MORROW, Ga. — Students and professors at Clayton State University fear their programs could be in jeopardy because of this year's state budget cuts.
Kaitlynn Cassidy said the rumors of the math, science, political science and theatre programs getting canceled have spread around the campus. She is a sophomore who transferred to CSU to study math and aerospace engineering, a dream she's had since she was a kid.
"If this program is cut, I'm not sure I would actually be able to receive my math degree that I've been spending thousands of dollars and multiple credits and several semesters working towards," Cassidy said.
Interim mathematics department chair Dr. Elliot Krop said he received a message last week from the dean.
"They will cut the mathematics program and the chemistry program," Krop said.
After that, Krop said university leaders retracted. However, it was too late. He said faculty have already started planning their exits.
"I'm writing letters of recommendation," Krop said. "They're taking Coursera courses, they're going into tech, they're trying to find other academic jobs."
Last year, on Mar. 30, The University System of Georgia announced that 27 institutions were getting a budget decrease due to a $66 million state budget cut. CSU was one of them.
And if you look over the presentation from CSU's Spring 2023 Town Hall, the 2024 fiscal year budget was discussed. A graph shows a decrease in enrollment for arts and sciences. A low graduate count is one of the reasons Krop said the university was cited for the potential cancelation.
"You can't propose new programs and grow the university when you don't have the foundations like math and chemistry," Krop said.
A university spokesperson said it isn't true:
"To be clear, no decisions have been made about any of Clayton State University’s degree programs. Like all University System of Georgia institutions, we routinely assess program offerings and are in that process now. Final approval is required by the Board of Regents, and we have made no recommendations to either the system or the board for final action. We are grateful to Gov. Brian Kemp, the Georgia General Assembly and our local legislators for their leadership and support of the university system and our university, which includes restoring a $66 million reduction to the system in the amended FY24 state budget. Their support helps us maintain our highest priority of helping students succeed on campus and in Georgia’s workforce."
And here's a statement from USG:
"The University System of Georgia (USG) has not received recommendations from Clayton State University about these programs. As a matter of course, all USG institutions, not just Clayton State, do routine examinations of underperforming/under-enrolled programs and continue to assess these programs over several years before submitting recommendations to the system office."
Krop said his department has a chance at a million-dollar grant that could be the solution. And it will be too difficult to replace the professors already on staff. He and Cassidy are asking decision-makers not to crush the dreams of the students, especially the incoming Clayton County high school graduates. Many are underprivileged, depending on CSU's as a more affordable option to get a STEM degree.
"The gravity of this decision is not temporary, but it is very much permanent," Cassidy said.
There is a meeting planned for 11:15 a.m. at the Baker University Center on campus.