After months of broad messaging around “Renaissance Rising,” President and CEO Shantay Bolton presented her strategic plan to the college’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday, May 6, outlining how the administration intends to stabilize enrollment, improve operations and address the college’s ongoing financial challenges.
The plan is positioned as the institution’s roadmap for the next three years to address the college’s financial recovery and long-term sustainability.
Bolton, who took over leadership of the college last summer amid ongoing budget and enrollment pressures, declined to answer questions about the plan after leaving the meeting.
Karla Fuller, president of Faculty Senate, said she had not yet seen the finalized strategic plan and could not comment on it.
“I hope that some form of the finalized plan will be distributed to the wider community soon,” said Fuller, a professor in the School of Film and Television.
Jourdan Thompson, senior director of campus communications, told the Chronicle in an email that the plan will be released to the campus community “within the coming days.”
“The measurable goals for achieving financial stability are laid out within the strategic plan,” she said in the email. “As of right now we are not able to provide specific details.”
The Strategic Planning Task Force shared drafts of the plan earlier this spring to solicit feedback from members of the campus community. The task force was headed by Beth Ryan, professor of Instruction in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, and Adriel Hilton, the college’s vice president of institutional strategy and chief of staff.
Hilton left the meeting without talking to the Chronicle.
The board also approved a 4:3 teaching load increase for tenured faculty and a revision to the severance and termination policy under adverse circumstances to set the notice period to 10 business days for layoffs but to retain the one year of compensation in the current policy, Interim Senior Vice President and Provost Suzanne McBride told the Chronicle.
Senior Associate Provost Nathan Bakkum did not respond to an email seeking clarification about the severance and termination policy changes before publication.
Both measures were approved by the college’s Statement of Policy Committee and reviewed by the Faculty Senate.
Under the new teaching load, tenured faculty will teach four courses per semester and three the other semester, starting this fall. Tenure-track faculty would remain at 3:3, which had been the workload for all faculty with tenure appointments. Teaching-track faculty already teach a 4:4 load.
“It is only in effect under adverse circumstances,” McBride told the Chronicle after leaving the meeting. “At some point, presumably, we come out of adverse circumstances, and then that teaching track would revert back to the normal 3:3 for tenured faculty.”
The meeting also marked a leadership transition for the board. John Holmes said he is stepping down as chair but is “staying on the board.”
Holmes, who is chairman, president, and CEO of AAR CORP, said the board voted on his replacement but would not disclose who it was. He referred the Chronicle to the administration, saying he wasn’t sure how much he could say.
Holmes has served on Columbia’s board since 2012 and was elected chair in 2023. He succeeded Chicago venture capitalist Bill Wolf, who had served as chair of the board since 2016.
Under Holmes’ leadership, the board declared adverse circumstances in May 2024 following a recommendation from former President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim that the college met the financial conditions outlined in the Statement of Policy.
Under the college’s Statement of Policy, an “adverse circumstances” declaration permits measures such as increased teaching loads and termination of tenured appointments during periods of severe financial strain.
Since January 2025, 48 full-time faculty have lost their jobs through restructuring amid enrollment declines and shifts in curriculum.
At the annual State of the College address in October, Bolton said her administration would focus on four pillars to address Columbia’s challenges: stabilizing enrollment, elevating brand, strengthening philanthropy and improving operational efficiency.
Since the fall, the administration has gradually added more structure and public messaging around the initiative through strategic planning documents, feedback sessions and monthly communications from the president’s office.
Throughout the rollout, college leaders have framed the initiative as both a financial recovery strategy and an effort to position Columbia more competitively within creative industries and emerging media fields.
An earlier draft of the plan included a manifesto, initiatives and an outline of operational objectives for the next three years.
“I’m really excited to see what the next steps will be,” McBride said. “I think it’s going to give us a really important framework for setting priorities and making sure we’re able to stabilize enrollment, strengthen philanthropy, operate more efficiently and make the best use of student tuition money.”
In an email sent to faculty and staff on April 27, Bolton introduced a new monthly video series titled “Renaissance Rising: A Momentum Brief,” to communicate the college’s progress and priorities.
In the inaugural video, Bolton discussed financial contributions to the college this fiscal year, enrollment numbers for the Fall 2026 semester, Columbia’s public brand and reputation, and plans for the 25th anniversary Manifest celebration scheduled for next weekend.
“We are still facing serious financial challenges. Those challenges are real and they require difficult choices, sharper discipline, and a willingness to rethink legacy habits that no longer serve the future we are trying to build,” Bolton said in the video. “We are not running from that reality. At the same time, we are not surrendering to it either.”
This story has been updated with additional information about the notice period for termination.
Copy Edited by Samantha Mosquera
