Birmingham Southern College
Struggling Birmingham-Southern College says it will close at end of May
The College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to close the longtime institution, officials announced in a news release. The announcement came after legislation, aimed at securing a taxpayer-backed loan for the 168-year-old private college, had recently stalled in the Alabama Statehouse.
Anti-DEI bill becomes law as lawmakers return for the second half of the session
Alabama lawmakers returned from spring break this week to take on several priorities for the Republican majority. Chief among them was a bill that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools, universities and government offices.
City OK’s $5 million to help keep Birmingham-Southern College open
BSC President Daniel Coleman said in a statement that next he’ll ask Jefferson County to meet the city’s commitment, focus on private donors and reengage with state leaders to work on getting more funding.
Montgomery judge dismisses Birmingham-Southern College lawsuit against state
Judge James Anderson said he was “sympathetic” to the college, but said after a roughly hour-long hearing that phrasing in the law favored the treasurer.
Birmingham-Southern sues Alabama state treasurer, says college was wrongfully denied loan
The lawsuit contends Treasurer Young Boozer wrongly denied the college a loan from the program created this year to provide a financial lifeline to the institution. The 167-year-old college will likely close without emergency relief from the court, lawyers wrote in the lawsuit filed Wednesday.
BSC prez ‘disappointed’ legislature didn’t approve funding but will continue push to stay open
The Alabama Legislature opted not to spend some of the state’s $1 billion-plus allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act to keep the financially troubled liberal arts college open.
Private Alabama college seeks bailout, warning it may close
State legislators warn that Birmngham-Southern College may close within months without money from the state and county.
Martin Luther King’s 1963 Birmingham arrest spurred a Supreme Court case. The ruling still matters
The case is Walker v. City of Birmingham, which ruled on the legal principles that allowed Bull Conner and Birmingham to jail Martin Luther King Jr. on Good Friday, 1963. Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy explains why the case continues to impact legal thinking during these tumultuous times.
Birmingham Gives Tax Breaks For UAB-Area Student Apartment Project, Commission Expected To Follow Suit
The company building a seven-story student housing development near UAB received permission from the city this week to forgo some property and sale taxes for the project. The county is now set to hear a similar request later this week.
Former Finance Exec to Lead Birmingham-Southern College
Birmingham-Southern College has named a new president to replace Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith, who retired earlier this fall. Officials approved the appointment in a meeting Thursday morning.
“Astonishing” Find Could Be New Pre-Human Species
Last month, scientists in South Africa revealed “Little Foot,” a three-million-year-old pre-human skeleton that could tell us a lot about ourselves. After an unlikely discovery story, a Birmingham-Southern College scientist is helping to analyze this potential new species.
“Resilience” is Theme to Documentary, Music about Syrian Refugee Camp
Birmingham native, Dunya Habash, spent two weeks in a Syrian refuge camp in 2014. She was filming for her recently released documentary, Za’atari: Jordan’s Newest City about a settlement created following the Syrian civil war. A recent honors graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, Habash tells WBHM’s Esther Ciammachilli about this experience and how her own music helped tell the story.
Birmingham-Southern Professor Michael Flowers Named 2015 Professor of the Year
For more than three decades, Michael Flowers has been teaching acting at Birmingham-Southern College. Flowers was recently named 2015 Alabama Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation.
Birmingham-Southern College Names New President
Birmingham-Southern College announced Wednesday Edward Leonard will become the school’s next president. He comes to BSC after eight years as president of Bethany College in Kansas. Leonard takes over from General Charles Krulak who is retiring after four years on the job. Krulak helped lead BSC through a major fiscal crisis that brought budget cuts and layoffs. Leonard spoke with WBHM’s Andrew Yeager and says he’s been familiar with Birmingham-Southern for decades.
