JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville University leaders say their new “Future Focused” strategic plan will eliminate and consolidate some degree programs.
“Some consistently undersubscribed and specialized fields of study will no longer be offered as majors to new, incoming students, and some programs will be sunsetted,” the university said.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The change also comes with the layoff of 40 faculty members.
Students were notified in a Tuesday press release that nearly 100 of the university’s more than 4,200 students would be directly impacted by the change, but university president Tim Cost assured students that they would still have a pathway to graduation.
A JU spokesperson explained how the changes will work:
“We are sunsetting programs and ensuring every affected student has a path to graduate from Jacksonville University. As part of this plan, we are reducing undergraduate degree offerings from 60 to 37 and Graduate degree programs will decrease from 23 to 15.
“Beginning in May, Jacksonville University will combine its arts offerings under the umbrella of the new Linda Berry Stein College of Arts and Sciences to serve more than 1,000 students in 15 fields of study. It brings together the Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts and Humanities with our traditional College of Arts and Sciences.”
RELATED: JU sunsetting programs, reducing expenses as part of “Future Focused” initiative
The changes are drawing a particularly large reaction from current and former music students online.
Facebook user “Emily Mikus Music” shared, “Please pray for the JU music faculty and staff, music students, and for this campus. Absolutely devastated at the announcement of shutting down all music (and more) at JU in the fall.”
Megan Young shared, “So incredibly disappointed in Jacksonville University. The arts are important. As (a) graduate of the Fine Arts college, I am very disgusted it this news #phisdown."
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Comments on the Facebook post have since been limited.
The news comes just four months after Action News Jax told you the university sent this email to their faculty in response to questions about financial challenges.
In our previous reporting, the university acknowledged navigating rising costs and shifts in enrollment trends.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
When we asked President Cost if the downsizing efforts have anything to do with financial woes, he told us, “Every smart university, every smart corporation in this era ought to be refreshing its strategic plan. That’s what we’re doing. We’re separating about 40 of our 625 employees, and we’re impacting well less than 100 students.”
The president shared that the university is offering severance packages to all 40 faculty members and 18 full-ride scholarships to some of the students affected by the elimination of their degree program.
“Every university’s making hard choices now,” Cost said. “We did them today. We’re looking forward to the future.”
For a full list of the programs being sunsetted, click here.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
