You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is phasing out 11 majors and laying off 13 full-time faculty members amid enrollment and financial challenges, WKBT reported. “Higher education is experiencing major disruption, exacerbated by the pandemic and declining number of high school students,” the Reverend James P. Burns, Saint Mary’s president, said in a written announcement. “In this climate, few schools can continue business as usual.” He added, “The time to re-envision our future is now.”
Burns said that Saint Mary’s decided to retain or close programs based on questions such as, “How can we best prepare our students for work, for a life of ethical service, to pursue the greater good and the truth in all things while answering their questions about meaning and purpose?” Going forward, the private Roman Catholic university will prioritize programs in business, technology and the natural sciences. The undergraduate academic programs to be closed include English, history, music, Spanish, theatre and theology. Layoffs will take effect in the 2023–24 academic year.
Kelly Shannon, university spokesperson, told Inside Higher Ed via email, "We are not in financial exigency. We are doing this to ensure financial stability in light of enrollment trends and then we can invest."
