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The Board of Trustees at the College of Saint Rose in Albany approved a plan to reduce academic expenses by $5.97 million, eliminating 16 unique bachelor’s degrees, six master’s degree programs, and three certificate programs.
Students enrolled in those programs will be able to finish their degrees and will receive individualized plans to complete their program, though there will be no new students enrolled in that program.
According to the Board of Trustees, the move impacts 10 percent of undergraduate students and 4 percent of graduate students currently enrolled at the college.
“It is no secret that weighty financial challenges are pressing on colleges and universities throughout the country. The higher education sector is in a period of real transformation,” interim President Marcia White said. “We are being proactive by making hard decisions now, as painful as they are.
White’s announcement comes after the college cut more than $8 million in administrative expenses earlier this year.
“These decisions are necessary to the long-term future of Saint Rose and come as part of a series of difficult choices we have had to make this year in order to have a balanced budget by 2023,” she said.
“It came down to programs with that the expense outweighed the return of revenue,” she added. “So when you look at that there were 25 programs out of 109 that we currently offer that are going to be eliminated.”
In addition to the cut programs, 33 tenured staff members will also be out of a job, and other visiting faculty members will not have annual contacts renewed.
“These changes mean the loss of academic programs that are of high quality, valuable to society, and a significant part of the College’s history. Sadly, after much thought and extensive analysis, we have made the determination that we can no longer afford to maintain them,” White said.
Jeff Stone, the chair of the Saint Rose Board of Trustees said that the decision to cut the program came after measured debate and was essential in order for the college to “continue living its mission.”
“Carrying a structural deficit makes it nearly impossible for Saint Rose to weather storms like COVID-19, which handed us millions of dollars in revenue loss in one year,” he said. “We need to build a stronger base – one where operating expenses and revenue align – in order to meet current challenges in higher education and the challenges yet to come.”
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