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COMMUNITY NEWS
From the President’s Desk
Critical moment in college’s history coming up this fall
Each year, when we open school with a faculty and staff
assembly, I outline our priorities for the academic year. This
year, one priority is very clearly right at the top: Birmingham-
Southern’s 10-year reaffirmation review. Many of you have
heard a great deal about our efforts to prepare for this
moment—and now that it’s here, we are ready.
In November, a team of reviewers appointed by our
accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools’ Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), will arrive
on campus. We are excited to show them everything we
have accomplished in the past few years. We have retooled
our administration to make sure we have the best-qualified
leaders for the college. We have updated our methods of
assessing students’ progress. We have gone through our
policies and procedures with a fine-toothed comb to make
sure we’re following the best practices in higher education.
And—thanks to our alumni and supporters—we have put the
college on a firm financial footing, reining in spending and
raising $8.8 million in the last fiscal year alone. I am deeply
appreciative of everyone who has worked so hard in these
efforts.
But perhaps the most exciting part of the process is
watching our Quality Enhancement Plan come to fruition.
When I arrived on campus, we were just beginning to talk
about what the focus should be for improving student
learning. This fall, we unveiled the full force of the rise3
initiative to engage students through experiential education.
Watching the banners go up, the t-shirts appear, and the
general buzz of enthusiasm about rise3 has been a thrill.
Hearing the stories of the students’ own experiences has been
even better. You can read some of them on p. 20.
We are truly in the homestretch of a very long and hard
race. I am confident that this spring, we will be able to
share news about receiving our 10-year reaffirmation of
accreditation. This auspicious event, coupled with the
success we have seen in all other aspects in recent years,
will set us up to really become the college we know we can
be—a premier, nationally recognized residential, liberal arts,
college. Believe me, when it happens, we’ll be cheering on
the Hilltop!
BSC welcomes new class of interns for second year of Project
SEARCH; program awarded by UCP
Birmingham-Southern’s Project SEARCH program, which is in its second year running, has been presented with the “Program
Partner of the Year” award from United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham (UCP).
The UCP’s annual Life Without Limits Awards honor individuals and groups who have made a significant impact in the lives of
people with disabilities. The award is a feather in the cap for BSC’s one-year internship program, which helps young adults with
intellectual and physical disabilities improve their chances of employment.
Ten interns are working Monday through Friday in multiple departments across campus, practicing repetitive and systematic
job skills while learning the art of small talk with co-workers. They are assigned job coaches from Project SEARCH who give
them continual feedback. A formal graduation ceremony will be held for the interns in May.
The program, driven by collaboration with community partners, targets students in their last year of high school eligibility—up
to age 21. The co-sponsors of BSC’s Project SEARCH endeavor are the Alabama State Department of Education, Birmingham City
Schools, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, UCP, Alabama Department of Mental Health, and Alabama Council for
Developmental Disabilities.
“We think the program and this award really mirrors what Birmingham-Southern is all about—helping people to live and work
as valued members of the communities where they live,” said Angela Harrill, BSC associate director of human resources. “It’s our
many partnerships with the community that help make us great.”
GENERAL CHARLES C. KRULAK