By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
LAWRENCE — Responding to financial challenges, Rider University officials have announced plans to eliminate 14 academic programs and move three more from majors to minors, effective with the 2016-17 academic year, according to Rider University spokeswoman Kristine Brown.
The changes, which were approved by Rider University’s Board of Trustees, also will result in the layoff of 14 full-time faculty, plus the elimination of five vacant faculty positions and two clerical positions, Ms. Brown said.
Part-time faculty members who teach in the affected programs will not be re-hired after the end of the current academic year. In addition, there will be some department consolidations. Rider will provide outplacement and other support services to help the affected faculty and staff, she said.
Rider University expects to save $2 million annually through these changes, Ms. Brown said. The university is running a $7.6 million deficit in its $216 million budget for 2015-16. The current tuition and fees of $38,360 represents a 4.2 percent increase over last year’s rates.
Meanwhile, the academic majors that are being eliminated include art and art history, advertising, American studies, business education, economics-BA, French, geosciences, German, Italian (minor), marine science, organizational leadership (graduate program), philosophy, piano and web design.
The programs that are moving from majors to minors are business economics, entrepreneurial studies and sociology.
The changes affect 272 students, including 123 freshmen and sophomores, Ms. Brown said. Courses will be offered this year and next year so current juniors and seniors can complete their degree in their selected majors. Academic coordinators will help freshmen and sophomores evaluate their options,
The decision to make the changes was not made lightly, she said. They have profound impacts on those who are directly affected by them, but they are needed to put Rider on a more progressive path, she said. It will make Rider University more competitive.
Rider University needs to adapt to the changing climate, particularly with a smaller pool of college-age applicants. The current enrollment of 3,712 undergraduates represents a 9 percent decrease since 2009, Ms. Brown said.
Changes such as the ones approved by the Board of Trustees are one way of adapting by allowing the university to focus its resources on programs that have high student interest and demand, Ms. Brown said. The university can invest in new academic programs, more flexible delivery methods and campus facility improvements.
Rider University President Gregory G. Dell’Omo said he is confident that the university can build an even stronger foundation going forward, further sustaining the vibrant learning and living community for which Rider is known.
Mr. Dell’Omo emphasized that this is a collective responsibility and one that must be true to the university’s student-centered mission and 150-year history and that builds on Rider’s strengths while also acknowledging its commitment and dedication to students and alumni.
