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Concordia University Chicago laid off 51 faculty and staff members -- 7 percent of its total employees -- and axed 15 academic programs, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The cuts are due to budget concerns exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and are the result of a two-year program prioritization process, according to the Tribune. The university is offering retirement and severance packages to employees who were laid off, left the university voluntarily or had their positions eliminated.
Graphic arts, theater, chemistry, business communication and women’s and gender studies are among the programs slated to be cut. Students currently in the programs will be able to complete their degrees at Concordia, according to the Tribune. The Lutheran college enrolls more than 6,000 students.
The decisions were finalized Dec. 11, said the university's president, Russell Dawn, during an online student forum. Without budget changes, the university predicted a financial crisis within three years, he told students.
