Columbia College Chicago has announced plans to eliminate 70 positions across the institution. That figure represents about 5% of its total staff and faculty.
In addition, the college said it will eliminate another 32 open positions as it tries to downsize in the face of financial pressures.
The timing of the layoffs will vary by position. Those let go will receive severance and transition assistance, according to Jerry Tarrer, Columbia’s chief financial officer.
“Today’s layoffs take place as part of a set of measures designed to reduce the college’s operating deficit by half,” Tarrer said in a message to campus. The administration has predicted deficits of over $30 million annually in the years ahead, following a $37.9 million deficit for fiscal 2024.
“As we work to stabilize and strengthen the college’s financial footing, we also are committed to better aligning our academic offerings to better support the academic and professional success of current and future students,” Tarrer added.
Columbia didn’t confirm which departments are seeing cuts. A report in the college’s student newspaper, The Columbia Chronicle, said those laid off so far included therapists in the college’s counseling center, as well as librarians, academic advisors, tutoring center staff and student financial aid staff.
College leaders previously told the campus that they did not plan on reducing staff in Columbia’s counseling center.
The announcement follows shortly after the college’s board voted on a sweeping restructuring effort that includes a curriculum revamp, administrative overhaul and expected staff cuts.
As part of the restructuring, Columbia is reducing the core education requirements for students. College officials may also end up cutting 28 academic programs that they flagged as being “of concern.”
The changes, expected to save $18 million in the fiscal 2025 operating budget, are part of a plan laid out by Columbia President Kwang-Wu Kim, who said in a May report that the institution faced a possible “existential threat” from budget deficits and enrollment declines. Enrollment has fallen 36% since 2013, to a student headcount of 6,529 in fall 2023, the president noted.
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