Forward Focused, Future Ready - More Information

We believe it’s our responsibility to respond to indications of career interest from students and industry trends. That’s why we have taken steps to identify what needs to be done to put our current student body, our future students and ESU on the path to long-term success.

For the past year, we have been conducting an extensive and thorough analysis process, led by academic and administrative leaders on campus, that interpreted a wide variety of data including program + enrollment trends, employer needs, state and national job growth projections, student interest, department sustainability + efficiencies, and cultural and community contributions.

As a result of this process, ESU is moving forward with a program optimization strategy focused on meeting the rapidly changing needs of today’s students. Programs were identified for investment, maintenance and divestment.

What students need, and expect, from higher education has changed and the landscape of higher education has changed. Enrollment in four-year institutions, especially for regional institutions, has been in consistent decline for more than five years, both nationally and at Emporia State University. Many students are no longer convinced the cost of a university education is necessary for career success.

Students point to high cost of attendance and a growing concern about not having the skills they need to succeed in the workplace upon graduation. ESU is choosing to adapt and meet these needs with a sense of urgency that also plans for the future for our institution.

No. The action ESU has taken to assess every academic program and to identify areas for investment and divestment are designed to make the university a viable and sustainable institution. If no action were taken, and the status quo was followed, the future of ESU would be very different. ESU is positioned to move past surviving and begin thriving again.

While overall headcount appears relatively stable (total decline of 7% since 2017), what the numbers do not show is the mix of students (on-campus v. online). Graduate and online enrollment has increased (by 29% since fall 2017) while on-campus enrollment has decreased (29% since Fall 2017).

On-campus students represent a much greater portion of the revenue for the university. Enrollment declines in on-campus students have a significant impact on revenue as well as campus culture and the greater Emporia community. Again, this population has declined by 29% since Fall 2017.

Declining enrollments paired with decreased state funding and increased expense in operation over the past decade have created significant budget challenges. Therefore, ESU made the decision to act to solve for the deficit and restructure our revenue model.

Fall 2017 enrollment:

On-campus – 3,939

Online – 1,793

Total – 5,732

Fall 2022 enrollment:

On-campus – 2,804

Online – 2,520

Total – 5,324

No. Over the past decade ESU has gone through many budget cuts. These reductions have been non-strategic in that every department was given a number by which to reduce expenses, resulting in each department doing more with less. This non-strategic approach does not address the root causes driving declining enrollment - changing demographics, decreased state funding and increased operating expenses.

To move ESU to a sustainable budget and operating model, ESU must make real changes that: 1) address the changing needs of students; and 2) create a sustainable model for ESU to thrive.

As stewards of the university responsible for student, donor and taxpayer funds it is our responsibility to manage all resources in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

Emporia State University has been operating in a financial deficit for over four years, using reserves to cover the cost of operations. Enrollment trends project continued declines. It was necessary to respond to the challenges facing ESU in a way that addressed the root cause of continued declines, which means improving the product we offer students.

Existing processes are not conducive to moving with the urgency ESU needed to respond to the economic pressures facing the university. Under existing academic program review processes, it could take years to suspend a program. All personnel decisions were driven by decisions about the future of academic programs.

Some programs are being suspended and some are being restructured. While a few degree programs (i.e., BA, BS) across campus are going away it does not mean that the discipline (i.e., English, Biology, Chemistry) is necessarily going away.

Additionally, some programs will continue to be available but in a different structure than they are currently offered. For example, a program that is currently a major may become a concentration or two majors may merge into one to form a new degree program.

This process is complex and information about specific programs will be shared as it is available over the coming weeks and months.

All students enrolled in programs that are being suspended or restructured have been notified via email, text and have been contacted by their advisor. Students will be able to complete their current program at Emporia State University. Students do not need to transfer schools. The quality of programming will continue through completion. Students will continue to receive current scholarships and financial aid. Professional advisors are available to assist students as they complete their degree programs as planned.

There are many distinctions in degrees. For example, an undergraduate academic major (e.g. Biology) could have degree options for a BA in Biology, BS in Biology and BSE in Biology. Each degree has varying requirements for completion. For example, a Bachelor of Art/BA Degree requires 10 hours of foreign language and additional Fine Arts courses, the Bachelor of Science does not. The Bachelor of Science in Education requires courses from The Teachers College.

While a few degree programs (e.g., BA, BS) across campus are going away it does not mean that the discipline (e.g., English, Biology, Chemistry) is going away. Secondary/middle + high school education students will still be able to complete programs in their discipline (e.g., English, Biology, Chemistry) and will receive teacher education from The Teachers College, ESU’s renowned teacher preparation program, so that they may graduate with a BSE.

Various Degree Examples:

BA - Bachelor of Art

BFA - Bachelor of Fine Art

BID – Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

BS - Bachelor of Science

BSE - Bachelor of Science in Education

BSN - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

MA – Master of Art

MS – Master of Science

MSN – Master of Science in Nursing

It’s not possible to devalue an existing degree. Nor does the elimination of a degree program mean that the major or subject matter is not a valued subject. ESU had to make decisions about where to spend its finite resources based on multiple factors including enrollment trends, job growth projections for people with a degree in that field and student demand. ESU choosing to move away from a program does not lessen the value of that subject matter.

Emporia State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. These changes do not affect HLC accreditation.

Some of the proposed tenure track reinvestments will help ESU retain and/or gain specialized accreditations in various departments (i.e., tenure-track additions in Art will help retain National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accreditation; the addition of a tenure-track position in computer science is required for Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, (ABET) accreditation).

Current gifts which were intended to support suspended programs will be strategically expended over the next several semesters, supporting the program and its faculty and students as they move through their continuation and completion plans.

Gifts to multi-donor endowed funds which were intended to support suspended programs will be held in perpetuity, and would remain available to support those programs should they ever be reintroduced. The ESU Foundation’s Board of Trustees will review the history of the fund, the intent of its donors, and the current activities and priorities of the university and will approve an alternative use for the fund’s annual distribution which is as close as possible to the fund’s original restriction.

ESU Foundation staff are reaching out to establishing donors whose fund benefits a suspended program. These donors are invited to recommend an alternative ESU purpose for their named fund to support. If you have concerns that your named fund is no longer able to be used in alignment with your original intent and you have not yet heard from ESU Foundation staff, please contact them at 620-341-5440 or sacfound@emporia.edu.

No. ESU is not getting rid of tenure – tenure is important to the long-term success of our programs. New investments have been announced with new tenure track positions.

ESU identified programs for investment and divestment. Resulting faculty decisions were made based on the programming that was either staying or going.

It is now the norm to have closed searches. The last open search for a Kansas Board of Regents University was for Allison Garrett in 2015. WSU (held two presidential searches), KSU and Pitt have all recently hired new presidents via closed searches. A closed search, however, continues to have a search committee that consists of representatives from the community, alumni, faculty, staff, students, academic deans and foundation trustees. The search committee recommends the top candidates to the Kansas Board of Regents who selects each university’s president.

The Kansas Board of Regents selects the president of a university based on search committee recommendations. That said, Emporia State University has a budget of approximately $100 million and employs about 1,000 people. Continuing to operate “business as usual” is no longer an option for ESU to have a successful future. President Hush brings a unique skillset from his career as an international businessperson. That skillset is uniquely matched with the current needs of Emporia State University – throughout his career he has demonstrated the ability to assess situations, identify paths to viability, build teams, develop relationships and implement strategies that lead to success.