(Cedar Rapids, IA) -- Kirkwood Community College is announcing some cost-saving initiatives after an internal financial review. Kirkwood is planning adjustments to academic offerings, programs personnel and other expenses.
Kirkwood plans to close it's Dental Technology and Energy Production and Distribution Technologies programs due to low enrollment. The closures will take effect once current students have finished their studies in those areas.
Declining enrollment is also leading to an elimination of the behind-the-wheel portions of Kirkwood'[s CDL-A program after the current class finishes. Discussions have begun with a third party to provide driver training for students as a compliment to classroom instruction at Kirkwood. Kirkwood sys more details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Kirkwood is also planning to make a small reduction in the number of faculty and staff.
According to Kirkwood President Lori Sundberg, implementing these changes will bring future budgets in line with expected revenue and will allow the institution to allocate financial resources where they are most needed.
“Part of our mission is to identify community needs in order to provide exceptional education and training for the communities we serve across our seven counties,” said Sundberg. “Those needs change over time. As an institution tasked with being good stewards of the public funds we receive, it is our duty to change with them. While that sometimes involves difficult decisions, we are making these changes in order to better serve our area. At the same time, the higher ed landscape is shifting to focus more attention on student-support, and Kirkwood has adjusted our approach and resources accordingly to increase student retention and completion. The greater the number of our graduates, the greater the impact they will have on our region.”
Kirkwood has an enrollment of more than 17,000.