Alverno College to cut staff, programs amid financial crisis

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Years of budget deficits have now forced Alverno College to declare what's known as financial exigency. The Milwaukee campus is now bracing for cuts in staffing and programming.

Starting this fall, Alverno's reducing the number of undergrad majors from 43 down to 29, but the school does plan to continue to educate all existing undergrads even if their major is one that's being cut.

"We have a unique place in our community," said Christy Brown, Alverno College president.

At a college dating back to 1887, where a majority of the students are lower income, are women, or the first in their family to get a college degree, upcoming changes are leaving anxious feelings.

"At first I was like very sad, and I was worried for my own just because I didn't know like if I was going to have to switch schools or like what the deal was," said Karla Celis, Alverno College student.

College President Christy Brown says enrollment's a big factor in deciding which programs to cut. There are no changes to nursing, education and business because they get a good number of students.

"Those are things that we know are going to be demanded by the market for a while," said Brown.

Brown says Alverno's seen a 40% drop in enrollment in the last 10 years and it's not expected to get better in the immediate future.

"So we're reaching something called the demographic cliff, where there will be less 18-year-olds after 2025 for a period of time," said Brown.

The financial exigency declaration also means layoffs: 22 full-time faculty and 11 full-time staff, and others have chosen to resign. One athletic program, track and field, will also be discontinued. Between program changes, staff cuts and operational cuts, Brown expects Alverno to save the budget about $6.4 million.

"It's in times like these that our leadership is tested, and I think that during these times we have to be a leader, and that means, you know, making hard choices but also making choices that ensure that we're going to be here for the future," said Brown.

As for graduate programs, a handful of those will not be continuing at Alverno, and unlike the undergrad programs, graduate students in those majors will have to find an alternative school to attend. The college president says they'll be helping those students find a place to go.