How will Lincoln College’s closure affect its community?
Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, is the only predominantly Black institution in downstate Illinois, but it will be closing this spring. Courtesy Lincoln College
After 157 years of educating students from around the world, Lincoln College will close its doors on May 13, 2022. The news broke at the end of March, in the wake of some financial struggles, a global pandemic, and a December 2021 cyberattack that forced Lincoln College information systems offline for about six weeks. In the time since, school officials, students, and members of the greater Lincoln community have scrambled to adjust and assess what the loss of the college will mean in the months and years to come.
Lincoln College is the only federally designated predominantly Black institution in downstate Illinois, which means at least 40 percent of its student body is Black. Of that number, half are first-generation college students or come from low-income backgrounds.
To discuss what this will mean for students and the school's surrounding community, we were joined by the mayor of Lincoln, a former Lincoln College employee, and a reporter who's been following the story.
GUESTS:
Tracy Welch
Mayor of Lincoln, Illinois
Justin Tierney
Director of Enrollment Support, Eastern Illinois University | Lincoln, IL native, Lincoln College alum, former Lincoln College employee
Lyndsay Jones
Reporter, WGLT
Betrayal. A slap in the face. Broken trust.
— WGLT (@WGLTNews) April 12, 2022
Those are some of the words used by students of color who are facing the sudden closure of Lincoln College (a predominantly Black institution) next month, @__lyndsayjones reports. https://t.co/IrINZ7CYrp #highered
Prepared for web by Owen Henderson
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