Northland College says it will remain open, with reduced number of majors
After weeks of uncertainty amid a financial crisis, officials at northern Wisconsin’s Northland College announced Wednesday that the school will remain open — but with a greatly reduced number of majors.
The college in Ashland, Wis., had announced in March that it might have to close before the next academic year. An emergency fundraiser fell short of its goal.
But in an update Wednesday, Northland officials said they found a path forward by reducing the number of majors to eight “high-demand, mission-aligned” options: natural resources, business, education, biology, psychology and social sciences, Earth studies, environmental humanities and sustainable community development.
That compares to 24 majors listed on the school’s website as of Thursday.
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Northland officials also said the plan requires a “right-sized academic and operational structure that aligns with the refined curriculum. Significant changes to the operational budget and necessary faculty and staff organizational adjustments will help the college realize approximately $7 million in savings.”
The college’s statement did not elaborate on the planned restructuring. It did say the college also secured several million dollars in short-term funding to help with its deficit.
The school’s board of trustees voted to approve the plan on Wednesday, with board chair Ted Bristol saying it was made possible by “an extraordinary collaborative effort with faculty and staff to reprioritize and restructure, combined with historic-level, transformative donor gifts.”
“To save Northland, we needed to significantly reduce the deficit in the short term and develop a compelling, financially feasible and sustainable model for the long term,” Bristol said in a news release. “Achieving this was an iterative process that included reviewing all ideas including the submitted faculty ad hoc proposal, validating them against the budget, and refining as needed to arrive at a workable plan. Now we need to execute on this plan.”
“It is not lost on us that today’s announcement could have gone a very different direction,” Bristol continued. “Many colleges like Northland are being forced to make difficult decisions, and we’ve seen many closures in recent years — even in recent weeks. We feel fortunate to be sharing a path forward despite the realities of declining enrollment and rising costs.”
The college said it will make teach-out and transfer options available to students who decide to leave the school as a result of the changes. It’s also notifying prospective students and will refund deposits to any who change plans.
Northland, which was founded in 1892, enrolls just over 500 students, with a focus on environmental studies.