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‘SOUTHERN VOICES
Among the many
wonderful messages
I received after being
selected as the new
chair of the BSC
Board of Trustees, my
favorite was a postcard
discussing “Fort BSC.”
The sender offered
encouragement that
“the forces of good are
sure to prevail” and
gave assurance that he
stood “ready to serve.”
The sender referred to
me as “Private Rogers,”
and I’m really hoping
I’ll earn a promotion
after being on the job
a while. Certainly my
predecessor, Wayne Killion ’72, earned
the highest rank for his steady and
healing presence as chair these past
three years.
Reference to a “fort” may be
misinterpreted by some to be a
defensive posture, and the truth is that
this college is
not
hunkered down.
We are absolutely moving ahead and
life here is exciting and great. All
credit for the successes of late goes
to the extraordinary leadership of
Gen. Krulak and his entire team.
Financial discipline is in place, 10-year
reaffirmation of our reaccreditation
is within our sights, and enrollment
is growing. Additional credit for
our “forces of good” goes especially
to current and former trustees,
alumni, and friends who quietly and
generously give their resources to
Birmingham-Southern. All of this
support enables the college to excel at
its primary purpose, educating students
and preparing them for the future.
Only one thing in life is certain—
change. The college has shifted its
focus from looking backward at
where we have been; instead we are
looking forward to explore how much
better we can become at providing
the best education. According to the
latest edition of Loren Pope’s
Colleges
That Change Lives
, we continue to
be recognized as one of 40 colleges
offering a transformative experience to
a broad range of students. The college
changes lives because the value of
doing the right thing at the right time
is so much a part of the education
here.
We are often considered the best
college or university in Alabama, but
our reach is so much broader. About
half of our students come from outside
the state, including from more than 20
countries. I recently met an incoming
first-year student from Birmingham
who is thinking about becoming a
lawyer. He recognizes that a high
percentage of our students are accepted
into the most prestigious law schools,
and he knows that professors like Dr.
Mark Lester (himself a lawyer) will
be ready to expand his mind. This
Birmingham freshman will be rooming
with a classmate from Vietnam who
has never even been to the United
States. That young man researched
colleges and universities with the best
mathematics programs and chose
our alma mater. One of our math
professors, Dr. Bernie Mullins, will
be using the latest technology and
online platforms to teach mathematics
to our student from Vietnam. We
are truly bringing worlds together
and expanding the reach of BSC well
beyond our state borders.
Birmingham-Southern:
“A force for good”
by Bruce Rogers ’80, BSC Board of Trustees chair
This college is changing for the
better by focusing on outcomes. In
a highly competitive world, our
students are being equipped to become
the professionals of tomorrow—
physicians, ministers, teachers,
dentists, lawyers, entrepreneurs,
business leaders, writers, artists, and
more. Technology is being embraced
and used effectively by our world-class
faculty; that is just one element of their
commitment to our students both in
and out of the classroom.
There seems to be an innate ability
encoded in our college’s DNA to learn
from experience and to change for the
better. Your Board of Trustees is doing
just that—we are finding new ways
to help BSC educate today’s students
for tomorrow’s opportunities and
challenges. Having abundant resources
to do the job is absolutely critical,
so we are continually expanding our
“forces of good.” “Private Rogers” asks
each of my fellow alumni to not only
“stand ready to serve,” but to also step
up and join with me and the board
so that the “forces of good” will allow
Birmingham-Southern to continue
to explore, experience, and excel.
Forward, Ever!
Editor’s Note
:
Bruce Rogers is a partner
and attorney with Bainbridge, Mims,
Rogers & Smith LLP in Birmingham.
He was elected chair of the Birmingham-
Southern College Board of Trustees in
June. His role, along with other board
members and BSC President Gen. Charles
C. Krulak, is to ensure that the college
continues to thrive while maintaining its
premier academic program.