By Grace Jacobson / News Director

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — With the school year over, St. Cloud State University is making some tough decisions for its future.

In an effort to fix the budget deficit, the University announced on Monday it proposes to cut 46 of its 136 degree programs–cuts acting president Larry Lee says “will not impact the quality of students’ education.”

Students currently enrolled in the programs on the chopping block will still graduate; the University says it will simply not admit new students to them.

An analysis of SCSU’s 136 undergraduate and graduate degree programs found that over 90% of students are in one of the 90 programs proposed to stay.

The University also proposes to cut 57 faculty positions on campus.

These changes are all part of St. Cloud State’s five-year plan (2023-2028) that Lee says “have to be implemented to balance our budget.”

St. Cloud State University projects to lose $5 million this year. Excluding the one-time funding from the state, SCSU’s actual net operating loss is around $15 million for fiscal year 2024.

Regarding the projected numbers, Lee says, “It’s evident that with a $5 million projected cash balance, we cannot continue to lose $15 million a year and adjustments to our operating structure are necessary.”

Last year, the University suffered an $18 million net operating loss which lowered their year-end cash balance to $10.8 million.

“These decisions are painful,” Lee says. “Yet they are necessary for SCSU to continue to fulfill its mission.”

Lee became acting president of St. Cloud State University on Sunday when President Robbyn Wacker stepped down earlier than planned.

St. Cloud State University is the second largest of the seven universities in the Minnesota State system.