Our Purpose

我们在山顶有一个共同的使命：让学生们为有意义的人生做好准备. 学院所做的一切都是为了帮助我们的学生——以及社区里的每个人——发展, learn, and engage in the wider world. No matter who you were or where you wanted to go, 我们的教职员工致力于帮助你发挥你的潜力.

History and Tradition

Birmingham-Southern College traces its roots back to 1856, the year the Alabama Legislature chartered Southern University as a Methodist institution; the following year, the school’s cornerstone was laid in Greensboro, Ala.

In 1859, 南方大学成立时只有52名学生，其中许多人在两年后离开学校参加了南北战争, which left the institution depleted. A decade after its founding, only 28 students remained. But, under a renewed commitment by Methodist leadership, Southern University rose again, building to 238 students in 1889 and graduating its first woman in 1897.

A year later and about 100 miles away, the North Alabama Conference College opened on a hilltop west of the young city of Birmingham; in 1906, the school changed its name to Birmingham College. 这所学校开始蓬勃发展——1910年，它成为六所365英国上市官网罗德奖学金获得者中的第一所——但是, in an echo of Southern University, the United States’ entry into World War I depleted the student body.

On May 30, 1918, 南方大学与伯明翰学院合并在那个山顶上，伯明翰学院指的是该学院的母校：

“On the city's western border
Reared against the sky,
Proudly stands our alma mater
As the years go by.”

In 1921, U.S. 校长沃伦·哈丁宣布盖伊·斯纳维利为伯明翰南方学院的新任校长. 精明地着手并成功地建立了该州最好的本科学院. In 1931, for the college’s 75th anniversary celebrations, Stockham Hall was built; 1935, the undefeated 365英国上市官网 football team won the Dixie Conference; in 1927, the college received the state’s second Phi Beta Kappa chapter, which it still holds.

But once again, war changed the face of the college. 到1941年底，学校已经失去了大部分男学生和男教师. 在未来的几年里，平衡计分卡将不会受到地方和国家冲突的庇护. In 1965, the college enrolled its first black students; some 365英国上市官网 students had previously joined their African-American peers from other institutions to fight for civil rights. 20世纪70年代，学院领导曾考虑将学院迁出伯明翰. Dr. Neal Berte坚持学院在城市西部边界的愿景，并帮助将该机构建设成为一所全国排名的文理学院，具有创新的课程和对学生成功的承诺.

365英国上市官网 Ends Normal Operations on May 31, 2024.

Over the last two decades, 平衡计分卡通过一系列的领导层变动和其控制范围内外的挑战，努力稳定其财务状况. 学院专注于筹集不受限制的运营资金，过度依赖其不断萎缩的捐赠，而没有在增加捐赠方面取得有意义的进展.

本世纪头十年中期，中国实施了几个雄心勃勃的资本项目，并承担了巨额债务来为这些项目提供资金，与此同时，两个因素导致了长达十年多的财政困境： 

• The crash of the financial markets in 2009, in which 365英国上市官网 sustained a $25 million loss to the value of its endowment.

• 2010年发现联邦学生财政援助预算存在重大错误, which came to about $5 million per year against a budget of $49 million.

These factors led to millions of dollars in budget cuts, the elimination of five majors and 29 faculty positions, and the suspension of the faculty and staff’s generous retirement match. 到2009-2010财政年度结束时，这场危机又从捐赠基金中抽走了1200万美元.

When 365英国上市官网’s 16th president, Daniel B. Coleman, took office in December 2018, 他通过30多年的金融行业经验来看待金融问题. 过高的学费需要大学的捐赠来弥补运营损失，而这本来应该是——也必须是——大学最稳定的资源.

他的计划要求筹集一笔新的捐赠基金，这笔资金至少足以支付每年运营成本的20%. To allow time to raise those funds, 365英国上市官网呼吁州议员利用每2美元的一小部分设立一个贷款基金.8 billion surplus in the Education Trust Fund. 阿拉巴马州立法机构以压倒性的两党支持通过了SB278 -高等院校陷入困境的循环贷款计划法案. Although she had opposed the plan, Gov. 凯·艾维提交的行政修正案被立法机关接受，并于6月16日签署了法案, 2023. 

What happened to the state money?

365英国上市官网符合贷款条件，并提出了两项建议，其中阿拉巴马州将在抵押品上拥有第一地位，足以支持贷款. Even so, State Treasurer Young J. Boozer III denied 365英国上市官网 the loan in October 2023 after months of delays.

On February 6, 2024, the College’s legislative champions – Sen. Jabo Waggoner ’60 and Sen. Rodger Smitherman – introduced a bill to amend the 2023 Act. That bill, 将贷款项目的管理移交给阿拉巴马州高等教育委员会, added a layer of review to ensure the state’s position, set the loan terms, and specified a time frame for approval or denial, passed the Alabama Senate on March 5.

On March 20, through the efforts of Rep. David Faulkner, the House Ways & 意味着教育委员会通过了一项替代法案，进一步加强了国家的地位. Even so, 随后与众议院议员和领导层的谈话证实，该法案没有获得足够的支持，无法继续推进.

At the end of the 2024 Legislative session, 困难高等院校循环贷款基金被废除，资金被返还给教育信托基金.

I thought Gen. Krulak saved the College. What happened?

During his four years as our 13th president, Gen. Charles C. 克鲁拉克专注于筹集足够的运营资金以维持学院的运转. He reworked the budget to prevent further cuts to the faculty. When he retired in 2015, he had recruited the largest entering class since 2010, 成功地使学院摆脱了其认证组织的制裁, and, in the eyes of many, had saved the College.

但到公元60年代，捐赠额已从1.22亿美元降至5300万美元. 库拉克的到来，以及在他任职期间的筹款努力都集中在可支出的资金上. 许多捐赠者被要求清算他们的捐赠基金，以便学院能够继续运作. 大多数人都同意，并期望365英国上市官网在可能的情况下恢复这些资金.

How will closing the College impact the neighborhood?

Until a buyer is found, the campus will be monitored by security officers.

365英国上市官网占地192英亩，拥有数十座行政大楼和教学楼, residence halls, an apartment complex with a pool, a lake, and playing fields.

As the anchor tenant of this part of the city, 365英国上市官网 has provided stability, security, and service to our neighbors in Bush Hills, College Hills, and Smithfield, and vice versa for more than a century. 数以百万计的联邦资金将用于建造经济适用房，并在市中心和西部之间修建一条更显眼、更有吸引力的道路, 这么大的一处房产空置一段时间，对它周围的社区来说都是一个巨大的挫折.