Warren Wilson College provost says loss in majors, staff comes down to inflation

SWANNANOA, N.C. (WLOS) — Next year, incoming students at Warren Wilson College will likely have fewer majors from which to choose.

The school is expecting to downsize at the end of the month.

“Over the past two to three years, we began to realize that we’re going to need to make some decisions in terms of where we want to invest and cut back,” Provost Jay Roberts said.

Some 26 total lines of staff are expected to be released.

“It’s important to say 'lines' here and not individuals because it’s through a combination of phased retirements, attrition and then several involuntary layoffs,” Roberts said.

Those changes will happen once the board of trustees finalizes layoffs at the end of October.

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No current students will have their majors affected. The necessary classes to earn a degree in cut programs will still be offered.

The decision comes as a part of the college’s “strategic action framework.” It’s a focus on the more populated and productive majors at the school.

“The curriculum never stays still,” Roberts said. “It’s in a constant state of change, adaptation and expansion.”

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Roberts said inflation was a big reason for the downsizing.

“There gets to be a limit,” Roberts said. “You can only increase tuition so much before a family says I can’t pay more than that.”

It's a problem that’s not exclusive to Warren Wilson.

“This is something that’s going to be experienced across the sector,” Roberts said. “Regardless of small or large college, public or private, everybody is dealing with the same economic fundamentals.”

The college’s board of trustees is expected to finalize the cutbacks at its meetings on Oct. 26-27.

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