Great Falls College MSU announces program cuts

Great Falls College Montana State University is preparing to phase out 10 different academic programs and cut eight full-time staff positions as it reprioritizes for its future, officials announced Tuesday afternoon.

The programs being cut include: business administration in entrepreneurship and management; business fundamentals; graphic design; medical billing specialists; medical billing and coding specialist; medical transcription (both the associates and certificate programs); and health care office.

Dean and CEO Susan Wolff said these programs were identified during a lengthy evaluation because they have low student demand, low retention and completion rates and or a low employment outlook. The cuts will be phased in over the next year to three years as students are allowed to finish degree or certificate programs in which they are enrolled.

“This is an exceptionally hard process for in this college, or any other to have to go through,” Wolff said. “However, for Great Falls College MSU to effectively position itself for the future, and to meet the workforce needs of the communities we serve, we have to make these hard decisions.”

After an evaluation of all its administrative and academic programs, Great Falls College MSU will be refocusing some of its resources to increase the number of students who stay in college and graduate, increase the college’s enrollment in its core programs and develop new programs to meet regional workforce needs.

“Some programs have strong enrollment, but not strong retention,” Wolff said.

A program like graphic design is being phased out because employers aren’t necessarily requiring a degree to work in those areas and a lot of that, along with social media use, is self taught. However, Wolff said the college will be adding a coding and programming program in the fall to meet the growing demand for those skills in the workforce.

The goal of the college isn’t just to get students in and out of the doors with a degree or certificate, but with a degree or certificate that is going to provide them with a better, living wage.

“It needs to mean something and provide something back to them,” Wolff said.

The college was careful to say this is not being done to balance a budget or eradicate a budget shortfall. Wolff said the programs will be closed as students currently enrolled finish their degrees or certificates. The closure of these programs will allow the college to reallocate $400,000 to other programs that are increasing student success and respond to workforce demands in the region.

Wolff said the college has had declining enrollment, but adjusted its budget accordingly when that occurred.

“We accurately predicted our enrollment this last fall and spring, which means our budget and our revenues are in sync,” she said. “However, in order to be responsible stewards of our resources, to grow Great Falls College MSU, to meet the needs of our region and best serve our students we have taken the time to strategically identify resources to be redirected.”

Brett Doney, president of the Great Falls Development Authority, said the college is doing the right thing in examining programs and making changes as needed to meet workforce needs. The GFDA depends on the college to train a capable workforce and Great Falls College MSU has a lot of demands placed on it. It’s the same demand every two-year college across the state is being charged with doing.

Doney said they’ve got to transition from being seen as technical schools to two-year community colleges, provide easy transferability from a two-year to four-year college, and respond quickly to workforce development. And they have to do it with less revenue do to declining enrollment.

“There are limited resources,” Doney said. “The college is going about this in a very thoughtful manner. They’re not easy decisions.”

Wolff said the $400,000 in savings from the cut programs will go into such places as the industrial technology program, more fabrication programs (such as welding), and revising the practical nursing program, to name a few. Wolff said more emphasis will also be placed on retention and completion rates, which ultimately help boost enrollment, which in turn increases revenue, but ultimately helps students become wage-earning contributors to the economy. In that area, the school can always do better, if not for the students, for the community, Wolff said.

“Taxpayers are paying for our salaries, they expect that,” Wolff said. “Because the world of work is changing so rapidly we have to be poised to respond quickly.”

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Kristen Cates at 791-1463. Follow her on Twitter @GFTrib_KCates.