36% Enrollment Drop Leads Columbia College to Cut 11 Programs and Lay off 25 Faculty Jobs Next Fall
The changes aim to stabilize finances and boost enrollment through workforce-aligned programs.
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Earlier this year, Columbia College considered eliminating or merging over 18 majors to sort out its million-dollar budget deficit. Now, the plan continues as the report stated that it would cut 11 programs and let up to 25 professors go at the start of the new school year.
President Jerry Tarrer said in a statement that these steps are important to allow Columbia College to align with the market demand and interests of students.
According to Yahoo News, undergraduate programs in environmental studies, cultural studies, American Sign Language, art history, and seven graduate programs, will be eliminated. Students currently enrolled will be allowed to finish their degrees or transfer to another program.
The school will also eliminate some degree programs, such as the merger of theatre and theatre design into a single theatre arts production and practice program.
Tarrer stated that all the changes will make it easier for all programs and will be more relevant to the workforce.
Why Columbia College Will Cut Programs and Lay Off Faculty
Chicago Tribune reported that the college hopes to increase enrollment, which has declined 36% over the last decade by offering degrees more closely aligned with industry needs.
New programs include beauty management, which focuses on diversity and sustainability, launching in the fall. Other programs to consider in 2026 are textile design and professional writing. All these changes will stabilize the finances of the college in two years' time through measures of cost-cutting measures.
Similar to earlier reports, the financial crisis for the college has been huge, with the school once facing a budget deficit of almost $40 million. This year, it was reduced to $17 million and is expected to be cut in half next year. Columbia also hiked tuition by 5% for returning students and 10% for new students, looking to bolster its financial turnaround.
Tarrer believes these moves will lead to a more sustainable model for the future. While some faculty positions will be eliminated, those who are cut will receive severance packages. Chicago Tribune also mentioned that the decision comes on the heels of a June layoff of 70 staff members, which staff and unions criticized. In addition, Columbia saw an almost 50-day adjunct faculty strike last year after cutting classes to save money.
