CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — As Columbia College Chicago continues to find itself trapped in a sea of red ink, 150 staffers at the liberal arts college have petitioned Columbia’s lame-duck President Kwang-Wu Kim to halt planned layoffs and explore other ways to manage the budget.
According to the United Staff of Columbia College (USCC), which represents 275 professional staff members at the school, Columbia College has laid off hundreds of staff members since 2015.
USCC Spokesperson Craig Sigele said “it’s unbelievable.”
“In just the past five years, we’ve lost approximately 36% of our staff, leading to less support for everyone, which significantly hurts students,” said Sigele. “There will be longer wait times for student services, reduced support and a strain on academic and emotional support systems for students.”
Sigele said more layoffs would only hurt the college’s “collective mission.”
“It’s about more than numbers; it’s about maintaining the level of support and services our students deserve,” he said.
On Monday, Bloomberg reported Columbia College’s credit rating was downgraded two notches to BBB-, which is the lowest investment grade from Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings.
The college told Crain’s Chicago that it’s cutting operating expenses by $19 million for the fall fiscal year.
In February, Kim announced that he would resign in July.
USCC is currently negotiating a new contract with the Columbia College Board of Trustees. Its current contract expires on Aug. 31.
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