In my line of work, there are few pleasures greater than touring a campus you knew little about, getting back in the car and saying “Wow. I know ten kids who could thrive here”. That’s how I felt after seeing this gem of a liberal arts college that gets little press outside of the south, apart from its inclusion in Loren Pope’s Colleges That Change Lives. Of course, being in Pope’s book is a good sign.
Birmingham Southern is on the outskirts of Birmingham AL, in a lovely neighborhood atop a hill just two miles from the city center. Birmingham is the state’s largest city and after many long years of economic decline following the collapse of the US steel industry (Birmingham was a big steel producer), the city is roaring back with an expanding downtown Univ of Alabama campus and a reborn city center filled with new housing, nightclubs and restaurants. Two of the country’s top rated James Beard Award restaurants are in Birmingham–we’re not talking chain places here. This is a foodies city.
A huge percentage of BSC’s 1300 students do internships, and while many colleges have struggled for decades to do the 4-1-4 calendar (January Term) right, BSC’s E-Term is a well-oiled machine of overseas travel experiences, on-campus intensive classes, and internships. It’s one of the best executions of the 4-1-4 calendar I’ve seen. Two are required to graduate but doing all four is possible.
The college is so interested in attracting busy, active people that they award scholarships based simply on a students extra-curricular resume. This is in addition to a host of other merit scholarships.
The campus is compact, park-like, filled with beautiful new residence halls and despite a few 1960’s clunkers, the buildings are attractive and up-to-date. The new science building is especially beautiful. We were struck just walking around by the diversity of the student body and were pleased to hear that the college is launching an initiative to enroll more students from the city of Birmingham. Our tourguide, a really smart, politically active African-American woman from North Alabama had fully intended to go to the University of Alabama but was badgered into touring BSC as a high school senior by her aunt, whose son had attended. It was a courtesy tour, but it worked its magic. Her thinking changed after hearing about the way students and teachers interacted and after considering the intellectual climate at the college. Now a junior and law-school bound, she told us she couldn’t imagine herself anywhere else.
Birmingham-Southern is one of the few liberal arts colleges in an urban environment and its trajectory is up. Enrollment is growing despite today’s challenging demographics. And the growth occurred even before last year’s decision to cut tuition in half. Yes, in half. BSC’s tuition/room and board/fees for 2019-20 is just over–hold onto your hat– $30,000. And they award merit scholarships beyond that.
BSC is a bastion of southern liberalism and academic quality in a terrific location. And the winter weather, well…you can guess.
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