As the pool of potential college students continues to diminish, some institutions are striving to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market by adjusting or refining their academic focus.
This strategic approach is what prompted Clarkson University, with a strong emphasis on enhancing its reputation in STEM disciplines, to transfer 16 teacher education graduate programs to Siena College. The finalized agreement is anticipated in June, pending approval from the New York State Education Department.
“We made a crucial decision to redefine our identity and realign ourselves with our founding and continuous historical technological mission,” stated Marc Christensen, Clarkson’s president last week. “Through strategic focus, we opted to relocate those programs to an institution that could capitalize on a ready pipeline of undergraduate students interested in K-12 education careers, creating avenues to broaden offerings that cater to the significant demand for teachers in New York state and nationwide.”
New York state is projected to require approximately 180,000 new teachers within five years of acquiring their teaching license over the next decade to meet workforce demands. However, between 2009 and 2019, enrollment in the state’s teacher education programs plummeted by 53 percent.
The impact of the pandemic further exacerbated the declining interest in the teaching profession. National enrollment in education graduate programs saw a 7 percent decrease between 2018 and 2023.
Before the pandemic, Clarkson’s master of arts in teaching program produced up to 60 graduates annually. Presently, the program’s output has dwindled to an average of around 35 graduates per year, as reported by Catherine Snyder, the program director at Clarkson.
Furthermore, recent closures of certain institutions have led to the loss of teacher pipelines in New York. For instance, last summer, the State University of New York at Potsdam ceased several programs, including an undergraduate degree program in computer science education and a graduate advanced certificate program in college teaching. Despite this, teacher education remains a growth area for the university.
In response to these challenges, Clarkson decided to transfer the teacher education programs rather than discontinue them entirely, after receiving overwhelming support from the local K-12 education community who expressed the critical role these programs play in training high school teachers.
Siena College emerged as the ideal recipient for these programs due to its proximity, established reputation, and plans for program expansion. The transfer process, expected to be completed by summer, has received support from regulatory bodies.
The integration of these existing graduate programs will not only save Siena time typically spent on launching new programs but also presents an opportunity for growth and diversification in the wake of demographic shifts affecting higher education institutions.
The collaboration between Siena and Clarkson serves as a model for colleges navigating consolidations, mergers, and closures in an effort to strengthen their academic offerings and sustain institutional viability amidst evolving educational landscapes.