"Students and Staff Respond as Financial Troubles Push Limestone University Toward Closure"
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“This completely blindsided us. There’s been no hint of this all year,” said Tori Rochester, a graduate student pursuing her master’s degree. “We’re all just shocked right now—absolutely caught off guard.”
The news of a potential campus shutdown has left the university community reeling. If the decision goes through, nearly 1,000 students would suddenly be without a physical campus to attend, and close to 300 faculty and staff members could face layoffs.
University President Nathan Copeland addressed the situation with a heavy tone, acknowledging the gravity of what lies ahead. “We do still plan to maintain an online presence,” Copeland explained. “But it’s going to look significantly different than what our students are used to. This isn’t an easy transition for anyone.”
According to Copeland, the university urgently needs $6 million just to make it through the upcoming fall semester. He noted that the institution's board of trustees is expected to convene in less than a week to make a final determination on whether the school will continue to operate or shut its doors.
“We’ve been trying everything,” Copeland said. “We’ve reached out to donors, explored potential partnerships, brainstormed every creative solution we could think of. We’ve done everything in our power to close the funding gap. Unfortunately, we haven’t been successful.”
He went on to explain that the institution’s financial structure has created significant challenges. “Most of our revenue comes in at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. But there’s a huge gap in income between those periods,” he said. “Our most pressing challenge is simply making it from now until September. That bridge is proving too difficult to build.”
The announcement has also struck a deep emotional chord with alumni, who feel helpless as their alma mater faces an uncertain future.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Rodney Felder, a 2018 graduate. “The student in me is devastated—this school meant so much to me. But the adult, the business-minded part of me, is angry. Someone really let this place down. This didn’t happen overnight—it’s been building for years.”
Current students, meanwhile, are left confused and frustrated, worried about what the future holds for their education and the connections they’ve built.
“I’ve made lifelong friends here. How am I supposed to just find that again somewhere else?” asked freshman Omarri Thomas. “It’s like all the work and relationships I’ve built are just being taken away. What happens to us now?”
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