US college forced to close after cyberattack, posts goodbye note

A US college has announced its closure after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic and a grim cyberattack, ending 157 years of education.

Lincoln College has issued a goodbye note on its website that states the college has contacted the Illinois Department of Higher Education and Higher Learning Commission to inform them of the college's "permanent closure" that will become effective on May 13, 2022. The announcement states that the Board of Trustees has voted to stop all academic programming at the end of the spring semester following financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a cyberattack that happened in December 2021.

The college explains that the COVID-19 pandemic forced large investments into "technology and campus safety measures", which coincided with a drop in enrollment. The cyberattack in December of last year prevented administrators from accessing institutional data, which stopped the college from being able to create clear projections for Fall 2022.

Lincoln College writes that "All systems required for recruitment, retention, and fundraising efforts were inoperable. Fortunately, no personal identifying information was exposed. Once fully restored in March 2022, the projections displayed significant enrollment shortfalls, requiring a transformational donation or partnership to sustain Lincoln College beyond the current semester."

"Lincoln College has been serving students from across the globe for more than 157 years. The loss of history, careers, and a community of students and alumni is immense," said David Gerlach, president of Lincoln College.

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