Yesterday, 1000’s of scholars, professors, employees, dad and mom, alumni and different supporters of Birmingham-Southern Faculty took to social media to share their grief.
After 168 years in Alabama, Birmingham-Southern Faculty will ceaselessly shut its doorways on Could 31, 2024—and Alabama won’t ever be the identical.
Throughout my sophomore 12 months at Southern, I took a seminar centered on the historical past of Birmingham. As a Nashville native and newcomer to town, I picked a analysis subject that I knew little or no about—the rise and fall of the magnificent Birmingham Terminal Station.
Because the semester glided by, I grew to become fascinated with the station; notably its design, harking back to the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia. The station was unparalleled in its magnificence and in contrast to something Birmingham had ever seen—or doubtless ever see once more.
Nevertheless, there was one factor I couldn’t wrap my head round. Why did individuals permit such a one-of-a-kind landmark to be torn down?
Clearing up misconceptions about Birmingham-Southern Faculty
Within the wake of yesterday’s announcement, I’ve seen many misconceptions in regards to the faculty and its causes for closing.
“BSC is closing as a result of it’s in a harmful space of city.” I’d wish to nip this one within the bud proper off the bat. Throughout my 4 years on campus, I by no means as soon as felt unsafe when out and about within the communities of Bush and Faculty Hills. Ask another graduate, and also you’ll hear the identical.
“BSC is closing due to its declining enrollment.” Whereas it’s true that Southern’s present pupil inhabitants is roughly half what it was after I graduated in 2019, declining enrollment is a symptom—not the trigger. After Southern introduced its monetary troubles in late 2022, many college students determined to switch and a big portion of potential college students started trying elsewhere.
“The state has no enterprise utilizing public funds to assist a non-public faculty.” In a vacuum, I’d agree with you. Nevertheless, it’s a reality that non-public faculties in Alabama obtain public funds repeatedly. In 2023, then-Senator Richard Shelby secured a $35M federal grant for Spring Hill Faculty, a non-public Catholic faculty in Cell.
Moreover, the 2023 Schooling Belief Fund funds—which had a $2.2 billion surplus—allotted $13,151,435 for Tuskegee College and $1,054,175 for Talladega Faculty, two personal HBCUs in Alabama.
In a state the place important funds had been virtually reallocated from the Schooling Belief Fund to finance personal prisons and a waterpark, it’s arduous to not really feel bitter that Southern was given the chilly shoulder—however I’m making an attempt.
Alabama is shedding one in all its greatest liberal arts faculties.
When Birmingham-Southern Faculty closes its doorways on Could 31, lots of of scholars and 1000’s of alumni will lose their “residence away from residence.” Lots of these—myself included—would by no means have thought-about an schooling in Alabama if not for Southern, a lot much less residing in Alabama post-graduation.
On June 1, shiny minds from across the nation and the world could have one much less cause to think about Alabama. For organizations that intention to draw and retain expertise within the state, this will probably be a big hurdle to beat.
Past that, the lack of Southern could have a adverse materials affect on Alabama for years to return.
- Alabama will lose $6.8M in tax income from Southern annually.
- Birmingham and Jefferson County will lose $7M in tax income from Southern annually.
- Lots of of staff, lots of them residents of Bush and Faculty Hills, will probably be out of a job.
- Potential college students looking for a high quality liberal arts schooling will look elsewhere, taking their tuition monies to different states.
What’s going to occur to Birmingham-Southern Faculty on June 1?
When Southern closes its doorways for the ultimate time on Could 31, metropolis and state leaders could have a fair larger drawback on their arms. What do you do with a 192-acre property smack dab in the course of a residential a part of city?
- Will the campus and its 45 buildings—lots of which date to the early 1900s—be razed and bought off to a developer?
- Will the property be bought to a different faculty or college as a satellite tv for pc campus?
- Or will the campus sit deserted for many years, just like the close by Carraway Hospital, till native authorities is compelled to contribute tens of millions to demolish the blighted property?
In the present day, 55 years after it was torn down, the realm the place Birmingham Terminal Station stood for 60 years stays an empty lot.
I don’t know what the longer term holds for my alma mater’s stunning, 200-acre campus, however I do know this:
On Saturday, June 1, 2024, Alabama will lose an establishment that has modified numerous lives. And we are going to by no means get it again.
Ahead, ever.