Cash-strapped Christian university closing after 180 years

The Limestone University Board of Trustees on Tuesday voted to close the nearly 180-year-old school at the end of this academic year. The Christian institution was established in Gaffney, S.C. in 1845. It has offered both in-person and online degree programs. School leaders on April 16 informed staff, students, and alumni that the university was facing a financial crisis that could force the institution to shift to online-only classes or close completely. The university launched a public fundraising campaign to try to raise $6 million to keep the doors open. Over the last few weeks, nearly 200 people committed to donate a total of $2,143,000, including a $1 million pledge from the Fullerton Foundation, a nonprofit organization also based in Gaffney.

School officials have not shared how they will wind down operations or plans for students who have not completed their degrees. The school will hold its final commencement ceremonies for 246 graduates on May 3. Two hundred other students graduated in December earlier this school year.

What have school leaders said about the closure? University President Nathan Copeland said that students, alumni, faculty, staff, and other supporters fought to save the school. The board thanked the donors for their efforts, but Chair of the Board of Trustees Randall Richardson said funding was simply not enough to continue operations. The funding drop stemmed from declining enrollment, rising costs, and economic pressures facing small institutions, according to the administration. The school said it had a $150 million annual economic impact on the local economy in surrounding Cherokee County.

Dig deeper: Read Jordan J. Ballor’s opinion piece about how Christian colleges can flourish by doing good.