Birmingham-Southern College to stay open — for now

 1665288546 
1680871503
Birmingham-Southern students react with joy at the news of their college staying open.

Birmingham-Southern students react with joy at the news of their college staying open.

Cameron Carnes, Birmingham-Southern College

When Sam Wall and his peers at Birmingham-Southern College walked into the campus wide meeting Thursday, he said there was a palpable buzz of nerves and anxiety in the room. Then the college president started crying and Wall wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing.

“I’m sitting there thinking, man, this might be a little rough,” he said.

Wall is a freshman and football player for BSC and he wasn’t sure if his first year at the college would be his last. In December 2022, college officials revealed that years of financial stress could force Birmingham-Southern to close this spring. The college said the financial crisis was a combination of the 2008 recession, an accounting error, overspending from its endowment and declining enrollment. For current students the situation caused a lot of stress and left many of them in limbo.

“It’s been hard for a lot of people. We’ve had a few people transfer. And, you know, just because of finances, they didn’t want to risk it,” Wall said.

Wall himself said he had a lot of faith in the college and that faith paid off when, after a 12-hour meeting, the Board of Trustees decided unanimously to keep Birmingham-Southern open.

“They dropped it on us and I was jumping, like I was grabbing all my boys. I was like, come on!” he said with a laugh.

Wall said he’s looking forward to the next three years of playing football and enjoying the Birmingham-Southern community.

Still needs money

But amidst the excitement, there is a caveat. College leaders said they still need the millions of dollars from the state and local governments to stay open. That means Thursday’s decision may only be temporary. In December, Birmingham-Southern asked the state for $30 million and $7.5 million from local governments.

Earlier this year, Gov. Kay Ivey said that the state had no plans to use public funds to bail out a private college. Still college leaders, like Rev. Keith D. Thompson, who is chair of the Board of Trustees, hopes that BSC will be able to get funding.

“We will continue to work with legislators through the end of the legislative session to ensure all are aware of the significant direct economic impact BSC provides each and every year, as well as the immense contributions made by our alumni to the civic, business, and political leadership of our state,” Thompson said in a press release.

Students stand around in shock.
Students say the crowd erupted when it was announced that Birmingham-Southern would stay open next fall.

The city of Birmingham and some area lawmakers have voiced support for Birmingham-Southern and continue to help the institution lobby for funds.

“I want to commend Birmingham-Southern College’s leadership for their tireless efforts to remain open. This is particularly important for the students and staff that make up the BSC community,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin in a statement. “It is also good news for the surrounding residents who view Birmingham-Southern College as their neighbor. As President Coleman and BSC leadership continue taking the next steps for a financial recovery, I urge everyone to learn more about the impact and importance of this institution in our city.”

For Birmingham-Southern Student Body President and senior Lauren Barnett, this whole situation has reaffirmed her commitment to the college and her love for the school community.

“[I] cried a few tears of joy and kind of was just a little bit in shock, honestly, just to finally hear that we’ll be able to stay open,” Barnett said. “It’s definitely been a lot of anxiety and a lot of fear over the last couple of months. But I think we all came together pretty well to get through it and finally to get through it to good news.”

Barnett said she trusts that the college administration’s decision was made with a good sense that the private liberal arts college will be able to get the funding they need. And it gives her hope — that her efforts to support students and save the school will have meant something.

“It’s really at this point, just shifting to showing our gratitude and doing everything we can to make sure that this decision becomes a permanent decision,” Barnett said.

Barnett said more meetings are to come to see exactly what this process moving forward looks like.

In a statement, college President Daniel Coleman says the college is reaching out to prospective students and will be hiring more faculty and staff after losing some over the recent months of uncertainty. BSC has secured $46 million in pledges from private donors towards a goal of $200 million to restore its endowment.

Kyra Miles is a Report for America corps member covering education for WBHM.

 

At the Supreme Court, the case of the candidate who sued, even though he won

At issue was a suit by Rep. Michael Bost, R-Ill., challenging an Illinois regulation that allows ballots mailed in by Election Day to be counted for up to 14 days after polls close.

Israel and Hamas agree on the ‘first phase’ of Gaza ceasefire deal

The deal raises the possibility that the war may now be over, ending the bloodiest fighting ever between Israelis and Palestinians.

After Spain’s blackout, critics blamed renewable energy. It’s part of a bigger attack

When millions lost power in Spain and Portugal this spring, some were quick to blame too much solar and wind power. That wasn't the cause, but the misinformation had an impact.

‘Fairyland’ recalls a girl’s life with her poet father in pre-AIDS San Francisco

Alysia Abbott's memoir about growing up in 1970s San Francisco with her gay, single father, has been adapted into a film directed by Andrew Durham and produced by Sofia Coppola.

Los Angeles: Spaghetti Cumbia, a band born from cultural fusion

Photographers and storytellers Karla Gachet and Ivan Kashinsky document cumbia music in Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and the United States.

What are your holiday shopping plans? NPR wants to hear from you

Is this the season of cutbacks or splurges? As we prepare to cover holiday shopping and deals, NPR wants to hear from you, whatever your plans may be.

More Education Coverage