By Kayla Williams / News Reporter

ST. Cloud, Minn– A new SCSU restructuring plan will address a $14.5 million budget loss and improve students’ experience, but faculty and staff layoffs are expected

Academic Changes

A major change will include merging the five current colleges into three colleges. These include: College of Health and Wellness and Education, the College of Business and Engineering and Tech, and the College of Arts and Sciences. Each college plans to focus on student improvement by providing more advising and administrative support.

Pattit said the restructuring will include an evaluation of academic programs based on the enrollment and workforce interests of students. Two undergraduate programs and two master’s programs are under review for removal. These programs include:

• Planning and Community Development undergraduate program
• The advertising and public relations concentration of the Mass Communications undergraduate program
• The Strategic Communication master’s program
• Clinical Exercise Physiology master’s program

According to Pattit, these programs are under review due to low enrollment, which is causing faculty unemployment. One faculty member has already been unemployed as a result.

Administrators began to review every program and ask, “Are our students still wanting it?”  Pattit told KVSC that when fewer students are enrolling in a class,  then it’s time to pull the plug or merge it with something similar. For example, before the 2025-26 school year,  the administrators noticed that not many students were taking geography, so they moved it to the geospatial sciences minor.

Pattit added that other programs were phased out without layoffs. She told KVSC that the College Counseling and Student Development master’s program was eliminated last summer, but the faculty transitioned into the higher education leadership department after the merger. 

Impact of Faculty and Staff

Last summer, SCSU announced that faculty layoffs would happen. Some have already taken place. However, Pattit said the number of faculty layoffs is actually small. Because of the merging of colleges, there will only be three deans instead of five. One dean has already been laid off, along with an administrator in the provost’s office.

SCSU is also restructuring Academic Affairs. Currently, the Academic Affairs office has three associate provosts: 

• The Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Academic Quality
• The Associate Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs
• The Associate Provost for Research & Dean of Graduate Education.

These positions will be switching to one associate provost, one vice provost, and one associate vice president. 

Layoffs in other departments are also taking place. Those affected have already been notified, but some may not be leaving for another three years, Pattit said. 

 Pattit said, “The layoffs are basically because we are closing a program,” also “ when there aren’t enough students to sustain it, it’s no longer financially viable.” 

While most staff aren’t going through a layoff, the school had empty positions that weren’t filled before, and decided not to refill them now. Some positions include a secretary or two, an administrative assistant, and a few others that may change, according to Pattit. 

Meaning 45% of administrators, 28% of faculty, and 28% of staff are being laid off in total. Pattit said salary reductions will not be considered due to staff pay being governed by union contracts.

Childcare Center Notice

The on-campus childcare center is planning to temporarily close down by the end of May due to the age of the building and maintenance issues. One of the maintenance issues include an old steam pipe that could fail at any time. The cost to repair this ranges from $300,000 to $500,000, and the university doesn’t have the money for it, Pattit said. 

Pattit added that University President Gregory Tomso is looking into grants and offers to assist students and staff who are affected by this. Pattit said there will be a reopening when the university is in a better financial situation to do so. 

Plymouth and North Hennepin Transition

SCSU is planning on possibly ending its lease with its Plymouth location due to cost, but the negotiation is still underway, according to Pattit. 

Meanwhile, SCSU is considering bringing some SCSU classes to the North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park. Pattit said SCSU has a great partnership with North Hennepin by having its students transfer over to SCSU easily. With this partnership, SCSU is working on having a presence at North Hennepin by potentially sharing space on its campus for classes, but it’s not confirmed yet.

When will this take effect? 

The university plans to implement the strategic restructuring initiative by July 1, 2026. Pattit said the university’s transition including the University College and the consolidation of the advising services is expected to be done by July as well. 

There will also be a faculty town hall in late January 2027 to measure the success of the restructuring plan while a student town hall is still undetermined.