GREENSBORO, N.C. — The UNC Greensboro Chancellor spoke for the first time since announcing that the university will undergo program cuts.
The school will discontinue 20 programs, citing low enrollment.
The administration has received pushback from students and faculty.
Chancellor Franklin Gilliam Jr. said in 2022 there were about 20,000 students and now that enrollment is down to roughly 17,500.
"We've lost 12 percent of our student body since 2019, and our budgets have reduced in significant ways," said Gilliam. "We can't cut any more staff, we're down to the bone, and using your reserves is a very bad strategy generally, and a bad long-term strategy, so we then had to say, because I did that to protect the academic core, but now our choices leave us to look at the academic core."
Nearly 230 students will be the last to graduate from the 20 programs that will be cut at UNCG.
A week ago, students expressed their concerns during a demonstration on campus.
"They've made it so very clear that they have no interest in being respectful or transparent to students or faculty," said Donovan Pierce, a current UNCG anthropology student, whose program will be cut within four years.
"My favorite part about this program is the professors I've had, and because it's such a small program we've been able to develop these connections with our professors that other programs don't get to realize," said Sophie Wilson, another UNCG anthropology student.
Gilliam Jr. said this was the only option to save the university's budget.
"Nobody likes to be get cut, nobody feels good about it, period," he said. "I understand that, but our job is to do the right thing and make the right decisions for the entire university."
Gilliam Jr. said this is the first time in the school's history it implemented a program review and that the school should have done this routinely.
"The one thing I do want to say is I understand that there is a human face to this, I understand that these are people and in some cases, their livelihood and it doesn't make me feel good, it's not, you don't sign up to do that, you sign up for the job to build things, and create things, but sometimes this is the hand you're dealt," he said.
He said UNCG will continue reviewing academic programs in the future.
Gilliam Jr. said the school could not raise tuition to cover the costs, because the board of governors sets tuition. That board has not raised tuition in 8 years.
"The simple answer in business would be well if it costs you more, raise your price, well we can't raise tuition, so we don't have that luxury and fees can only be increased by 3 percent and they are very very strict on whether or not you can raise fees," he said.
Students will still be able to complete their degree and this will take about four years for all of the programs to officially be cut.