ST. LOUIS — More than 20 undergraduate and graduate programs, and more than a dozen faculty and staff positions at Fontbonne University have been planned to be eliminated due to budget cuts.

What You Need To Know

  • The announcement follows a decline in enrollment caused by the shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic and reports of the college’s operating budget being a deficit of $5.2 million for fiscal year 2024, according to a press release

  • Fontbonne’s retrenchment plan includes eliminating 21 programs and 19 faculty, which will save the university more than $2.3 million for All affected academic programs will continue through the spring 2024 semester

  • Some faculty will be retrained through December 2024 and some programs will continue to be offered to currently enrolled students beyond 2024, according to the press release

The announcement follows a decline in enrollment caused by the shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic and reports of the college’s operating budget being a deficit of $5.2 million for fiscal year 2024, according to a press release. 

Fontbonne’s retrenchment plan includes eliminating 21 programs and 19 faculty, which will save the university more than $2.3 million for fiscal year 2025, which begins in July. 

All affected academic programs will continue through the spring 2024 semester. Some faculty will be retrained through December 2024 and some programs will continue to be offered to currently enrolled students beyond 2024, according to the press release.

“As a small private institution with a total student enrollment of just under 1,000, the university has had to make difficult decisions to ensure its long-term sustainability,” said Dr. Nancy Blattner, Fontbonne president. 

“As part of these decisions, some academic majors and faculty positions, staff positions, and athletic programs have been reevaluated. While these adjustments are regrettable, I acknowledge the dedication and contributions of the faculty and staff members impacted by these changes. I am grateful for their unwavering commitment to serving Fontbonne students.”

Undergraduate programs to be cut include: Intensive English Program (IEP); actuarial science; art; data science; early childhood special education; fashion merchandising; health care management; religious studies; social work; fine art;, game development; communication, culture and change; global studies; health education and promotion; and management information systems.

The university will offer transfer or teach-out agreements for all students who cannot finish at Fontbonne, as well as offer some free coursework and waive certain costs to help students complete their degrees at Fontbonne.

Graduate programs expected to be eliminated include: art; computer science; fine art; instructional design and technology; supply chain management; Ed.D. in collaborative high impact instruction; and Speech-language pathology Kansas City location.

The art and fine art programs will be extended until spring 2025 to help as many students as possible in completing their degrees. No financial aid will be impacted.

Some of the faculty cuts fall under a voluntary early separation program. The eliminated positions include: five tenured, full-time art faculty; several full-time positions in affected programs; a vacant position in nursing; three additional faculty from humanities who chose VESP; and one additional faculty from social work and criminal justice who chose VESP.

The academic dean position has been terminated and the dean will return to full-time teaching in the spring of 2024.

Two full-time and four part-time staff positions will be eliminated and additional positions will remain unfilled.

Fontbonne currently offers more than 100 areas of study focused on health care, education, technology, business and humanities, with 44 undergraduate majors and 34 minors, in addition to 10 undergraduate certificates, according to the press release.

There are 19 graduate programs and eight certificate programs. 

For the full list of budget cuts, click here.