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FEATURES
013
Norton Board
refocused
on students
SACSCOC removes
college from
sanction
Blended-learning
classroom
opens
BSC teacher named
Alabama professor
of the year by CASE
commitment.”
In addition, Krulak has
spearheaded the Western Area
Economic Development Group,
bringing stakeholders from the city’s
west side together to spur much-
needed growth. He participates in
the city’s trademark Veteran’s Day
activities and frequently speaks to
military, civic, and student groups
around the state at no charge. For all
this and more, he was awarded the
inaugural Vulcan Newcomer’s award.
“One expects a college president
to play a significant role in their
community, if only by dint of his
or her position,” said BSC President
Emeritus Dr. Neal Berte. “Gen.
Krulak has far exceeded those
expectations. In the short time
he has been in Birmingham, he
has been one of the city’s biggest
boosters, devoting his time, energy,
and considerable leadership abilities
to moving our region forward. As
someone who has been involved in
our community for many decades,
let me say that Gen. Krulak has
made enormous contributions in his
short time here, and we would be
much the poorer if he hadn’t made
Birmingham his home.”
While Krulak is leaving his office
on the Hilltop, he and Zandi are
sticking around, renovating their
new house off Dolly Ridge Road;
he and Berte will share an office
together in Birmingham.
“This place has been a calling
for us,” Krulak said. “That isn’t
changing with my retirement. This
is our home.”
”His” students
But above it all, Krulak’s devotion
is to the same thing that is central to
BSC’s mission: the students.
“You’re why I’m here, and I will
miss you,” he told students as he
made his retirement announcement
in December; afterward, he was so
overcome with emotion that he had
to duck behind the curtain on the
stage in Munger Auditorium.
That’s not just talk. Krulak lives
by the mantra, “You can pretend
to care, but you can’t pretend to be
there,” putting in countless hours
attending student presentations,
sporting events, theatre productions,
art exhibitions, and also cheering
on the Greek community as it raised
$250,000 for charity.
“The General comes to every
single game we play, heckles the refs,
and says good luck to us before every
set,” said junior volleyball player
Katie McCormack.
When he first took the job, he
instituted open office hours first
thing in the morning for students to
come talk to him, and he regularly
eats lunch in the campus Caf,
dropping in on tables of students
unannounced. He also keeps the
names of about 170 students on
BSC gets $1 million gifts from
Methodist church & Boston
businessman