• Limestone University, facing a $6 million shortfall, may close its campus after the current academic year.
• The university’s board of trustees will meet April 22 to decide the school’s fate, which could include moving to an online-only model.
• Students and staff expressed heartbreak and uncertainty about the future, while the university is working to support students in finding alternative options.
• The potential closure would impact the local economy, with Limestone estimated to contribute $150 million annually.

Dylan Guion isn’t sure what he will do next year.

He was set to graduate next fall from Limestone University, in Gaffney. An education major, he is required to spend a semester as a student teacher before he can finish his degree and become licensed to teach physical education.

Now, everything is up in the air. “I just hope all my credits will be honored at another school,” he said.

Guion is looking to transfer to another college because he learned on Wednesday that Limestone may not be open after this academic year.

University President Nathan Copeland held two meetings Wednesday – one for faculty and staff members, followed by a forum with students – to inform the Limestone community that the university’s dire financial circumstances mean that in-person classes may come to an end on the campus, which has served students since before the Civil War.

The university faces an immediate shortfall of $6 million, according to university officials.

The board of trustees will meet on April 22 to discuss the university’s options.

If $6 million can be raised before April 22, then Limestone would have “the opportunity to pursue long-term solutions that preserve its on-campus identity,” officials said.

But Copeland isn’t optimistic. He said he has had discussions with donors and with lending institutions, “but we have not been able to find a solution.”

He said the university might move to an all-online model or cease operations altogether.

About 1,000 students attend classes on campus. Another 750 take courses online.

The university employs about 300 professors and other staff members.

Limestone prides itself in “providing opportunities for students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to go to college,” said Charles Wyatt, vice president for communications and marketing.

About one-third of those enrolled at Limestone are first-generation college students.

An online-only Limestone University could “continue to challenge students academically, socially, and spiritually,” Copeland said.

Still, the prospect of closing the campus and being unable to provide a traditional college experience is a painful one for students, staff, and alumni. “Everyone’s suffering,” Copeland said.

“A lot of people are heartbroken,” said Justin South, a junior from Lexington, S.C.

South is a track athlete and said he will explore possibilities in the NCAA transfer portal.

Myasia Matthews is on the track team, too. She thinks she will have options for next year, “but I wanted to stay here. I’m kind of devastated.”

Matthews, a junior from Ohio, described Limestone as a place where “everybody is here for each other – a good community.”

Amid the shock and uncertainty, staff members were working to provide emotional support for students and help them plan their next steps.

“The library had us all for tea, and professors have been wonderful,” said Sydney Meetze, who was among about 20 students gathered at the university’s Camp-Swofford Chapel to attend a 6 p.m. worship service.

Meetze, a sophomore, is a studio art major. “Taking classes online won’t be an option for me,” she said.

Meetze added that she lives at home in nearby Blacksburg, which helps minimize her education costs. If she has to transfer to a college outside of the area, “I won’t have that help.”

Limestone is planning to hold a college fair on April 25 to help students explore options and make connections with admission staff at other schools, Wyatt said.

Limestone has a robust athletics program — about 80 percent of its on-campus students play a team sport — and “coaches are already on the phone, making calls, trying find homes for their kids,” said Athletic Director Hailey Martin.

Copeland praised the response of faculty and staff members.

He informed them at 2 p.m. that they may soon be out of a job, “and 30 minutes later, I addressed the students – many were there to support the students. They had just had their worlds changed, but they put that aside to love on these students.”

Copeland has been at Limestone for a little less than a year but said the university has been “an unbelievably special place to work. It’s truly a family.”

Copeland said he knew when he took the job that Limestone was facing serious financial challenges. “But it was our mission to figure out a way forward,” he said.

Current enrollment and retention numbers were looking fairly strong, and Copeland said there were signs that the university could have gotten back on more solid financial footing.

“But there was still a $6 million gap,” he said.

Limestone is a fixture in the Gaffney community. If the university closes, the impact will be felt well beyond the campus.

Copeland said Limestone has a roughly $150 million annual impact on the local economy.

Word about Limestone’s bleak situation was getting around town Wednesday, and at Harold’s Restaurant, manager Kim Harrison said the loss of the university would affect business.

“Put it this way: Limestone students are some of our best customers,” she said, adding that sporting events on the campus bring parents and other visitors into the restaurant.

Harrison said she grows close to students who are regulars at Harold’s. “Half of them call me ‘Mama,’” she said.

Like students and employees over on the campus, Harrison was hoping for a miracle that could save the university.

“I’m hoping, praying, and crossing my fingers that they can pull something off.”