Historically black college fighting for survival

SELMA, Ala.—A historically black Lutheran college is fighting for survival in Selma.

Tiny Concordia College has been struggling for years, and administrator James Lyons told WSFA-TV it will have to close at the end of the current semester without additional funding.

The board has been looking for an investor with a large amount of money to help stabilize the school financially, he said, but no one has stepped forward. That means a decision to shut down could come within weeks.

“That decision has to be made fairly soon. We have an obligation to our students to work with them and try to help them transfer to other institutions, get their financial aid in order, and their student records in order. We also want to help our faculty and staff who may have other job opportunities and try to support them in terms of letter of reference,” said Lyons.

The Selma campus has about 400 students and fewer than 100 employees.

Concordia College was established in 1922. It’s the only historically black school in the Concordia University System of the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod.

Glenn King Jr., dean of business and computer information systems, attended Concordia and hopes it survives.

“This institution has built me in to the man I am today. It has impacted my professional career, my personal career as well as my spiritual walk,” said King.