/ St. Norbert College is addressing its financial challenges through the “Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy: A Shared Promise of Stewardship 2024” initiative, which focuses on long-term sustainability while remaining true to its mission. In response to demographic shifts and inflationary pressures, the college is taking immediate action to manage its operating budget.
The plan emphasizes operational excellence by managing tuition dollars, reducing costs, making strategic investments, and pursuing new approaches to enhance academic quality and student success. This effort is guided by shared governance between faculty and administration.
Dear St. Norbert College Community,
As the year draws to a close and we prepare our hearts for the joy of Christmas, I want to share an update on our journey together—a journey grounded in faith and communio—to advance the sacred mission of St. Norbert College. This time of year invites us to reflect on our purpose, count our blessings, and review our progress as we work together to build a hopeful future.
Our Why
At SNC, we change students’ lives as our dedicated faculty and staff spark their curiosity and accompany them as they discern their purpose. Personal relationships and a commitment to human flourishing, within the context of communio, set this campus apart in quite an extraordinary way. This educational environment is transformative by fueling excellence in academics, leadership, athletics, scholarship, and service. I mark these impressive accomplishments each week with personal notes of congratulations.
I count the relational nature of our community as among our greatest blessings. This is evident in the culture of care, compassion, and interconnectedness that gets amplified in both good times and difficult moments. We celebrate each other’s successes with genuine joy and happiness. In tough times, we navigate through the range of emotions associated with the Kubler-Ross stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance emerging stronger and more united.
Each of us processes change with varying levels of understanding and in our own time. For my part, I will continue to be as honest and transparent regarding how we arrived at our current financial circumstances, the progress we have made, and the distance we have left to travel. While many seem relieved that we are addressing the realities of this time directly, there are others who are fearful, angry, and/or anxious about the future. These are understandable emotions, and we assure any community member who is struggling or needs assistance that we are here to support you. Please take advantage of the SNC support services available.
I am grateful to all the members of the community who have stepped up to lead from where they are by staying focused on serving students and each other while spreading kindness, joy, and love. I will never forget all of you who have reached out to me personally to offer your words of understanding, support, encouragement, and thanks.
Institutional Context
Given some misinformation that is circulating, I want to remind everyone how we got here and why our collective response to this moment in the history of the College is so critical to its future:
Our Progress
Our commitment to the mission of St. Norbert College remains unwavering. We understand how unsettling the financial challenges have been to our community. I also empathize with the disruption that results from rapid change on campus. Yet, if we did not proceed in the way we have during the past 16 months, the walk-forward budget projected a nearly $20M deficit by FY27 in an increasingly inhospitable environment for higher education. To avoid this devastating prospect, we have acted decisively in reducing the budget by approximately $12M. This was extraordinarily difficult, but it was the right thing to do as we work to preserve the mission of this incredible College.
We are advancing multiple strategies to contain costs and generate revenue while remaining attentive to mission, educational quality, student success, and operational excellence. We continue to invite faculty, our critical partners, to develop ways of diversifying: a) the student segments we serve (beyond traditional-aged, residential students); b) the programs we offer (beyond four-year degrees); and c) the way we deliver instruction (beyond face-to-face to include hybrid and online offerings).
While we are addressing these significant annual operating budget challenges, I want to assure our community that St. Norbert College is working hard to adjust in order to sustain its historically sound financial position with substantial long-term assets and relatively low debt levels. This work is critical to ensuring SNC’s long-term success and service to future generations. The hard decisions we have made are proactively strengthening our position to meet emerging challenges with resilience and purpose.
Looking Forward: Spring 2025
Dr. Valerie Martin Conley, Vice President and Senior Academic Officer, has been working all semester with faculty, academic deans, academic affairs staff, the Faculty Personnel Committee, the Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee, and the Senate as she finalizes recommendations for academic program elimination and faculty reductions. Next steps, slated to happen in January 2025 include:
Please know, every decision is being viewed through the prism of fulfilling our mission and protecting our community members to the best of our ability.
Our Commitments:
As of 12/13, our enrollment management and business offices are projecting a minimum spring 2025 shortfall of $700K. We will close this gap prior to May 31, 2025, to balance the current FY25 budget.
Beyond this, we still face a significant challenge—a minimum $7 million budget reduction target to align revenues and expenses next fiscal year (i.e., FY26). This alignment will remain a top priority because “without margin, there is no mission.”
While these issues can be unsettling, we should remember that we have already reduced nearly twice this amount working together. We have significantly reduced expenses, developed new curricula, and implemented strategic initiatives. The progress we have made bolsters our confidence in our College community and its supporters’ resilience as we complete the critical work ahead.
As we continue the path toward long-term sustainability, we will develop the process for strategic planning in spring. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to Catholic identity, Norbertine heritage, and liberal learning while diversifying the student segments our College serves. In this way, we will position SNC to meet the needs of local, regional, and global communities while embracing innovation, excellence, and sustainability.
As the only Catholic, Norbertine College in the world, our strength is in communio, a value guiding our shared work and calling us to unity and mutual support. The spirit of communio is present in each of you—students, faculty, staff, trustees, alums, donors, and friends—whose efforts and sacrifices are integral to sustaining the College during this time of transition.
Together We Lead, Together We Serve
St. Norbert College is a great institution. Its current financial difficulties are similar to those playing out in higher education across the country. The quality and effectiveness of our response will be critical for the generations of students, faculty, and staff who follow us. I have no doubt this community will rise to the occasion and become a model for others as we demonstrate compassion, grace, resilience, and determination in the coming months. Building on our considerable assets, we will become an even more mission-driven, student-centered, and financially-sustainable College.
As we move forward, we will continue to rely on the generosity of all to help strengthen sustainability, build institutional reputation, and preserve the exceptional educational experiences we provide. In this season of giving, I invite each of you to consider how you might make a difference. You can positively impact our mission by:
We are so grateful for each one of you. It is your faith in our mission that inspires and sustains us. Together, we will continue to honor our traditions and adapt to meet the needs of our time with courage and resilience.
Wishing you peace and blessings in this holy season,
Laurie M. Joyner, Ph.D.
President, St. Norbert College
Dear St. Norbert College Community,
Since announcing our alignment with Dignitas Infinita regarding gender identity language in mid-September, our community has engaged in meaningful dialogue about how we live out our Catholic, Norbertine, and liberal arts identity, specifically within the context of the teachings of the Catholic Church. For more than 125 years, the respectful exchange of perspectives has been the foundation of St. Norbert College’s resilience. However, achieving that type of community takes work and vigilance.
While some community members have expressed concerns, we are perplexed by claims that there have not been opportunities for discussion. The forums for engagement attached below reflect our ongoing commitment to transparency and inclusion.
It is essential to understand that this decision lies within the governance authority and responsibility of our Board of Trustees and Sponsor. Dialogue allows us to deepen understanding, but this decision reflects our Catholic and Norbertine identity, and is not subject to unilateral change by the administration.
The Vatican document Dignitas Infinita was signed by Pope Francis and released in March of 2024 with the goal to offer clarifications on the use and abuse of the term “dignity” for the universal Church, which includes St. Norbert College. The decision was not made in response to any one issue. It puts us in conformity with our colleges’ bylaws ([The operation of St. Norbert College] “shall be conducted within the context of the…teachings and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and shall be in compliance with the objectives and philosophy of the Order of Canons Regular of Premontre…” bylaws I.2); it prepared us to receive the new 2024 Title IX regulations; it responded to internal policies that shifted the college’s stance without proper approval; it allowed us to continue to serve and minister to people on campus as we always have; and it put us into communion with our local Bishop, Pope Francis, and the universal Church. Most importantly, Dignitas Infinita clarifies what human dignity means and looks like, and recognizing the dignity of every human being is a core aspect of St. Norbert College’s Catholic tradition.
St. Norbert College remains committed to radical hospitality. We will continue to create a welcoming environment for everyone in our community—LGBTQIA+ students, practicing Catholics, members of other faith traditions, those from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and everyone who calls St. Norbert College home. It is also worth noting that we have received more positive feedback about this shift to align with Catholic teaching as we have received critical comments, underscoring the diversity of perspectives in our community.
Corrections
Like other SNC leaders, I received several emails yesterday from students. There has been some confusion regarding the November 21st “Communio for All” event. On October 24 of this year, Dr. Karen Park, on behalf of the Theology and Religious Studies (THRS) faculty, invited me and any other Norbertine interested in participating, to a campus wide discussion of Dignitas Infinita and the associated changes on campus. While I could not accept the spot on the panel at that time, I offered the THRS discipline an opportunity to discuss the topic with me and/or a couple of Norbertines before engaging the topic in a campus-wide forum. I am confident Dr. Park would be willing to share the 10/28 and 10/29 email exchanges in which she declined my offer on behalf of the THRS faculty. During these exchanges with the THRS faculty, I was unaware of any student participation or organizers for the event.
On November 15 of this year, a sophomore student—an impressive young leader with an email signature that listed her as VP, President, and Representative of prestigious student organizations—invited me to serve on a “Communio for All” panel on November 21. As we sent emails back and forth, I learned that students would be involved on the panel. When I said I had extended an invitation to the event organizers, some thought I was referring to a student leader. I was not referring to a student or a student group. I was not aware that students would be on this panel until three days before the event took take place.
In trying to understand who was hosting the “Communio for All” event, we looked at the registry for the event space: that night, that time, that topic, and that room was listed as a THRS faculty event. The primary contact for the faculty group was Dr. Craig Ford. Dr. Ford is a faculty leader and theologian.
Dr. Craig Ford is not a student. And the THRS faculty are not a student group.
I’m sorry that the THRS discipline didn’t accept our invitation. The Gospel and the Rule of St. Augustine teach us that a private discussion ought to happen first when a problem emerges. Honest, open debate among community members with conflicting views is how we build community and change the world around us.
Those desiring communio must be vigilant. It is easy and tempting to know better, to look down on others on the bedrock of confidence in one’s correctness. Communio would guide us to trust and share who we truly are with the community, and to accept others regardless of the similarities or opposition of our beliefs. Misrepresenting and hiding things are inconsistent with communio.
In the quote NBC 26 shared, I referenced some dishonesty in some of the criticism and comments regarding the college offering opportunities for dialogue. It was startling to hear people who participated in events on the attached list testify that the school had done less. The promotion of lies and distortions, and what could be the manipulation of students, are inconsistent with our values at SNC. We remain committed to our shared values and actions that affirm them.
Transparency is about honesty, trust, wisdom, and respect.
Office hours continue every semester to facilitate communio and the ongoing dialogue and support that nurtures it. I’ll happily speak with students, faculty, and staff who have questions or seek dialogue.
These efforts reaffirm our dedication to fostering inclusion and belonging for everyone at St. Norbert College. Our commitment to respect the dignity of every person exemplifies the spirit of communio that binds us together.
Sincerely,
Fr. Matthew Dougherty, O. Praem.
Special Assistant to the President for Mission Integration
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For reference:
Since announcing alignment with Dignitas Infinita in September 2024, the institution has held several forums to discuss this change with students, faculty and staff. Below is a list of events and engagement opportunities the administration has hosted in Fall and early Winter 2024.
September 2024
October 2024
November 2024
December 2024
Dear St. Norbert College Community,
I write today to share updates following the Board of Trustees meeting held on Oct. 11, including significant items considered and actions taken.
Executive Summaries and Institutional Dashboards
The Board reviewed Executive Summaries from President Cabinet members highlighting priorities, challenges, and achievements across the College as well as the following dashboards tracking institutional performance over time:
Meeting Schedule
The Board began its new one-day meeting schedule with its revised committee
structure to better address cross-divisional priorities and issues. The new committees include Finance/Organizational Sustainability; Academic & Student Experience; Audit, Risk & Information Technology; Governance; and Mission & Heritage.
Some key points from the materials and reports provided:
Full Board Session
Trustees participated in a Mission Reflection led by Fr. Johnathan Turba, O. Praem., reviewing the core Norbertine value of actio.
Each Trustee also received a copy of a 7-page letter followed by signature pages titled, “A Letter of Concern and Care for St. Norbert College” from SNC alumni and friends of Catholic and liberal arts higher education.
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the following:
The Board discussed differences between Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and internal financial reporting. The management team will provide a reconciliation at least annually to the Board.
Senior Leadership Updates
Luyan Li, Ph.D., will join us in about a week as Vice President for Business and Finance/Chief Financial Officer. She will have about a week of overlap with Michael Guns to assist with her transition. The search for Vice President for College Advancement has been extended. While we continue to search for our next Vice President, we are working with The Registry to identify an experienced Interim to serve during the next several months.
Moving Forward Together
While I understand the range of reactions related to the College’s actions to address the significant operating budget challenges discovered last year, this work is essential to ensure a financially strong, sustainable St. Norbert College.Thanks to our collective efforts, we are making positive progress that will contribute to the College’s long-term vitality. As we begin to see the beautiful colors of fall, I hope you each have a few moments to reflect on the beauty around us.
With gratitude and faith,
Laurie M. Joyner, Ph.D.
President
St. Norbert College
Watch the video of this announcement here.
Dear St. Norbert College Community Members and Faithful Supporters,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the start of autumn. The past few weeks on campus have been brimming with joy, excitement, and tradition — from Convocation and the Mass of the Holy Spirit to the warm welcome of new and transfer students and families to the SNC community.
Most importantly, please accept my deepest gratitude to all of you — students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, donors, and friends of the College. SNC is in a period of adaptation, and thanks to your unwavering support, we have been able to protect our sacred mission.
Points of Pride
We continue to achieve significant milestones:
Mission and Heritage Update
A significant milestone was achieved this past spring when we re-established the Office of Mission and Heritage to animate our Catholic identity and Norbertine heritage throughout the College. The Rev. Matthew Dougherty, O. Praem., ’09, Ph.D., is serving as Special Assistant to the President for Mission Integration and Assistant Professor of Biology, and Emily Thelen, Ph.D., holds the position of Executive Director of Mission and Heritage.
To better align our mission-focused work, the following offices are reporting through the Division of Mission and Heritage: Campus Ministry; the Sturzl Center for Community Service & Learning; the Center for Norbertine Studies; the Norman Miller Center for Peace, Justice & Public Understanding; and the Killeen Chair of Theology & Philosophy.
The Mission and Heritage Office has attracted significant philanthropic support to bolster strategic initiatives, including the development of a six-part video formation series highlighting St. Norbert, the Rule of St. Augustine, and Norbertine values (action, contemplation, stability, and communio) for use in onboarding and ongoing formation efforts.
Campus Town Hall Meetings
Last week, we hosted two Town Hall meetings on campus. As essential members of our SNC community, I want to share with you some reflections on the progress we have made since launching the Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy: A Shared Promise of Stewardship plan, as well as some of the opportunities and challenges ahead.
The plan is a response to the directive of our sponsor, the Norbertine Order, and the Board of Trustees to deliver balanced annual budgets. Our collective efforts are proving successful in addressing the College’s most pressing issues through comprehensive actions aimed at transforming our financial model for long-term sustainability while maintaining our commitment to excellence, innovation, and communio
One example of collective efforts is the campuswide collaboration of the Task Force on Innovation. Since November 2023, the task force has reviewed 387 ideas submitted by the community and consolidated them down to 104 unique ideas. The task force identified six initiatives, each with significant potential to shape our future, as most promising and submitted them to my President's Cabinet and me for consideration. It shared the remaining ideas with the appropriate vice presidents for their review and consideration of incorporation into operational plans.
Annual Operating Budget
St. Norbert College is blessed with a talented community, beautiful campus, strong balance sheet, modest debt, and healthy endowment. However, the annual operating budget has presented significant challenges during the past few years. Just one year ago, SNC faced a $5M deficit in FY24 and a projected deficit of approximately $11M in FY25.
Our extraordinary efforts to align revenues and expenses during the past 12 months resulted in positive operating performance in FY24 and a projected balanced budget in FY25. This was exceedingly difficult but necessary work. I am grateful to those who helped achieve this remarkable progress by working together for the greater good of the College and its legacy.
As we prepare for FY26 and beyond, we must continue our transformation efforts to adapt to the changing landscape. Declining undergraduate enrollment is projected through the end of the decade due to a shrinking pool of college-bound students, changing college-going rates, and an incredibly competitive market. This reality demands that we rethink our operations, faculty and staff composition, and academic program offerings to serve our students best while remaining faithful to our mission. The goal remains to deliver mission-driven educational experiences while balancing the FY26 budget and beyond through cost-containing and revenue-generating strategies.
Academic Affairs and Aligning Operating Costs
Delivering on the promise of outstanding and affordable educational experiences will always remain our top priority, but aligning our cost structure with financial realities is critical. Valerie Martin Conley, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, is leading efforts to finalize recommendations that will streamline our curriculum and eliminate some programs. Rest assured that students who have declared programs will be able to complete their course program of study.
The process of seeking feedback from across campus and beyond will continue. Please know that we will not make any decisions lightly. Still, everything must be on the table to protect all the unique assets of this remarkable College that we are entrusted to preserve for future generations.
Enrollment Management and Revenue Generation
Our enrollment management team has worked on initiatives to stabilize our student body through recruitment and retention efforts. We are introducing new strategies, including personalized campus visits, expanded merit scholarships, and more robust outreach to underrepresented students.
Our athletics program is being strengthened with new competitive sports like STUNT (one of the fastest-growing female sports that incorporate skills derived from cheerleading and gymnastics) and ACHA Men’s Club Hockey to attract new students, increase community engagement, and drive advancement results.
Our revenue-generating initiatives focus on our students’ success by expanding innovative academic partnerships, implementing transfer-friendly policies, and strengthening financial aid and retention efforts.
Looking Forward
As we look toward the future, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our Catholic, Norbertine, and liberal arts mission. This vow requires decisive and courageous actions to meet the needs of our time and create a sustainable financial model for our beloved College.
Change is difficult. This is a challenging and emotional time for many. It will take all of us working together to ensure our College’s future. I am truly grateful for your dedication. Some are going above and beyond to partner with our recruitment, retention, and advancement efforts. Others extend their support through their own generous charitable contributions. We are grateful to each one of you.
Your support is vital as we work to overcome obstacles, embrace new opportunities, and emerge even stronger. Together, we will continue to preserve and build upon the legacy of this great College.
Watch video of this announcement here.
St. Norbert College has advanced a series of initiatives called Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy: A Shared Promise of Stewardship 2024. These initiatives represent a proactive approach to ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of the college. Strategic measures are being implemented to maintain academic quality, build a solid foundation for innovation and growth, and address the college’s cost structure. This translates directly into more opportunities for current and future students to receive a transformative education based on our three core traditions — Catholic, Norbertine and liberal arts — that prepares them for success in an ever-changing world.The plan is already delivering tangible results, including:
Additionally, the faculty and board of trustees have approved nine new academic majors, nine new academic minors, eight new concentrations and one new certificate program to provide students with expertise in high-demand areas. Such diverse and innovative learning opportunities empower students to become catalysts for positive change in their communities and careers. New offerings include an engineering physics major, supply chain management major, robotics minor, digital marketing minor and data analytics minor.
At the March 1, 2024 St. Norbert College Board of Trustees meeting, several recommendations were approved as part of the approved FY25 budget:
General non-personnel expense reductions. A collaborative effort across divisions to better align non-personnel expenses with actual activity and projected needs led to a budget decrease of $345,000.
Strategic use of endowment fund distributions. Annually, the College receives endowment distributions to support programs and initiatives across various divisions. A collaborative, cross-divisional analysis of these programmatic endowment distributions identified $177,000 to offset operating expenses.
Improved annual fundraising results. Thanks to the Advancement team’s good work, the College increased its annual St. Norbert Fund gift budget from $2M to $2.1M, a revenue increase of $100,000 annually.
Savings from health plan design adjustments. St. Norbert College implemented a retiree health plan phase-out effective 6/1/2024. With this change, retirees 65 or older will no longer be eligible to stay on the College’s health plan. During the next five years, the College is projected to save $262,000 annually ($136,000 in FY25).
Effective 1/1/2024, SNC increased the spousal surcharge from $100 to $300 per month. With this change, the plan experienced a significant shift in our employee plan selection and participation. These changes and an overall decrease in claims experience are projected to save the college $643,000 annually.
Increase in the Norbertine endowment distribution. The Norbertine Fathers generously committed to a multi-year increased endowment distribution to bridge the gap between projected revenues and expenses, preventing even more severe budget reductions. For FY25, this equates to nearly $900,000.
Personnel savings, including position and administrative expense reductions. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the Deans Council, analyzed key data sets from an outside vendor, rpk, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, and the Academic Program Prioritization process, which was led by the Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee, to determine which non-tenured faculty lines should be eliminated to rightsize the faculty given multiple years of declining student enrollment.
For FY25, phase two reductions in Academic Affairs included personnel reductions (12 individuals impacted) and non-personnel reductions totaling $1,697,086.
To the St. Norbert Community,
Let me begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to colleagues across the college who have worked together to understand the challenges facing higher education and their impact on our campus. Demographic shifts, increased competition, and inflationary pressures are negatively affecting many institutions. St. Norbert College is taking immediate action toward creating a sustainable budget model that preserves our mission and ensures educational quality.
I am grateful for the collective leadership of our Board of Trustees, Norbertines, and campus community, for contributing to the numerous actions that comprise our developing stewardship plan. Many individuals have labored to make difficult decisions preparing us for an even brighter future as our college advances toward its sesquicentennial.
The Board of Trustees—notably Board Chair Fred Schmidt, Vice Chair Patti McKeithan, Finance Committee Chair Greg Nicklaus, and Vice Chair Phil Flynn—have demonstrated leadership in guiding efforts to address financial challenges that have been building in recent years. Their championing of our strategic actions reflects the collective resolve of the Board of Trustees to address the significant challenges and opportunities before us. Similarly, I am grateful for the support and generosity of Abbot Dane Radecki, O. Praem., the Abbot's Council, and our Norbertine colleagues as we work together to improve the college's operating performance and competitive positioning.
The unavoidable necessity of immediately addressing the college's financial situation prevented me from beginning my presidency as envisioned. However, during this process, I have grown to admire and cherish the ideals of St. Norbert College even more. My focus and commitment is to improve institutional performance so that we may continue to provide an outstanding, holistic education shaped by our three core traditions: Catholic, Norbertine, and liberal arts. Delivering on the promise of such a transformative education is the sacred mission driving our actions.
The college experienced two consecutive years of negative operating results (FY22 and FY23), and the FY24 budget showed a large deficit which we resolved through the reductions in Fall 2023, resulting in a balanced budget this fiscal year. In October 2023, the Board of Trustees directed the administration to balance the FY25 budget to address multiple years of negative operating performance, reduce future budget deficit projections, and prevent further erosion of the college's financial performance.
We considered multiple alternatives to balance the FY25 budget, including a substantial tuition increase, but our commitment to accessibility and affordability far outweighs such a consideration. Given this, we are responsibly reducing recurring expenses while ensuring educational quality and economic vitality. We continue our focus on mission integration, educational excellence, and student success while working to improve operations, contain costs, and identify ways to generate additional revenue.
Our work to protect our institution's legacy, itself part of the 900-year legacy of the Norbertine Order, involves immediate and long-range efforts. Just as personnel and operating cuts were necessary to balance the current year's budget, balancing the FY25 budget (June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025) again necessitates reductions. At last week's meeting, the Board of Trustees approved recommendations to balance the budget for the coming year, including:
More information regarding these decisions can be found here.
The collaborative work and leadership across the college that has helped to address the unexpected scale of budget deficits identified upon my arrival last fall has been extraordinary. As we address immediate financial shortfalls, we continue our ongoing work: Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy: A Shared Promise of Stewardship. Current strategic priorities inform this work and will be further engaged when the college launches its next strategic planning process.
Below are just a few of the many initiatives our community is pursuing to address negative operating results in recent years and position the college for future success:
Despite all of the planning, reductions, and improvements, it was only through the extraordinary generosity of our founder and sponsor, the Norbertine Order, that we could achieve the Board of Trustees' directive to balance the FY25 budget. Abbot Dane Radecki, O. Praem., and the Abbot's Council granted my recent request for an exceedingly generous, multi-year gift demonstrating their support for college leadership and efforts to advance institutional mission. The Norbertines continue to be agents for positive change in this community and worldwide. St. Norbert College seeks to emulate the Norbertine spirit of generosity by sustaining a caring community of learners committed to the greater good of the college and the larger community.
Despite the short-term challenges facing the college, our community has much to celebrate:
As we continue to work to preserve the legacy of our beloved institution, we will track and communicate our progress. Senior leaders will continue to work with students, faculty, and staff through appropriate shared governance processes to take the steps necessary to ensure the college remains a compassionate and supportive community of learners as we respond to the needs of our time.
We will successfully navigate these challenges together—preserving the noble legacy of the college to which we are heirs for the benefit of future generations. I look forward to continuing to learn, serve, and lead—together.
With gratitude and faith,
Laurie M. Joyner, Ph.D.
President
During the past few years, St. Norbert College has posted negative annual operating performance, meaning its expenses have outpaced its revenues. This is due to a number of external factors and internal decisions over time. Like many colleges nationwide, demographic shifts, changes in college-going rates, increased competition, rising discount rates and inflationary pressures have attenuated net revenue at SNC. Internally, despite St. Norbert College serving 350 fewer students as of fall 2023 as compared to fall 2018, the number of faculty FTE was the highest it has been in at least the past decade.
These dynamics are creating disruptions throughout the higher education sector. Fewer students attending colleges nationwide has led to more than 100 colleges and universities closing or merging since 2016. This underscores the urgency for decisive action while St. Norbert College is still fundamentally strong in terms of its balance sheet. Though difficult, SNC’s decisions to live within its means are required to maintain educational quality, ensure student success and prevent deterioration of its financial position.
SNC’s approach to fiscal responsibility by simply ensuring balanced annual budgets is aligned with its mission of promoting accessibility and affordability through generous financial aid packages. While we have heard students lament the nearly $45,000 annual undergraduate tuition sticker price, the average SNC student actually pays less than $19,000.
The Board of Trustees has directed the college’s leadership to present only balanced annual budgets. This will reduce future budget deficit projections and prevent further erosion of the college’s annual financial performance. Together with college leadership, President Joyner is focusing on mission integration, educational quality, and student success while working to improve operations, contain costs, and identify ways to generate additional revenue. SNC is putting students first by maintaining its commitment to accessibility and affordability while offering the same first-rate educational experiences.
The Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy: A Shared Promise of Stewardship initiative is a proactive approach to ensure the long-term sustainability and success of St. Norbert College. By implementing strategic measures to address financial challenges while maintaining educational quality, the college is laying a solid foundation for diversification and innovation. Successful innovation means more opportunities for current and future students to receive a transformative education that prepares them for success in an ever-changing world.
One of the initiative’s key aspects is its commitment to accessibility and affordability. By creating a sustainable budget model that minimizes tuition increases, St. Norbert College ensures that higher education remains accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. This commitment enhances the college’s reputation as a leader in education and fosters a more inclusive and equitable community.
These problems are not unique to SNC. Higher education institutions are facing many challenges, including declining enrollment, increasing competition, rising discount rates, and heightened scrutiny over the value of a college degree.
SNC is acting from a position of relative strength as it adjusts its staffing to mirror its student population. These actions are creating an even stronger foundation as we prepare to weather the headwinds facing higher education. President Joyner is an experienced college president who has successfully strengthened other schools facing similar financial challenges. In a time when the economic model of higher education is being seriously challenged, St. Norbert College is positioning itself to be a model for creating a mission-focused, student-centered and financially sustainable liberal arts college in the 21st century.
Since announcing alignment with Dignitas Infinita in September 2024, the institution has held several forums to discuss this change with students, faculty and staff. Below is a list of events and engagement opportunities the administration has hosted in Fall and early Winter 2024.
September 2024
October 2024
November 2024
December 2024
Throughout Fall 2024: Individual Meetings
Ad hoc meetings were held with individuals interested in discussing the initiative.
Together with college leadership, President Joyner has developed the Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy: A Shared Promise of Stewardship initiative. This plan focuses on mission integration, educational quality, and student success while working to improve operations, contain costs and identify ways to generate additional revenue.
We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience that changes the lives of students. Over the next few years, we will be adding new programs to meet the demands of the students and the current workforce. Starting in fall 2024, we are adding a Robotics minor, Sustainability minor, Data Analytics minor, Digital Marketing minor, Project Management minor, Game Development concentration, certificate in Arts Management, Engineering Physics major, Management major, Finance major, Marketing major and a Supply Chain Management major.
Additionally, in fall 2025, we will be offering two new athletic club sports which include STUNT and men’s ice hockey.
We will continue to renew and invest in the student experience – the curricular and co-curricular
– to offer a high-quality education and produce meaningful outcomes.
One way we can lead our institution through the challenges currently facing higher education is to enter into innovative partnerships such as this one to continue to provide students with an exceptional academic experience.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership in the region, UW-Green Bay (UWGB) has signed an articulation agreement with St. Norbert College (SNC) that will allow students in selected degree programs to seamlessly study at both institutions. Program partnerships may start as soon as fall 2024.
This sharing of resources provides students from the region (and beyond) with an opportunity to take classes more easily at either of the Northeast Wisconsin four-year campuses, regardless of campus
residence or enrollment. The agreement focuses on the students' needs and provides more
opportunities for degree pursuit where a student can augment the general education they receive at
one school with a degree program available at the other.
Currently, the following classes/program credits will transfer between SNC and UWGB:
Classes SNC students can take at UWGB:
St. Norbert College is proactively taking the steps needed to ensure its financial strength for the future. We are committed to adding new programs to meet the current demands of the students and the workforce, as well as position the college for future success.
Starting in fall 2024, we are adding these programs:
Additionally, in fall 2025, we will be offering two new athletic programs which include STUNT and men’s ice hockey.
We are currently assessing our areas of study to make sure we are positioning ourselves to meet the demand of our current and future students. This process of academic program review may lead to the discontinuation of programs no longer in demand. When colleges or universities discontinue a particular academic program (e.g. major or minor), they stop accepting new students into the program and teach out their existing students. Students can contact the Academic Advising & Career Development Center with any questions.
No. When students are admitted into an academic program, the college commits to supporting their progress through graduation from that program. When colleges or universities discontinue a particular academic program (e.g., major or minor), they stop accepting new students into the program and teach out their existing students. Students can contact the Academic Advising & Career Development Center with any questions.
The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the Deans Council, analyzed key data sets from an outside vendor, rpk, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, and the Academic Program Prioritization process, which was led by the Curriculum and Education Policy Committee and selected members of the Interim Faculty Senate, to determine which non-tenured faculty lines should be eliminated to rightsize the faculty given multiple years of declining student enrollment.
Names or the programs where the personnel reductions have occurred will not be released in
accordance with our legal and ethical responsibilities to protect employee privacy.
We will support students to ensure that they can receive the classes they need to graduate. Our Academic Program Prioritization Process is considering the historic enrollment and current demand for all our academic programs. Any changes made to areas of study will take into account student demand and the ability of students to complete their course of study.
St. Norbert College is proactively taking the steps needed to ensure its financial strength for the future. These actions include revenue generation strategies and are likely to include additional reductions. These changes will be reviewed carefully so that we can continue to provide a high-quality education that is accessible and affordable for generations to come.
St. Norbert College values the liberal arts as one of its three core traditions. As is described in the college’s Liberal Arts Identity Statement, “The liberal arts tradition inspires in its students a love of learning and provides the skills requisite to carry their learning beyond the confines of the College environment to extend over the course of a lifetime. In today’s fast-paced world of change, an education that emphasizes lifelong learning is critical in that the specific skills taught today may find themselves antiquated tomorrow, but the ability to continually teach oneself is a skill that will never find itself out of date.”
The liberal arts is broadly inclusive, comprising the Humanities, the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the Visual and Performing Arts.
One of the college’s priorities is our commitment to accessibility and affordability. By creating a sustainable budget model that minimizes tuition increases, St. Norbert College ensures that higher education remains accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. This commitment enhances the college’s reputation as a leader in education and fosters a more inclusive and equitable community.
To make college more affordable, we offer generous financial aid packages. Annually, about 97 percent of our first-time, first-year students receive some form of financial aid, which can include scholarships, grants, loans and work-study. In terms of cost, an education from SNC is competitive — both with other private colleges and with public ones. It’s important to know that SNC also has a four-year graduation guarantee and one of the best four-year graduation rates in the Midwest. Graduating in four years means our students pay for college for fewer years than students in many other schools, and begin earning a salary ahead of many of their peers.
Due to the generosity of St. Norbert College alumni and stakeholders, the construction of a state-of-the-art business school is underway. This building will not serve business students exclusively; its indoor and outdoor spaces are being designed to welcome and benefit all of campus along with the local community. More than one-third of SNC students take a business course during their time on campus. Our goal is to keep SNC on the cutting edge of academia by providing top-level facilities to current and future students.
We are here to help and address any questions or concerns. For questions regarding academic programming, you can reach out to:
Division of Academic Affairs
Email: acadaffairs@snc.edu
Academic Advising & Career Development Center
Phone:920-403-3040
Email: advise@snc.edu
Office Hours: Mon.-Friday: 8:00 a.m - 4:30 p.m.
Division of Student Affairs
Phone: 920-403-3055
Email: sadivision@snc.edu
Questions regarding the Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy plan can be emailed to: preservingthelegacy@snc.edu
