The faculty roster has vacancies in specialties including endocrinology, nephrology, cardiology and pathology, and another professor has given notice of an October departure.
The writers criticize compensation for some physicians and allege that outside work conflicts with their college responsibilities. Belmont’s 2024 tax filing lists two medical school radiologists among the university’s highest-paid employees.
In response to questions about outside work, Belmont said it has a formal agreement allowing a faculty member to review medical imaging in an external clinical role. The university said the arrangement gives students exposure to clinical imaging practice and includes compensation adjustments and documentation requirements for oversight.
Belmont says its priorities remain students, accreditation improvements and the medical school’s long-term stability. Its next steps include completing the detailed corrective plan and clarifying who is responsible for addressing each accreditation deficiency.