Columbia College Chicago Cuts 70 Staff Amid Budget Crisis and Declining Enrollment
Columbia College Chicago confirmed it is axing 70 staff members as part of a harsh response to a financial crisis highlighted by a ballooning budget deficit and dwindling student numbers, sources say.
Alongside the job cuts, the institution is also scrapping an additional 32 empty positions that had yet to be filled, the details of which were made public by a school spokesperson. This comes amid a stark decrease in enrollment, which dropped from about 11,400 students in 2010 to just 6,400 as of last year, according to federal data provided to the Chicago Sun-Times. The school's budget shortfall has surged to an expected $38 million from roughly $20 million last year, a number that eclipses previous estimates and has sparked conversations about the sustainability of current financial models in higher education.
Among those affected is Lillian Gecker, a campus therapist who told the Chicago Tribune, "I'm a really thoughtful person, especially when it comes to big decisions like my career, and to have a big life change thrust on me without any warning or any agency in the decision has been incredibly stressful.” The layoffs struck a nerve with staff, occurring less than a year after a lengthy strike by adjunct faculty members strained relieving campus operations and affected thousands of students.
The staff reductions, as they stand, hit 20% of the unionized workforce – a slice that represents a significant portion of the college community, according to Craig Sigele, president of the United Staff of Columbia College. For now, laid-off employees can expect to receive severance packages, as confirmed by the school spokesperson, in a move that offers at least some financial cushioning in the face of this institutional pivot. These developments unfold in the shadow of Kwang-Wu Kim's impending departure as college president, a tenure marked by significant strife including the previously mentioned strike which, as disclosed in reports, was one among the longest of its kind in the history of U.S. higher education.
The academic landscape at Columbia College Chicago, known for its creative programs, remains uncertain, particularly in areas such as counseling services where drastic reductions have raised concerns. Gecker expressed doubts on how the college will continue to meet students' mental health needs with only one of the original five staff therapist positions intact. Columbia has proposed augmented use of telehealth services through a third-party provider to fill the void, a strategy that, while perhaps innovative, has met with skepticism from both staff and students alike.
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