CHICAGO (CBS) — Columbia College Chicago announced plans this week to consolidate or eliminate some of its degree programs and possibly lay off more than two dozen faculty members.
On Monday, Columbia College interim President Jerry Tarrer announced that the cuts were “a logical and necessary step.”
“We are doubling down on creative careers that are primed for growth and that align with the current and emerging expectations of students, families and the industry,” Tarrer wrote in a statement. “Discontinuing programs that do not closely align with our core creative focus allows us to innovate and reinvest in high-demand and high-paying creative fields that position our students for success.”
The following nine programs will consolidate several existing programs:
- A single Marketing BA program will replace the marketing, social media and digital strategy, public relations and advertising programs.
- A single BA program in Animation and Computer Graphics will replace the Game Art, Animation, Computer Animation and Traditional Animation programs.
- One BA program Game and Interactive Media Design will replace the Game Design and Immersive Media, Programming and User Experience (UX) programs.
- One BA program in Journalism and Communication will replace the programs in Communication, Journalism, Radio and Photojournalism.
- One Creative Writing BA program will replace the Creating Writing and English courses.
- One BA program in Theater Arts Production and Practice will replace the Theater and Theater Design and Technology programs.
- One BA Fine Arts program will replace the four programs in Photography, Fine Arts and Illustration.
- The Design Management BA program will be merged with the Arts Management BA program to create the Arts and Entertainment BA program.
- The Dance BA and BFA courses will be combined into one Dance BA course.
The following courses are no longer offered at Columbia College.
- Computer Animation BFA
- Dance BFA
- Design Management BA
- English BA
- Immersive media BA
- Programming BS
- Traditional Animation BFA
These courses are also no longer offered, but some associated subjects may continue to exist:
- Environmental and Sustainability Studies BA
- American Sign Language BA
- Cultural Studies BA
- Art History BA
There are also seven graduate programs available:
- Creative Writing MFA
- User Experience and Interaction Design MA
- Film and Television Production MFA
- Acting and Contemporary Performance MA
- Acting and contemporary performance make MFA
- MFA for Visual Arts
- Photography MFA
From autumn 2025, new students will no longer be registered for these courses.
Columbia College also expects the positions of up to 25 full-time faculty members to be eliminated. The provost’s office will make that decision, and those to be dismissed will be notified in January.
The council noted that if a person is studying in a course that is being discontinued, he or she can still continue and complete their studies without interruption. These students were also advised to consider switching to a new course.
Columbia College announced this in September that it planned to reduce its offering and phase out or combine some programs. The school previously said the cuts would only affect about 300 of its 6,000 students.
This past spring, Columbia College has laid off 70 faculty and staff in the midst of a financial crisis. At the time, Columbia said it was facing a $38 million deficit — and was mired in a financial crisis that could become an “existential threat” to the school.
Last year, there were more than 600 part-time adjunct professors at Columbia College Chicago went on strike– accusing the school of not providing quality education. The strike lasted fifty days and was believed to be the longest adjunct faculty strike in U.S. history, according to the Columbia College Faculty Union.
Columbia College Chicago was founded in 1890 as the Columbia School of Oratory by speech teachers Mary A. Blood and Ida Morey Riley. The school was never affiliated with Columbia University in New York City – the name comes from the World’s Columbian Exposition, which took place at the time in 1893 and which the two teachers expected would create a need for public speaking skills.
The school is best known for its programs in visual and performing arts, and media and communications.
“Since its founding in 1890, Columbia College Chicago has charted a new course several times, from an oratorio school to a comprehensive liberal arts college with a vibrant curriculum for creatives, focusing on integrating emerging creative practices and turning away from outdated disciplines . through cultural or technological advancements,” Tarrer wrote. “The transformational achievements of the past speak to the college’s ability to successfully navigate this moment and continue its mission of preparing creatives to succeed. careers for many generations to come.”
