The board of trustees at Alverno College, a women’s college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has declared a financial state of emergency and announced a plan to restore the college’s stability.
Alverno College’s restructuring plan will vastly reduce the college’s academic offerings. Undergraduate majors will be cut from 43 to 29 programs and graduate programs will be reduced from 25 to 19 offerings. Alongside these eliminated programs, the college will cut 12 full-time faculty positions, combine some current staff positions, and restructure academic departments to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Additionally, one athletic program, the track and field team, will be discontinued.
Current undergraduate students who have already declared a major that has been removed from the college’s offerings will be able to complete their studies at Alverno College. However, the recent reduction in graduate degree offerings will adversely affect 25 graduate students across three graduate programs. Alverno College leaders are investigating partnerships with other institutions that will allow these students to complete their studies at another school.
“These are difficult decisions to make, and we regret the impact these cuts will have on our colleagues; however, these actions are necessary as we forge a path forward that safeguards Alverno’s survival, preserves our accreditation, and retains our academic integrity,” said Alverno College President Christy Brown. “Moving forward, we will continue to invest in and support areas of growth that will be identified by our community of gifted faculty and staff.”