Columbia College Chicago to reduce offered programs by next year
CHICAGO (CBS) — Students at Columbia College will see fewer programs offered by the school next year. The college is undergoing an evaluation of its offerings that will either phase out or combine some programs.
A spokesperson for the school said in a statement, "These proactive steps are designed to make Columbia even more attractive to young creatives and to help drive their post-graduation success."
The goal is to reduce the number of programs from 58 to 40. The school said those cuts would only impact about 300 of its 6,000 students.
The college will work with students who will be impacted by the move to create a completion pathway for all students.
"Our goal is to better serve our current and future students, while also investing in future programs that sustains our programmatic currency. We believe these steps will position Columbia College Chicago as a stronger institution and continue to empower our students to excel in their creative careers," the spokesperson said.
One student told CBS News Chicago that while their program was not on the chopping block, it was scary to not know if it will still be there by graduation.
"You pay to come here," said Fran Giaramita, a Columbia student. "You want it to keep doing well. You want to have faith it will keep doing well, but a lot of people say it's a school in decline and it's scary."
The college has had financial difficulties in recent years. When Giaramita started at Columbia in the fall of 2023, teachers were going on strike and some classes had already been cut.
"I was kind of getting into it," she said. "Then it was like, 'Oh some of your classes, they're going to be gone for a few weeks, and some of your teachers are virtual now.'"
Another student, Carli DeJesus, said what's also scary is seeing friends who were impacted by cuts in the past, leaving her to wonder if she'll be among the next students to be affected.
"That's always a thought in the back of my mind," DeJesus said.
The college is still reviewing which programs will be consolidated. A final program decision will be announced in early 2025.