December 18, 2023

Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,

I hope this finds each of you well and enjoying this holiday season.

As we close out the year, I wanted to reach out to address the structural changes we recently announced at the College, and provide more context around how they fit into our long-term outlook and commitment to protecting and enhancing the high-quality, high-touch educational experience of which we are deeply proud. I hope that this will help clarify some of the misconceptions that you may have heard as well.

Everything begins with our mission: “to provide a contemporary, person-centered educational experience that prepares graduates for lives of personal development, professional success, civic engagement, and service to their fellow human beings.” It is a mission that has empowered us to educate leaders for over 170 years and one that we look forward to imparting on generations of students to come.

Heading into 2024, the post-pandemic landscape for higher education institutions such as ours has significantly shifted. This has created a number of exciting opportunities to update our approach, but we also have to contend with the fact that fewer students are following the traditional college path.

To ensure that we are responsive to these shifts and positioned for long-term success, we – like many of our peers – are making changes to adapt to the post-pandemic needs of our school and students and updating certain practices that may no longer be fiscally sound or the right investments to make
in this “new normal” we operate in.

While our approach has been highly data-driven, we will not lose sight of the traditions and qualities that make Manhattan College so special. We have carefully evaluated a range of areas – including course offerings, facilities, and staffing – and uncovered certain structural imbalances where we are focusing resources and the value they are creating for the College community. For example, we continue to offer classes and major programs that may only enroll a handful of students each year. We were also trailing comparable benchmarks in terms of efficiency of our faculty and classes offered.

We also recently announced the restructuring of our six schools into three – the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the O’Malley School of Business – to more efficiently manage our offerings and focus our resources in areas where our students see the highest value. Unfortunately, this reorganization may lead to the elimination of some programs with low enrollment and the merging of some departments, but we want to assure all of you that we are committed to supporting all students that are enrolled in these programs so that they will be able to complete their studies and graduate on time. In addition, we have taken steps to bring the number of our faculty members more in line with our current student
body.

A great deal of thought and consideration is being put into these difficult decisions, but I am confident that they will help make Manhattan College a more nimble and resilient institution. These hard decisions we are making today help us fix what is no longer working, and position us to invest in areas that will enhance the student experience in the future.

I acknowledge and respect the concerns that some have raised in the wake of these changes. In the new year, we will provide more opportunities to have an open and ongoing dialogue around these changes. That being said, I am heartened by the many positive reactions from members of our community who understand our strategic aims and have volunteered their support. Higher education is always evolving, and it is our responsibility to
evolve in kind so that we remain as relevant and impactful as possible to our students, while staying true to our core mission.

What makes me even more confident about our prospects is the fantastic team we have managing these issues. This summer, we welcomed James J. Perrino as our new Vice President for Finance / Chief Financial Officer, who has been working in finance, accounting, and higher education for more than 40 years with a fantastic track record overseeing finance at Adelphi University. We recently brought in Dr. Karen Vahey as our new Vice President for Enrollment Management, and we are already seeing the impact of her deep experience as we develop new approaches to expand the student body.

And of course, we are guided by a thoughtful and passionate Board of Trustees, led by Chair Stephen Squeri.
It is hard for me not to overstate the role that Manhattan College has played in my life. I’ve spent more than 40 years engaging with the College through changing lenses – as a student, an alumni, as an adjunct professor, an employer of graduates, a fundraiser, a member of the Board of Trustees, and currently, as President and a parent of two students. What has never wavered is my belief in our ability to provide an affordable, high-quality edu-
cation that sets students up for success and fulfillment in their future careers, and I’m passionate about building on this even further as President.

Manhattan College has a bright future ahead because this passion is shared across our administration, faculty, staff and alumni. We will overcome the challenges we face, and we will be a better, stronger institution as a result. I ask that you join us in our enthusiasm for all the good that Manhattan Col-
lege offers, and that together we support the growth and success that our students deserve.

On behalf of all the faculty and staff of Manhattan College, I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, and may God continue to bless you and your family in the New Year.

Warm Regards,
Milo Riverso
President