CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — As the strike by part-time instructors at Columbia College Chicago continues, both sides have said they are working to provide the best possible environment for students moving forward.
John Otterbacher teaches cinematography courses at Columbia.
He told WBBM that college leaders plan to reduce the number of classes by as much as 30%, and the cuts would disproportionately affect part-time instructors.
He also said the cuts would also increase class size for students and reduce the quality of their education.
“There’s going to have to be some sort of compromise,” he said. “They can’t get rid of all these classes. The students don’t want it. The people working here don’t want it. They’re going to have to find a way to save money differently.”
Leaders at Columbia said they must address financial challenges in order to ensure the sustainability of the college and continue to serve its students.
In a statement, Columbia officials said the school remains committed to offering a wide range of small classes and hands-on education, in part by increasing the share of courses taught by full-time faculty.
“Even though Columbia College Chicago is a not-for-profit, private school, it still has to balance its budget — I understand that,” Otterbacher said. “But there are a lot of different ways to do that.”
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