Kirkwood Community College will close or adjust three programs and lay off faculty and staff, citing low enrollment, the Corridor Business Journal reported.
“Part of our mission is to identify community needs in order to provide exceptional education and training to the communities we serve in our seven counties,” said Kirkwood President Dr. Lori Sundberg. “Those needs change over time. As an institution charged with being good stewards of the public funds we receive, it is our duty to change with them. While it sometimes involves difficult decisions, we are making these changes to better serve our area.
“At the same time, the field of higher education is shifting and focusing more 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.”
The school is discontinuing its Dental Technology and Power Generation and Distribution Technology programs, effective once current students have completed their studies in those fields.
Kirkwood’s upcoming layoffs have been described as “small reductions” in faculty and staff due to program changes, previously announced facility closings and low enrollment in several programs. One such program that will receive changes is the truck driving program.
