As part of a multi-year attempt to balance their budget, the College of Saint Rose approved a plan to close 16 bachelor’s, six master’s degree, and three certificate programs.
“It is no secret that weighty financial challenges are pressing on colleges and universities throughout the country. The higher education sector is in a period of real transformation. We are being proactive by making hard decisions now, as painful as they are,” said Interim President Marcia White.
HISTORIC CUTS
To reduce academic expenses by $5.97 million, programs in the School of Arts and Humanities will be particularly hard hit. Others on the chopping block include programs in the Education, Business, Mathematics and Sciences departments.
These closures will eliminate 33 of the College’s tenured and tenure-track faculty positions by December of next year. Eight visiting faculty contracts will not be renewed.
Earlier this year, the College made an additional $8 million in administrative and staff expense reductions.
ORPHANING A VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY
Estimated to directly affect only 14% of students currently enrolled at Saint Rose, the larger impact of these cuts will change the educational landscape of the entire region.
“Their arts programs fueled the community in such a number of ways – they were the center of the arts community here. It will fundamentally change the arts ecosystem of the Capital Region that St. Rose was a part of,” said Elizabeth Dubben.
“So many professional artists, designers, and arts educators across the state have gone there. It is such a high-quality, rigorous program and very accessible,” she said.
Dubben, who earned her BFA from the College in 2005 and Masters in 2009, has emerged as a powerhouse in the local art world. Her impressive resume includes founding Albany’s Amrose Sable Gallery, serving as the Saratoga Arts Exhibition Director, currently the Executive Director of Collar Works, and the Entrepreneurial Artist Initiative Coordinator and Lecturer at Skidmore College under Arts Administration.
SQUEEZING OUT THE ARTS
This is the second time in five years budgetary cuts at Saint Rose have dealt a devastating blow to their arts programs.
“The arts programs are always the first to get cut. This is a question of; what are the priorities of our society? We have no problem consuming the arts. In hard times especially, everyone gravitates towards the arts, but artists still struggle to be valued and paid fairly and equitably for their work,” said Dubben.
Combining a rigorous, quality, arts education with the business acumen necessary to make it a financial success is Dubben’s specialty, and she is grateful for the arts appreciation she’s experienced in her various roles within this passionate community.
“When students are connected to arts programming, their outcomes across the board are better. It helps improve their critical thinking, test scores, their mental health and so much more. The benefits are connected across curriculums,” she said.
FIGHTING HITS CLOSE TO HOME
While these cuts may take a while to be felt in the larger community, they hit especially close to home for Dubben, not only because of her arts career, but also because her husband, Rob O’Neil, a Saint Rose photography professor for decades, will be one of those looking for a new job.
“Thankfully, there’s a little bit of time to figure out what the next step for us is. There’s a big grieving process that he and his fellow colleagues are going through now. It was such an incredible program and it’s impacting so many people’s lives. It’s a big loss for our community,” said Dubben.
So, what’s the best way to help conserve the arts in your community?
“Buy from local artists. Shop small. Contribute to the arts. Put a little bit of money behind your desire to elevate and conserve them. Show artists with your wallet that you value them,” she said.
