Students filed into Draddy Gymnasium on Wednesday to listen to President
Milo Riverso speak about recent issues facing the college.
GRACE CARDINAL / THE QUADRANGLE
By Kyla Guilfoil, Senior Writer & Grace Cardinal, Editor-in-Chief
Manhattan College’s President Milo Riverso, Ph.D., addressed the college’s recent budget cuts and layoffs in a rare open meeting on March 20.
The meeting comes after the college laid off over 25% of its faculty beginning in June 2023 and over a dozen majors and minors were discontinued.
At the meeting, Riverso told students that the college had spent $50 million over its allowed budget for the last five years, which led to the reduction of faculty and programs to minimize costs.
However, Riverso said that with the cuts, the college is, “Now out of the woods.”
“The only thing that can hurt the college now is nervous students and nervous prospective students,” Riverso said at the meeting.
Riverso emphasized that he had, “Accomplished what he set out to do.”
Ultimately, he said that by cutting a number of faculty and academic programs, the college is now “right-sized.”
Riverso also said that as enrollment is currently down 30% from recent years, it was no longer feasible to operate the college at the size it had previously been run at.
“We have turned the corner on what was a very serious financial situation to one that will have bright days ahead,” Riverso wrote in an email statement sent after the meeting.
Both at the meeting and in Thursday’s email, Riverso emphasized that the college has no plans to close, despite concerns from students.
“First and foremost, and despite unfounded rumors to the contrary, Manhattan College is NOT CLOSING, and we have no intention of seeing anything happen to this great institution other than to continue to provide the same high quality education and opportunities for the future as it has for our entire 170 year history,” Riverso wrote.
Prior to the open forum, Student Government had sent out a form allowing students to submit questions that they wanted to be addressed at the meeting. Following the president’s prepared remarks at the open forum, he provided an opportunity for students to come forward with questions that had not been sent in to Student Government.
Many took advantage of this opportunity to speak directly to the president, but not all felt like they left with clear answers.
“I feel the same as I did before,” sophomore attendee Vanessa Eagle said. “I don’t feel any better…maybe a little better because I know the school isn’t closing, but there’s still so many unanswered questions.”
Marcy Kelly, Ph.D., dean of the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS), sent her own email statement to students following the president’s meeting. In her email, she clarified which programs were being discontinued in KSAS.
The major programs eliminated include advanced leadership studies, art history, environmental studies, labor studies, mathematics graduate programs, nuclear medicine technology, philosophy, school building leadership, religious studies and urban studies. The minor programs cut include Japanese, digital arts and humanities (DASH), critical race and ethnicity studies (CRES), film studies, philosophy, religious studies, theater, urban studies and women and gender studies (WAGS).
Kelly emphasized that those who are already enrolled in these programs will still be able to fulfill their degree requirements and receive the degree they are registered for. Furthermore, current students can still register to major or minor in these programs until March 30.
For any students who do not declare a major or minor in these programs before March 30, as well as any incoming students, these programs will no longer be available.
Kelly added that there are individualized plans in place for students who are in the discontinued majors or minors to complete their degrees.
In the conclusion of his email, President Riverso reiterated that the college is now on a sustainable path forward, and clarified that his ultimate goal is to keep the college, “Vibrant and thriving.”