A Catholic college in Memphis has announced major cuts to its academic programs and faculty amid an ongoing budget deficit that has plagued the school for years.
“Though difficult, these steps are necessary for the long-term interest of our students and University. These changes will help place CBU in a much stronger financial position, as we work toward full reaffirmation of SACSCOC accreditation,” Christian Brothers University President David Archer reportedly said in a letter to students and alumni.
SACSCOC is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The academic programs that will be cut are Chemistry, Cultural Studies, Ecology, Engineering Physics, English, History, History Education, Liberal Studies, Physics, Politics and Law, and Political Science.
The school’s Masters in Education and its concentrations in Art Therapy and Philosophy will also be cut.
Twenty-eight members of the faculty will also reportedly lose their positions.
U.S. News & World Report ranks CBU as the number 13 out of 136 best regional school in the south, and number three for value among regional schools in the south.
Those rankings are “based upon classifications created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.”
“Regional Universities are defined as those offering a broad scope of undergraduate degrees and master’s degree programs but few, if any, doctoral programs,” a CBU release said in September. “CBU has risen five levels from its 2022-2023 U.S. News rankings in this category.”
But the school has faced budgetary difficulties for years, running up a $7 million deficit.
In September, CBU said it was facing “fundamental shifts that have negatively impacted our financial situation” and that it would take “extraordinary means” to try to alleviate that situation.
Those shifts included:
- Consistent decline in undergraduate student headcount since 2018-2019
- Failure to meet goals for first-time freshman enrollment for Fall 2023
- Decline in credit hour production from traditional undergraduate students since 2018
- Decrease in on-campus housing occupancy and a decline in related auxiliary revenue since 2019
“While the current environment requires extraordinary decisions to ensure the ongoing health and vitality of our community, it has only strengthened our focus on living out our mission to prepare students from all faiths and backgrounds for careers and lives informed by the Lasallian values of faith, service, and community,” CBU said at the time. “Our commitment to maintaining the excellence of our University remains unwavering, and we will work together to navigate this challenging period.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
Photo “Christian Brothers University Campus” by Christian Brothers University.
