Elmira College Announces Reductions, Program Changes

Published: Friday June 05, 2020

Like many small, traditional colleges, Elmira College has been significantly impacted by the global coronavirus pandemic. However even before the pandemic began, it was clear that the College needed to renew itself and restructure in order to adapt to the changing higher education landscape. COVID-19 exacerbated the situation.

This has created an imminent need for the College to make budget adjustments that demonstrate financial responsibility and allow the College to continue the tradition of providing an excellent educational experience to our students. To that end, the College will discontinue six academic programs and three athletic teams and reduce staffing by 20% in order to maintain financial stability as it restructures for a sustainable future. Affected employees and students, along with the general campus community, have been notified of these changes.

Academic programs affected include American Studies, Classical Studies, Economics, International Studies, Music, Philosophy & Religion, and Spanish & Hispanic Studies. Athletics programs affected include men's and women's cross country and women's golf.

Elmira College understands the importance of preserving traditions, yet also acknowledges that the College must adjust to changing economic realities, an evolving global workplace, and student expectations about the nature and importance of higher education.