Columbia College Chicago will eliminate or consolidate 18 majors as the institution grapples with enrollment challenges and financial issues, administrators announced Wednesday.
The consolidation announcement comes on the heels of a turbulent year that saw the art school’s former president resign, a weekslong faculty strike that brought much of the fall semester to a standstill.
None of the cuts are final and none will take effect until fall 2025, according to an informational page on the college’s website. The art history and creative writing bachelor’s programs and MFA programs in fine arts and photography are among the programs Provost Marcella David has recommended for a phase out.
Three programs in Acoustics, Documentary and Television Writing are already winding down.
Most Columbia degree programs have fewer than 50 students enrolled in each, according to a message from David and interim President Jerry Tarrer.
“This is not a sustainable educational model, and it does not permit innovation: our efforts to continue to fund our current array of 58 undergraduate programs has stretched us thin,” the statement reads.
Administrators did not share how much money they expected to save by reducing the school’s program offerings to 40, but said there were 312 total students enrolled in potentially affected majors.
Faculty and staff will receive a final list of degree programs to be cut or consolidated in early 2025, administrators said.
