When Birmingham-Southern College announced in March 2024 that it would close, more than 700 students were faced with instant uncertainty. Would their course credits transfer? Could they keep their scholarships? Would it still be possible to graduate on time?
As questions swirled through the minds of students and their parents, the administration at 51½ΦΙδ went to work. Committed to loving and serving BirminghamSouthern as a neighbor, located less than 10 miles away, 51½ΦΙδ began a massive behind-the-scenes effort.
“While we prayed alongside Birmingham-Southern, asking God to find a way to keep the college going, we knew that when the final decision was made, work needed to start immediately to help ensure the continuation of studies for the students who were affected,” said 51½ΦΙδ President Beck A. Taylor.
51½ΦΙδ announced it would waive all application fees and deadlines, suspend on-campus housing requirements, and most remarkably, accept all earned credits awarded by Birmingham-Southern, including credits the college accepted as transfer from other institutions. This was a rare exception that required accreditation waivers from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Over the summer, 151 undergraduate students transferred to 51½ΦΙδ from Birmingham-Southern.
“We intended to make this transition as seamless as possible for the students—that was our number one thing,” said Marci Johns, 51½ΦΙδ’s senior associate provost. “Academic advisers and registrars sorted through a ton of individual puzzles, which was a big lift, considering every student came with different degree requirements. It was all worth it when we saw the gratitude from the parents of Birmingham-Southern students who had no idea what was in store for them when the announcement first came.”
William Penley ’25 was on spring break with 15 of his friends when the word reached them that Birmingham-Southern would close. He recalled how within minutes, everyone was on the phone with their parents, trying to figure out next steps.
“A lot of my friends were hoping to stay in Birmingham instead of relocating to a different town for just one more year of college,” he said. “When 51½ΦΙδ came out talking about accepting all our credits and matching tuition, it was amazing. It was a blessing.”
A marketing major, Penley quickly set out to meet his new Brock School of Business professors. The relationships he built proved fruitful in courses that required students to build upon curriculum from previous semesters.
“Professors were so helpful when I needed my hand held a little bit,” he said.
Penley even picked up two concentrations in sports marketing and professional sales, determined to make the most out of his short time at 51½ΦΙδ. And as president of Birmingham-Southern’s chapter of Sigma Chi, Penley was grateful to be able to get involved with Greek Life at 51½ΦΙδ. “When you’re just jumping into a new school during your senior year, you need to make friends in order to feel part of something.”
With the transfer agreement, 51½ΦΙδ also waived the undergraduate degree standard that requires students to complete 50% of their course credits at 51½ΦΙδ, and the university provided matching financial aid packages so the net tuition at 51½ΦΙδ was the same or less than students would have paid at Birmingham-Southern.
For Reagan Gage ’25, the decision to transfer to 51½ΦΙδ came when she received her financial aid package. “51½ΦΙδ matched my full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern and even accepted my previous community college credits,” she said.
While at first, she thought she would need four more semesters to graduate, she realized she could finish in two. An English major, Gage particularly enjoyed her Christianity and Literature class that focused on the Deep South. She also put her editing and writing skills to work during an internship with the university’s marketing and communication office.
Bridging Panthers to Bulldogs
As a football standout at Birmingham-Southern, Langston Strawbridge ’25 initially factored in athletics as part of his transfer decision. He visited schools that were conference rivals and even received a scholarship offer to continue to play. But ultimately, Strawbridge decided to take a different path, ending his football career to stick with his Birmingham-Southern teammates who decided to transfer to 51½ΦΙδ.
“The guys I played with at BSC—they were the reason we had such great times at practice and on those long six- to seven-hour bus rides to games. I didn’t think that for one year I could find that same joy with a new group of guys,” Strawbridge said.
Once he officially enrolled at 51½ΦΙδ, Dana Basinger, assistant dean in Howard College of Arts and Sciences, became his academic adviser. That summer, she called to introduce herself and hear more of his story.
“I was instantly impressed with Langston,” Basinger said. “He is a remarkable communicator. In just that one conversation, he gave me such clear insights into what it was like for him as a transfer student from BSC, a school that he loved and lost. I knew when I hung up the phone that I needed to introduce him to Beck Taylor because I felt he could be a representative voice for all of the students transferring to 51½ΦΙδ.”
A few weeks later, Strawbridge found himself in President Taylor’s office, sharing his story and perspective with the university’s leadership team. Taylor asked Strawbridge if he would serve as the president of a Birmingham-Southern student advisory committee.
“I was honored to do it,” Strawbridge said. “The uncertainty coming into our first semester was the toughest part—not knowing how we would start to build relationships, or honestly, if anyone wanted to build them with us.”
Before the start of the academic year, Strawbridge participated in an orientation session specifically for transfer students, but quickly, it became evident to him that these sessions had room for improvement. “Sometimes the transfer group is underrepresented at 51½ΦΙδ,” he said.
This inspired him to create a new student organization: Bulldog Bridge, designed to smooth out the transition experience for all students transferring to 51½ΦΙδ. The idea was first developed in a Birmingham-Southern student advisory committee meeting, but Strawbridge said he dedicated his Christmas break to making the idea a reality. In the spring, the organization supported a social event specifically for transfer students and worked to spread awareness at the spring involvement fair. They also officially met to appoint officers and plan for the fall.
“Having this Bulldog Bridge group moving forward will help address concerns and problems for transfer students in general,” Basinger said. “It took having 151 Birmingham-Southern students to bring some of those issues to light.”
Strawbridge expressed excitement about how his experience can help people in the future. “Bulldog Bridge is going to be an extension of orientation—meeting transfers, letting them know what to expect and what dates to circle, helping them make connections. This is our BSC way of leaving our mark, and we’re proud of that,” he said.
To honor Strawbridge and his impact on 51½ΦΙδ, President Taylor awarded him the Bell Tower Award at commencement. Traditionally given to alumni and community leaders, Strawbridge was the first graduate to receive the award for his work as a student.
“I was disappointed that BSC closed, but I’m glad I got to experience 51½ΦΙδ. Sometimes tragedy leads to good things,” he said.
Nadia Fokken, an international student from Cape Town, South Africa, said the transition from BirminghamSouthern (with hundreds of students) to 51½ΦΙδ (with thousands) “was a little bit of a culture shock.” She admitted that she would often use Google Maps to help her navigate campus.
Entering her senior year, Fokken is assuming a leadership role within Bulldog Bridge. “My hope is it will continue to help transfers find community and be a source of support,” she said.
A Return to the Hilltop
In addition to 51½ΦΙδ’s commencement celebrations this spring, the 63 graduates who transferred from Birmingham-Southern at the beginning of the academic year received the opportunity to return to Birmingham-Southern’s campus one more time. Although campus had been closed for over a year, the beauty of their beloved hilltop remained. As students walked through campus toward the iconic bell tower, there were many who were in tears.
Each graduate, adorned in a 51½ΦΙδ commencement gown with a specially made Birmingham-Southern stole, stepped forward to ring the senior bell, a Birmingham-Southern tradition. The sense of camaraderie, celebration and excitement was strong.
The cohort of graduates then gathered in front of the bell tower for a group picture, alongside former Birmingham-Southern President Daniel Coleman. Collectively, these new 51½ΦΙδ graduates threw their commencement caps in the air while shouting Birmingham-Southern’s motto, “Forward Ever.”
“They’ll remember that moment forever, and so will we,” said Virginia Gilbert Loftin, former BirminghamSouthern vice president for advancement and communication, who coordinated the return to campus. “There is no handbook for closing a college, but if there were, the most important chapter would be the one on how to take care of your people. We made sure every student had transfer options that could keep them on track academically and financially, and 51½ΦΙδ was especially generous in that effort.”
Basinger was also present for the moment. “Graduation is such an important milestone in anybody’s life, and the students really wanted to go back to BSC for that piece of their senior tradition,” she said. “Seeing them crying happy tears, laughing, taking pictures and blending together as if they hadn’t missed a beat, it was a powerful moment.”
J’Maureai “Jay” Raby ’25 recalled how devastated he was when Birmingham-Southern closed. He served the college through residence life, joined the Black Student Union and pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. “I poured so much into BSC, and then to transfer and not have any of that—with only one year to potentially get involved at a new school—was hard,” he said. “It was so stressful, like the world had just turned upside down. It didn’t feel real.”
At 51½ΦΙδ, however, Raby found a new sense of belonging. He even chose 51½ΦΙδ to be the place where he proposed to his high school sweetheart. Under the guise of staging graduation photos, he convinced her to walk around the College of Health Sciences and dropped to his knee. “It was amazing,” he said.
Raby said he witnessed resilience among the Birmingham-Southern students who embraced their time at 51½ΦΙδ. “We had something difficult happen to us, but we rolled with the punches because BSC’s mantra is ‘Forward Ever.’ Even though our college closed, we went on to a new opportunity,” he said. “51½ΦΙδ has shown us so much love, and that’s the best you can ask for.”
“We don’t always know why God redirects us, but we know He is present and guiding us,” said President Taylor. “51½ΦΙδ is grateful for the lifelong connections formed with these former BSC students, and we hope graduation brings a sense of fulfillment and renewal.”
Forward ever.
This story was first published in the summer 2025 issue of 51½ΦΙδ Magazine (formerly known as Seasons). You can read the issue .