SOUTH BEND — In an email mistakenly sent out Friday to the entire student body, a Holy Cross College vice president painted a bleak picture of the college's finances and its chances of survival.
"It may be that I will spend the better part of the coming school year closing down the College," Vice President for Student Affairs Kelly Jordan wrote in the email that was obtained by the South Bend Tribune. "All we can do is try our hardest and hope for the best!"
Jordan could not be immediately reached Friday for comment.
On Friday morning, the college quickly tried to electronically recall the message, but it was too late. The email already had been opened by many students and saved. Four Holy Cross students on Friday confirmed to The Tribune that they had received the email. Some faculty and staff may also have received it.
The email spread like wildfire among students, employees and alumni throughout the day, raising fears about the financial well being and the future of the college just a few weeks after the the college president, Brother John Paige, abruptly left that job.
Paige was replaced April 7 by the Rev. David Tyson, a Holy Cross priest and an administrator at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Tyson was named interim president by the board of trustees. No reason was given for Paige's departure.
Friday's email contained a chain of messages dating back to April 9 between Jordan and an administrator at Culver Academies, a college prep boarding school in Culver. In the messages, Jordan expresses interest in doing some work for Culver Academies.