School’s supporters ask alumni to reach out as state considers campus for temporary campus of Ala. School of Healthcare Sciences
The historic campus of Judson College, closed since 2021, could soon see new life—at least temporarily— as state officials consider it as a potential home for the newly created Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences.
The school, which will be based in Demopolis, is still in the early stages of development.
While land has been secured for a permanent campus there, construction has not yet begun.
As the state works to begin classes as early as this fall, leaders are looking for a temporary site where students can live and learn until the new facility is completed.
Judson’s campus is one of two locations under consideration, according to a letter circulated this week by Claire Kinnaird Keel, president of the Judson College Alumnae Association. The other is the University of West Alabama in Livingston, which has the benefit of being slightly closer to Demopolis.
Keel, along with Judson Foundation president Joan Newman, has urged alumnae and supporters to contact lawmakers and advocate for the use of the Judson campus.
“Bringing life to the campus would be wonderful for the campus and for Marion,” Keel wrote in the letter. “The group would also make some improvements to the campus while they would be temporarily staying there.”
Supporters argue that even a temporary presence would benefit the city of Marion, which has felt the economic loss of Judson’s closure.
Though the campus has been maintained, it has not hosted students in nearly four years. Earlier this year, a fire was set inside the campus library by a person who was apparently experiencing a mental health crisis, bringing renewed attention to the property and its uncertain future.
The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is a signature initiative backed by state lawmakers and Gov. Kay Ivey to address workforce shortages in health-related fields. State Finance Director Bill Poole, a Marengo County native, is expected to play a key role in decisions about where students will be housed.
Keel’s letter described the issue as “very time sensitive,” and encouraged alumnae, especially those with ties to Perry and Marengo counties, to contact their local representatives and advocate for Judson’s use.
The letter also expressed hope that if the school’s temporary stay proves successful, state officials might consider locating the school permanently in Marion rather than building a new facility in Demopolis.
Judson College, founded in 1838, was one of the nation’s oldest women’s colleges before it ceased operations as a school in the summer of 2021 following financial struggles exacerbated by declining enrollment and the COVID-19 pandemic.
