Cazenovia College announced Wednesday that it would close permanently following the spring 2023 term.
The private college in Madison County, which opened its doors as the Genesee Seminary 199 years ago, announced its impending closure due to financial issues exacerbated by the global pandemic and rising inflation.
“Considerable time and effort have been spent on improving the college’s financial position over the past several years,” Cazenovia Board of Trustees chair Ken Gardiner said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the headwinds and market conditions were insurmountable, leading to a projected deficit of several million dollars for next year.”
I grew up down the street from Caz College and as a single parent, my mom was able to pay the mortgage by renting rooms to students. My aunties & mom learned (bad) ASL at Caz so this is just really sad. Cazenovia College to close after nearly 200 years https://t.co/RXqcRtkMVG
— Erin Moriarty, PhD (@ErinMoriartyH) December 8, 2022
Plan for Current Students
The liberal arts college announced that it would finish the fall 2022 semester on time and be fully functioning in the spring, offering classes and events, including athletics and other regularly scheduled activities. Senior graduation will take place on May 13, 2023 as expected.
The college will help students who intend to transfer to another school in the autumn during the spring 2023 semester.
According to Gardiner, Cazenovia lacks the resources to reopen after the current academic year. The college employs 210 people.
The institution claimed in a news release that the number of college applications continues to decline, making it challenging for small private universities like Cazenovia to sustain enrollment levels. Cazenovia’s enrollment has decreased by more than 40 percent since its peak, when there were around 1,000 students on campus.
