The College of Denver will consolidate 5 of its faculties into two and eradicate 5 tutorial departments, the college introduced this week, framing the restructuring as a solution to break down silos reasonably than a cost-cutting train.
The adjustments come months after DU confronted a projected finances deficit of as much as $30 million. The college’s board accepted a balanced fiscal 2027 finances final week, achieved by leaving vacant workers positions unfilled and chopping bills.
Why It Issues
Consolidation strain in larger schooling is now not restricted to small, struggling schools. DU enrolls practically 12,000 college students, holds an A-level credit standing from Fitch, and ran an general surplus the previous two fiscal years (as a result of it was bailed out by endowment cash after working losses).
But it is nonetheless merging faculties and shutting down departments to get forward of enrollment and market shifts.
For present and potential college students, the speedy impression is proscribed: DU says there isn’t any disruption to diploma progress, and college students enrolling in fall 2026 can full their packages as deliberate.
By The Numbers
- 11,499 college students: DU’s fall 2025 headcount, down 18% from 2021.
- $354.7 million: Tuition income in fiscal 2025, a 2.1% year-over-year decline.
- $5.8 million: DU’s fiscal 2025 working loss, an enchancment from $7.3 million the 12 months earlier than.
- As much as $30 million: The finances deficit DU projected earlier than balancing its fiscal 2027 finances.
The Particulars
The restructuring combines 5 faculties and schools into two new ones:
- The Graduate Faculty of Social Work, the Graduate Faculty of Skilled Psychology, and the Morgridge Faculty of Training will merge into a brand new school targeted on schooling, behavioral, and scientific sciences.
- The Ritchie Faculty of Engineering and Laptop Science will mix with the Faculty of Pure Sciences and Arithmetic and the Kinesiology and Sport Research program, making a unit centered on science, engineering, and well being innovation.
DU can also be eliminating 5 departments, although tutorial packages underneath them will proceed, in accordance with a memo from Provost Elizabeth Loboa to workers. The spiritual research and electrical and laptop engineering departments are being eradicated this 12 months, whereas three others (philosophy, socio-legal research, and gender, ladies’s, and sexuality research) voluntarily opted to shut, per a college spokesperson.
Individually, DU plans to combine its theater, music, and dance models and create new models for language and tradition packages and communication and media arts.
What They’re Saying
“These strategic adjustments are supposed to deal with vital market shifts, strengthening demand in a aggressive market,” Chancellor Jeremy Haefner and Provost Loboa stated within the announcement.
How This Connects
DU is not susceptible to closing — however its restructuring displays the identical forces driving a wave of school shutdowns. Eight nonprofit schools have already introduced closures in 2026, following 16 in 2025, and a Huron Consulting Group evaluation tasks 442 non-public nonprofit schools are susceptible to closing or merging inside a decade.
Proactive consolidation like DU’s is what that strain appears to be like like at financially more healthy establishments. Households weighing school decisions can overview the warning indicators {that a} school is in hassle earlier than committing.
Implementation will roll out over the following tutorial 12 months, with new school names and buildings nonetheless to be decided. DU plans to launch inner searches for the 2 inaugural deans this fall, and Loboa’s memo signaled extra consolidation may observe.
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Editor: Colin Graves
The submit College of Denver Eliminates 5 Departments In Restructuring After $30 Million Shortfall appeared first on The Faculty Investor.
