This past Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Korbel School of International Studies hosted an event with Dean Frederick Mayer to talk about how DU’s upcoming budget cuts will affect Korbel.
Declining enrollment at DU has led to a $11 million budget shortfall, and multiple departments across the university have already dealt with layoffs, program reductions and restructuring as a result.
At the moment, Dean Mayer said that Korbel is not facing any faculty cuts, and “does not see any cuts in the future.” Despite DU seeing a 10% drop in enrollment from 2023, Korbel’s graduate enrollments are up 20%. With graduate enrollment up, and the Korbel graduate program recently being ranked as the 12th best International Relations Master’s program in the world by Foreign Policy magazine, the dean feels confident about the future.
Enrollment is not just down at DU, as universities nationwide have seen a decline in applications. This phenomenon has become known as the “enrollment cliff” and is likely the result of falling birth rates across the U.S. since the 2008 recession. An economist at Carleton College in Minnesota predicted that between 2025 and 2029 there will be a projected 15% drop in college-aged students across the United States.
Dean Mayer acknowledged that this upcoming drop is “a big unknown facing universities,” and that includes DU.
Compounding the challenge is DU’s close proximity to CU Boulder, which saw a 20% increase in applications over the past year. This contrast highlights the competitive pressures DU faces in attracting prospective students, particularly when neighboring institutions appear to be weathering the enrollment crisis more effectively.
Despite budget issues and faculty cuts, Chancellor Jeremy Haefner’s salary has not received a cut and remains over $1 million annually. Dean Mayer was asked about Haefner’s salary during the event, but declined to comment.
As DU grapples with declining enrollment and financial issues, it is up to the administration to make some hard calls that will affect the entire DU community. While Korbel remains optimistic about the path ahead, the university as a whole has an unclear future.
