After 168 years, Birmingham-Southern College closing in May

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Birmingham-Southern College is closing at the end of May 2024.

The Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday.

The chair of the board, Rev. Keith D. Thompson, stated that the bill 
"designed to amend the 2023 legislation that established the loan program 
on which our future depended failed to win sufficient support" in an email 
statement.

"This is a tragic day for the College, our students, our employees, and 
our alumni, and an outcome so many have worked tirelessly to prevent," 
Thompson said in a statement. "We understand the devastating impact this 
has on each of you, and we will now direct our efforts toward ensuring the 
smoothest possible transition for everyone involved."

Planning is underway for students who will be transferring and those who 
plan to finish their degree this summer, according to the school. A small 
group of seniors who planned to complete their degrees this summer will be 
able to complete their requirements online or through agreements with 
other institutions, the school said.

The college will also "offer as much help as possible" for employees, most 
of whom will be out of jobs after May 31.

Thompson wrote at length about what comes next:

"As Chair of the Board, as a proud alumnus, as the parent of three sons 
who attended BSC, and as a former member of the BSC staff, I want you to 
know that I share your heartbreak, anger, and frustration over the 
devastating loss of this 168-year-old treasure.

"I want you to know that Daniel B. Coleman has been a warrior for BSC 
since the moment he became BSC’s 16th president in December 2018. He 
envisioned a path forward for the College, worked tirelessly to convince 
others that BSC could overcome its challenges, and invested his 
considerable time, remarkable talent, and personal resources in the effort 
to save it. No one wanted that more than he did.

"The Board is also deeply grateful to the College’s senior leadership, who 
have displayed loyalty, resiliency, and integrity in the face of long 
odds. It takes uncommon strength to show up every day knowing that the 
deck is stacked against you, and each day you consistently put your best 
effort into every task that was before you.

"To the faculty, staff, and students who made the decision to stay and 
chose to join the fight instead of taking the easy path, I am overwhelmed 
with pride in the way you have carried yourself throughout these difficult 
times. While the outcome was not what any of us desired, the way you 
exemplified an indomitable spirit and expressed yourself with integrity 
consistently demonstrated the very essence of what we were working to 
preserve.

"It is for all of you that my heart breaks, while at the same time it is 
what you have personified that emboldens my hope for the future of a world 
with you in it. Throughout this struggle, you have fully lived into this 
College’s watchword."

Birmingham-Southern College leaders and State Treasurer Young Boozer 
engaged in a war of words over qualifications for a loan that would allow 
the school to continue operations.

"With support from the City of Birmingham, the North Alabama Conference of 
the United Methodist Church, and some private donors, the College averted 
a mid-year closure. However, the future depended on securing the bridge 
loan from the State," according to the school in a statement.

But Boozer denied that loan.

The $30 million set aside in 2023 for the loan program remains unused.

The community reacts
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin released a statement within the hour of 
the decision.

"Word of the decision to close Birmingham Southern College is 
disappointing and heartbreaking to all of us who recognize it as a 
stalwart of our community," Woodfin said in his statement.

"I’ve stood alongside members of our City Council to protect this 
institution and its proud legacy of shaping leaders. It’s frustrating that 
those values were not shared by lawmakers in Montgomery.

"To President Coleman, you have our undying gratitude for your relentless 
pursuit of solutions during this difficult time. Your dedication to BSC 
will not be overlooked. And to the many students past and present who call 
BSC home, know that you are part of the fabric of this city.

"Forward, Ever."

https://www.wvtm13.com/article/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-minute-by-
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