ST. LOUIS — Fontbonne University's leadership reportedly has proposed cutting nearly two-dozen degree programs and over a dozen faculty posts as it faces a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall amid declining enrollment.
The Clayton-based liberal arts college's fiscal 2024 operating budget has a $5.2 million deficit, according to a Riverfront Times report Wednesday, citing internal documents it obtained.
In a proposal for "selective retrenchment" to reduce costs, the university's leadership has proposed cutting over 20 degree programs and 18 from its faculty rolls to cover the deficit, according to the publication.
Among the 15 undergraduate programs targeted for elimination are degrees in actuarial science, art and game development, as well as its religious studies undergraduate program and deaf education, the report states. Graduate programs in computer science and fine art also are proposed for the cuts, as are Fontbonne's e-sports program, nonessential travel and professional development expenditures.
