Judson College board of trustees vote to close school By WBRC Staff | May 6, 2021 at 3:33 PM CDT - Updated May 6 at 4:55 PM
MARION, Ala. (WBRC) - The Judson College board of trustees voted May 6 to close the 183-year-old institution. Board members called it “heartbreaking.”
The vote follows months of fundraising to try and keep the college open. In December 2020, WBRC reported Judson had raised more than $500,000.
The Alabama Baptist reported 18 members of the 24-member board voted in favor of suspending academic operations and to move through an orderly closing through Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Only about 80 students are registered for the fall, down from 145 in December.
From the Tribune staff reports
MARION The Board of Trustees of Judson College, the fifth oldest women’s college in the United States, has voted to suspend operations, the school announced on Thursday.
In a “heartbreaking” decision today, the Judson College Board of Trustees voted to close the 183-year-old institution, a press release from the school stated.
The news is a somewhat unexpected end to the five-month emotional roller coaster for the Judson community following the hopeful report from the Board on April 2. But after several multi-million-dollar fundraising efforts since December 2020 and the exploration of potential mergers and other options, new developments during the first few days of May forced school officials to prepare the board for the reality of Judson’s financial situation.