Samford University’s board of trustees gave official approval Dec. 2 to the purchase of the Southern Progress, Inc., headquarters located adjacent to the university’s campus. The meeting, held at Southern Progress, included a tour of the facilities for trustees.
The 28-acre property includes three buildings with 398,000-square-feet and more than 1,000 parking spaces. The sale is expected to close before the end of December, Samford officials said.
Harry B. Brock III, Samford’s vice president for business and financial affairs, said the new College of Health Sciences will occupy two of the buildings and Time, Inc., the parent company for Southern Progress, will lease the third building and a parking deck for its Birmingham operations under a long-term agreement with Samford.
Brock and Samford President Andrew Westmoreland both emphasized that the purchase would provide much-needed space for the university’s future academic needs and anticipated enrollment growth with both existing and new programs within the College of Health Sciences.
Trustees also approved:
- A new Division of Career and Continuing Studies in the Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education will include the Evening Studies Program, formerly known as the Evening College, and a still-developing online studies program to be known as Samford Online.
- A bachelor of science in psychology degree.
- A new master of public health with concentration in nutrition degree program.
- A master of athletic training designed to prepare students to be practicing athletics trainers.
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A new online master of science in health law and policy in Cumberland School of Law.
(Samford)
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