Columbia College Chicago faculty members, students and supporters demonstrate outside Columbia College on Michigan Avenue on Oct. 30, 2023, after Columbia Faculty Union members voted to strike. When Lillian Gecker received a surprise invitation for a mandatory Microsoft Teams meeting, the Columbia College Chicago therapist got a bad feeling. The school also eliminated 32 vacant positions, citing declining student enrollment and ongoing financial woes.
The cuts impacted 20% of unionized staff, according to Craig Sigele, president of the United Staff of Columbia College, the union representing Columbia employees. The advising office, library, admissions and enrollment, career center and the counseling services office were among the departments affected by layoffs, she said.
“We already have had students who fall through the cracks, have to wait to get services, aren’t able to get regular therapy appointments,” she said. “In our worst-case scenarios, mental health can be life and death. We do have a role, at times, in helping students stay safe when they’re experiencing self-harm or suicidal ideation, even to the point of facilitating hospitalization.”
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