Old problems call for contemporary solutions

It's been a few months since the announcement of the University of St. Francis (USF) deficit. The news was a shock to many, but it's well known that universities across the nation are facing a decrease in enrollment; combined with the debt accumulated under past administrations, the situation has gotten dire. 

Many lost their jobs, and students are getting increasingly worried, especially after March 17, 2026, when the suspension of numerous programs was announced as part of an academic reorganization process, which involves evaluating academic programs. According to the USF website, program suspensions include 11 undergraduate majors, 25 undergraduate minors, 9 undergraduate certifications, 15 graduate certifications and 1 degree completion program.

USF notes that many of these programs have fewer than five students enrolled and will be suspended for five years, meaning no new students will be admitted. Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, Beth Roth, explains that after the five-year suspension period these programs will be evaluated to enroll new students if there is market demand or be deleted from our program offerings.

However, these restated answers don’t ease the minds of students and continue to permeate worry. While conducting a survey, we heard from a total of 25 students: a cumulative of 5 freshmen, 4 sophomores, 11 juniors and 5 seniors each varying in majors.

Although the information is not reflective of the entire student body, it allows for a wide understanding of student sentiment across various departments. When asked if there had been a change within their department, 92% of students surveyed said yes. 

52% of students surveyed are part of programs that had their majors or minors suspended, reporting that there have been significant disruptions to academic programs, largely driven by budget cuts and restructuring.