Samford University Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===21st century=== [[Andrew Westmoreland]] was appointed president of the university in 2006.<ref name="otmj">{{cite web|url=http://www.otmj.com/2013/11/westmoreland-is-march-of-dimes-citizen-of-the-year/|title=Westmoreland is March of Dimes Citizen of the Year|date=November 12, 2013|author=Ginny Cooper|access-date=December 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231175907/http://www.otmj.com/2013/11/westmoreland-is-march-of-dimes-citizen-of-the-year/|archive-date=2014-12-31|url-status=dead}}</ref> That year, the Jane Hollock Brock Recital Hall was dedicated as part of the university’s fine arts complex. A new soccer and track facility opened in 2011, part of a decade-long expansion of new athletics facilities that included a tennis center, a basketball arena, a football field house and a softball stadium.<ref name="samfordathleticfacility">{{cite web|url=http://www.samford.edu/news/releases/?id=6442468368|title=Samford Opens New Track/Soccer Stadium|author= Mary Wimberley|date=April 22, 2012|access-date=December 16, 2014}}</ref> For the 2016–17 academic year, the economic and fiscal impacts of the university on Alabama were $424.8 million, 2,424 jobs, $16.1 million in state income and sales taxes, and $6 million in local sales tax.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://alabamanewscenter.com/2018/09/06/samfords-annual-economic-impact-424-8-million-study-says/|title=Samford's annual economic impact $424.8 million, study says|publisher=Alabama News Center|date=September 6, 2018|access-date=December 20, 2019}}</ref> In 2013, the university established a new College of Health Sciences, including the existing Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing and [[McWhorter School of Pharmacy]], and the newly created School of Health Professions and the School of Public Health.<ref name="al3">{{cite web |url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/02/samford_university_boosts_its.html|title=Samford University boosts its health care profile creating new College of Health Sciences|date=February 26, 2013 |author=Mike Oliver|access-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref> The dean of the nursing school, Nena Sanders, was named vice-provost of the new college, and after her retirement in 2020 the nursing school was renamed the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-09|title=Samford nursing school renamed|url=https://thealabamabaptist.org/samford-nursing-school-renamed/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=The Alabama Baptist|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2013, the university announced the construction of a new facility to house Brock School of Business. In 2014, the West Village residence complex opened. That December, the university purchased the adjacent headquarters of Southern Progress, a subsidiary of [[Time, Inc.]], that houses the College of Health Sciences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2014/11/report_samford_university_to_b.html|title=Samford University intends to buy Southern Progress campus from Time Inc. |date=November 3, 2014|access-date=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2015/01/07/samford-closes-on-58-million-purchase-of-southern.html|title=Samford closes on $58 million purchase of Southern Progress HQ|date=January 7, 2015|access-date=September 3, 2015}}</ref> The university ended its long financial connection with the [[Alabama Baptist State Convention]] in July 2017 when the trustees announced they would no longer accept funds from the convention.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-07-08|title=Samford won't accept Baptist funds after LGBT flap|url=https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2017/07/samford_will_no_longer_take_ba.html|access-date=2021-01-14|website=al|language=en}}</ref> Later that year Samford and the state convention agreed that Samford would no longer present its slate of trustees to the convention for affirmation and that convention officers would no longer have an ''ex officio'' position on the board. This ended key aspects of Samford's formal connection to the state convention that had existed for decades. Still, by the trustees’ own rule, all trustees must be members of Baptist churches and 75% from Alabama.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Jennifer Rash |date=2017-11-21 |title=Convention messengers hear details of 'new relationship' with Samford {{!}} The Alabama Baptist |url=https://thealabamabaptist.org/convention-messengers-hear-details-of-new-relationship-with-samford/,%20https://thealabamabaptist.org/convention-messengers-hear-details-of-new-relationship-with-samford/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=thealabamabaptist.org |language=en-US}}</ref> Samford is a collaborative partner of the [[Council for Christian Colleges and Universities]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-06-21|title=Our Institutions|url=https://www.cccu.org/institutions/|access-date=2021-07-01|website=CCCU}}</ref> In August 2020, Westmoreland announced he would retire on June 30, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-28|title=Samford University president announces retirement|url=https://www.al.com/news/2020/08/samford-university-president-announces-retirement.html|access-date=2021-01-13|website=al|language=en}}</ref> On March 10, 2021, it was announced that he will be succeeded by [[Whitworth University]] president [[Beck A. Taylor]].<ref name="Pinarski">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/samford-names-beck-a-taylor-as-19th-school-president/|title=Samford names Beck A. Taylor as 19th school president|last=Pinarski|first=Phil|website=cbs42.com|publisher=[[WIAT]]|language=en|date=2021-03-10|accessdate=2021-03-10}}</ref> Taylor took office on July 1, 2021. In May 2022, the university received a $100 million gift from the estate of alumnus Marvin Mann,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Garrison |first1=Greg |title=Samford University receives $100 million gift |url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/05/samford-university-receives-100-million-gift.html |access-date=15 May 2022 |work=[[The Birmingham News]] |date=12 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> making it the largest single-donor gift ever made to a higher education institution in Alabama.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Susan H. |title=$100 Million Gift Sets Records in Alabama |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2022/05/13/100-million-gift-sets-records-alabama |access-date=15 May 2022 |work=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |date=13 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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