Lincoln College in Central Illinois to close permanently after 157 years
LINCOLN, Ill. (CBS) -- After more than 150 years, a Central Illinois college is closing its doors for good.
Lincoln College in downstate Lincoln announced it will close this week.
The Board of Trustees voted to cease all academic programming at the end of the spring semester.
Lincoln College first opened in 1865, and became one of the few schools in Illinois with a predominantly Black student body.
The college had experienced record-breaking enrollment in the fall of 2019, with dorms at a maximum capacity, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
"Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic dramatically impacted recruitment and fundraising efforts, sporting events, and all campus life activities. The economic burdens initiated by the pandemic required large investments in technology and campus safety measures, as well as a significant drop in enrollment with students choosing to postpone college or take a leave of absence, which impacted the institution">https://lincolncollege.edu/academics/resources/our-campuses" target="_blank">Lincoln College in downstate Lincoln announced it will close this week.
The Board of Trustees voted to cease all academic programming at the end of the spring semester.
Lincoln College first opened in 1865, and became one of the few schools in Illinois with a predominantly Black student body.
The college had experienced record-breaking enrollment in the fall of 2019, with dorms at a maximum capacity, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
"Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic dramatically impacted recruitment and fundraising efforts, sporting events, and all campus life activities. The economic burdens initiated by the pandemic required large investments in technology and campus safety measures, as well as a significant drop in enrollment with students choosing to postpone college or take a leave of absence, which impacted the institution's financial position," the college said in a notice on its website.
The college also blames a cyberattack in December of last year, in which hackers disabled critical software data – including recruitment and fundraising information.
The cyberattack "thwarted admissions activities and hindered access to all institutional data, creating an unclear picture of Fall 2022 enrollment projections," Lincoln College said.
Lincoln College had its last graduation ceremony on Saturday and will officially close on Friday.