General Krulak Wraps up Time at Birmingham-Southern College

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/06/Krulak-Retirement.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:300;s:4:"file";s:29:"2015/06/Krulak-Retirement.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Krulak-Retirement-336x168.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:168;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Krulak-Retirement-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"Krulak-Retirement-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Krulak-Retirement-470x235.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:235;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Krulak-Retirement-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => BIrmingham-Southern College
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:169269;s:14:"optimized_size";i:93944;s:7:"percent";d:44.5;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Krulak-Retirement.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:68583;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27449;s:7:"percent";d:59.979999999999997;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Krulak-Retirement-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6084;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4586;s:7:"percent";d:24.620000000000001;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Krulak-Retirement-336x168.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:12688;s:14:"optimized_size";i:8644;s:7:"percent";d:31.870000000000001;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Krulak-Retirement-600x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:34830;s:14:"optimized_size";i:22404;s:7:"percent";d:35.68;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Krulak-Retirement-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20382;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13264;s:7:"percent";d:34.920000000000002;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Krulak-Retirement-470x235.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:21575;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13742;s:7:"percent";d:36.310000000000002;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Krulak-Retirement-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5127;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3855;s:7:"percent";d:24.809999999999999;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1636116032 
1434690020

When Birmingham-Southern College President General Charles Krulak announced his retirement in December, he told students, “this was a great time.”  The former Marine Commandant and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff came to BSC four years ago when the campus was reeling from major financial turmoil. Faculty and programs were cut. Its accrediting agency issued a warning against BSC.

Krulak is recognized for a leading a turnaround at the school that gained accolades from students, faculty and the larger community. As he prepares to step down at the end of June, WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Krulak in his office.

 

An Extended Interview:

 

Interview Highlights

What stands out from the last four years:

“Even in the toughest times we were bringing in remarkable students.  And equally if not more importantly we were graduating remarkable students who in my opinion are graduating as young men and women of character who are going to go and live a life of significance.  And I think that’s been the real joy of the hilltop.”

 

Why he’s staying in Birmingham despite no previous ties to the city:

“Birmingham really is unique.  The people care.  They are warm.  They take responsibility and accountability very seriously.  They have welcomed my wife and I.  We are strangers in a strange place if you think about it.  And they welcomed us and showed us real love.  We basically fell in love with them.”

 

On what he’ll do next:

“I’ve already got an office with [Former Birmingham-Southern President] Neal [Berte].  He and I are already planning our strategy for continuing to help Birmingham-Southern College but also to be prepared to do whatever the city wants us to do to help make it a better city.  I am certainly not and neither is Neal, have the ego or have the belief that we can make any major difference.  What we want to do is be servants to the city.  And if the city has something they’d like us to do or me to do, I’m going to be prepared to do it.”

 

Stressed at work over the election? 3 ways to minimize political tension on the job

Political disagreements have sent workplace incivility to an all-time high this year, costing employers some $2 billion per day in lost productivity. Here’s how to cut down on watercooler fights over today’s election – and its aftermath. 

Here’s how NPR will report the 2024 election results

NPR relies on results and race calls from The Associated Press for presidential races, other federal elections and statewide contests.

Lucas & Arthur Jussen release ‘little diamonds’ EP of lesser-known piano duets

NPR's A Martínez speaks with Dutch brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen about their new EP, Rêve, featuring piano duets by lesser-known composers influenced by — or rejecting — French Impressionism.

Figures and Dobson are in a heated battle for a redrawn Alabama House district

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama voters will decide who will represent a congressional district that was redrawn after a lengthy legal battle that drew national attention and could provide a rare opportunity for Democrats to flip a seat in the Deep South. Democrat Shomari Figures, a former top aide to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, […]

A wild election is coming to a close — and no one is sure how it will end

From candidate swaps to assassination attempts, the final months of the campaign has been a whirlwind. Here's why the outcome is so consequential.

Trump and allies have primed supporters to falsely believe he has no chance of losing

Many of former President Donald Trump’s supporters don’t believe he lost in 2020. Despite a close race again in 2024, Trump and allies still falsely claim the only way he loses is because of cheating.

More Education Coverage